Bachelor of Arts (Policy Studies)/Bachelor of Information Management and Systems

• General information
• Introduction
• Aims and objectives
• Entrance requirements
• Course structure
  • Bachelor of Arts (Policy Studies) component
    • First year (24 points)
    • Second year (28 points)
    • Third year (20 points)
    • Fourth year (20 points)
  • Bachelor of Information Management and Systems component
    • First -year (24 points)
    • Second-year (24 points)
    • Third year (30 points)
    • Fourth year (22 points)
• Admission requirements
• Fee structure

General information

Course code: To be advised Caulfield campus Course coordinator: To be advised This course will not be taking new enrolments

Introduction

The Bachelor of Arts (Policy Studies)/Bachelor of Information Management and Systems (BA(Policy St)/BIMS) is offered by the School of Humanities and Public Policy and the School of Information Management and Systems.
The aim of the BA(Policy St)/BIMS is to prepare students for careers in the policy and information fields. Graduates who can offer skills in both these areas are likely to be in demand by policy-intensive organisations concerned with accountability (eg corporate regulation, legal administration) or enterprise (eg telecommunications, multimedia, international trade or other industry policy). Double-degree graduates from this program who join the staff of senior policy-makers such as politicians would be able to offer full support, covering systems administration (including websites), information storage and retrieval, information analysis and evaluation, and decision support.

Aims and objectives

The double degree of Bachelor of Arts (Policy Studies)/Bachelor of Information Management and Systems aims to produce graduates who (a) are effective in policy development, implementation and evaluation in a wide range of public and private sector contexts, and (b) possess generalised, adaptable communications, information management and IT skills.
The Bachelor of Arts (Policy Studies) component supports these aims by producing graduates who are expected to develop:

• an understanding of the theory and practice of the policy making process
• a comprehension of key issues and debates in a selected range of policy areas
• an insight into the complexity of the political and social contexts of policy making and application
• the ability to conduct policy research of a high calibre
• the ability to write professional research reports in a clear and sophisticated manner
• communication and interpersonal skills appropriate to professional employment through undertaking an internship program.

The Bachelor of Information Management and Systems component supports this aim by producing graduates who are expected to be able to:

• identify problems with organisational information systems
• analyse and describe complex information needs, and design and evaluate alternative information products, services and systems to meet such needs
• manage the implementation of information products, services and systems and understand the effects of information technology at the organisational level
• use a broad range of approaches for information products, services and systems development
• identify risks and opportunities relating to management of information by individuals, groups and organisations
• use information techniques for developing and applying knowledge assets in business and society
• effectively communicate with sponsors, clients, users and other professionals
• work within a team environment.

Entrance requirements

A study score of at least 25 in English units 3 and 4, and a study score of at least 20 in any three other VCE studies.

Course structure

The pass degree normally takes four years full-time or eight years part-time. It comprises 192 credit points (92 Arts faculty credit points and 100 Information Technology faculty credit points).

Bachelor of Arts (Policy Studies) component

This component of the course includes a compulsory major in public policy, and comprises 92 credit points of subjects made up of the following:

• 52 point compulsory public policy major
• 28 point compulsory arts discipline minor
• 12 point compulsory arts discipline first-year sequence.

A year-by-year student progression through the course would be as follows:

First year (24 points)

• Twelve-point compulsory first-year sequence in policy studies -- discipline A consisting of PCY1001 The policy context: Australian polity and society (6 points) and PCY1002 Public policy: theories and issues (6 points)

plus

• Twelve-point first-year sequence in an arts discipline -- discipline C

Second year (28 points)

• PCY2001 Ministers, minders and bureaucrats: the policy process (8 points compulsory policy studies -- discipline A)
• Eight points policy studies subject -- discipline A
• Twelve points first-year sequence in an arts discipline -- discipline B

Third year (20 points)

• PCY3001 Research methods for policy studies (4 points compulsory policy studies -- discipline A)
• Sixteen points of second-year studies in an arts discipline (discipline B)

Fourth year (20 points)

• Eight-point policy studies subject -- discipline A
• Joint subject of 16 points which includes policy internship (12 points compulsory policy studies -- discipline A)

Bachelor of Information Management and Systems component

This component of the course includes a specialisation in an area of information systems and management, and comprises 100 credit points of subjects.
A year-by-year student progression through the course follows.

First -year (24 points)

• IMS1001 Information systems (6 points)
• IMS1002 Systems analysis and design (6 points)
• IMS1401 The internet and multimedia 1 (6 points)
• IMS1102 Information management (6 points)

Second-year (24 points)

• IMS1000 First-year studio (12 points)
• IMS2112 Business information management (6 points)
• BUS2176 Project management (6 points)

Third year (30 points)

• IMS2000 Second-year studio (12 points)
• IMS2001 Enterprise systems (6 points)
• IMS2102 Information management 3 (6 points)
• IMS3XXX Information management and systems elective 1 (6 points)

Fourth year (22 points)

• IMS3xxx Information management and systems elective 2 (6 points)
• IMS3xxx Information management and systems elective 3 (6 points)
• IMS3xxx Information management and systems elective 4 (6 points)
• Joint subject worth 16 points (ie 4 points being the compulsory IMS studio component and 12 points being the arts policy studies component)

Admission requirements

Applicants will be required to have successfully completed the Victorian Certificate of Education (or equivalent) with a minimum study score of 25 in English units 3 and 4 and a score of 20 in at least three other studies. Credit transfer and admission with advanced standing will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Fee structure

The course is HECS-liable in the first band for Faculty of Arts subjects and in the second band for Faculty of Information Technology subjects. The fees are $14,250 pa for Australian fee-paying students and $15,500 pa for international students.

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