Areas of study by faculty: Information Technology

NOTE: This area of study entry has had one or more changes made to it since publication on 1 October 2012. For details of changes, please consult the 2013 Handbook change register2013 Handbook change register (http://www.monash.edu.au/pubs/2013handbooks/2013-change-register.html).

The applications development major focuses on the technologies and techniques used to create computer-based systems and the development processes used in the construction of large-scale systems. It covers all aspects of the development process ranging from systems analysis and design to programming and implementation.

This major is ideal for technically-minded problem solvers who like to get behind the scenes and work within and across networks and web technologies and the applications that drive them. This major provides essential IT knowledge and skills to prepare graduates for careers in fields such as e-commerce, application software development, systems analysis and design, network management and database design. This major offers specialist units in networks, data communications and web programming.

Business application developers are responsible for the design, development and implementation of information systems and related applications. Areas covered include developing database applications, interface design, applications for web-based systems and programming.

The goal of the business applications development specialisation is to prepare students for work as professional application developers in a wide range of areas. Graduates from this specialisation will have strong skills in developing applications and will be employable across a range of roles from entry-level programming positions through to senior managers leading business application development teams. They will be employed in government, private enterprise, large and small organisations.

In addition to entry-level system and analyst/programmer knowledge and skills and the desirable generic graduate attributes identified by the University, graduates should be able to:

• develop a range of applications using current programming tools
• manage applications in business and other environments
• maintain a wide variety of systems
• develop applications for a variety of web environments
• employ techniques for developing effective and usable user interfaces
• design, develop and implement database applications.

Business information systems focuses on developing and applying information technology solutions to business problems and preparing students for leadership roles in IT management. Students learn fundamental business and IT concepts and how IT can be used to serve business needs.

Topics covered include:

• analysis and interpretation of business data
• applications of information technology in industry
• business analysis
• business process reengineering
• business systems development within organisations
• current business information systems
• how information systems can support business processes and decision making
• how information technology is used within organisations
• project management
• techniques used to develop business information systems
• the fundamentals of business programming.

Skills developed include:

• application of emerging technologies
• business analysis
• business productivity improvement
• problem solving
• professional communications
• programming
• project management
• systems analysis and design
• teamwork.

Business intelligence professionals use information systems to improve the processes and outcomes of human decision-making. Areas covered include personal decision support systems, business intelligence systems, executive information systems, online analytical processing systems, group decision support systems, data warehousing, customer relationship management systems, financial modelling and computer modelling for business systems.

The goal of the business intelligence professional specialisation is to prepare students for professional practice in supporting management decision-making using IT. Depending on their qualifications and experience prior to graduate study and the nature of their elective study, graduates could be employed in a variety of roles ranging from entry-level business intelligence positions through to senior management consulting.

In addition to entry-level system analyst/programmer knowledge and skills, and the desirable generic graduate attributes identified by the University, graduates should be able to:

• select an appropriate BI approach for a given business problem
• plan the business intelligence strategy of an organisation
• develop personal decision support systems
• use models for evidence based decision making
• design multidimensional data bases
• design and implement enterprise wide reporting systems
• design and prototype data warehouses and data marts.

Graduates of this specialisation will also have a strong theoretical knowledge of decision support so that they can adapt quickly to changes in technology and methodology.

Business analysis helps a business organisation to improve how it conducts its functions and activities in order to reduce overall costs, provide more efficient use of scarce resources, and better support customers. It introduces the notion of process orientation, of concentrating on and rethinking end-to-end activities that create value for customers, and these tasks are carried out by a business analyst. It is essential that the modern business analyst has strong IT skills and is capable of approaching these tasks from an information perspective. The main focus of units in this specialisation is to provide students with the practical IT skills and knowledge of latest techniques and technology to effectively carry out business analysis, and managerial advisory duties in business organisations.

The goal of the business systems specialisation is to provide students with essential skills required by the current day business analyst. Depending on their qualifications and experience prior to graduate study and the nature of their elective study, graduates could be employed in a variety of roles ranging from business systems analyst, systems analyst, and functional analyst through to senior management and management advisory roles.

In addition to entry-level system analyst/programmer knowledge and skills, and the desirable generic graduate attributes identified by the University, graduates should be able to:

• understand business operations and project management techniques and calculations including the financial aspects involved in quoting and operations management tasks
• understand and provide advice on functional and process oriented structuring of business processes and systems
• use new technology and techniques for understanding customers and customer needs, and be able to advise management on these issues
• understand and use core technologies that support financial analysis and decision making and advise management on these issues
• carry out business process modelling and analysis using new technology and tools to provide advice on business process design and re-engineering.

Graduates of the specialisation will also have a strong theoretical knowledge of systems thinking, business dynamics and business processes as well as latest cutting edge intelligent data mining and customer relationship management technology. This will enable them to easily adapt to the fast changing and evolving field of business IT - an essential requirement for a modern day business analyst.

The business systems major focuses on the use of computers and information systems to understand, model and solve complex problems in business and commerce. It is ideal for future entrepreneurs or managers who want to develop expertise in providing effective business solutions. This major provides a strong focus on systems used in business, while preparing graduates for careers in areas such as systems analysis, information systems management, business analysis, project management and IT consultancy. The major provides specialist units in e-commerce, business systems modelling and information systems management.

Twenty-first century science without computational support is practically unimaginable. Computational analysis and visualisation are the basis to cope with the vast amounts of data that modern science and engineering must process. Computers allow us to perform virtual experiments that are too dangerous, too costly, or plainly impossible to conduct in reality, and using simulation we can even explore hypothetical worlds. The computational science major complements computer science with foundational studies in another field of science and with specialised topics in scientific computation. It aims to produce graduates that combine a scientific education with computational expertise and are adept in trans-disciplinary work.

Computer science is concerned with the scientific design and application of computer software and hardware. It is a broad discipline, encompassing software design, programming, algorithm development, the computing hardware, and the theoretical foundations of computation, as well as the present and potential applications of computing that pervade modern society. The study of computer science is not restricted to current technologies and instead emphasises fundamental principles, thus enabling graduates to understand and indeed shape future developments.

This specialisation is designed to produce skilled information and knowledge management (IKM) professionals, including information and knowledge managers, information architects, information policy developers, information project managers and information consultants for business and government organisations. It focuses on:

• strategic IKM information policy
• IKM governance, strategy, standards and frameworks
• IKM principles
• enterprise information architecture and web content management
• planning and developing IKM systems to support key business processes
• managing information and knowledge resources and services.

The goal of the corporate information and knowledge management specialisation is to prepare students for professional practice in business information, knowledge and content management and appreciate the role of modern information and communication technologies in achieving efficient strategies for managing personal and organisational knowledge.

Depending on their qualifications and experience prior to graduate study and the nature of their elective study, graduates could be employed in a variety of roles ranging from entry-level document management analysis through to senior knowledge and information management consulting.

In addition to entry-level system information specialist knowledge and skills, and the desirable generic graduate attributes identified by the University, graduates should be able to:

• analyse the need and requirements for a knowledge management initiative
• contribute productively to the development of sustainable IKM organisational strategy
• evaluate the sources and potential value of knowledge within an organisation
• critically analyse organisational requirements for recommending appropriate knowledge management solutions
• identify suitable software package or develop components of IKM systems.

Graduates of the specialisation will also have a strong theoretical knowledge of information and knowledge management principles that they can apply in designing appropriate technology and policies.

The capacity for enterprise data assets to provide true business value hinges on effective and efficient data management practices. Data management is also the key driver of a large sector of the information technology software market, second only to operating systems in market value. A specialisation in data management provides the knowledge and skills to become a highly valued practitioner and/or researcher in this vital area.

The data management specialisation covers important emerging areas such as multimedia retrieval models, search engine algorithms, web personalisation and semi-structured data management in addition to distributed databases and advanced programming for database applications.

Graduates of the specialisation will possess strong theoretical knowledge of data management and practical skills in managing data as a valuable resource for the enterprise.

Organisations and the environments they operate in become increasingly more complex, and information technology has become an indispensable component of the decision making processes that allow us to deal with this complexity. Decision support systems use innovative IT techniques to model organisations and to reveal the impact of alternative choices on the quality of service, operational costs, etc. Decision support applications include strategic planning, market analysis, resource allocation and scheduling, online adaptation and operational control. The decision support major complements the foundational studies in computer science, with topics on data analysis, decision making, intelligent systems, and decision support systems.

Distributed and mobile computing systems have evolved into a solid and widely recognised platform for building applications which are in high demand by industry, government and commerce. Skill sets that include knowledge of this area will be in even more demand in the future, given the growth in internet and web-based systems.

The distributed and mobile systems specialisation covers areas in enabling technologies such as wireless and mobile networks, parallel computing infrastructure, computational grids, software agent technology as well as the developmental areas of fault tolerant systems, distributed programming paradigms and related technologies.

Graduates of the specialisation will possess strong theoretical knowledge and practical skills in building distributed systems, web-based systems and mobile systems using the distributed programming paradigm.

The enterprise information management major focuses on the nature of information and information needs, and the types of IT-based systems which organisations and individuals use to meet them. It covers topics such as business systems, information and knowledge management, systems support and management.

This specialisation produces business analysts and information systems analysts who work as business or information systems analysts in small to medium enterprises, large companies, financial organisations, government agencies and consultancy firms. Units are designed to provide management and technical expertise in the design, development, and implementation of enterprise systems, including information systems, financial systems, integrated business systems, web-based systems and systems that support e-Commerce, e-Government and e-Business.

In addition to entry-level system analyst/programmer knowledge and skills, and the desirable generic graduate attributes identified by the University, graduates should be able to:

• design an appropriate solution for a business including traditional information systems to e-Business solutions
• plan the development and implementation process of an enterprise system for an organisation
• use accepted e-Business models for the development of solutions for an organisation
• design and implement enterprise systems.

Graduates of the specialisation will also have a strong theoretical knowledge of systems development so that they can adapt quickly to changes in technology and methodology.

This major provides students with the technical and creative abilities to apply core knowledge of programming to game creation through a curriculum that emphasises game and interactive software development. Students use the tools and software used by the game industry, produce game design concepts and documents, and develop analytical skills for examining game play and game design. The major focuses on complex concepts such as game artificial intelligence, level design and testing. Students create complete works in character design, level design and game concepts and participate in every level of game development, from concept to final creation. The major includes nine specialist multimedia games development units covering the areas of games programming, 3D modelling, creating narrative and artificial intelligence for gaming.

NOTE: This area of study entry has had one or more changes made to it since publication on 1 October 2012. For details of changes, please consult the 2013 Handbook change register2013 Handbook change register (http://www.monash.edu.au/pubs/2013handbooks/2013-change-register.html).

The information and communication technologies major focuses on the hardware and network infrastructure on which computer systems are run. It covers topics such as networks and data communications, web-based technologies, database, security, and IT infrastructure management.

This program provides doctoral (PhD) candidates with the opportunity to focus on developing knowledge and expertise in their chosen subject, as well as developing professional skills that will support candidate's career ambitions.

Each candidate's research will be supported by the development of a range of skills that will help them to become more efficient researchers, ultimately improving the quality of the research and developing generic/transferable skills of value to prospective employers.

Intelligent systems are integral to the smart use of information technology. Intelligent systems technologies include expert systems, agent architectures, distributed artificial intelligent systems, knowledge discovery and data mining, machine learning, simulation, natural models of computation and optimisation and problem solving.

This specialisation provides the knowledge and skills to work as an AI programmer, knowledge engineer, senior designer or consultant. In addition to learning detailed techniques, a foundational understanding of intelligent systems methodologies including their limits and their contrasting capabilities is acquired.

Graduates of this specialisation will possess theoretical knowledge and skills to design and develop smart systems, incorporating intelligence with traditional information technology systems.

The world wide web has come a long way from being a static store of HTML pages, to now supporting millions of users across the world who rely on web applications and services for a range of activities. From simple weather lookup services to booking holidays, buying and selling goods, social networking and dynamic and agile enterprise interactions. Given the ubiquity of the web, a key area of expertise for IT professionals is in developing and delivering innovative and scalable web applications and services. The internet and web application development specialisation includes units covering enterprise level web application development, service oriented computing and web services, mobile internet application development and component based technologies for internet services.

Graduates of the specialisation will understand the major issues and will have the practical skills in developing applications and services for the internet and the world wide web.

The specialisation focuses on the design, development, implementation, management and use of library, archival and recordkeeping systems and services. It also addresses a range of professional and ethical issues, and includes a professional practice placement.

Library and information services units focus on:

• information contexts and environments
• information and knowledge flows
• information seeking behaviours
• information access
• information sources and resources
• information organisation and information architecture.

Records and archives units prepare records managers and archivists for the digital age, focusing on the knowledge and skills required to ensure that vital records of organisational activities in all media are created, effectively managed and made accessible.

The goal of the library, archival and recordkeeping systems specialisation is to prepare students for professional practice as librarians, records managers, archivists and other information and knowledge professionals in business, government and community organisations. Depending on their qualifications and experience prior to graduate study and the nature of their elective study, graduates could be employed in a wide variety of information/knowledge-related roles, such as: information manager, information services manager, librarian, teacher librarian, community information officer, research analyst, indexer, cataloguer, metadata analyst, records manager, archivist, office systems manager, document manager, enterprise content manager, information architect, knowledge manager, chief information officer, chief knowledge officer.

In addition to the desirable generic graduate attributes identified by the University, graduates should be able to:

• develop and manage information services, collections and electronic resources
• plan, develop and implement an organisation's information strategy and information policy
• analyse information requirements/user needs and develop programs and services to meet those needs
• design and develop systems for organising information and facilitating access to information resources in physical collections and digital/web-based repositories
• manage the processes associated with the creation, storage, recall and dissemination of an organisation's business records.

Graduates will have a sound theoretical knowledge of information management principles that will enable them to adapt readily to technological, organisational, and environmental change.

Professional recognition

The specialisation is recognised as a professional qualification by the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA), the Records and Information Management Professionals Australasia (RIM) and the Australian Society of Archivists (ASA) and comprises the core units required for professional recognition by these organisations. Note that professional accreditation is dependent on unit choice. For further information about units required for accreditation by each professional body refer to http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/courses/accreditation.html.

Mathematics is a powerful and universal language for precise reasoning and problem-solving. It provides the foundation for science in general and for computer science in particular. Complementing computer science studies with a major or minor in mathematics gives students a significantly deeper understanding of the formal aspects of computer science and an invaluable knowledge of methods and tools for solving challenging application problems. A major or minor in mathematics is highly recommended for all students who wish to specialise in the formal foundations of computer science.

In this major students learn about digital and interactive systems and the important links between technological and presentation skills. The major focuses on the multimedia development process and provides students with the knowledge and skills essential for the analysis, design and implementation of computer based multimedia products, services and systems.

This specialisation aims to provide students with the necessary knowledge, understanding, skills and attitudes to enable them to analyse a wide variety of information processing and network architecture problems and to develop solutions to these using computer networks. The units in this specialisation cover topics that range from in-depth coverage of the protocols used to operate the internet and intranets, through to the management, design and administration of modern computer networks. Upon completing this specialisation students will have a well-developed conceptual framework, enabling them to keep pace with developments in the rapidly changing field of network computing.

Graduates of the specialisation will have a strong theoretical knowledge in various aspects of computer networks. This will enable them to adapt and develop network applications in this rapidly evolving field.

Projects occur in almost every business. Project management includes all the organisational, business and technical activities in planning and executing projects. Modern project managers are business managers and project management is a common pathway to senior management roles. Project managers take part in almost all business functions, including planning the organisational structure, business strategy development, sales and marketing, cash flow and profit budgets, and the technical activities of planning and executing the projects. The main focus of this specialisation is to give graduates the knowledge they need to work in projects, or as an entry-level project manager.

The goal of the project management specialisation is to provide students with the practical skills required by a modern project manager. Project management is the technology used to plan and deliver projects based on other technologies. Graduates who have completed this specialisation will understand the modern approach to project management. They will have the knowledge to plan and manage projects. Much of the track will concentrate on organisational, financial and business functions which support the delivery of projects. This knowledge will assist graduates in a variety of roles in industry or government.

In addition to an understanding of project management techniques and the desirable generic graduate attributes identified by the University, graduates should be able to:

• understand business operations and how the project management approach can contribute to the success of an organisation
• understand and provide advice on organisational structures and functions used by organisations whose main activities are projects
• understand financial analysis, valuation and pricing issues
• understand contract law, business strategy, and business and legal issues relevant to project management.

Graduates of the specialisation will have a strong theoretical knowledge of the most important practical areas of project management. This will enable them to work in projects and take entry-level positions in project planning or as a project manager.

Security is one of the major areas of concern for any organisation which uses information and database systems. Both universities and industry are engaged in highly active research into the development of techniques that can enhance security in computer systems. There is strong demand for professionals who have a sound understanding in the theory and practice of IT security. By specialising in security, students develop their expertise in this crucial area. The units in the specialisation capture the principles of information and network security and virtual private networking.

Graduates of the specialisation will have a strong theoretical knowledge of information and network security and will possess the skills in applying security measures in the areas of data management and network systems.

Software engineering is a core discipline transforming the results of the basic science of computing into large-scale working software systems. Its components include software analysis and design, software project management, quality assurance, validation and verification, advanced object-oriented programming, approaches for real-world systems and design patterns.

This specialisation equips students with knowledge of the processes, techniques and theory of software engineering. In addition to the foundational core of knowledge required for professional work in the area, they will also be exposed to advanced topics including web services and service oriented computing, grid computing and parallel computing.

Graduates of the specialisation will have a strong knowledge in advanced theoretical and practical software engineering issues. They will possess the skills in designing and developing large software systems in the real world.

The study of software engineering involves computer science, problem-solving, mathematical foundations of software engineering, programming, software development methodologies, software processes and lifecycles, software quality, testing and technical documentation.

It is concerned with the analysis, design, development and maintenance of software systems for a variety of applications, including large scale projects. Software engineers with these skills are highly valued by business and government organisations involved with large or small software systems.

Software engineering at Monash explores the design, construction and engineering of large complex software systems which meet information processing challenges, subject to constraints such as cost, time and risk management. Students undertake units in programming, engineering, mathematics and computer systems as well as studying specific software engineering units.

Studies also include a full-year group studio project with an industry client. A large number of units are laboratory-based, and students spend a significant portion of their time in individual and group-based project work. This approach develops skills in group management and dynamics, along with professional communication skills such as technical writing, documentation and presentation.

Large-scale systems development requires not only a solid grounding in computer science, but also sound knowledge of technological topics, such as computer architecture and networking. The systems development major combines the study of these areas with basic training in software engineering and is aimed at students who want to focus on the engineering aspects of information technology.