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Master of Information Management and Systems Professional

Course code: 3324 ~ Course abbreviation: MIMSPro ~ Total credit points required: 96 ~ 2 years full-time, 4 years part-time ~ Managing faculty: Information Technology

Study mode and course location

On-campus* (Caulfield)

* Some units will be offered in off-campus mode

Course description

The MIMS Professional course prepares students who have a first qualification in another discipline area for professional careers in information systems (IS) and information management (IM). The course initially provides students with understanding of foundation information technology concepts and fundamental IS and IM principles, and then develops in-depth knowledge and understanding of two specialist areas within the IS and IM fields, including the major theoretical and professional debates in each area. High performing students have the option of undertaking a research path, which includes research methods training and a minor thesis.

Course objectives

The objectives of the Master of Information Management and Systems Professional are to: provide students with knowledge and understanding of fundamental principles in the disciplinary areas that underpin the information technology field; provide students with knowledge, understanding, and experiences that transcend technologies and are robust over time so that students are well placed to deal with ongoing, rapid changes in the information technology field; develop students' understanding of one or more significant areas of information management and systems to a level of depth and sophistication consistent with senior professional practice; enable students to complement their detailed studies of a significant area of information management and systems with elective study from a wide range of disciplines; and enable high performing students to undergo research training through a minor thesis program.

Credit for prior studies

Students who have completed a graduate qualification with a recognised professional track in information systems or information management may be granted credit. The granting of more than 24 points of credit is rare. Students who have been granted credit must still meet the professional track and foundation unit requirements in order to complete this course.

Course structure

To qualify for the award of Master of Information Management and Systems Professional, students must complete 96 points of study as outlined below.

This course is available in two forms: coursework only and coursework plus a minor thesis.

Course requirements

Coursework version

Students must complete:

four foundation units (24 points);
one professional track of four, level-5 units (24 points);
a second professional track of four, level-5 units (24 points);
four elective units (24 points) approved by the course director; or a third professional track.

Coursework and minor thesis version

Students must complete:

four foundation units (24 points);
one professional track of four, level-5 units (24 points);
FIT4005 IT Research methods (6 points);
a Minor thesis (24 points);
three elective units (18 points) approved by the course director.

Both versions

The foundation units and professional tracks are listed below.

Free-choice electives can be taken from any graduate program in the faculty, or, with the approval of the course director, a maximum of 12 points of these free-choice electives may be taken from other faculties of the University. Completing a third professional track is dependent on timetabling and may take longer than four semesters to complete. The professional tracks completed will be acknowledged on the student's official academic transcript.

Students need to complete at least one foundation unit, or have completed appropriate bachelor level study before commencing professional track units.

Students should take careful note of prerequisites for the units in the professional tracks they have chosen and complete these units early in their course. Some units have foundation units as prerequisites. The foundation units have been designed for students with little prior study in information technology.

Students who wish to pursue a research pathway may take a 24-point minor thesis in the final stage of their MIMS Professional degree. However, this option is only open to students with at least a distinction average on their coursework, and who have their course director's approval. Students undertaking a minor thesis will need to have first completed FIT4005 (IT research methods) prior to undertaking the thesis.

To graduate from the MIMS Professional, students must complete the course outlined above, totalling 96 points of graduate level study. A minimum of 72 points must be completed from approved MIMS graduate level units. Up to 24 points can be taken from outside the MIMS units.

Note: It is highly recommended that students undertake postgraduate orientation activities and workshops coordinated by the Faculty of Information Technology.

Foundation units (24 points)

FIT9003 Database systems design*
FIT9004 Computer programming for business *
FIT9005 Computer architecture and networks *
FIT9006 Information technology management *

Professional tracks (48 points)

Coursework students must complete two of the following professional tracks (48 points). Coursework and minor thesis students must complete one professional track (24 points), FIT4005 and the minor thesis (24 points).

Each professional track comprises four level-5 units (24 points), as outlined below.

Business application development professional track

FIT5151 Object oriented business application development
FIT5059 Advanced programming for database applications
FIT5077 e-Business application development
FIT5152 User interface design and development

Business intelligence professional track

FIT5094 IT for management decision making
FIT5097 Business intelligence modelling
FIT5095 Data warehousing
FIT5093 Business intelligence applications

Business systems professional track

FIT5157 Services science
FIT5158 Customer relationship management and data mining
FIT5159 IT for financial decisions
FIT5160 Business process modelling, design and simulation

Corporate information and knowledge management professional track

FIT5102 IT strategy and governance*
FIT5150 Project management*
FIT5086 Information and knowledge management principles*
FIT5088 Information and knowledge management systems*

Enterprise systems professional track

FIT5101 Enterprise systems
FIT5092 e-Business
FIT5111 Information systems development practices
FIT5150 Project management

Library, archival and recordkeeping systems professional track

FIT5090 Social Informatics*
FIT5104 Professional practice* #

Plus two units from:

FIT5105 Information access*
FIT5106 Information organisation*
FIT5087 Archival systems*
FIT5107 Managing business records*

MIMS additional elective units

Elective units need to be approved by the course director. Up to four electives may be taken in the coursework version, and up to three electives in the coursework and minor thesis version. They may comprise units taken from other professional tracks, other units listed below, from other graduate units within the faculty, or from other faculties.

FIT5108 Reading unit #
FIT5109 Research topic * #
FIT9058 Chinese language information technology #

* Units offered on-campus and by off-campus learning.
# Special entry requirements apply; course director approval is required.

Research unit

FIT4005 IT Research methods

Minor thesis

Students in the coursework and minor thesis version take a 24-point minor thesis that comprises one or more of the following units:

FIT5014 Minor thesis (24 points taken over one semester)
FIT5016 Minor thesis (6 points**)
FIT5017 Minor thesis (12 points**)
FIT5018 Minor thesis (18 points**)

** When the thesis is taken over more than one semester.

Exit awards

Students wishing to exit the Master of Information Management and Systems early may apply to graduate with the:

Graduate Certificate in Information Management and Systems after successful completion of 24 points of study from MIMS graduate units, or
Graduate Diploma in Information Management and Systems or Graduate Diploma of Information and Knowledge Management after successful completion of 48 points of study, of which 36 points are from MIMS graduate units
Master of Information Management and Systems after successful completion of 72 points of study, of which at least 60 points are from MIMS graduate units

provided they have satisfied the requirements for these awards.

Professional recognition

This course is accredited by the Australian Computer Society (ACS) as meeting the standard of knowledge for professional-level membership. Students who successfully complete MIMS Professional may, depending on their unit choices, be eligible for professional accreditation/recognition by the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA), the Australian Society of Archivists (ASA), and the Records Management Association of Australia (RMAA).

Contact details

Course coordinator

Dr Kerry Tanner