3517 - Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Computer Science

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.

Students with a distinction average may apply to participate in the Industry Based Learning (IBL) placement stream of the Bachelor of Computer Science. IBL students are awarded a scholarship and undertake a 22-week industry placement with participating companies as directed by the University. The student's work during the placement will be structured and assessed as part of the degree.

IBL-stream students must undertake an industry placement to complete the requiremens of the course.

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.

The IBL stream

The IBL placement program of the computer science component of this double degree is available to Australian residents who commenced their studies in 2006 or later, but it is not available to international students. A limited number of places will be available. Selection will be made after the completion of second year and will be based on academic performance and an interview conducted by industry partners. IBL students are required to be available during the normal holiday period in summer and winter for special units and industry-based learning placements.

Upon completion of this course, students will have advanced knowledge and skills in mathematics and in another 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.

Areas of study

The course comprises 96 points of science units and 96 points of computer science units. For the purposes of this course, computer science units are not considered as science units. For details of available science minor and major sequences, consult the section 'Science areas of study and sequences - Clayton'.

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

Students must complete an additional 66 points of core units and two elective units in computer science plus approved 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 (all students)

• FIT1001 Computer systems
• FIT1002 Computer programming
• FIT1008 Computer science
• MTH1112 Numbers, logic and graphs or STA1010 Statistical methods for science
• MTH1030 Techniques for modelling* and MTH1020* Analysis of change or MTH2010* Multivariable calculus
• a 12 point level one sequence in a science area of study other than mathematics

Stage two (main stream)

• FIT2004 Algorithms and data structures
• FIT2010 Database
• FIT2014 Theory of computation
• FIT2022 Computer systems 2
• MTH2010* (if not already completed) or SCI2010*
• MTH2032 Differential equations and modelling
• 12 points of science units to 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.

Stage two (IBL stream)

• FIT2004 Algorithms and data structures
• FIT2010 Database
• FIT2014 Theory of computation
• FIT2022 Computer systems 2
• MTH2010* (if not already completed) or SCI2010*
• MTH2032 Differential equations and modelling
• 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 (main stream)

• 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 Project management
• SCI2010 (if not already completed)**
• 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
• two level three approved computer science elective units

Stages three and four (IBL stream)

• FIT2001 Systems analysis and design
• FIT2008 Networks and data communications
• FIT2043 Technical documentation for software engineers
• FIT3014 Analysis and design of algorithms
• FIT3077 Software engineering: architecture and design
• FIT3086 Project management***
• FIT3127 Industry-based learning (18 points)
• SCI2010 (if not already completed)**
• 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.

** SCI2010 substitutes for core requirement FIT1003 IT in organisations in the Bachelor of Computer Science degree.

*** FIT3086 should be completed in summer semester, otherwise IBL students will need to overload in one semester by one unit.

Students can graduate with one of the single degrees after completion of 144 points of study provided all the requirements of the relevant degree has been met.

Bachelor of Computer Science

Bachelor of Science

* Where more than one award is listed, or in the case of double degrees, where more than one award is listed for one or both components of the double degree, the actual award/s conferred may depend on units/majors/streams/specialisations studied, the level of academic merit achieved (eg in the case of 'with honours' programs), or other factors relevant to the individual student's program of study.