Bachelor of Science/Bachelor of Computer Science

Course code: 3517 ~ Course abbreviation: BSc/BCompSc ~ Total credit points required: 192 ~ 4 years full-time, 8 years part-time ~ Managing faculty: Science

Study mode and course location

On-campus (Clayton)

Course description

This double degree course allows students to qualify with both the Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Computer Science degrees.

The course aims to provide students with the opportunity to combine the strong communication skills, critical analysis and problem-solving ability of a science degree with mathematical and complex IT skills.

Course objectives

Upon completion of this course, students will have advanced knowledge and skills in mathematics and a different area of science and in at least one area of computer science. Graduates will have improved life and employment skills including generic skills necessary to critically analyse and communicate scientific ideas and information, and a capacity to apply discipline knowledge and critical thinking to define and analyse problems, and develop effective solutions.

Course structure

Areas of study

The course comprises 96 points of science units and 96 points of computer science units. At most, 60 points of level one units can be taken overall. For the purposes of this course, computer science units are not counted as science units. For details of available science minor and major sequences, consult the section `Science areas of study and sequences - Clayton'

Course requirements

Students must satisfy the core requirement for the Bachelor of Science as part of their science studies by completing SCI2010 (The practice and application of science) and MTH1030 (Techniques for modelling).

Overall students must complete the three core 6-point level one computer science units from the Faculty of Information Technology and at least two sequences from the Faculty of Science (one of which must be mathematics).

Students must complete the 11 additional core and two elective units in computer science plus appropriate science units to satisfy the requirements for at least one major and one minor sequence in science (one of which must be a minor sequence in mathematics) plus science elective units. Within the science component, students may not complete more than 36 points of level one units and overall must complete at least 24 points of level three science units.

Stage one

• FIT1001 Computer systems
• FIT1002 Computer programming
• FIT1008 Computer science
• MTH1112 Numbers, logic and graphs or STA1010 Statistical methods for science

Either:

• MTH1020* Analysis of change and MTH1030*, or
• MTH1030* and MTH2010* Multivariable calculus

plus:

• a 12 point level one sequence in a science area of study other than mathematics

Stage two

• FIT2004 Algorithms and data structures
• FIT2010 Database
• FIT2014 Theory of computation
• FIT2022 Computer systems II
• MTH2010* (if not already completed) or SCI2010*
• MTH2032 Differential equations and modelling

plus:

• 12 points of science units that complete a minor sequence in an area of study other than mathematics or computer science

At the end of stage two, students should have completed two minor sequences (one in mathematics) and one in another science area not including computer science.

Stages three and four

• FIT2001 Systems analysis and design
• FIT2008 Networks and data communications
• FIT3014, Analysis and design of algorithms
• FIT3036 Computer Science project or FIT3038 Software engineering project
• FIT3077 Software engineering: architecture and design
• FIT3085 Numerical computing
• FIT3086 IT project management
• SCI2010 (if not already completed)**

plus:

• two level three approved computer science elective units
• 24 points of science units to complete a major sequence in a science area of study, in either mathematics or the area of the minor sequence completed at stage two
• two or three elective science units to complete the final 48 points

* Students who have not completed the prerequisite requirements for MTH1030 should complete MTH1020 and MTH1030 at stage one, complete MTH2010 instead of SCI2010 at stage two, and complete SCI2010 instead of one of the science elective units at stage three.
**Note that SCI2010 substitutes for core requirement FIT1003 IT in organisations in the Bachelor of Computer Science degree.

The maximum time for completion of the course is 10 years, including intermissions.

Course progression requirements

Students who wish to exit the double-degree program and graduate with a Bachelor of Science, or undertake honours in science, prior to the completion of the BSc/BCompSc course must have completed at least 144 points of studies including all of the science requirements for the course. Students who wish to exit the double-degree program and graduate with a Bachelor of Computer Science, or undertake honours in computer science, prior to the completion of the BSc/BCompSc course must have completed at least 144 points of studies including all of the computer science requirements for the course.

Contact details

Course coordinator

Dr David Taniar, Faculty of Information Technology, Clayton