Monash University Handbook 2011 Postgraduate - Units

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Synopsis

This unit is used by the faculty to enrol students undertaking outbound exchange studies at a host institution. Students will not be able to enrol in this unit via WES. The faculty will manage the enrolment of students undertaking an outbound exchange program to ensure fees and credit are processed accurately.

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Synopsis

This unit is used by the faculty to enrol students undertaking outbound exchange studies at a host institution. Students will not be able to enrol in this unit via WES. The faculty will manage the enrolment of students undertaking an outbound exchange program to ensure fees and credit are processed accurately.

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Synopsis

This unit is used by the faculty to enrol students undertaking outbound exchange studies at a host institution. Students will not be able to enrol in this unit via WES. The faculty will manage the enrolment of students undertaking an outbound exchange program to ensure fees and credit are processed accurately.

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Synopsis

This unit is used by the faculty to enrol students undertaking outbound exchange studies at a host institution. Students will not be able to enrol in this unit via WES. The faculty will manage the enrolment of students undertaking an outbound exchange program to ensure fees and credit are processed accurately.

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Synopsis

This unit is used by the faculty to enrol students undertaking outbound exchange studies at a host institution. Students will not be able to enrol in this unit via WES. The faculty will manage the enrolment of students undertaking an outbound exchange program to ensure fees and credit are processed accurately.

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Synopsis

This unit is used by the faculty to enrol students undertaking outbound exchange studies at a host institution. Students will not be able to enrol in this unit via WES. The faculty will manage the enrolment of students undertaking an outbound exchange program to ensure fees and credit are processed accurately.

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Synopsis

This unit is used by the faculty to enrol students undertaking outbound exchange studies at a host institution. Students will not be able to enrol in this unit via WES. The faculty will manage the enrolment of students undertaking an outbound exchange program to ensure fees and credit are processed accurately.

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Synopsis

This unit is used by the faculty to enrol students undertaking outbound exchange studies at a host institution. Students will not be able to enrol in this unit via WES. The faculty will manage the enrolment of students undertaking an outbound exchange program to ensure fees and credit are processed accurately.

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Synopsis

This unit is used by the faculty and/or Monash Research Graduate School to enrol students undertaking Higher Degrees by research. Students will not be able to enrol in this unit via WES.

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Synopsis

This unit introduces students to a variety of issues, concepts, methods and techniques associated with IT research. Skills developed and knowledge acquired from this unit will prepare students to conduct their own research, as well as to be knowledgeable consumers of others research.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will have -
A knowledge and understanding of:

• basic research concepts, major philosophical foundations (theory, framework, paradigm, scientific method and methodologies in general);
• research methods and techniques relevant to IT research;
• key issues in IT research;
• methods of argument analysis;
• how to design research;
• how to evaluate research and peer review procedures;
• the process of reviewing research literature on a specific topic;
• ethical research practices.

• have confidence in themselves as informed consumers of published research, able to critically evaluate the relative quality and merits of reported research findings;
• have confidence in their ability to undertake independent research and to complete a thesis;
• have an awareness of the ethical issues that arise in the design and implementation of research.

• match research tools and methods with research needs;
• write effective research papers;
• evaluate research ideas and designs;
• collect and analyse relevant data.

• communicate research ideas effectively in oral and written form;
• assess research ideas and designs.

Assessment

In-semester assessment (assignments and class tests): 100%

Chief examiner(s)

Professor David Arnott

Contact hours

2 hrs lectures/wk, 2 hrs laboratories/wk

Prerequisites

Students must be enrolled in an FIT Honours degree, Masters degree or Research degree. Foundation knowledge in computer science, business information systems or information technology and systems fundamentals is assumed.

Prohibitions

ITW4001, IMS5036, IMS4036, BUS5000, CSE4910, GCO4010, CSE4650

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit4005/

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Synopsis

This unit will develop students capabilities to undertake research in the information systems field. Students will learn various research methods and study published research papers in which these research methods have been used. In particular, students will learn to evaluate how well the research methods have been used in published research papers. Students will also develop an understanding of some of the exciting, leading-edge research in the information systems field. This understanding may enable students to identify research topics that they would like to pursue, perhaps in an honours, masters, or PhD thesis.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will have:

• developed capabilities to undertake research in the information systems field;
• learned various research methods and studied published research papers in which these research methods have been used;
• learned to evaluate how well the research methods have been used in published research papers.

Assessment

Examination (3 hours): 50%; In-semester assessment: 50%

Chief examiner(s)

Professor Ron Weber

Contact hours

3 hr seminar/wk

Co-requisites

FIT4005

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit4007

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Synopsis

Methods from Artificial Intelligence (AI) form the basis for many advanced information systems. These techniques address problems that are difficult to solve or not efficiently solvable with conventional techniques. Building on the undergraduate curriculum this unit introduces the student to advanced AI methods and their applications in information systems.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will have:

• achieved an overview of different technologies that form the basis of intelligent information systems;
• understood the capabilities of these methods;
• learned to recognise tasks that can be solved with these methods;
• the ability to judge the limitations of these methods.With successful completion of the unit the students;
• the ability to apply the standard techniques in the chosen sub-fields of intelligent information systems to the construction and design of such systems;
• the ability to critically evaluate the performance of these approaches;
• the ability to compare these techniques to alternative approaches;
• gained an appreciation of the practical relevance of intelligent information systems.

Assessment

Assignment and Examination, relative weight depending on topic composition. When no exam is given students will be expected to demonstrate their knowledge by solving practical problems and maybe required to give an oral report.

Chief examiner(s)

Professor Ingrid Zukerman

Contact hours

2 hrs lectures/wk

Prerequisites

Completion of the Bachelor of Computer Science or equivalent to the entry requirements for the Honours program. Students must also have enrolment approval from the Honours Coordinator.

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit4009

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Synopsis

Algorithms are the most fundamental area for all aspects of computer science and software engineering. Discrete structures, such as those treated in graph theory, set theory, combinatorics and symbolic logic form the mathematical underpinning of the study of algorithms. As well-designed algorithms and data structures are essential for the good performance of an information system, an in-depth understanding of the theoretical properties of algorithms is essential for any computer scientist. As importantly, the theoretical investigation of algorithms leads to a deeper understanding of problem structures and classes of problems and the knowledge of a large variety of algorithm types enables the designer to approach a new problem from different angles. Topics for this unit include: Computability and Complexity Automata Theory Advanced Analysis and Design of Algorithms Parallel and Distributed Algorithms Numerical Algorithms Cryptographic algorithms Spatial/geometric algorithms

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will have:

• an improved understanding of the issues involved in designing algorithms in the chosen specialisation area(s) and in analysing their performance;
• an understanding of the mathematical formalisms that are relevant for these algorithms;
• learned to recognise tasks that can be solved with these algorithms;
• the ability to judge the limitations of these methods.With successful completion of the unit the students;
• the ability to choose and apply algorithms and data structures in the chosen specialisation area(s);
• the ability to evaluate the performance of algorithms using formal approaches;
• the ability to design modified algorithms in the chosen area to suit particular problem structures.

Assessment

Assignment and Examination, relative weight depending on topic composition. When no exam is given students will be expected to demonstrate their knowledge by solving practical problems and maybe required to give an oral report.

Contact hours

2 hrs lectures/wk, 1 hr laboratory or tutorial/wk

Prerequisites

Completion of the Bachelor of Computer Science or equivalent to the entry requirements for the Honours program. Students must also have enrolment approval from the Honours Coordinator.

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit4010

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Synopsis

All sciences are increasingly relying on computational support and the growth of many branches of science has only become possible due to the availability of efficient computational methods. The common basis of such methods are; numerical methods and high performance computing. Topics for this unit include: Numerical Methods, High Performance and Parallel Computing, Optimisation and Operations Research Bioinformatics, Simulation, Visualisation and Modelling.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will:

• understand the place of computational methods in the chosen field of specialisation and their relation to non-computational approaches;
• compare and contrast alternative computational approaches in this domain;
• critically evaluate the limits and capabilities of these methods;
• be able to select, design and test computer programs in the domain;
• where appropriate, be able to use the standard computational packages in the chosen domain effectively for practical problem solving.

Assessment

Assignment and Examination, relative weight depending on topic composition. When no exam is given students will be expected to demonstrate their knowledge by solving practical problems and maybe required to give an oral report.

Chief examiner(s)

Associate Professor Jon McCormack

Contact hours

2 hrs lectures/wk

Prerequisites

Completion of the Bachelor of Computer Science or equivalent to the entry requirements for the Honours program. Students must also have enrolment approval from the Honours Coordinator.

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit4012

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Synopsis

The first component of this unit looks at digital communication technologies such as: local area networks; metropolitan area networks; satellite networks; ISDN; modem techniques; digital networks. The second component covers protocols including: the structure, coordination and management of the Internet; Internet standards development process; Internet link layer protocols; IP (V4 and V6) and ICMP protocols; TCP and UDP; the Internet addressing structure, including domain naming and the DNS/LDAP systems and protocols; bridging systems and spanning-tree protocols; Internet packet routing techniques and protocols; mobile IP; Real Time Protocols; the major common applications.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will be able to:

• understand the general architecture of the Internet, the interworking of the key protocols, and the underlying services required for the operation of the network;
• understand the standards development process for protocols and applications operating in the Internet;
• describe the characteristics of the key protocols in the Internet, and the roles they play;
• understand the key quality of service and security issues applying to the Internet;
• knowledge of local area network design and implementation techniques;
• identify appropriate standard internet protocols for various networking functions;
• select suitable local area network architecture to meet user requirements;
• select apporpriate telecommunications products to meet user requirements.

Assessment

Examination (2 hours): 60%; In-semester assessment: 40%

Chief examiner(s)

Dr Jacques Steyn

Contact hours

2 hrs lectures/wk, 2 hrs laboratories/wk

Prohibitions

CPE3004, CSE3821, CSE4881, CSE4882, ECE4044, ECE4411, ECE5411, FIT5173

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit4015

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Synopsis

This unit looks at a range of security problems in information systems, namely physical security, network security and software security. Within these areas, topics covered include risk analysis, authentification, access control, and crypto techniques. It looks at various management issues, including disparate application examples, distributed systems authentication, contingency planning, audit and review. A range of security applications are used as examples.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will have -
A knowledge and understanding of:

• risks, threats and goals of information security;
• various controls and their effectiveness for information security in an organisation;
• how to evaluate the effectiveness (both in terms of performance and limitations) of individual control techniques;
• how to match the risk against controls and evaluate their applicability.

• appreciate the importance of information security in an organisation;
• appreciate the importance of the use of various controls and their effectiveness for information security in an organisation.

• carry out an investigation into the selection and deployment of particular security measure and application technologies based on risk analysis as applied to information security in an organisation;
• use tools for counteracting risks and threats to information security.

• communicate information on threats to information security and key appropriate controls and counter measure techniques in written and/or oral form;
• work individually or in a small group on an advanced topic related to information security in an organisation.

Assessment

Examination (2 hours): 60%; In-semester assessment: 40%

Contact hours

2 hrs lectures/wk, 2 hrs laboratories/wk

Prohibitions

CSE4892

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit4016

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Synopsis

This unit will cover network strategy development; network design principals; Telecom services; network performance; network topologies; network implementation; case studies ; case studies; traffic models; limitations of traffic models; network management protocols.

Objectives

On completion of this unit students will have -

An understanding of:

• network strategy development;
• network design principles;
• network performance;
• network topologies;
• network implementation.

• analyse the requirements of a networking systems;
• evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of particular networking systems and technologies in specific situations.

• the importance of systematic design in networks;
• the importance of management protocols and philosophy in networks.

• perform basic design tasks for a network;
• devise a management model and system for a network, using established protocols.

• communicating on issues in design and management of networks;
• appreciating the organisational and social impact of poor design and management in networks.

Assessment

Examination (3 hours): 50%, In-semester assessment: 50%

Chief examiner(s)

Dr Mohan Das

Contact hours

2 hrs lectures/wk, 2 hrs tutorial/week

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit4017

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Synopsis

This unit investigates the use of object-oriented languages to implement application software. Topics covered are aspects of object-oriented design, object-oriented programming, styles and idioms related to the C++ programming language, memory management, exception handling, the C++ standard library, performance and efficiency. Typical application areas studied include graphical user interfaces, event driven systems, simulations, and distributed systems

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will:

• understand object-oriented design and programming with C++ for large software development;
• achieve sound knowledge of concurrent design and programming with programming languages which do not have built-in features to support concurrency like C++;
• know how to develop high performance software with programming languages that do not support concurrency such as C++;
• achieve sound knowledge and good experience of network and distributed programming using C++.

Assessment

Examination (3 hours): 50%; In-semester assessment: 50%

Chief examiner(s)

Dr Phu Le

Contact hours

2 hrs lectures/wk, 2 hrs laboratories/wk

Prerequisites

FIT9017

Prohibitions

CSE4530, FIT3126

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit4033/

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Synopsis

The Case study provides the opportunity for students to focus their skills of system analysis and development, software design and development, documentation development and quality, system and software quality, interpersonal relationships and formal and quality documentation in the development of a solution to the Case Study project. Working as members of supervised teams, students undertake the analysis, design, documentation and implementation of an appropriate software system to assist with the resolution of a realistic business problem. As part of their success, teams will decide their methodology, and demonstrate quality planning and project planning skills.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will be able to:

• Implement system analysis skills;
• Implement quality planning and project planning skills;
• Provide resolution of a realistic business problem;
• Implement software design and development skills;
• Implement software implementation skills;
• develop documentation.

Assessment

Practical work: 100%

Chief examiner(s)

Ms Susan Foster

Contact hours

1 hr seminar/wk, 3 hrs tutorials/wk

Prerequisites

FIT9017, FIT9018, FIT9019 and FIT9030
Must be enrolled in course 3309, 0366, 0539, 0360 or 1772

Prohibitions

CSE3900, CSE9020, FIT3015, FIT3048, GCO9800,GCO3500

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit4037/

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Synopsis

This unit looks at the design and implementation issues of database management systems. Advanced database design using the object-relational approach and multi-dimensional database design are explored. Record, file and index structures are dealt with at the basic level. Higher level details of consistency, atomicity and durability are introduced along with modern trends in databases.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will be able to:

• understand object-relational database design;
• understand multi-dimensional database design;
• understand query optimisation and its impact on programming;
• understand the database management systems recovery, concurrency, and transaction management mechanisms;
• understand database trends and current research directions in database management;
• use design a complex database system; and
• use a database programming language to access a relational database system.

Assessment

Examination (3 hours): 60%; In-semester assessment: 40%

Chief examiner(s)

Associate Professor David Taniar

Contact hours

2 hrs lectures/wk, 2 hrs laboratories/wk

Prerequisites

FIT9019 or FIT9003
Knowledge of relational database principles, including SQL

Prohibitions

FIT3118, CSE3000

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit4038/

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Synopsis

Handheld computing, Lite Application Development, Architecture, User Interaction. Handheld Operating Systems, Application development environments, Handheld - database connectivity. Use of emulators and test suites. Construction of handheld applications, desktop synchronisation and the separation of computing tasks. Use of modems, cameras, infrared, serial communcation and TCP/IP. Contexts for deploying handheld computing, user interaction, modality, screen design, and desktop integration.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will

• be familiar with the various technologies associated with handheld/portable computing devices;
• be competent in producing software for such devices by event-based programming techniques, using an industry relevant Object-Oriented language;
• be familiar with a GUI-oriented Integrated Development Environment (MS Visual Studio. NET);
• be familiar with a subset of the Microsoft .NET framework and the various facilities it provides, in particular those relating to handheld devices.

Assessment

Examination (3 hours): 60%; In-semester assessment: 40%

Chief examiner(s)

Ms Janet Fraser

Contact hours

2 hrs lectures/wk, 2 hrs laboratories/wk

Prohibitions

CSE3211, FIT3027

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit4039/

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Synopsis

Content covered in this unit, includes: Static and dynamic web pages; ASP.Net environment; HTML forms reviewed; Standard server controls; C# language; Page life cycles; Event driven programming and postback; C# basics; Objects in C#; Namespaces and core objects; State handling; Objects and structured data; Validation controls; Master pages; Themes and skins; Navigation controls; Using data sources; Reading and updating data stores; XML files as data store; Using Grids; Data binding; Configuration and optimisation; Authentication; Email and accessing file systems; Components and user controls; Code behind; .NET Assemblies; Custom Server Controls; Using Ajax; Mobile Web page development; Styling page output; and New device support.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will have:

• an understanding of web environments and their components;
• an understanding of the principles of object oriented Internet applications development;
• the knowledge and skills to design and implement web based applications, using a server side applications development environment;
• the knowledge and skills to design and implement mobile applications;
• the knowledge and skills to implement data stores in web based applications;
• a professional attitude towards the development of web based information systems.

Assessment

Examination (3 hours): 50%; In-semester assessment: 50%
Students must gain a satisfactory result in both the practical and exercises work and the exam to gain a pass in the unit. The examination must be sat at a Monash campus.

Chief examiner(s)

Dr Des Casey

Contact hours

2 hrs lectures/wk. Help desk sessions are optional to attend.

Prerequisites

FIT9017 or similar unit in object oriented programming.

Prohibitions

FIT3043

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit4041/

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Synopsis

FIT5000 is an administrative extension unit for all FIT coursework masters minor thesis degrees, where appropriate. FIT5000 is a 6 credit point enrolled, 0 credit point achievable (administrative) unit. FIT5000 is taken in the final stage of the degree and students are not permitted to enrol in this unit more than once.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will have -
A knowledge and understanding of:

• their research topic and the wider research domain.
• research approaches and methods, and how to resolve research problems and issues.
• well honed skills in critical thinking, analysis, evaluation and synthesis.

• have confidence in their ability to undertake independent research, and to plan and execute an individual research project.
• appreciate the significance and contributions of a research culture in both academic and workplace contexts.

• plan and undertake rigorous independent research;
• locate relevant research literature, and critically analyse and evaluate published research findings;
• identify open problems in current research and promising new research directions, and from this to define a viable research topic;
• develop a sound research design and feasible research project plan and schedule;
• communicate effectively research results in a variety of forms, including informal oral presentations, written reports, seminar presentations and poster presentations.

• communicate research ideas effectively in formal or informal contexts;
• collaborate effectively with others involved in a research project (supervisors, research colleagues, industry collaborators).

Assessment

Presentation and final thesis (normally 15,000 - 20,000 words): 100%

Chief examiner(s)

Dr Michael Morgan

Contact hours

Varies according to remaining requirements. To be determined by Supervisor/Co-ordinator.

Prerequisites

Students must be enrolled in a Faculty of IT coursework masters degree. Enrolment in this unit may be permitted only after completion of 24 points of minor thesis for a 24-point Minor Thesis degree or 36 points of minor thesis for a 36-point Minor Thesis degree. Course Co-ordinator approval is required.
Prerequisite Knowledge: Research methods and a sound understanding of the research topic area.

Prohibitions

Students are not permitted to enrol in this unit more than once.

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Synopsis

This unit introduces students to the important area of software security. Principles of secure application development are examined, including threat modelling, software authorisation and authentication, malicious software, and exception management. Students gain practical experience in secure software development through projects and assignments.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will have:

• a detailed knowledge of the importance of secure software systems;
• understanding of various ways software can be compromised;
• understanding of the techniques and tools used to discover compromised systems;
• practical experience with building secure applications;
• understanding that security is of foremost importance to software design and should not be considered after the fact;
• confidence in their ability to identify software security development pitfalls;
• the ability to take a systematic approach to secure software development;
• the ability to develop secure software; identify common software security hazards;
• the ability to be able to integrate a secure software system as part of a larger networked environment.

Assessment

Examination (2 hours): 50%; In-semester assessment: 50%

Contact hours

2 hrs lecture/wk, 2 hrs tutorial/wk

Prerequisites

Prerequisite knowledge: Programming experience, preferably in C or C++

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5003/

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Synopsis

In-depth coverage of the protocols used to operate the Internet and intranets, and a selection of major applications, including specific implementations of the protocols and systems. The topics include: Advanced Internet Addressing: IPv6, subnetting, supernetting. TCP Performance and Enhancements: Reno, New-Reno, Fast Retransmit and Recovery, etc. Unicast and multicast routing protocols: BGP4, OSPF, MOSPF, DVMRP, etc. Messaging systems: SMTP, MIME, POP3, IMAP, World Wide Web systems: client-server implementations, HTTP, Real Time Protocols: RTP, RTCP,RSVP. Security and Firewall. Quality of Service issues: DiffServ and IntServ. Network management and Remote File activities.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will:

• have a well-developed conceptual framework, enabling them to keep pace with developments in the rapidly changing field of network computing;
• have a thorough understanding of one or more specialised areas of study within network computing;
• be familiar with using current technology, systems and software relevant to network computing;
• be able to practise professionally as a network computing specialist.

Assessment

Examination: 50%; In-semester assessment: 50%

Chief examiner(s)

Professor Balasubramaniam Srinivasan

Contact hours

2 hrs lectures/wk, 2 hrs tutorials/wk

Prohibitions

CSE5803

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5010

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Synopsis

This unit will cover network design, performance modelling and analysis. Queuing models (M/M/1, M/M/k, M/M/k/k, M/G/1), networks of queues. Multi-access systems (splitting, reservation, carrier sensing), routing techniques (shortest path, Bellman-Ford, Dijkstra, adaptive routing, flooding). Quality of service (QoS) aspects, flow control, connection admission control and other traffic management functions - ATM, IntServ and DiffServ models. Network topology design and performance modelling.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will have an understanding of:

• the general concepts of queuing theory and its application in network design;
• traffic dimensioning for circuit and packet switched networks;
• network performance modelling and analysis;
• traffic characterisation and modelling;
• network topology and routing techniques;
• key Quality of Service (QoS) measures and functions;
• analysis and evaluation of the operation of a local or wide area telecommunications network;
• major design aspects of a local or wide area network, including cable and wireless networks.

Assessment

Examination (3 hours): 50%; In-semester assessment: 50%

Contact hours

2 hrs lectures/wk, 2 hrs tutorials/wk

Prerequisites

MAT4003

Prohibitions

ECE4045, ECE5045, CSE5805, CSE5808.

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5011

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Synopsis

This unit is an optional research/thesis unit for FIT coursework masters degrees, taken in the final stage of the Masters Professional or Masters course. FIT5014 is a 24-point unit taken over a single semester. It is also possible to take the 24-point Minor Thesis over more than one semester by enrolling in units that collectively comprise 24 points, ie FIT5016 (6 points); FIT5017 (12 points); and FIT5018 (18 points).

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will have -
A knowledge and understanding of:

• their research topic and the wider research domain.
• research approaches and methods, and how to resolve research problems and issues.
• well honed skills in critical thinking, analysis, evaluation and synthesis.

• have confidence in their ability to undertake independent research, and to plan and execute an individual research project.
• appreciate the significance and contributions of a research culture in both academic and workplace contexts.

• plan and undertake rigorous independent research;
• locate relevant research literature, and critically analyse and evaluate published research findings;
• identify open problems in current research and promising new research directions, and from this to define a viable research topic;
• develop a sound research design and feasible research project plan and schedule;
• communicate effectively research results in a variety of forms, including informal oral presentations, written reports, seminar presentations and poster presentations.

• communicate research ideas effectively in formal or informal contexts;
• collaborate effectively with others involved in a research project (supervisors, research colleagues, industry collaborators).

Assessment

Presentation and final thesis: 100%

Chief examiner(s)

Dr Grace Rumantir

Contact hours

Regular meetings with supervisor(s) over the course of the unit enrolment

Prerequisites

Students must be enrolled in a Faculty of IT Masters (Honours), Masters Professional or Masters (Minor Thesis) course or the Master of Information Technology degree; FIT5014 is to be taken in the final stage of the course.

In undertaking the Minor Thesis students must have: (1) their course leaders approval to enrol in the unit; and (2) completed/enrolled concurrently in FIT4005 IT research methods. In addition, the following rules apply:

+ in the Masters Professional courses and Master of Information Technology, students must have completed at least 24 points of level 5 units in their degree and attained a Distinction average on their Masters coursework; and
+ in the Master of Information Technology degree students must have completed at least 24 points of level 5 units in their degree.

Co-requisites

FIT4005, taken in the first semester of enrolment (only in cases where enrolment in the Minor Thesis extends over more than one semester).

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Synopsis

FIT5016 is an optional research/ thesis unit for FIT coursework masters degrees, taken in the final stage of the Masters Professional or Masters course. While FIT5014 is a 24-point unit taken in a single semester, FIT5016 is a component of the 24-point Minor Thesis taken over more than one semester, along with FIT5018 or FIT5017.
Before enrolling in the unit, students need:

1. to have prior approval from their course coordinator; and
2. to have reached agreement with a potential supervisor about a research area/feasible research topic for their Minor Thesis project.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will have -
A knowledge and understanding of:

• their research topic and the wider research domain.
• research approaches and methods, and how to resolve research problems and issues.
• well honed skills in critical thinking, analysis, evaluation and synthesis.

• have confidence in their ability to undertake independent research, and to plan and execute an individual research project.
• appreciate the significance and contributions of a research culture in both academic and workplace contexts.

• plan and undertake rigorous independent research;
• locate relevant research literature, and critically analyse and evaluate published research findings;
• identify open problems in current research and promising new research directions, and from this to define a viable research topic;
• develop a sound research design and feasible research project plan and schedule;
• communicate effectively research results in a variety of forms, including informal oral presentations, written reports, seminar presentations and poster presentations.

• communicate research ideas effectively in formal or informal contexts;
• collaborate effectively with others involved in a research project (supervisors, research colleagues, industry collaborators).

Assessment

Presentation and final thesis: 100%

Chief examiner(s)

Dr Michael Morgan

Contact hours

Regular meetings with supervisor(s) over the course of the unit enrolment

Prerequisites

Students must be enrolled in a Faculty of IT Masters (Honours), Masters Professional or Masters (Minor Thesis) course or the Master of Information Technology degree; FIT5016 is to be taken in the final stage of the course.

In undertaking the Minor Thesis students must have: (1) their course leaders approval to enrol in the unit; and (2) completed/enrolled concurrently in FIT4005 IT research methods. In addition, the following rules apply:

+ in the Masters Professional and Master of Information Technology courses, students must have completed at least 24 points of level 5 units in their degree and attained a Distinction average on their Masters coursework; and
+ in the Master of Information Technology (Honours) degree students must have completed at least 24 points of level 5 units in their degree.

Co-requisites

FIT4005, taken in the first semester of enrolment (only in cases where enrolment in the Minor Thesis extends over more than one semester).

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Synopsis

FIT5017 is an optional research/thesis unit for FIT coursework masters degrees, taken in the final stage of the Masters Professional or Masters course. While FIT5014 is a 24-point unit taken in a single semester, FIT5017 is a component of the 24-point Minor Thesis taken over more than one semester.
Before enrolling in the unit, students need:

1. to have prior approval from their course coordinator; and
2. to have reached agreement with a potential supervisor about a research area/feasible research topic for their Minor Thesis project.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will have -
A knowledge and understanding of:

• their research topic and the wider research domain.
• research approaches and methods, and how to resolve research problems and issues.
• well honed skills in critical thinking, analysis, evaluation and synthesis.

• have confidence in their ability to undertake independent research, and to plan and execute an individual research project.
• appreciate the significance and contributions of a research culture in both academic and workplace contexts.

• plan and undertake rigorous independent research;
• locate relevant research literature, and critically analyse and evaluate published research findings;
• identify open problems in current research and promising new research directions, and from this to define a viable research topic;
• develop a sound research design and feasible research project plan and schedule;
• communicate effectively research results in a variety of forms, including informal oral presentations, written reports, seminar presentations and poster presentations.

• communicate research ideas effectively in formal or informal contexts;
• collaborate effectively with others involved in a research project (supervisors, research colleagues, industry collaborators).

Assessment

Presentation and final thesis: 100%

Chief examiner(s)

Dr Michael Morgan

Contact hours

Regular meetings with supervisor(s) over the course of the unit enrolment

Prerequisites

Students must be enrolled in a Faculty of IT Masters (Honours), Masters Professional or Masters (Minor Thesis) course or the Master of Information Technology degree; FIT5017 is to be taken in the final stage of the course.

In undertaking the Minor Thesis students must have: (1) their course leaders approval to enrol in the unit; and (2) completed/enrolled concurrently in FIT4005 IT research methods. In addition, the following rules apply:

+ in the Masters Professional and Master of Information Technology courses, students must have completed at least 24 points of level 5 units in their degree and attained a Distinction average on their Masters coursework; and
+ in the Master of Information Technology (Honours) degree students must have completed at least 24 points of level 5 units in their degree.

Co-requisites

FIT4005, taken in the first semester of enrolment (only in cases where enrolment in the Minor Thesis extends over more than one semester).

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Synopsis

FIT5018 is an optional research/ thesis unit for FIT coursework masters degrees, taken in the final stage of the Masters Professional or Masters course. While FIT5014 is a 24-point unit taken in a single semester, FIT5018 is a component of the 24-point Minor Thesis taken over more than one semester (generally with FIT5016).
Before enrolling in the unit, students need:

1. to have prior approval from their course coordinator; and
2. to have reached agreement with a potential supervisor about a research area/feasible research topic for their Minor Thesis project.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will have -
A knowledge and understanding of:

• their research topic and the wider research domain.
• research approaches and methods, and how to resolve research problems and issues.
• well honed skills in critical thinking, analysis, evaluation and synthesis.

• have confidence in their ability to undertake independent research, and to plan and execute an individual research project.
• appreciate the significance and contributions of a research culture in both academic and workplace contexts.

• plan and undertake rigorous independent research;
• locate relevant research literature, and critically analyse and evaluate published research findings;
• identify open problems in current research and promising new research directions, and from this to define a viable research topic;
• develop a sound research design and feasible research project plan and schedule;
• communicate effectively research results in a variety of forms, including informal oral presentations, written reports, seminar presentations and poster presentations.

• communicate research ideas effectively in formal or informal contexts;
• collaborate effectively with others involved in a research project (supervisors, research colleagues, industry collaborators).

Assessment

Presentation and final thesis: 100%

Chief examiner(s)

Dr Michael Morgan

Contact hours

Regular meetings with supervisor(s) over the course of the unit enrolment

Prerequisites

Students must be enrolled in a Faculty of IT Masters (Honours), Masters Professional or Masters (Minor Thesis) course or the Master of Information Technology degree; FIT5018 is to be taken in the final stage of the course.

In undertaking the Minor Thesis students must have: (1) their course leaders approval to enrol in the unit; and (2) completed/enrolled concurrently in FIT4005 IT research methods. In addition, the following rules apply:

+ in the Masters Professional and Master of Information Technology courses, students must have completed at least 24 points of level 5 units in their degree and attained a Distinction average on their Masters coursework; and
+ in the Master of Information Technology (Honours) degree students must have completed at least 24 points of level 5 units in their degree.

Co-requisites

FIT4005, taken in the first semester of enrolment (only in cases where enrolment in the Minor Thesis extends over more than one semester).

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Synopsis

Layered structure of networks, security threats in an open network environment, and basic security. Detailed exposition of major tools and protocols used in VPNs, including firewalls, IPSec, Internet Security Association and Key Management Protocol (ISAKMP), Internet Key Exchange (IKE), Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) and Point-to-Point Tunnelling Protocol (PPTP), Layer 2 Tunnelling Protocol (L2TP), Terminal Access Control Access Control System (TACACS), Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), and SOCKS. Exposition of principles and methodologies for the design and implementation of Intranets and Extranets using VPNs.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will:

• develop a detailed knowledge and understanding of all major protocols used for VPN;
• detailed knowledge and understanding of VPN architectures including interaction with firewalls
• develop an understanding of major issues in implementing the protocols;
• have the knowledge and skills to objectively compare and contrast various VPN protocols (eg. L2TP with IPSec and the platform specific variations);
• have the knowledge and skills to enable them to design and implement standard and non-standard VPNs.

Assessment

Assignments: 60%; Labwork and Test: 40%

Chief examiner(s)

Dr Asad Khan

Contact hours

2 hrs lectures/wk, 2 hrs laboratories/wk

Prohibitions

CPE5006

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5027/

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Synopsis

This unit focuses on the Service Oriented Computing paradigm and web services technology. Students will be exposed to the motivations that led to the emergence of web services from middleware and Enterprise Architecture Integration (EAI). The unit will introduce the fundamental concepts of Service Oriented Architectures (SOA), web services and the key standards that underpin web services: SOAP, WSDL and UDDI. The unit will evaluate and compare various service discovery protocols. The unit will provide students with skills to program and deploy web services as well as to access and consume/use web services.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will:

• have knowledge of the Service Oriented Computing paradigm, its evolution and the emergence of web services;
• understand the Service Oriented Architectures and the various key standards that enable the realisation of web services such as SOAP, WSDL and UDDI;
• compare and evaluate various Service Discovery Protocols;
• have the skills to build and deploy web services using a range of current technologies;
• be able to access, invoke and use publicly available web services in application development (e.g. Google Web Service);
• have an understanding on emerging issues, trends and topics in web services research.

Assessment

Unit Test (2 hours): 40%; Practical Assignments: 60%

Chief examiner(s)

Associate Professor Shonali Krishnaswamy

Contact hours

2 hrs lectures/wk, 2 hrs laboratories/wk

Prerequisites

Recommended knowledge: Students undertaking this unit are expected to have a sound understanding of the concepts of an object oriented concepts and programming languages. A sound knowledge of Java is preferred.

Prohibitions

CPE5009

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5030/

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Synopsis

This unit focuses theoretical concepts, applications and research issues of mobile software agents. Students will learn techniques to design and develop mobile agent applications. A number of different toolkits/development environments will be discussed and used for the practical component of the unit. The unit analyses mobile software agents technology with respect to their use in different application domains - focusing on pervasive applications, electronic commerce/web services and distributed data/network management. Advanced research issues/topics such as communication, coordination, security and trust for mobile agent systems will also be presented.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will:

• be conversant with the principles and theoretical concepts of mobile software agents;
• appreciate models and approaches to building mobile agent systems;
• demonstrate knowledge of different mobile agent toolkits and development environments;
• utilise techniques for achieving mobile agent communication and coordination;
• understand security issues in mobile agent systems;
• select and apply appropriate tools for a particular application;
• foster critical and independent analysis of how mobile agents can be applied to distributed computing applications.

Assessment

Reading Component: 15%; Research paper and presentation: 50%; Project/practical assignment: 35%

Chief examiner(s)

Dr Iqbal Gondal

Contact hours

2 hrs lectures/wk, 2 hrs laboratories/wk

Prerequisites

Recommended Knowledge: It is assumed that all students have a working knowledge of fundamental Java programming.

Prohibitions

CPE5010

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5031/

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Synopsis

This unit has been designed to provide students with skills to develop Internet Applications with a focus on enabling web page functionality through scripting. The unit presents an overview of multi-tier web applications and the technologies that operate in different layers of typical web architectures. The unit teaches a range of web application development technologies focusing on state-of-the-art object oriented scripting languages for mobile and conventional web applications. Techniques for scripting on the client side (e.g. JavaScript) and scripting on the server side.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will have -

• an understanding of web environments and their components;
• an understanding of the principles of object oriented scripting and the knowledge of the various uses to which scripting may be put;
• the knowledge and skills to implement web applications, in an applications development environment;
• an understanding of the principles of large scale, and small scale, web site development including an understanding of advanced design principles;
• an understanding of the uses of mark-up languages and meta-languages in structuring data, particularly in a web context;
• the knowledge and skills to implement web sites varying size and complexity, using XHTML, and XML;
• a professional attitude towards the development of web based information systems.

Assessment

Examination (2 hours): 40%; In-semester assessment: 60%

Chief examiner(s)

Ms Janet Fraser

Contact hours

2 hrs lectures/wk, 2 hrs laboratories/wk

Prerequisites

Recommended knowledge: It is assumed that all students have a strong knowledge of Java programming.

Prohibitions

CPE5011, CPE4003

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5032/

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Synopsis

The unit will provide students with fundamentals and theoretical foundations of network administration, management and documentation. Specific areas include local, wide area, and real-time networks. Related protocols such as TCP/IP, ICMP, IPSEC, CSMA/CD, token-passing, frame relay, ATM, SAN and VoIP. The network administrators function and responsibilities relating to network issues such as planning, implementation, fault diagnosis fine tuning and recovery. Standards for network management - SNMP, RMONs, Protocol analysers, CMIP, ITU / TMN standards, MIBs, DMI, remote management in-band and out-of-band.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will have -

• exposure to a wide range of contemporary networking protocols and technologies at a level required from network management perspective;
• an in-depth understanding of key network management concepts, protocols, technologies, protocol analysis and practices;
• an understanding of the role of a network administrator through theory and hands-on work involving the use of software tools, simulations, and configuring core networking hardware;
• ability to adopt a problem solving approach;
• developed communications skills and accept the code of professional conduct and practice through short presentations and group work.

Assessment

Examination: 50%; In-semester assessment: 50%

Chief examiner(s)

Dr Jefferson Tan

Contact hours

2 hrs lectures/wk, 2 hrs laboratories/wk

Prohibitions

CPE5013

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5034/

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Synopsis

This unit aims to provide students with an advanced knowledge of network security. Topics to be covered include the design and implementation of some important public key systems: RSA and Elliptic Curve algorithms; concepts of quantum cryptography; quantum computing and cryptography; wireless computing and cryptography; design, implementation and configuration of firewalls in depth; design, implementation and configuration of intrusion detection systems; prevention systems; advanced network security architectures; advanced wireless security: principle and practice; security in trusted-based computing environments; and quantum cryptography.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will:

• understand the design and implementation of advanced cryptographic algorithms for wired and wireless computing environments including the design and implementation of RSA and ECC;
• achieve sound knowledge of network security components including the design, implementation, and configuration of Firewalls, Intrusion Detection Systems (static and dynamic checking of programs, anomaly detection, large-scale (Internet-wide) distributed intrusion detection, early sensing, complex attack scenario analysis, and automated response), Prevention Systems, Firewalls, IDSs, VPNs and prevention systems together;
• develop knowledge of advanced network security architectures to allow better network protection, load balancing and recovery from attacks;
• achieve sound knowledge of wireless network security;
• understand security in trusted-based computing environments;
• understand Quantum cryptography.

Assessment

Assignments: 40%; Lab exercises and group assignments: 30%; Theoretical test: 30%

Chief examiner(s)

Dr Phu Le

Contact hours

2 hrs lectures/wk, 2 hrs laboratories/wk

Prerequisites

FIT5044

Prohibitions

CPE5021

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5037/

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Synopsis

This unit presents component architectures for the construction of enterprise-scale software systems that operate and interact with each other via the Internet. Due to the widely distributed nature of these systems, they are inherently heterogeneous. Therefore these architectures must integrate and inter-operate with objects written in different programming languages often executing on different platforms. These architectures also need to provide facilities and services in a consistent manner across all these boundaries.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will:

• have gained an understanding of the component technologies and their role in Internet applications development;
• understand the issues involved in implementing a web-based component system;
• understand the issues of interoperability in widely-distributed and heterogeneous component systems;
• understand the relationship between component technologies and enterprise architectures for the web;
• study the interfacing of component technologies with service oriented systems;
• have developed skills to build a web-based component system relevant to current commercial standards.

Assessment

Practical work: 50%; Written work: 50%

Chief examiner(s)

Associate Professor Shonali Krishnaswamy

Contact hours

2 hrs lectures/wk, 2 hrs laboratories/wk

Prerequisites

Recommended knowledge: Students undertaking this subject are expected to have a sound understanding of the concepts of an object oriented programming language, such as C++, C#, Eiffel, Java or Python, and to be familiar with the concepts and techniques used in object oriented program design.

Prohibitions

CSE5000

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5041/

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Synopsis

This unit provides students with an understanding of the design and development of systems that support the large enterprise in a web-based environment. Students will learn of the theoretical issues that need to be considered by the enterprise and how they can affect the development of the enterprise application. A number of techniques will be introduced as the technological means to build such an application with specific emphasis on the Java EE technology.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will:

• understand various issues pertaining to enterprise software architecture on the web;
• acquire techniques to develop enterprise applications using the Java programming language;
• discover various advanced Java technologies used to build web applications for the enterprise;
• learn to competently use the advanced Java libraries to build a medium-size web application for the enterprise.

Assessment

Examination (3 hours): 50%, In-semester assessment: 50%

Chief examiner(s)

Dr Chris Ling

Contact hours

2 hrs lectures/wk, 2 hrs laboratories/wk

Prerequisites

Recommended knowledge: Students undertaking this subject are expected to have a sound understanding of the concepts of the object oriented programming language, Java.

Prohibitions

CSE5060

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5042/

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Synopsis

This unit focuses on designing, developing and deploying distributed database systems. The unit introduces various contemporary issues including data model partitioning, fragmentation, replication issues, query optimisation, concurrency control, restart and recovery, distributed database design, client-server and distributed database applications. Particular attention will be paid to detailed consideration of distributed database management issues.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will:

• be familiar with the currently available models, technologies for and approaches to building distributed database systems;
• have developed practical skills in the use of these models and approaches, so that they will be able to select and apply the appropriate tools for a particular case;
• be aware of the current research directions in the field and their possible outcomes;
• be able to carry out research on a relevant topic, identify primary references, analyse them and come up with meaningful conclusions;
• be able to apply learned skills to solving practical database related tasks.

Assessment

Assignments/Tutorial exercises and attendance: 90%; Presentation: 10%

Chief examiner(s)

Associate Professor David Taniar

Contact hours

2 hrs lectures/wk, 2 hrs laboratories/wk

Prohibitions

CSE5200

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5043/

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Synopsis

This unit aims to provide students with fundamental knowledge of network and information security. Topics to be covered include network components and services, network computer systems and security policy, security at different system layers, basic cryptography and information security, information security and communications, intrusion detection system, malicious code and detection and prevention systems, authentication systems, and wireless security.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will have -
A knowledge and understanding of:

• the fundamentals of Network Security issues including possible vulnerabilities in a computer system, software and hardware applications;
• basic symmetric and asymmetric cryptography including symmetric and asymmetric crypto systems such as DES, RSA, RC4;
• authentication systems;
• computer malicious codes such as viruses, logic bombs, etc;
• security design at different levels of OSI model, IPSec, SSL, and security at application layer;
• firewalls and detection and prevention systems.

Assessment

Assignments: 80%; Theoretical test: 20%

Chief examiner(s)

Dr Phu Dung Le

Contact hours

2 hrs lectures/wk, 2 hrs laboratories/wk

Prohibitions

CPE5002, CSE5210

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5044/

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Synopsis

Modern methods of discovering patterns in large-scale databases are introduced, including classification, clustering and association rules analysis. These are contrasted with more traditional methods of finding information from data, such as data queries. Data pre-processing methods for dealing with noisy and missing data and with dimensionality reduction are reviewed. Hands-on case studies in building data mining models are performed using a popular software package.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will:

• be able to differentiate between supervised and unsupervised learning;
• know how to apply the main techniques for supervised and unsupervised learning;
• know how to use statistical methods for evaluating data mining models;
• be able to perform data pre-processing for data with outliers, incomplete and noisy data;
• be able to extract and analyse patterns from data using a data mining tool;
• have an understanding of the difference between discovery of hidden patterns and simple query extractions in a dataset;
• have an understanding of the different methods available to facilitate discovery of hidden patterns in a dataset;
• have developed the ability to preprocess data in preparation for data mining experiments;
• have developed the ability to evaluate the quality of data mining models;
• be able to appreciate the need to have representative sample input data to enable learning of patterns embedded in population data;
• be able to appreciate the need to provide quality input data to produce useful data mining models;
• have acquired the skill to use the common features in data mining tools;
• have acquired the skill to use the visualisation features in a data mining tools to facilitate knowledge discovery from a data set;
• have acquired the skill to compare data mining models based on the results on a set of performance criteria;
• be able to work in a team to extract knowledge from a common data set using different data mining methods and techniques.

Assessment

Examination (3 hours): 60%; In-semester assessment: 40%

Chief examiner(s)

Dr Grace Rumantir

Contact hours

2 hrs lectures/wk, 2 hrs laboratories/wk

Prerequisites

Sound fundamental knowledge in maths and statistics. Basic database and computer programming knowledge.

Prohibitions

CSE5230, FIT5024

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5045/

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Synopsis

Theoretical foundations of mobile computing systems, wireless networks, advanced mobile applications. Architectures of mobile distributed computing systems; wireless network classification and management; mobile distributed file systems; failure recovery, fault tolerance and reliability of mobile computing systems; replication in mobile distributed systems; case studies for distributed mobile database systems; mobile information systems; advanced mobile computing applications and the Internet; research trends; synchronisation and global time concepts; transaction management mechanisms for mobile computing.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will:

• develop knowledge of the approaches and methods for building distributed and mobile computing systems;
• be familiar with the currently available models and approaches to building mobile and distributed computing systems;
• have developed practical skills in the use of these models and approaches, so that they will be able to select and apply the appropriate tools for a particular case;
• be aware of the current research directions in the field and their possible outcomes.

Assessment

Research paper and literature survey: 40%; Oral presentation: 10%; Practical work: 40%; Tutorial work/Group presentation: 10%

Chief examiner(s)

Associate Professor Shonali Krishnaswamy

Contact hours

2 hrs lectures/wk, 2 hrs laboratories/wk

Prerequisites

Recommended background in Data Communications, Networking, Databases, Java Programming.

Prohibitions

CSE5501

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5046/

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Synopsis

This is the foundation unit for the Intelligent Systems specialisation. It introduces the main problems and approaches to designing intelligent software systems including automated search methods, reasoning under uncertainty, planning, software agents, recommender systems, machine learning paradigms, natural language processing, user modelling and evolutionary algorithms.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will have -
A knowledge and understanding of:

• the applications of intelligent software systems;
• the principles and theoretical underpinning of intelligent software systems;
• models and approaches to building intelligent software systems;
• different software toolkits and development environments;
• current research trends in the field.

• foster critical and independent analysis of how intelligent techniques can be used to enhance software applications and the development of smart environments.

• design and develop of intelligent applications;
• select and apply appropriate tools for a particular application.

Assessment

Examination (3 hours): 70%; In-semester assessment: 30%

Chief examiner(s)

Dr Kevin Korb

Contact hours

2 hrs lectures/wk, 2 hrs laboratories/wk

Prohibitions

CSE5610

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5047/

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Synopsis

This unit focuses on a holistic approach to project management. It provides students with a high level of understanding of the processes of project management, as well as sound skills in use of project tools. Proficiency in using key tools and concepts could give students a significant competitive advantage in the market place. The content deals with: concepts and definitions; organising and staffing the project office and team; planning, scheduling techniques; cost control; risk management; contracts and procurement; etc. Case studies, articles of interest that may appear in current media, and students own work experiences with project management, will be discussed in the class to optimise the learning opportunity in the unit. After completing this unit students are eligible to sit the exam for PMP and CAPM organised by PMI (Melbourne Charter) at no additional cost to them (apart from the administrative fee for sitting the exam).

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will be able to:

• examine and describe the concepts, techniques, and decision tools available to project managers;
• demonstrate the importance of strategy and prioritising for effective resource allocation and balancing a portfolio of projects;
• assess and synthesise diverse information for an integrative project management;
• create and critically evaluate innovative ideas and strategies within ambiguous and uncertain business environments.

Assessment

In-semester assessment: 100%

Chief examiner(s)

Dr Joze Kuzic

Contact hours

2 hrs lectures/wk, 1 hr tutorial/wk

Prerequisites

Students must be enrolled in a post graduate course at Monash university to undertake this unit.

Prohibitions

BUS5150, FIT5022, MBA9052, GCO5807

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5057/

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Synopsis

This unit is designed for students who wish to extend their programming abilities in developing relatively large database applications. An integrated system of significant size will be developed using the current industry standard software. Topics covered include the principal aspects of database development and applications, advanced queries, customising forms and professional reporting, business graphics, importing and exporting data, internet applications, debugging and error-handling security and system documentation

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will be able to:

• create a database system for practical application utilising forms, reports and graphics;
• understand the principal aspects of setting up a complete database application system;
• write complex queries using database query language;
• experience group work in building a complex database application system;
• produce a database system of professional quality.

Assessment

Examination (3 hours): 60%; In-semester assessment: 40%

Chief examiner(s)

Associate Professor David Taniar

Contact hours

2 hrs lectures/wk, 2 hrs laboratory/wk

Prerequisites

For MAIT students: FIT9019 and FIT9030 and either FIT9004 or FIT9017
For all other students: FIT9003 and either FIT9004 or FIT9017
Knowledge of relational database principles, including SQL.

Prohibitions

BUS5410, BUS4410

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5059

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Synopsis

This unit extends students knowledge and skills to make use of current technologies in developing business applications on the internet platform. The unit provides an opportunity for students to explore net centric computing focusing on business applications development. The unit has been designed to equip future web application developers and managers of business solutions. Thus practical exercises will be illustrative with industrial strength and technology issues will be given equal coverage with technology details. The primary aim of the unit is to familiarise students with the currently popular web technologies so that their design and implementation decisions in the future will be informed and therefore produce successful systems with a high degree of probability. Topics coverage include data and messages using XML, architecture, scripting and programming in .NET platform

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will:

• understand the concept of revenue modelling in eBusiness context;
• understand OOP as principles of component based software systems;
• appreciate technology architecture that underpin the deployment of e-business systems, including data formats and various programming solutions;
• appreciate the use of the internet for commercial purposes;
• realise the challenges in the planning stage of an e-business venture;
• realise the challenges in the implementation stage of an e-business venture;
• appreciate the dynamics of the e-business modelling;
• appreciate the rapid advancement of enabling technologies and its impact on e-business implementation;
• be able to identify and communicate issues in the planning, implementation and management of the e-business system;
• be able to adopt object-oriented paradigm and implement e-business solutions using the three tier architecture;
• be able to implement simple e-business applications for displaying catalogs and processing transactions;
• be able to experiment with various technologies in the design and implementation of e-business applications;
• understand the various roles of e-business professionals (analysts, designers, systems developers, programmers) and how they work together in the current e-business context.

Assessment

Examination (3 hours): 60%; In-semester assessment: 40%

Chief examiner(s)

Ms Janet Fraser

Contact hours

2 hrs lectures/wk, 1 hr laboratory/wk

Prerequisites

For MAIT students: FIT9017, FIT9019 and FIT9030
For all other students: FIT9003 and FIT9004

Prohibitions

BUS5960

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5077

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Synopsis

This unit will review the basic concepts of networking technologies and analyse technological aspects of the wireless network. Main topics will include: antenna and propagation for wireless systems, fundamentals of physical layers used in wireless networks, wireless local area networks (WLAN/WiFi), WiMax systems, mobile network technologies (3G and LTE), mesh networks. The unit will also cover advanced topics in wireless networking.

• IEEE standards: 802.11, 802.16, 802.15
• ITU-T LTE standards

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will be able to:

• describe the basic characteristics of layered protocol networking model and wireless mobile systems;
• understand architecture and signal characteristics of cellular communication systems;
• understand physical and media access control layers used in wireless technologies for signal encoding, spread spectrum and error control;
• understand architectures of: WiFi, WiMax, and advanced mobile networking systems like LTE as described in relevant standards;
• understand concepts behind mesh networks;
• analyse advanced topics in wireless networking.

Assessment

Examination (3 hours): 60%; In-semester assessment: 40%

Chief examiner(s)

Associate Professor Andrew Paplinski

Contact hours

2 hrs lectures/wk, 2 hrs laboratories/wk

Prohibitions

CPE4002, CSE4882, GCO4824, CSE5807

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5083

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Synopsis

This unit aims to present a coherent view on the role of knowledge and knowledge management in organisations from a multidisciplinary perspective. Students gain an appreciation of the sources of unstructured and semi-structured knowledge and learn current techniques which permit this knowledge to be applied to perform organisational activities. The unit presents a comprehensive model of the knowledge management process from organisational and technological perspectives. Students will have an opportunity to explore current approaches to knowledge management in the context of a variety of case studies.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will have a knowledge and understanding of:

• the terms knowledge and knowledge management as used in an organisational context;
• a range of socio-technical approaches that support knowledge management;
• the structure and functions of knowledge management practice;
• the range of theoretical and disciplinary influences on knowledge management practices;
• the extent to which modern technology can support knowledge management practices.

Assessment

In-semester assessment: 100%

Chief examiner(s)

Dr Henry Linger

Contact hours

2 hrs seminar/wk, 1 hr tutorial/wk

Prerequisites

FIT9006 or IMS9001 or completion of 24 points of graduate level study

Prohibitions

IMS5027

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5086/

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Synopsis

This unit relates to the fundamental role of recordkeeping professionals in society - to provide access to recorded information in the form of essential evidence of social and organisational activity for business, commercial, governmental, social, and cultural purposes. It covers the role of recordkeeping in society and organisations, functional requirements for evidence, the formulation of recordkeeping policy, strategies and tactics, the establishment of recordkeeping regimes, business functional analysis, appraisal and disposal, the development of metadata schemas and their implementation in recordkeeping systems.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will:

• understand the role of records and archives in organisations and society;
• understand and apply theories and models relating to recordkeeping and archiving;
• be able to specify recordkeeping requirements relating to the creation, management, and accessibility of records as evidence of social and organisational activity in a range of business and social contexts;
• have the skills to develop appraisal and metadata management programs in relation to contemporary and historical recordkeeping systems, including electronic recordkeeping systems; and
• be able to formulate appraisal and metadata management policies, strategies, tactics and tools with reference to international and national standards and best practice.

Assessment

Class activities and discussion (or electronic equivalent): 25%; Practical exercises: 25%; Formal supervised assessment: 50%

Chief examiner(s)

Professor Sue McKemmish

Contact hours

3 hrs seminar/wk

Prohibitions

IMS5010

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5087/

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Synopsis

This unit provides students with the skills and knowledge relating to the use of latest technologies for managing knowledge, electronic documents and records to meet the needs of individuals, work groups and organisations. The unit aims to build a general understanding of technologies for managing personal and organisational structured and unstructured information and knowledge and the methods of developing systems to handle it. Students study the business context, requirements analysis techniques and implementation issues for electronic document management, recordkeeping, content and other information and knowledge management systems.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will have knowledge and skills to:

• understand organisational contexts of technological infrastructures and emerging technological frameworks for electronic information and knowledge management systems, including intranet and Internet environments;
• appreciate the capabilities and limitations of many products on the information and knowledge management systems market and how to use implementation strategies to maximise their strengths and minimise their weaknesses;
• identify and select from appropriate strategic options for designing and implementing an information and knowledge management system;
• participate in electronic document lifespan management, involving document creation within systems and the use of documents for workgroup, organisational and social purposes, appreciating how these aspects interrelate and influence each other;
• conduct requirements identification, design and deployment of information and knowledge management systems.

Assessment

Examination (3 hours): 50%; In-semester assessment: 50%

Chief examiner(s)

Professor Frada Burstein

Contact hours

2 hrs lectures/wk, 1 hr tutorial/wk

Prerequisites

One of FIT9003, FIT9006, IMS9001, BUS5021 or completion of 24 points of graduate level study

Prohibitions

IMS5033, IMS5330

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5088/

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Synopsis

This unit provides students with a critical understanding of the impact of information technology (IT) within contemporary social relations. Using case studies drawn from different social spheres, the unit explores the ways in which the diffusion of IT has reshaped thinking and practice concerning social collaboration, the production of knowledge and community building. Particular attention is paid to the emerging field of community informatics, and the implications that this field holds for the work of information and knowledge management professionals

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will be able to:

• understand the nature and operation of information communities within contemporary society;
• have an understanding of community informatics as an emerging discipline and professional practice;
• be familiar with contemporary debates concerning the social impact of information technology use;
• gain understanding of the collaborative behaviours and interdependencies which contribute to notions of community;
• demonstrate the ability to analyse and critique cases from the information industry.

Assessment

Examination (3 hours): 50%; In-semester assessment: 50%;

Chief examiner(s)

Dr Steve Wright

Contact hours

2 hrs lectures/wk, 2 hrs tutorial/wk

Prohibitions

IMS5023

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5090/

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Synopsis

This unit provides an introduction to e-business and how e-business relates to broader enterprise issues. The unit explores e-business from a management as well as technology perspective covering, the major issues facing business and managers in effectively managing e-business in contemporary organisations. It examines the evolving nature of e-business, its impacts on organisations, and how managers can effectively harness the potential of e-business investments to achieve organisational goals. The unit also involves study of the main theoretical and practical issues of e-business, e-business solutions in various environments, emerging patterns and their potential impacts on e-business.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will be able to:

• understand the key issues in the area;
• understand the issues relating to the selection of the most appropriate model for an organisation;
• understand the different technologies and e-business solutions from both a B2B and B2C perspective;
• understand the key issues in the design, development and implementation of e-business from the perspective of both large and small organisations.

Assessment

Examination (2 hours): 50%; In-semester assessment: 50%

Chief examiner(s)

Dr Caddie Gao

Contact hours

2 hrs lectures/wk, 1 hr tutorial/wk

Prohibitions

IMS5007, BUS5960

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5092

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Synopsis

This unit is intended to provide students with a framework for understanding business intelligence reporting systems with particular focus on the evolutionary process of developing an OLAP-based business intelligence system.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will:

• understand the scope and application of OLAP technology and business intelligence systems;
• have knowledge of the major approaches to the development of business intelligence and reporting systems;
• be able to design simple multi-dimensional databases;
• be able to develop a simple business intelligence system using an OLAP tool;
• be able to develop a simple reporting system;
• be able to communicate and foster realistic expectations of the role of OLAP technology and business intelligence systems in management and decision support.

Assessment

Examination (3 hours): 50%; In-semester assessment: 50%

Chief examiner(s)

Mr Peter O'Donnell

Contact hours

2 hrs lectures/wk, 2 hr laboratory/wk

Prerequisites

One of FIT9003, BUS5071, IMS9003 or equivalent

Prohibitions

IMS5004

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5093/

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Synopsis

This unit provides students with an understanding of the development and use of information systems that support managers, especially their decision-making tasks. Students will learn of the nature of management work and decision theory and how this affects the development of decision support systems. A number of commonly used decision support methods and techniques will be explored. Students will be introduced to personal decision support systems, group support systems, negotiation support systems, data warehousing, executive information systems and business intelligence.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will:

• understand the scope and application of IT for decision support;
• have an understanding of the nature of managerial decision-making;
• be familiar with the major approaches of IT-based decision support;
• be able to choose the appropriate decision support approach for a particular project;
• be able to undertake systems analysis for management support projects.

Assessment

Examination (3 hours): 50%; In-semester assessment: 50%

Chief examiner(s)

Professor David Arnott

Contact hours

2 hrs lectures/wk, 2 hrs laboratories/wk

Prerequisites

One of FIT9003, IMS9001, IMS9003

Prohibitions

IMS5005

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5094/

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Synopsis

Managerial decision-makers often require information held in various organisational information systems to make improved strategic decisions. A data warehouse is designed to provide high quality data from a number of sources both inside and outside the organisation and is an example of a large-scale decision system. This unit presents students with coverage of several important aspects of data warehousing. These include the purpose of a data warehouse, data warehouse design, data warehouse architecture, data sourcing, implementing the data warehouse, organisational issues involved with designing and implementing a data warehouse, data warehouse governance and case studies.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will:

• have knowledge of the theories and principles of data warehousing;
• understand the potential benefits of data warehousing;
• understand the techniques and tools used to design a data warehouse;
• understand the theories and principles of data warehousing with regard to the practice of decision support;
• be able to design multi-dimensional data structures;
• appreciate how to interact effectively with managers, consultants and vendors in the development of a data warehouse.

Assessment

Examination (2 hours): 50%; In-semester assessment: 50%

Chief examiner(s)

Dr Rob Meredith

Contact hours

2 hrs lectures/wk, 2 hr laboratory/wk

Prerequisites

FIT9003

Prohibitions

IMS5026

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5095/

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Synopsis

This unit introduces students to the principles, techniques and applications of computer-based decision support models for business and industry. Topics include: decision trees; linear programming and optimisation; other mathematical programming methods; waiting lines and queues; time series analysis and forecasting; inventory modelling and discrete-event simulation. Models will be built and solved using spreadsheets or other computer applications as appropriate.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will:

• have knowledge of a variety of techniques for modelling business decision problems;
• be able to choose the appropriate decision model for a particular problem;
• have skills in setting up simple models and solving with hand calculations;
• have skills in setting up mathematical models for solution in a spreadsheet or other application software;
• have skills in the validation of models and conducting a sensitivity analysis.
• have skills in analysing a real problem and reporting the results;
• understand the difficulty of applying models to real situations, which often requires that approximations, simplifications and generalisations be made;
• understand that the approximate nature of some types of business modelling means that a sensitivity analysis be conducted.

Assessment

Examination (2 hours): 70%; In-semester assessment: 30%

Chief examiner(s)

Dr John Betts

Contact hours

2 hrs lectures/wk, 2 hrs laboratories/wk

Prerequisites

At least one quantitative unit (such as Mathematics or Statistics) in an undergraduate degree.

Prohibitions

BUS5570

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5097

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Synopsis

In their final stage of study, students are given the opportunity to apply the knowledge and skills they have gained, in the development of an information system for a real world client. Students work in groups and will:

• design, develop and deliver an information system for a client;
• manage the project through all its development stages;
• communicate effectively with all project stakeholders, primarily via studios and meetings;
• develop project documentation to a professional standard;
• present their project work to academics and other groups;
• attend unit seminars; and
• contribute in a professional and committed manner to the work of the group.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will be able to:

• understand all stages of the process of developing an information system;
• understand the roles and responsibilities of clients, system users and developers in a systems development project;
• understand how information systems are developed;
• apply, in a practical setting, the theoretical work covered in their course;
• develop a significant computing application, from the analysis and design stages, through coding and implementation to evaluation;
• work with clients and communicate effectively with them;
• define a problem, and gather data, facts, opinions and information needed to analyse and solve it;
• outline and evaluate alternative solutions to a system development problem;
• perform a feasibility study that includes estimates of costs, time requirements, a schedule for the development, and the benefits expected from the system;
• identify hardware and software requirements for a system;
• document a system design using tools such as system flow charts, data flow diagrams and UML diagrams;
• implement a system, including testing and debugging;
• evaluate a system, identifying any weakness or possible enhancements;
• operate effectively as a member of a development team.

Assessment

In-semester assessment: 100%

Chief examiner(s)

Ms Chris Gonsalvez

Contact hours

1 hr seminar/wk, 2 x 3 hrs laboratories/wk as determined by supervisor

Prerequisites

Entry to FIT5098 is competitive and requires a distinction average in 48 points of MBIS or MIT study. Final selection is by interview.

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5098.html

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Synopsis

This unit provides students with an overview of Enterprise Systems and is designed to describe the role of enterprise systems as part of the larger IT infrastructure of large scale organisations. Emphasis will be placed on benefit realisation through the use of specific measurement tools to help manage and deploy these packages. Additionally SAP R/3 will be used to introduce students to the complexity of enterprise wide systems through tutorial workshops where appropriate. This will include the addition of process modelling software tasks in practical sessions using ARIS toolset (SAP R/3 reference model).

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will:

• identify the role of business wide systems to support the business strategy;
• identify the main suppliers, products and application domains of enterprise wide packages;
• understand the scale and complexity of enterprise system packages;
• understand the integrative role of enterprise systems for information within the organisational context;
• describe the role of enterprise systems as part of the larger IT infrastructure of large scale organisations;
• identify the implementation variables, individual variables and contextual variables that interact to influence a successful enterprise system implementation;
• use a process modelling tool to model processes.

Assessment

Examination (2 hours): 30%; In-semester assessment: 70%

Chief examiner(s)

Ms Sue Foster

Contact hours

2 hrs lectures/wk, 1.5 hrs laboratories/wk

Prerequisites

FIT9006

Prohibitions

IMS5052, BUS5700

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5101/

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Synopsis

This unit develops understanding of information technology and information and knowledge management governance frameworks and strategy perspectives, with particular emphasis on the regulatory environment, legislative and organisational controls, audits, standards, professional certifications, and issues associated with measuring performance, demonstrating value and minimising risk. The unit builds on intellectual capital theory, augmented by insights from social capital and emotional capital. It draws on case studies to differentiate strategies focused primarily on people, business processes, and content, and considers the supporting technologies that can facilitate each approach.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will understand:

• the characteristics and limitations of different IT and IKM governance frameworks and strategy perspectives, and how competing perspectives can be reconciled in practice;
• the concepts underpinning the dominant intellectual capital perspective on IT and IKM strategy, the strengths and limitations of this approach, and how social capital and emotional capital insights can augment this view of strategy;
• the distinct features, the functional/disciplinary origins, and the key drivers of IT and IKM strategies focused primarily on
  1. people,
  2. business processes, and
  3. content and technology, and the supporting technologies that can facilitate each approach;
• links between strategy, performance and measurement, and the issues associated with demonstrating the value and benefits of IT and IKM;
• the nature of the IT and IKM regulatory environment and approaches to controlling risk;
• the importance of marketing, leading and championing IT and IKM within the organisation, and of reflective practice.

Assessment

Examination (3 hours): 50%; In-semester assessment: 50%

Chief examiner(s)

Dr Steven Wright

Contact hours

2 hrs lectures/wk, 2 hrs tutorial/wk

Prerequisites

FIT9006 or completion of 24 points of graduate units from FIT

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5102/

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Synopsis

Students are introduced to the practical environment where theory of information management and systems is applied and helps prepare students for entry into the professional workplace. Through a fieldwork placement, students gain in-depth understanding of information agencies and the organisational environment in which they operate. It encourages analysis of links between theoretical concepts of information management, knowledge management and systems, to professional practice in the workplace. The unit evaluates issues in information management and information systems currently identified by practitioners, managers, researchers, organisations, and academics as being of professional concern.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will:

• evaluate professional literature and knowledge in relation to practice;
• analyse current issues relating to the information industry;
• apply theories and practice of their selected specialisation to the workplace;
• demonstrate practical skills at a professional level in an information agency or information-related functional area, as well as an ability to interact effectively with work colleagues and clients;
• assess career opportunities within the information industry and develop a personal career plan;
• evaluate the role in professional practice of ethical codes, professional literature, professional networks and professional associations.

Assessment

Examination (3 hours): 50%; In-semester assessment: 50%; Supervised professional placement and host supervisors report (PGO grade)

Chief examiner(s)

Professor Sue McKemmish

Contact hours

3 hrs lecture/wk

Prerequisites

Only available to students in the Graduate Diploma of Information and Knowledge Management or students in the Library, Archival and Recordkeeping Systems specialisation or the Corporate Information and Knowledge Management specialisation in the MBIS or MBIS Professional. Entry to this unit is subject to approval. The unit should be undertaken after other core units of the specialisation have been completed.

Prohibitions

IMS5015

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5104/

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Synopsis

This unit introduces students to the major categories of information resources in all media and how they are accessed through a variety of common user interfaces from anywhere in the world. The process of satisfying these needs through the reference interview and the application of skilled search strategies is explored. The ways that information resources are procured by libraries and e-repositories through purchase or licensing, and supplied to users on a cost-effective, efficient basis are examined. Access and authentication, intellectual property law and professional duty of care are described.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will be able to:

• implement decisions about applying organisational policies for reference and collection services, justify the principles of collection management strategies, and evaluate them;
• manage networked access for users in the case of electronic resources;
• develop information literacy programs; and
• select the best source of knowledge for a practical information need.

Assessment

Examination (3 hours): 50%; In-semester assessment: 50%

Chief examiner(s)

Dr Steven Wright

Contact hours

2 hrs lecture/wk, 1 hr seminar/wk

Prohibitions

IMS5016

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5105/

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Synopsis

This unit develops understanding of the fundamental principles, concepts and standards that guide the development of information organisation and retrieval systems and web-based information architectures. It deals with standards governing description, distribution and access to information locally and globally cataloguing, indexing, thesaurus construction, classification and metadata for knowledge discovery. It examines the effects of economic, social and technological factors on the development of bibliographic networks and cataloguing operations. Practical sessions deal with the use of major bibliographic tools, schemes and systems for information organisation.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will:

• understand the key principles, concepts and standards that guide the development of information organisation and retrieval systems and web-based information architectures;
• have skills in applying standard cataloguing, classification, indexing, thesaurus construction, and knowledge discovery metadata schemes and tools;
• have developed experience in interacting with selected bibliographic utilities/ networks, and in using bibliographic software; and
• be able to develop systems for organising information and facilitating access to information resources in physical collections or digital/web-based repositories.

Assessment

Examination (3 hours): 50%; In-semester assessment: 50%

Chief examiner(s)

Professor Sue McKemmish

Contact hours

2 hrs lectures/wk, 2 hrs laboratories/wk

Prohibitions

IMS5017

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5106/

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Synopsis

This unit relates to managing the creation, storage, recall and dissemination of business records within organisation-wide frameworks. Topics cover: socio-legal and business requirements for evidence; knowledge bases for representing functions and activities; managing access; designing and implementing recordkeeping policies, strategies and systems in accordance with industry and professional standards, including the International Standard for Records Management, and using recordkeeping business analysis tools (workflow, risk management, identification of vital records, functional analysis).

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will:

• understand the business processes that recordkeeping activities support, and the evidential requirements for evidence of business activities that exist in the work place;
• understand how systems are designed and implemented to meet business needs and evidential requirements;
• have the skills to undertake various forms of business analysis in support of records management activities;
• be able to collaborate effectively with other professionals in the design and implementation of electronic recordkeeping systems in a large organisation, or to undertake these activities alone in a small organisation; and
• be able to advise team members and function managers on records management systems for business purposes.

Assessment

Class activities and discussion (or electronic equivalent): 25%;
Practical exercises - individual assignment: 25%;
Formal supervised assessment: 50%

Chief examiner(s)

Dr Joanne Evans

Contact hours

2 hr seminar/wk, 1 hr tutorial/wk

Prohibitions

IMS5047

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5107/

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Synopsis

This unit enables students to read widely in a relevant topic within the fields of information technology, information systems or information management, under supervision. It may be an area not offered in any other fifth-year level unit, or involve building more in-depth knowledge in an area with which they already have some familiarity. Students enrolling in this unit must have the approval of the Head of School or their nominee. Details for the reading unit will be defined and approved individually for each student and will include objectives, assessment and an initial reading list. Assessment comprises a research paper or review (6000-10,000 words), project report, or equivalent.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will:

• gain detailed knowledge and in-depth understanding of a topic of interest to the student; which is not formally taught, but would be regarded as relevant to and enhancing the students studies;
• develop an ability to analyse and synthesise and construct arguments from a range of published sources;
• develop skills at critiquing and evaluating others ideas, opinions and arguments;
• demonstrate a willingness to present ideas for scrutiny to a supervisor;
• demonstrate a willingness and an ability to accept criticism of ideas.;
• appreciate the nature and demands of independent research.
• learn self-reliance and time management skills in order to gain greater independence as a learner;
• learn to work effectively in a close, cooperative relationship with a supervisor.

Assessment

Research assignment: 100%

Chief examiner(s)

Dr Steve Wright

Contact hours

Students meet weekly with their supervisors for approximately 30 minutes to set goals and report on achievements and difficulties.

Prerequisites

Completion of 24 points of graduate units from FIT.
Entry to this unit is subject to approval of the Associate Dean Education (ADE), on the advice of the relevant Masters Program Leader. An application form is required.

Prohibitions

IMS5021, BUS5010

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5108/

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Synopsis

This unit enables students to pursue a particular topic of research in the fields of information technology, information systems or information management. The research is done under supervision, and provides a chance for a student to pursue a topic of interest that has not been covered in other coursework units, or to build more in-depth knowledge in an area with which they already have some familiarity but desire more knowledge and expertise. Students enrolling in this unit should have the approval of the Head of School or their nominee. Assessment comprises a research paper, project report, or equivalent.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will:

• gain detailed knowledge and in-depth understanding of a topic of interest to the student; which is not formally taught, but would be regarded as relevant to and enhancing the students studies;
• develop an ability to analyse and synthesise and construct arguments from a range of published sources;
• develop skills at critiquing and evaluating others ideas, opinions and arguments;
• demonstrate a willingness to present ideas for scrutiny to a supervisor;
• demonstrate a willingness and an ability to accept criticism of ideas.;
• appreciate the nature and demands of independent research.
• learn self-reliance and time management skills in order to gain greater independence as a learner;
• learn to work effectively in a close, cooperative relationship with a supervisor.

Assessment

Research paper, review, project report or equivalent: 100%

Chief examiner(s)

Dr Steve Wright

Contact hours

Students meet weekly with their supervisors for approximately 30 minutes to set goals and report on achievements and difficulties.

Prerequisites

Completion of 24 points of graduate units from FIT.
Entry to this unit is subject to approval of the Associate Dean Education (ADE), on the advice of the relevant Masters Program Leader. An application form is required.

Prohibitions

IMS5037

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5109/

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Synopsis

This unit will place information system security at the forefront of IT Security Governance. Students will develop an holistic approach to security within the larger context of the organisation. This approach will be developed by using a Security Governance framework which will adopt Risk management as the strategy of choice. Students will identify the major security impacts on the organisation. Security policies will include links to Sarbanes Oxley Act and Australian security standards such as ISO17799. Security audits provide an iterative process to the framework. Future security issues and trends will contribute to the students overall understanding of security governance.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will be able to:

• understand the importance of information systems security concepts and philosophies to contemporary organisations;
• identify developments in security control technologies and techniques to manage threats and vulnerabilities to an organisations information assets;
• have developed attitudes which allow them to adopt a critical approach to the analysis and design of information systems security systems;
• have developed attitudes which allow them to understand the ethical implementations of security issues;
• apply risk management techniques to the planning and management of information systems security systems.

Assessment

Examination (2 hours): 40%; In-semester assessment: 60%

Contact hours

2 hrs lectures/wk, 2 hrs tutorials/wk

Prohibitions

FIT4016

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5110/

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Synopsis

This unit is designed to provide students with an understanding of a range of tools and techniques for systems development and knowledge of a number of specific systems development methodologies. The main topics include the tools and techniques for systems development, the evaluation of the tools and techniques, evolution of development methodologies, the organisational context in which systems development takes place and a number of systems development approaches. These include participative development, soft systems approaches, object-oriented development, structured systems development approaches, data and information-oriented approaches and rapid application development.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will:

• understand the evolution of systems development methodologies;
• understand the tools and techniques that are used in the development of information systems;
• be able to select appropriate tools and/or techniques for the development of information systems;
• understand the strategies that are used to improve productivity and quality during systems development;
• understand the organisational context within which systems development takes place;
• be able to evaluate and critique different system development methodologies.

Assessment

Examination (2 hours): 40%; In-semester assessment: 60%

Chief examiner(s)

Dr Henry Linger

Contact hours

2 hrs lectures/wk, 2 hrs tutorial/wk

Prerequisites

FIT9003 and FIT9006, or one of IMS9001, BUS5021

Prohibitions

IMS5006, IMS5024

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5111/

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Synopsis

This unit explores core disciplines that inform the project management function and their contribution to the concepts and principles that are the basis of project management practices. Building on this foundation, a knowledge based view of project management is presented with particular emphasis on reflective practice. Project management maturity models, competencies and organisational capabilities, in particular the approach to organising the project management function into projects, programs and portfolios, are examined from this perspective. Case studies will illustrate the theoretical foundations and demonstrate how theory can be incorporated into organisational practices.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will:

• understand project management as knowledge based and reflective practice;
• have knowledge of the core disciplines that underpin project management;
• understand how the core disciplines inform the fundamental principles, concepts and standards that guide project management practices;
• be able to formulate the organising principles of the project management function;
• be able to specify the organisational capabilities to support project management;
• have the skills to design and develop an appropriate management structure for the project management function.

Assessment

Formal supervised assessment: 50%; In-semester assessment: 50%

Chief examiner(s)

Dr Henry Linger

Contact hours

2 hrs lectures/wk, 1 hr tutorial/wk

Prerequisites

FIT9006 or IMS9001 or BUS5021 or completion of 24 credit points of PG level study

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5150/

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Synopsis

FIT5151 will aim at capitalising on what students have learned in FIT9017 Foundations of programming (or equivalent. The unit covers more in-depth material to enable students to build business applications that follow good Software Engineering principles of maintainability, reusability and expandability. The emphasis will be on helping students acquire solid object-oriented programming knowledge and skills for building business applications. Popular object-oriented design patterns will be introduced whenever appropriate to illustrate effective design process in building larger systems.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit, students will have -

A knowledge and understanding of:

• how to produce well-run, well-tested and well-documented object-oriented software by following solid software engineering principles of maintainability, reusability and expandability;
• effective use of popular object-oriented design patterns in the design process of larger systems;
• how to effectively and efficiently develop object-oriented application solutions to business-related problem specifications.

• appreciate the responsibility of coming up with well-tested and documented programs;
• appreciate the need to maintain ethical conducts when programming by making sure the code used my program is their own or taken from a legitimate source with full acknowledgement.

• navigate around in an Integrated Development Environment in order to efficiently produce quality applications;
• develop good software testing strategies.

• work in a team to come up with an integrated business software solution

Assessment

Examination (3 hours): 60%; In-semester assessment: 40%

Chief examiner(s)

Dr Judithe Sheard

Contact hours

2 hrs lectures/wk, 2 hrs laboratories/wk

Prerequisites

FIT9017 or equivalent

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5151/

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Synopsis

This unit provides detailed understanding of user interface design principles and practices and usability for computer-based systems. The principles, guidelines and standards for incorporating human factors in computer interface design are explored. The unit examines issues in interface design and usability from various perspectives and how to manage this during systems development. It explores contemporary issues including: background and underpinning theories, guidelines and standards, design processes and implementation in practice, user interface evaluation methods, interface styles and componential design. The application of HCI design in other environments such as virtual reality and mobile devices will be covered.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students should be able to:

• understand from a management as well as technology perspective how the theories, guidelines and standards can be incorporated into the design of user interfaces;
• understand and apply the principles of interface design relating to HCI, this includes recognising good and bad examples;
• apply the standards, principles and theories in practice.
• develop and conduct usability evaluations and be able to interpret the results, identify changes that are needed to a user interface
• understand the different design considerations for designing for the Web and other devices
• understand the different user centred development methodologies that look at design from a user perspective. In particular have knowledge of the basic principles of good interface design and HCI principles;
• appreciate the difficulties users face when working with systems and be able to comprehend the concepts and principles underlying effective interface design and recognise good design from poor design and what the difference is from a user perspective;
• develop attitudes which enable them to interact effectively with users in order to apply this knowldege to the design of interfaces for a range of technologies;
• analyse the component parts of an interface so to be able to identify what is good design;
• synthesise the knowldege, guidelines and theory to understand how each contributes to practice;
• effectively conduct an evaluation of an information system especially in terms of usability of information systems;
• understand the development of systems from a user perspective;
• appreciate the difficulties users face when working with systems;
• apply the principles, standards and theories relating to interface design and HCI to information systems development;
• gather user requirements effectively;
• design an effective user interface;
• conduct a usability test and interpret the outcome;
• recognise poor design and solutions.

Assessment

Examination (3 hours): 50%; In-semester assessment: 50%

Chief examiner(s)

Associate Professor Julie Fisher

Contact hours

2 hrs lectures/wk, 1.5 hr laboratory/wk

Prerequisites

For MAIT Students FIT9019 and FIT9030.
For all other students FIT9003.

Prohibitions

IMS5302, CSE5930

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5152/

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Synopsis

Services science draws from the social sciences, business, and engineering technology and applies scientific methods to the design and management of services. The use of IT is a crucial and essential part of services science and an understanding this area is of major importance to IT students. In the current business environment IT techniques and skills have become essential to successfully manage operations, services and projects. The focus of this unit is to provide students with sufficient knowledge of modern services science and business operations, concepts, and modern software, to work effectively in service operations roles in industry and government.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will:

• understand how service businesses operate and evolve;
• understand the management principles, concepts and standards that guide service operations and project management practices;
• be able to specify the organisational capabilities to support service operations management;
• have the skills to design and develop an appropriate management structure for service operations and the management of service projects.

Assessment

Examination (2 hours): 50%; In-semester assessment: 50%

Chief examiner(s)

Mr Rod Martin

Contact hours

2 hrs lectures/wk, 2 hrs laboratories/wk

Prerequisites

Students are expected to have a background in IT, Engineering or Science.

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5157/

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Synopsis

This unit provides an understanding of the business value of customer relationship management and how data mining technology can be used to improve organizational interaction with customers. Building a business around the customer relationship is the aspiration of many modern organizations. Customer relationship management and data mining has been combined together to provide the required concepts, techniques, technology and tools to achieve this goal. The unit discuss how IT and IT based techniques can be used for customer segmentation, clustering and classification, market basket analysis and association rule mining in addition to traditional CRM.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will be able to:

• use software tools and techniques for identifying business opportunities;
• plan direct marketing campaigns and product introductions;
• analyse and understand customer churn with data mining tools;
• create stable and accurate predictive models and interpret results;
• provide advise to management on CRM;
• advise management on data mining techniques and tools.

Assessment

Examination (3 hours): 60%; In-semester assessment: 40%

Chief examiner(s)

Associate Professor David Dowe

Contact hours

2 hrs lectures/wk, 1 hr laboratory/wk

Prerequisites

FIT9004 or FIT9017

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5158/

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Synopsis

This unit provides students with an understanding of the development and use of IT tools and techniques for modelling and decision support in the field of finance. The unit is designed to give students a broad understanding of the financial subsystems confronting business enterprises. The main focus, besides the traditional modelling of finance decision making process using spreadsheet tools, will be IT tools and related techniques that can aid in the analysis and interpretation of real financial problems confronting an enterprise. This unit will look at business related financial issues in the context of specific case studies.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will:

• understand the core foundations of finance, as appropriate to key financial analysis and decision making;
• understand the core technologies that support financial analysis and decision making;
• understand quantitative techniques supporting financial analysis and decision making;
• be able to apply the technologies and techniques studied to solving financial issues;
• be able to analyse financial solution requirements and select appropriate technical and quantitative decision aids;
• be able to interpret outputs from quantitative and technology based finance tools to aid in decision making.

Assessment

Examination (3 hours): 60%; In-semester assessment: 40%

Chief examiner(s)

Associate Professor Vincent Cheng-Siong Lee

Contact hours

2 hrs lectures/wk, 2 hrs laboratory/wk

Prerequisites

FIT9004 or FIT9017 or CSE9000 or BUS9520
Basic descriptive and inferential statistics, some financial accounting and basic business finance knowledge.

Prohibitions

BUS5030

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5159/

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Synopsis

Business processes must be designed to ensure that they are effective and meet customer requirements. A well-designed process will improve efficiency and deliver greater productivity. This unit will introduce students to analytical tools that can be used to model, analyse, understand and design business processes. Students will also gain hands-on experience in using simulation software as a tool for analysing business processes.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will:

• have a thorough understanding of business organisations, their functional structure and the advantage of considering the process oriented view of organisations;
• demonstrate a thorough knowledge of business processes, their structure and how processes fit in to the overall organisation objectives;
• be able to use analytical tools for modeling, analysing, understanding and designing business processes;
• have acquired skills to use simulation software as a tool for analysing business processes;
• be able to report to and advise management on business process design and re-engineering issues.

Assessment

Examination (3 hours): 60%; In-semester assessment: 40%

Chief examiner(s)

Dr Yen Cheung

Contact hours

2 hrs lectures/wk, 2 hrs laboratories/wk

Prerequisites

FIT9004 or FIT9017 or BUS9520

Prohibitions

BUS5502

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5160/

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Synopsis

This unit provides students with in depth coverage of a range of security problems in information systems, namely physical security, network security and software security. Within these areas, topics covered include risk analysis, authentication, access control, and a range of cryptographic techniques. It looks at various management issues, including use and abuse of encryption, distributed systems authentication, contingency planning, auditing, logging and integrity management. A range of security applications are used as examples.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will:

• have knowledge of risks, threats and the goals of information security;
• understand various controls and their effectiveness for information security in an organisation;
• be able to evaluate the effectiveness (both in terms of performance and limitations) of individual control techniques;
• match the risk against controls and evaluate their applicability.

Assessment

Examination (3 hours): 60%; In-semester assessment: 40%

Chief examiner(s)

Dr Nandita Bhattacharjee

Contact hours

2 hrs lectures/wk, 2 hrs tutorials/wk

Prerequisites

Introductory knowledge of computing at the undergraduate level is assumed.

Prohibitions

FIT4016, CSE4892

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5163/

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Synopsis

E-Research provides means to harnessing contemporary ICT capabilities for solving challenging problems in science, medicine, and engineering. Computer grids play an pivotal role in E-Research; providing a seamless (web-like) access to a variety of networked resources, e.g. large data stores and information repositories, expensive instruments, high-speed links, sensors networks, and multimedia services for a wide range of applications. Topics covered include: Computational and Service-Oriented Grids, Grid-enabled Applications,. Gridservices, OGSA, Webservices, WSDL, Clustered Computing, GridMPI, Instruments and Sensors, Parametric Computing, P2P, and Data Grids.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will:

• be able to evaluate enabling technologies such as high-speed links and storage area networks for building computer grids;
• be able to utilise grid computing and clustering middleware, such as Parallel Virtual Machine (PVM), Message Passing Interface (MPI), HPC Portals, and Peer-to-Peer networks for implementing virtual super computing resources;
• be able to design a grid computing application in one of the key application areas e.g. Computer Animation, E-Research;
• be able to install a grid computing environment;
• develop communications skills and accept the code of professional conduct and practice through short presentations and group work.

Assessment

Examination (3 hours): 50%; In-semester assessment: 50%

Chief examiner(s)

Dr Asad Khan

Contact hours

2 hrs lectures/wk, 2 hrs laboratories/wk

Prerequisites

One of FIT9017, FIT9008, FIT9004 or FIT9018

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5164/

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Synopsis

This unit presents students with the theory and practice underlying computerised information retrieval. Topics covered include: history and context of information retrieval systems, retrieval models: Boolean, vector space and probabilistic, evaluation strategies and test collections, web search engines, very large databases, indexing, content-based multimedia retrieval, relevance feedback.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will:

• appreciate the context and application of information retrieval systems;
• understand the different models of information retrieval and their comparative advantages and disadvantages;
• understand how objective and subjective evaluation strategies are used with information retrieval systems;
• be conversant with the issues and challenges of managing very large databases of heterogeneous data for information retrieval;
• understand how web search engines and search algorithms are constructed, utilised and deployed;
• appreciate the different indexing strategies that can be used for the retrieval of information across different modalities;
• understand how information retrieval systems can be used for the retrieval of audio-visual information;
• appreciate the utility of and understand the theoretical and practical underpinnings of relevance feedback in information retrieval systems.

Assessment

Examination (2 hours): 50%; In-semester assessment: 50%

Chief examiner(s)

Dr Campbell Wilson

Contact hours

2 hrs lectures/wk, 2 hrs laboratories/wk

Prerequisites

For MAIT students: FIT9017, FIT9018, FIT9019, FIT9020, FIT9030 and FIT4037

Recommended knowledge: Basic familiarity with file organisation theory and UNIX. Basic linear algebra and calculus skills are required, as is the ability to program in Java or C (or a comparable 3GL).

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5066/

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Synopsis

This unit looks at the development and application of biologically inspired models of computation. We study: basic components of a natural neural systems: synapses, dendrites and neurons and their computational models; fundamental concepts of data and signal encoding and processing; neural network architectures: pattern association networks, auto associative networks, feedforward networks, competitive networks, self organizing networks and recurrent networks; plasticity and learning. Hebb rule, supervised learning, reinforced learning, error-correcting learning, unsupervised learning, competitive learning, self-organization.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will:

• understand basic computational principles underlying the operations of biological neural systems;
• have knowledge of computational methods of simulating biological and artificial neural systems;
• have knowledge of supervised, unsupervised and self-organising neuronal learning systems;
• be able to use computer software to simulate behaviour of neurons and neural networks.

Assessment

Examination (3 hours): 60%; In-semester assessment: 40%

Chief examiner(s)

Dr Grace Rumantir

Contact hours

2 hrs lectures/wk, 2 hrs laboratories/wk

Prohibitions

CSE5301

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5167

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Synopsis

Management of semi-structured data. The unit looks at the limitation of current relational based DBMS in handling XML. Explore the concept of modelling XML using XML Schema and retrieving it using XSLT. Design issues in creating native XML database. Exploring the approaches taken by current relational DBMS in storing and retrieving XML-based data.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will:

• have the knowledge of managing data that may not be appropriately modelled and implemented as relational model;
• be able to design data repository for XML documents;
• be able to apply appropriate technology to manage XML data;
• be able to use current DBMS to store and retrieve non-relational data such as XML and multimedia;
• appreciate the strength and weaknesses of several approaches such as object relational, native XML and object oriented DBMS in handling the XML and multimedia database.

Assessment

Examination: 50%; In-semester assessment: 50%

Chief examiner(s)

Dr Mark Carman

Contact hours

2 hrs lectures/wk, 2 hrs laboratories/wk

Prerequisites

Recommended knowledge: Knowledge of relational database.

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5168/

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Synopsis

This unit provides an understanding of current methods of automated probabilistic reasoning in graphical models and their application in building expert systems. Techniques for data mining graphical models will also be surveyed. A theoretical background in deterministic and stochastic probability propagation in Bayesian networks is joined with a case study of application development in a domain such as ecological risk assessment or meteorological modeling.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will:

• be able to design and build probabilistic expert systems;
• understand the application of probability theory to reasoning under uncertainty;
• be able to apply automated decision analysis tools;
• be familiar with the main Bayesian network tools and their capabilities;
• understand how to data mine graphical models;
• be able to knowledge engineer Bayesian networks.

Assessment

Examination (3 hours): 50%; In-semester assessment: 50%

Contact hours

2 hrs lectures/wk, 2 hrs laboratories/wk

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5169

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Synopsis

This unit focuses on the design and programming techniques essential for developing distributed software systems and applications - with Java as the teaching language. The unit presents concurrent programming primitives and concepts for distributed systems. The unit also focuses on application of concurrent techniques in distributed system designs. Programming and implementation issues and techniques of distributed applications are studied. Enabling techniques for building distributed systems are analyzed and evaluated. Distributed Software Patterns are presented. The unit also includes case studies of distributed programming paradigms and their applications (e.g. JINI, JavaSpaces).

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will:

• understand the concepts and characteristics of distributed and concurrent software;
• identify and evaluate common distributed and concurrent software designs;
• design distributed software applications using typical distributed software architectures;
• write distributed and concurrent software programs.

Assessment

Examination (3 hours): 50%, In-semester assessment: 50%

Chief examiner(s)

Dr Chris Ling

Contact hours

2 hrs lectures/wk, 2 hrs laboratories/wk

Prerequisites

Recommended knowledge: Some exposure to multithreading. Knowledge of all Java language constructs such as loops, conditionals, methods, classes, inheritance and core Java packages. Use of O/O models such as UML diagrams.

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5170/

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Synopsis

This unit covers the core software engineering disciplines concerned with managing and delivering quality software. Topics include processes, tools and techniques for system validation and verification, including major commercial tools used in industry. It shows how to predict, analyse and control defects in complex software systems. Inspection and testing methodologies, analysis of artefacts, robustness, performance analysis configuration management, quality assurance plan and standards including ISO9000/AS39000, compliance, assessment, certification issues are covered.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will:

• have knowledge and understanding of the role of validation & verification methods in the system life cycle;
• have gained practical experience in using commercial validation tools to help detect software system defects;
• appreciate how assertion mechanisms impact reasoning;
• be able to analyse and control defects in complex systems;
• have an understanding of inspection & testing methods, configuration management, performance, and quality standards issues.

Assessment

In-semester assessment: 50%; Examination (2 hours): 50%

Chief examiner(s)

Dr Yuan-Fang Li

Contact hours

2 hrs lectures/wk

Prerequisites

Recommended knowledge: programming in C, C++ and Java; OOSE, Analysis, Design and Programming; OO Method - UML notation, method and SE process; Project Management.

Prohibitions

CSE4431, FIT4004

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5171/

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Synopsis

This unit provides students with a thorough grounding in the theory and application of computer forensic techniques. Topics covered will include: the role of computer forensics in computer crime detection and prosecution, legislative frameworks, phases of a computer forensic investigation, techniques involved in data recovery from volatile and non-volatile storage media, intrusion detection, computer forensic tools.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will:

• be conversant with the types of applications that benefit from computer forensic analysis;
• appreciate the interrelationship between computer forensic techniques and the general principles behind rules of evidence;
• understand the tasks involved in the acquisition, analysis and presentation phases of computer forensic investigations;
• understand the methods involved in the recovery of data from various volatile and non-volatile storage media;
• be able to develop and utilise audit trails and intrusion detection techniques;
• be able to deploy open-source tools and analyse the results of such deployment in particular application contexts;
• appreciate the various technical aspects of computer forensic investigations.

Assessment

Assignments: 70%; Unit test: 30%

Contact hours

2 hrs lectures/wk, 2 hrs tutorials/wk

Prerequisites

Recommended knowledge: computer architectures, principles of data communication and networks, experience with operating and file systems.

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5172

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Synopsis

Modern computer systems contain parallelism in both hardware and software. This unit covers parallelism in both general purpose and application specific computer architectures and the programming paradigms that allow parallelism to be exploited in software. This unit examines both shared memory and message passing paradigms in both hardware and software; concurrency, multithreading and synchronicity; parallel, clustered and distributed supercomputing models and languages. Students will program in these paradigms.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will have:

• knowledge of a variety of parallel architectures, such as bus-based, massively parallel, cluster, vector;
• knowledge of a variety of parallel programming paradigms, synchronisation and parallelisation primitives, message passing, data parallel, tuple space;
• understanding of concurrency, synchronicity and parallelism;
• understanding of the design issues of parallel systems;
• skills in designing, developing and debugging parallel programs using a variety of paradigms.

Assessment

Assignments: 100%

Chief examiner(s)

Dr Asad Khan

Contact hours

2 hrs lectures/wk

Prerequisites

Recommended knowledge: operating systems, including synchronisation and interprocess communication mechanisms; advanced computer architecture, including pipelining techniques.

Prohibitions

CSE4333

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5174/

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Synopsis

This unit, together with FIT5057 Project management, and FIT5180 Business and legal issues in project management, gives a full coverage of the main areas of Project Management. These units will give students the knowledge and skills needed to work in project planning, project control, or as an entry level project manager in industry. The emphasis in this unit is on the technical aspects of planning and executing projects. It will also cover the important areas of financial calculations, budgets, and decision making.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will be able to:

• Prepare project network diagrams and do finite capacity scheduling of projects;
• do project and activity time compression to prepare quotations and meet due dates;
• prepare plans, budgets, and control systems for new projects;
• complete quotation, pricing, financial and profit calculations for projects;
• understand methods of project selection, net present value analysis, decision making, and risk analysis;
• understand the issues involved with project contract administration;
• advise on the issues of Quality Management and the ISO 9000 Standards;
• have a detailed understanding of modern Project Management software.

Assessment

Examination (2 hours): 50%, In-semester assessment: 50%

Chief examiner(s)

Dr Rodney Martin

Contact hours

2 hrs lectures/wk, 2 hr laboratory/wk

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5178.html

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Synopsis

This unit, together with FIT5057 Project management, and FIT5178 Applied project management, gives a full coverage of the main areas of Project Management. These units will give students the knowledge and skills needed to work in project planning, project control, or as an entry level project manager in industry. The emphasis in FIT5180 is on the business and legal aspects of planning and executing projects. Project management is a common pathway to higher management in industry. These topics are especially important to students who intend to work as project managers and take part in the sales, contract administration, and strategic planning of an organisation.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will be able to:

• Do financial and accounting calculations for projects. These topics will include in depth costing, balance sheet, NPV, IRR, capital budgeting, cash flow, variance analysis.
• Understand the legal issues which occur in project management. These will include business law, contract law, international law, understanding legal project management principles, applying project management principles to the practice of law, litigation matters, managing disputes, administrative and judicial way of solving disputes, contract risk analysis, liability in project management.
• Understand the modern theory of entrepreneurship in relation to project management. These topics will include types of entrepreneurs, problem faced by entrepreneurs, skills and knowledge necessary for entrepreneurs, innovative start-up, sources of finance, opportunity recognition, valuation and negotiations, financial and accounting issues.

Assessment

In-semester assessment: 100%

Chief examiner(s)

Dr Joze Kuzic

Contact hours

2 hrs lectures/wk, 1 hr laboratory/wk

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5180.html

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Synopsis

This unit will develop students capabilities to undertake research in the information systems field. Students will learn various research methods and study published research papers in which these research methods have been used. Students will learn to evaluate how well the research methods have been used in published research papers. Students will also develop an understanding of some of the exciting, leading-edge research in the information systems field. This understanding may enable students to identify research topics that they would like to pursue, perhaps in an honours, masters, or PhD thesis.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will have:

• developed capabilities to undertake research in the information systems field;
• learned various research methods and study published research papers in which these research methods have been used;
• learned to evaluate how well the research methods have been used in published research papers.

Assessment

Examination (3 hours): 50%; In-semester assessment: 50%

Chief examiner(s)

Professor Ron Weber

Contact hours

3 hrs seminar/wk

Co-requisites

FIT4005

Prohibitions

FIT4007

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Synopsis

This unit adds to previous study in the key business intelligence/decision support systems graduate units and provides an avenue for high-performing students to experience research as an intern working with DSS researchers on a major project. Each intern will have a negotiated work and assessment schedule. Admission to the internship requires excellence in the prerequisite units and a satisfactory interview with the relevant project researchers.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will:

• have developed capabilities to undertake research in the decision support systems field;
• have learned a particular research method and gained mastery of the application of some aspect of the method;
• be able to communicate their role and contribution to a DSS research project.

Assessment

In-semester assessment: 100%

Chief examiner(s)

Professor David Arnott

Contact hours

Interns are expected to spend 24 hours per week on FIT5182. They are required to attend seminars, workshops, and meetings related to DSS research during their internship.

Prerequisites

FIT5093, FIT5094 and FIT5095
Students must achieve a high distinction grade in each of these units. Selection for students who meet this requirement is based on a final interview.

Prohibitions

FIT5098

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5182.html

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Synopsis

This unit introduces students to IT research. Specifically, it introduces major research methods that are used by IT researchers including experiments, surveys, case studies, and design science. It also addresses the collection and analysis of quantitative and qualitative data. Students will learn how to effectively communicate research. Skills developed and knowledge acquired from this unit will prepare students to conduct their own research, as well as to be knowledgeable consumers of others' research.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit, students will be able to understand:

• the major philosophies and principles of research;
• the major research methods used in IT research;
• when a particular method is appropriate for a particular project;
• how to collect and analyse quantitative and qualitative research data;
• how to communicate research findings to a variety of audiences;
• how to critically review research designs and literature.

Assessment

In-semester assessment (assignments and class tests): 100%

Chief examiner(s)

Professor David Arnott

Contact hours

2 hrs lectures/wk, 2 hrs studios/tutorials/wk

Prerequisites

Students must be enrolled in an FIT Masters Honours degree. Students enrolled in a postgraduate coursework degree must have permission from the chief examiner and course director.

Prohibitions

FIT4005

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5185.html

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Synopsis

This unit is a research/thesis unit for FIT Masters (Honours) degrees, taken in the final stage of the Masters (Honours) course.

Before enrolling in the unit, students need to have reached agreement with a potential supervisor about a research area/feasible research topic for their Minor Thesis project.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will have made substantial and measurable progress towards -
A knowledge and understanding of:

• their research topic and the wider research domain;
• research approaches and methods, and how to resolve research problems and issues;
• well honed skills in critical thinking, analysis, evaluation and synthesis.

• have confidence in their ability to undertake independent research, and to plan and execute an individual research project;
• appreciate the significance and contributions of a research culture in both academic and workplace contexts.

• plan and undertake rigorous independent research;
• locate relevant research literature, and critically analyse and evaluate published research findings;
• identify open problems in current research and promising new research directions, and from this to define a viable research topic;
• develop a sound research design and feasible research project plan and schedule;
• communicate effectively research results in a variety of forms, including informal oral presentations, written reports, seminar presentations and poster presentations.

• communicate research ideas effectively in formal or informal contexts;
• collaborate effectively with others involved in a research project (supervisors, research colleagues, industry collaborators).

Assessment

At the completion of the requirements for the thesis the following components of assessment will be completed:

Research Proposal: 5%; Literature Review: 10%; Interim Presentation: hurdle; Final Presentation: 5%; Thesis (normally 10,000 - 20,000 words): 80%

These assessment tasks will be completed over the course of several units in the Minor Thesis program but the overall grade for the thesis will only be finalised on completion of FIT5554 (24pts).

Chief examiner(s)

Dr Michael Morgan

Contact hours

Regular meetings with supervisor(s) over the course of the unit enrolment.

Prerequisites

Students must be enrolled in a Faculty of IT Masters (Honours) degree.

Co-requisites

FIT4005 or FIT5185

Prohibitions

FIT5014, FIT5016, FIT5017, FIT5018

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Synopsis

This unit is a research/thesis unit for FIT Masters (Honours) degrees, taken in the final stage of the Masters (Honours) course.

Before enrolling in the unit, students need to have reached agreement with a potential supervisor about a research area/feasible research topic for their Minor Thesis project.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will have made substantial and measurable progress towards-
A knowledge and understanding of:

• their research topic and the wider research domain;
• research approaches and methods, and how to resolve research problems and issues;
• well honed skills in critical thinking, analysis, evaluation and synthesis.

• have confidence in their ability to undertake independent research, and to plan and execute an individual research project;
• appreciate the significance and contributions of a research culture in both academic and workplace contexts.

• plan and undertake rigorous independent research;
• locate relevant research literature, and critically analyse and evaluate published research findings;
• identify open problems in current research and promising new research directions, and from this to define a viable research topic;
• develop a sound research design and feasible research project plan and schedule;
• communicate effectively research results in a variety of forms, including informal oral presentations, written reports, seminar presentations and poster presentations.

• communicate research ideas effectively in formal or informal contexts;
• collaborate effectively with others involved in a research project (supervisors, research colleagues, industry collaborators).

Assessment

At the completion of the requirements for the thesis the following components of assessment will be completed:

Research Proposal: 5%; Literature Review: 10%; Interim Presentation: hurdle; Final Presentation: 5%; Thesis (normally 10,000 - 20,000 words): 80%

These assessment tasks will be completed over the course of several units in the Minor Thesis program but the overall grade for the thesis will only be finalised on completion of FIT5554 (24pts).

Chief examiner(s)

Dr Michael Morgan

Contact hours

Regular meetings with supervisor(s) over the course of the unit enrolment.

Prerequisites

Students must be enrolled in a Faculty of IT Masters (Honours) degree.

Co-requisites

FIT5551

Prohibitions

FIT5014, FIT5016, FIT5017, FIT5018

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Synopsis

This unit is a research/thesis unit for FIT Masters (Honours) degrees, taken in the final stage of the Masters (Honours) course.

Before enrolling in the unit, students need to have reached agreement with a potential supervisor about a research area/feasible research topic for their Minor Thesis project.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will have made substantial and measurable progress towards -
A knowledge and understanding of:

• their research topic and the wider research domain;
• research approaches and methods, and how to resolve research problems and issues;
• well honed skills in critical thinking, analysis, evaluation and synthesis.

• have confidence in their ability to undertake independent research, and to plan and execute an individual research project;
• appreciate the significance and contributions of a research culture in both academic and workplace contexts.

• plan and undertake rigorous independent research;
• locate relevant research literature, and critically analyse and evaluate published research findings;
• identify open problems in current research and promising new research directions, and from this to define a viable research topic;
• develop a sound research design and feasible research project plan and schedule;
• communicate effectively research results in a variety of forms, including informal oral presentations, written reports, seminar presentations and poster presentations.

• communicate research ideas effectively in formal or informal contexts;
• collaborate effectively with others involved in a research project (supervisors, research colleagues, industry collaborators).

Assessment

At the completion of the requirements for the thesis the following components of assessment will be completed:

Research Proposal: 5%; Literature Review: 10%; Interim Presentation: hurdle; Final Presentation: 5%; Thesis (normally 10,000 - 20,000 words): 80%

These assessment tasks will be completed over the course of several units in the Minor Thesis program but the overall grade for the thesis will only be finalised on completion of FIT5554 (24pts).

Chief examiner(s)

Dr Michael Morgan

Contact hours

Regular meetings with supervisor(s) over the course of the unit enrolment.

Prerequisites

Students must be enrolled in a Faculty of IT Masters (Honours) degree.

Co-requisites

FIT5552

Prohibitions

FIT5014, FIT5016, FIT5017, FIT5018

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Synopsis

This unit is a research/thesis unit for FIT Masters (Honours) degrees, taken in the final stage of the Masters (Honours) course.

Before enrolling in the unit, students need to have reached agreement with a potential supervisor about a research area/feasible research topic for their Minor Thesis project.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will have -

A knowledge and understanding of:

• their research topic and the wider research domain;
• research approaches and methods, and how to resolve research problems and issues;
• well honed skills in critical thinking, analysis, evaluation and synthesis.

• have confidence in their ability to undertake independent research, and to plan and execute an individual research project;
• appreciate the significance and contributions of a research culture in both academic and workplace contexts.

• plan and undertake rigorous independent research;
• locate relevant research literature, and critically analyse and evaluate published research findings;
• identify open problems in current research and promising new research directions, and from this to define a viable research topic;
• develop a sound research design and feasible research project plan and schedule;
• communicate effectively research results in a variety of forms, including informal oral presentations, written reports, seminar presentations and poster presentations.

• communicate research ideas effectively in formal or informal contexts;
• collaborate effectively with others involved in a research project (supervisors, research colleagues, industry collaborators).

Assessment

At the completion of the requirements for the thesis the following components of assessment will be completed:

Research Proposal: 5%; Literature Review: 10%; Interim Presentation: hurdle; Final Presentation: 5%; Thesis (normally 10,000 - 20,000 words): 80%

These assessment tasks will be completed over the course of several units in the Minor Thesis program but the overall grade for the thesis will only be finalised on completion of FIT5554 (24pts).

Chief examiner(s)

Dr Michael Morgan

Contact hours

Regular meetings with supervisor(s) over the course of the unit enrolment.

Prerequisites

Students must be enrolled in a Faculty of IT Masters (Honours) degree.

Co-requisites

FIT5553

Prohibitions

FIT5014, FIT5016, FIT5017, FIT5018

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Synopsis

This unit is designed to introduce students to the fundamental concepts necessary for the analysis, design, use and implementation of business information systems using relational database management systems. The main topics covered include requirements elicitation, systems analysis and design informed by a lifecycle based methodology, motivation for the database approach to managing information, conceptual modelling, coverage of logical process and data models (hierarchical, network and relational data models), and the use of SQL and other facilities provided by database management systems.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit, students will have -

A knowledge and understanding of:

• the purpose of requirements specification, of functional modelling of processes and data, and of the database concept;
• the relational database model;
• how to allow them to apply integrity constraints and business rules to a system design and implementation based around an enterprise level database management system.

• understand business information systems as the implementation of company policies and objectives;
• respect the points of view of both technical and business actors in the system development process.

• undertake the functional modelling of processes and data for a business problem;

• implement integrity constraints and business rules in a database;
• write queries in SQL to maintain and use a relational database.

• communicate requirements for business functionality in terms of data required, management of that data and its processing;
• work co-operatively in a professional systems development team.

Assessment

Examination (3 hours): 50%; In-semester assessment: 50%

Chief examiner(s)

Dr Rob Meredith

Contact hours

2 hrs lectures/wk, 2 hrs studios/wk

Prohibitions

CSE9002, BUS3112, BUS4112, IMS9001, IMS9003, GCO9804, BUS9003, BUS5071, FIT1004, FIT2010, FIT9012, FIT9019

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit9003/

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Synopsis

This unit provides an introduction to the principles and practice of programming for business applications. This includes an overview of spreadsheet modelling and a detailed introduction to programming with Excel including general programming concepts, the syntax and semantics of a current business programming language, design and development of graphical user interfaces.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will have:

• a knowledge of the fundamentals of spreadsheets which will provide them with an understanding of spreadsheet modelling presentation and analysis using Excel;
• learnt the fundamentals of OO concepts;
• gained an understanding of the Excel object model;
• learnt how to create Excel macros;
• learnt the basics of programming including variables, data types, control structures, subroutines and functions;
• learnt to create custom dialog boxes and custom forms using VBA;
• the ability to create non-trivial applications using Visual Basic for Applications;
• a knowledge of the fundamentals of spreadsheets which will provide them with an understanding of spreadsheet modelling presentation and analysis using Excel;
• learnt the fundamentals of OO concepts;
• learnt the basics of programming including variables, data types, control structures, subroutines and functions;
• learnt to create custom dialog boxes and custom forms using VBA;

• learnt how to create Excel macros;
• learnt to create executable programs with custom dialog boxes and custom forms using appropriate software tools.

Assessment

Examination (2.5 hours): 60%; In-semester assessment: 40%

Chief examiner(s)

Dr Sue Bedingfield

Contact hours

2 hrs lectures/wk, 2 hrs laboratories/wk

Prohibitions

BUS4520, BUS5520, BUS9001, BUS9003, BUS9004, GCO4801, BUS9520, GCO1810, FIT2066, BUS1010, FIT1013

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit9004

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Synopsis

This unit introduces students to fundamentals of computer hardware and software, and networking. The unit provides knowledge of computer structure and operation including; Arithmetic-Logic Unit, computer registers, internal bus, memory, I/O organisations and interfacing standards. Fundamentals of computer networking and data communication will also be provided.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will have -
Developed the ability to:

• understand basic Computer Structure and Operation and demonstrate use of the associated vocabulary;
• demonstrate knowledge of Arithmetic-Logic Unit, computer registers, Internal Bus, Memory, I/O organisations and interfacing standards;
• describe the operation of the CPU and explain how it is used to execute instructions;
• demonstrate an understanding of the basics of operating systems software using examples from File Systems, User Interfaces and Software Development Tools;
• discuss network architecture standards for open systems;
• describe TCP/IP network protocol;
• understand the fundamental functions and architectures of LAN and WAN.

• adopt a problem solving approach;
• accept the code of professional conduct and practice;
• act in accordance with best practice, industry standards and professional ethics.

• cooperate effectively within small groups;
• present their work in various forms.

Assessment

Examination (3 hours): 60%; In-semester assessment: 40%

Chief examiner(s)

Professor Ingrid Zukerman

Contact hours

2 hrs lectures/wk, 2 hrs laboratories/wk

Prohibitions

FIT1005, FIT9018, FIT9020, BUS4150, BUS5112, CPE4002, CSE4884, CSE9801

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit9005

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Synopsis

This unit presents IT management as a project-based activity, oriented to fulfilling corporate goals, meeting business operational requirements and delivering value for an organisation. Core concepts are established: strategic contexts of IT management, systems, information systems, systems development, business processes and modelling, and IT as support for core business processes. An overview of project management processes, tools and techniques used for software development projects follows. IT-related issues and trends posing complex challenges to management and organisation of the IT resource in contemporary organisations are explored. Ethics in IT management is a central theme.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will have -
A knowledge and understanding of:

• the strategic contexts of IT management, including: the strategic value and impacts of IT; the strategy process; the need to effectively align business strategy and IT strategy; the value of a portfolio approach to managing IT investments and mitigating risk; the critical importance of a customer-centric approach to IT strategy; and key management roles and relationships (eg CEO-CIO);
• the more common business processes, and the role that IT can play in managing these processes and in providing information systems that are appropriate for an organistions operational needs;
• the technical processes of a generic SDLC model, contract development, outsourcing and package purchase as alternative approaches to providing information systems;
• the project management processes related to in-house and contract software development, software outsourcing, package acquisition and implementation;
• the requirements for ongoing management of the IT infrastructure of an organisation that takes appropriate advantage of technological innovation to address the short-term and long-term objectives of the business;
• IT professional ethics, and ethical issues in the management and use of IT within organisations.

• have a systematic approach to IT provisioning in a business whilst maintaining a pragmatic approach to business needs;
• critically assess the worth of technological innovations for their contribution towards meeting business objectives in both the short-term and the longer term;
• recognise the management of IT infrastructure as a corporate resource, and business information as critical to meeting business objectives;
• develop a project management approach to developing information systems that are appropriate to the organisations needs;
• maintain ethical principles and practices in IT management.

• apply selected systems development techniques associated with SDLC-based system developments;
• model business processes using industry standard modelling conventions and a standard commercial business process modelling software package;
• determine requirements and specifying development or acquisition projects, using both traditional and innovative techniques and methods;
• apply project management techniques and using project management software.

• acquire understanding of the IT management and project management processes not only in terms of objective criteria like budgets, resources and software tools, but also as social activities and relationships involving individual, group and corporate-wide objectives and imperatives.

Assessment

Examination (3 hours): 60%; In-semester assessment: 40%

Chief examiner(s)

Dr Mahbubur Rahim

Contact hours

2 hrs lectures/wk, 2 hrs laboratory/wk

Prohibitions

IMS9043

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit9006

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Synopsis

This unit aims to provide students with the basic concepts involved in the development of well structured software using a programming language. It concentrates on the development of problem solving skills applicable to all stages of the development process. Students gain experience with the translation of a problem specification into a program design, and the implementation of that design into a programming language. The subject introduces software engineering topics such as maintainability, readability, testing, documentation, modularisation, and reasoning about correctness of programs. Students are expected to read and understand existing code as well as develop new code.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will:

• be competent in designing, constructing, testing and documenting small computer programs using Java;
• be able to demonstrate the software engineering principles of maintainability, readability, and modularisation; and,
• understand the concepts of the object-oriented style of programming.

Assessment

Examination (3 hours): 60%; In-semester assessment: 40%

Chief examiner(s)

Dr Judy Sheard

Contact hours

2 hrs lectures/wk, 2 hrs laboratories/wk

Prohibitions

CSE9000

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit9017/

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Synopsis

This unit introduces students to the fundamentals of computer systems and the computing environment, using Linux as a case study of a modern operating system. Topics covered include: CPU, memory, storage devices, peripheral hardware, networking fundamentals, operating systems fundamentals, practical Linux considerations including Desktop and Enterprise applications, file systems, shell scripting, client/server applications and system administration.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will be expected to have understanding of:

• basic computer hardware and architectures;
• process management;
• memory management;
• operating systems architectures;
• basic network protocols;
• network topologies;
• the architecture of Linux;
• usage and administration of Linux systems;
• deployment of Linux in personal and enterprise contexts.

Assessment

Examination (2 hours): 60%; In-semester assessment: 40%

Chief examiner(s)

Dr Campbell Wilson

Contact hours

1 hr lecture/wk, 3 hrs laboratories/wk

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit9018/

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Synopsis

Database concepts and models, relational database management systems, semantic data modelling, entities and entity relationship modelling, normalisation, user requirements specification, database specification. Storage media and data organisation, logical data structures: linear and non-linear. Physical database implementation, integrity, backup, recovery, security. Structured Query Language, database administration. Current topics; distributed database, data warehousing, Object-oriented database.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will:

• understand the motivations behind the development of database management systems;
• appreciate the underlying theoretical basis of the relational database model and how this model may be implemented in practice;
• understand the differences between non-relational database models and the relational database mode;
• be able to apply logical and physical database design principles to a database implementation;
• be conversant with Structured Query Language (SQL);
• understand the processes involved in database administration, transaction management, concurrency control, restart and recovery.

Assessment

Examination (2 hours): 65%; In-semester assessment: 35%

Chief examiner(s)

Dr Campbell Wilson

Contact hours

2 hrs lectures/wk, 2 hrs laboratories/wk

Prohibitions

CSE9002

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit9019/

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Synopsis

The unit will introduce students to fundamentals of data and computer communications method and techniques. It covers: ISO and TCP/IP layered protocols; physical layer concepts: data transmission methods, signal encoding and digital data communication techniques; data link control protocol, multiplexing methods; WAN and LAN networking fundamentals; internetworking and transport protocols.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will:

• understand layered ISO and TCP/IP protocols;
• have knowledge of data transmision technology, signal encoding techniques and data link control protocols;
• understand multiplexing methods and technologies;
• understand the functions and architectures of LAN and WAN.

Assessment

Examination (3 hours): 60%; In-semester assessment: 40%

Chief examiner(s)

Associate Professor Andrew Paplinski

Contact hours

2 hrs lectures/wk, 2 hrs laboratories/wk

Prerequisites

FIT9018

Prohibitions

CSE9801, BUS3150, CSE2318, CSE3318, FIT1005

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit9020/

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Synopsis

This unit will develop the basic concepts of website authoring, from design to implementation. Students will develop skills in creating digital content which is authored to deal with the particular issues of web publishing. The unit will examine HTML/XHTML, Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), the W3C Document Object Model (DOM) and JavaScript as the fundamental website authoring suite. In addition HTML embedded script languages, such as ColdFusion, will be used to create dynamic database driven content. The unit will also introduce wider W3C standards, web usability and web design specification.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will have -
A theoretical and conceptual understanding of:

• the characteristics of commercial web sites and the authoring/management issues associated with them;
• the features and applicability of a range of software tools which are used in the development of websites;
• internet standards and protocols, in particular the impact of World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) standards in this area;
• a web based document as an instance of the W3C Document Object Model;
• website usability issues;
• the role that products such as Macromedia Flash can play in web authoring;
• copyright related issues as they apply to web authoring.

• appreciate the flexibility required in dealing with clients in a variety of situations encountered in the tendering/authoring process;
• demonstrate a critical attitude towards assessing the success of websites;
• demonstrate a recognition of the strengths and weaknesses of information technology in the context of the development and use of web based multimedia systems.

• create and manipulate digital content for websites, including basic audio and animation;
• code web pages using standard HTML/XHTML, including tables and forms;
• make use of Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) to add style to web documents;
• use JavaScript to add interactivity to HTML pages;
• access and manipulate DOM objects in a web document;
• write HTML embedded script code (such as ColdFusion) to produce dynamic database driven web documents;
• produce design specification documents applicable to a web site authoring task.

• work as a member of a project team.

Assessment

In-semester assessment: 100%

Chief examiner(s)

Ms Kirsten Ellis

Contact hours

2 hrs lectures/wk, 2 hrs laboratories/wk

Prohibitions

FIT1012, MMS1402, MMS9401

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit9027/

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Synopsis

This unit provides a focus on specialist tools and techniques that are used for developing content-rich interactive multimedia systems using Adobe Flash. This unit will cover fundamental multimedia principles, practical development processes, the integration of mixed-media assets, interactive design and animation for digital media and different technologies for product deployment. Students will create content-rich interactive CD-ROM and Web-based products using industry standard authoring tools and will gain an understanding of the role of digital media within the broader technology environment.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will have -

A theoretical and conceptual understanding of:

• information technology and the software tools as they relate to (and are used in) multimedia systems;
• the Adobe Flash authoring environment for CD-ROM and web based systems development

• the formal process undertaken for preparing and documenting the various development stages of a multimedia system;
• how to achieve a range of special effects which are commonly required for advanced interactive design in multimedia systems;
• fundamental programming techniques and how to carry this knowledge across multiple languages.

• outline strengths and weaknesses of information technology in the context of the development and use of multimedia systems;
• make informed decisions on the most appropriate blend of tools and technologies to support a given multimedia system requirement;
• formulate constructive criticism within the construct of critical analysis.

• apply advanced interactive design techniques to a multimedia system using a time/frame based authoring environments;
• use a blend of industry standard multimedia tools and products;
• write code to assist in advanced system interaction with the programming language ActionScript 3.0;
• further enhance and refine user interface and navigational design and creativity skills in multimedia systems;
• specify an appropriate tool set for developing and supporting advanced features/functionality in a multimedia system.

• build confidence in formal presentation techniques presenting personal ideas, research concepts and developmental progress;
• discuss and share developmental processes and techniques within an informal populated environment.

Assessment

In-semester assessment: 100%

Chief examiner(s)

Ms Cheryl Howard

Contact hours

2 hrs lectures/wk, 2 hrs laboratories/wk

Prerequisites

FIT9027

Prohibitions

IMS2402, MMS2402, MMS9402

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit9028/

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Synopsis

The unit introduces students to the key principles which underlie the analysis and design of computer-based information systems to support business and other organisational undertakings. It describes the development life cycle of an information system and provides students with an introductory knowledge of the process of information systems development and the techniques used.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will:

• an understanding of the role of information systems in organisations;
• an understanding of some of the techniques used to analyse and design information systems;
• an understanding of the framework used to structure information systems development projects;
• an understanding of when the use of a particular technique is appropriate;
• the attitudes to appreciate the capabilities and limitations of an information system;
• the practical skills to apply some of the analysis and design techniques in a systems development situation;
• have the practical skills to communicate requirements for business functionality of an information system in terms of data required, data storage and processing.

Assessment

Examination (3 hours): 50%; In-semester assessment: 50%

Chief examiner(s)

Mr Peter O'Donnell

Contact hours

2 hrs lectures/wk, 2 hrs laboratories/wk

Prohibitions

IMS9001, FIT2001

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit9030/

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Synopsis

This unit will cover a wide variety of techniques and computing systems developed for supporting business applications software systems in Chinese language. Specific topics include Chinese-enabling systems, Chinese character sets and encoding methods, Chinese character input methods, Chinese character output, and Chinese computing on the Internet. To enable students to understand the development of global software for all human languages including Chinese, the principles and techniques for multilingual information processing, including universal character encoding methods will be discussed. The unit will be taught in English, but students need to have a good knowledge of written Chinese.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will:

• be familiar with Chinese language and multilingual computing environments;
• learned the principles and skills of Chinese business computing through the practical use of Chinese software systems;
• acquired skills that can easily be translated into using software in non-Roman languages;
• understand Chinese and universal character encoding methods for multilingual information processing;
• developed the ability to understand the techniques used to develop Chinese and global software for business applications.

Assessment

Examination (2 hours): 70%; In-semester assessment: 30%

Chief examiner(s)

Associate Professor Chung-Hsing Yeh

Contact hours

3 hrs/week

Prerequisites

Familiarity with written Chinese

Prohibitions

BUS3200, BUS4200, BUS5200, FIT3104

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit9058/