Master of Digital Communications

Course code: 2406 + Course abbreviation: MDigComms + Total credit points required: 72 + 1.5 years full-time, 3 years part-time

Study mode and course location

On-campus (Clayton)

Course description

The Monash digital communications program covers a broad range of courses ranging from the short graduate certificate up to the masters degree by coursework in digital communications. The courses have been structured to provide an integrated program of postgraduate education in digital communications.

The initial units introduce underlying principles and technologies, and the later units cover in-depth the theoretical and technological foundations of digital communications systems, and also examines the social and political aspects of communications networking, and the management structures for communications networks.

Course objectives

The aims of the digital communications program are to provide: a thorough understanding of the central communications and networking technologies: transmission systems, local networks and protocols; practical and theoretical foundations to enable graduates to design, develop, specify, select, install and operate communications facilities in a wide range of applications areas; a foundation of theory from which trends and future technologies can be evaluated.

The course currently draws students from a wide range of employment backgrounds, including programming, systems analysis, engineering, management, consultancy, auditing, marketing and teaching. The program is designed to provide graduates in fields such as computing, computer science or electrical engineering with specialist graduate-level education in topics such as digital communications technologies, communications architectures, protocols and network design.

Entry requirements

The normal entry requirement is a degree that is equivalent to an Australian bachelors degree in a discipline that provides a suitable basis for the course, eg computer science, data processing or electrical, electronic or communications engineering.

Applicants without degree qualifications may apply for the Executive Certificate in Information Technology, indicating their preference in the Master of Digital Communications. Entry to this masters program is subject to completion of satisfactory achievement in the Executive Certificate in Information Technology with minimum of a credit average. Applicants should also be able to demonstrate an ability to study at tertiary level. The number of places available to applicants in this category is limited.

Applicants should note that demand for this course usually exceeds the quota of places available and consequently not everyone qualified for entry to the course can be admitted. Applicants are therefore advised to present their cases strongly when applying for the course.

Credit for prior studies

Credit in the program is available to applicants who hold a suitable postgraduate qualification, or who have a four-year or honours degree with significant emphasis on data communications or telecommunications. Approved units undertaken in the Executive Certificate in Information Technology will be counted as credits towards the Master of Digital Communications.

Course structure

The course consists of coursework units and either a project or a minor thesis, structured as follows:

Structure A

(a) at least eight units from the list of approved digital communications graduate units listed below. No more than four of these units may be from group 1 on the list

(b) up to two units which may be drawn from any postgraduate program of the university with the approval of the school or nominee

(c) a communications project (12 points), in which the student undertakes an investigation of some aspect of digital communications, leading to a project report, or in some circumstances the development of communications-oriented hardware or software.

Structure B

(a) at least six units from the list of approved digital communications graduate units listed below. No more than four of these units may be from group 1 on the list

(b) up to two units which may be drawn from any postgraduate program of the university with the approval of the school or nominee

(c) a communications minor thesis (24 points), in which the student undertakes a significant investigation of some aspect of digital communications, leading to a thesis which will be assessed by two examiners (the minor thesis is expected to be at a significantly higher standard than the project in Structure A. Students proceeding to a later PhD program would normally undertake the minor thesis as a demonstration of readiness for a research degree).

Group 1

CSE4400 Systems programming 1
FIT4014 Digital communications software
FIT4015 Digital communications technology and protocols
FIT4016 Information security
FIT4017 Network management

Group 2

BUS5150 Project management
CPE5002 Network security
CSE5000 Distributed object technology
CSE5020 Distributed computation and simulation
CSE5210 Advances in information security
CSE5303 Advanced digital signal processing
CSE5501 Mobile and distributed computing systems
ECE5012 Applied digital signal processing
ECE5023 RF techniques
ECE5024 Wireless communications
ECE5042 Communications theory
ECE5043 Optical communications
ECE5044 Telecommunications protocols
ECE5045 Network performance
FIT5008 Digital communications project
FIT5009 Software engineering for communication systems
FIT5010 Advanced internet protocols and application
FIT5011 Advanced network design and performance
FIT5012 Digital coding and compression for communications
GCO5805 Multimedia computing and communications
GCO5807 Project management
IMS5007 Electronic commerce

Note: Some units are offered only in alternate years. This list is subject to revision.

Exit awards

Students wishing to exit the Master of Digital Communications early may apply to graduate with the:

Postgraduate Certificate in Digital Communications after successful completion of 24 points of units listed in group 1 or 2 above, or
Postgraduate Diploma in Digital Communications after successful completion of 48 points of study, of which at least six units must be drawn from are from group 1 or 2 above

provided they have satisfied the requirements for these awards.

Professional recognition

The Faculty of Information Technology has applied for accreditation in 2007 for the Master of Digital Communications from the Australian Computer Society (ACS) which may enable graduates of the course to be eligible for professional-level membership of the ACS.

Contact details

Course coordinator

Associate Professor Bin Qiu

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