Honours degree of Bachelor of Information Technology and Systems

Course code: 3336 + Course abbreviation: BITS(Hons) + Total credit points required: 48 + 1 year full-time, 2 years part-time

Study mode and course location

On-campus (Berwick; Caulfield; Gippsland;)

Course description

Students are expected to develop higher-level skills related to a specific discipline area; to acquire research skills appropriate to their discipline; to understand the fundamentals of conceptual, methodological and implementation issues of IT-related research; and to conduct research in a selected area using the concepts and principles learned, which will culminate in the completion of an honours thesis.

Course objectives

After completion of an Honours degree of Bachelor of Information Technology and Systems, graduates will have an understanding of: the role of research in information technology to provide support to organisations and society; the research theories and techniques used in information technology; a wide range of qualitative and quantitative methods that are required to conduct and evaluate research; and the research principles including in particular research ethics, peer review and collaborative research.

Graduates will have the abilities and skills to: develop the fundamentals of conceptual methodological and implementation issues of IT related research; think creatively and develop, analyse and communicate alternative solutions to problems; conduct research in a selected discipline area by implementing the theoretical concepts and principles that have been developed; apply the methods, tools and techniques commonly used in the development and implementation of information products and systems to practical problems; use research skills to locate and retrieve information pertinent to the problems being investigated, using a range of sources including the technical literature and on-line resources as required; think critically, take responsibility for self-learning, and use a degree of resourcefulness when solving problems; communicate effectively with computing professionals, managers, end users, clients and the wider community; and consider and respond appropriately to the ethical dimensions of professional relationships and responsibilities.

Graduates will have attitudes that enable them to: take initiative and work independently; show a concern for accuracy and a willingness to objectively assess their own performance; be aware of the social consequences of the role of information technology in our society; develop awareness of the changing needs of information technology by continuing to develop knowledge and skills in their chosen discipline; feel enthusiasm for the field of study and a preparedness to continue life long education in their discipline; accept the code of professional conduct and practice appropriate to practicing information technology professionals; and act in accordance with best practice, industry standards and professional ethics.

Entry requirements

A person may be admitted to candidature for BITS(Hons) if they:

(a) satisfy the requirements of a relevant pass degree and obtained credit average or above in all units with a distinction in third-year IT units; or

(b) gained qualifications and experience in studies undertaken in any faculty or educational institution if such qualifications and experience are deemed by the faculty’s admissions and credit transfer sub-committee to be preparation equivalent to attainment of the pass degree of the standard specified in paragraph (a).

Course structure

Course requirements

The honours degree consists of a total of 48 points, comprising:

honours thesis (24 points)
FIT4005 IT research methods (6 points) with compulsory attendance at workshops and stipulated faculty seminars
three level 4 or 5 units* chosen from a list published by the Faculty of Information Technology (6 points each)

*A maximum of one unit may be selected from units offered by other faculties with the approval of the honours coordinator.

Contact details

Visit www.infotech.monash.edu.au/honours

Course leaders

Ms Sue Foster (Caulfield), Dr Madhu Chetty (Gippsland), Ms Kirsten Ellis (Berwick)

Previous page | Next page | Section contents | Title and contents