Bachelor of Information Technology

This course is about the application of computer-based technologies and systems to meet individual and organisational information needs. The course will enable you to gain the knowledge and skills needed to use IT effectively and to use, develop and manage IT-based systems. The flexibility of the course and the range of majors and minors will allow you to explore new areas, develop your strengths in IT and pursue your interests. It is a highly practical course that will prepare you for a career working with information and IT in business, government and industry.

The course covers a wide range of aspects of IT, from technical computing, which focuses on the technology itself, games and multimedia to information and business-related themes, which focus on information needs and the way in which IT can be used to support them. In addition to core studies in fundamental IT concepts, the course provides you with a choice of majors in your preferred fields of study, as well as the option to take a second major within IT or in another discipline. Knowledge and skills in IT coupled with the emphasis on generic skills problem solving, information literacy, communication and presentation skills, project management skills, and the capacity for team work will ensure that you have a firm foundation for a career in IT.

If you are an eligible student you may apply for the Industry Based Learning (IBL) placement program, in which you undertake one or two 22-week, full-time industry placements as part of the curriculum. Through the IBL placement program you will apply the skills and knowledge you have gained directly in a professional organisation.

Double degrees

The Bachelor of Information Technology can be taken in combination with the following courses:

• Bachelor of Arts
• Bachelor of Business
• Bachelor of Business Specialist
• Bachelor of Commerce
• Bachelor of Commerce Specialist
• Bachelor of Design*
• Bachelor of Education (Honours)**
• Bachelor of Fine Art***
• Bachelor of Science

This will lead to the award of two degrees, the Bachelor of Information Technology and the degree awarded by the partner course. The requirements for the award of the Bachelor of Information Technology degree are the same whether completed as a single or double degree. Student should refer to the course entry for the partner course in their double degree, for the requirements for the other degree.

* The double degree course with Design is available for the Multimedia Development, Games Development and Software Development majors in the BInfoTech only and in Communication or Industrial design specialisations in the Bachelor of Design.

** The double degree course with Education is available in the Primary Education specialisation and the Secondary Education specialisation. All Information Technology majors are available with the Primary specialisation but only Software Development and Business Information Systems are available as majors with the Secondary specialisations. The reason for this is related to the discipline study requirements for registration as a secondary teacher. Some cross crediting of units of study is involved in the double degree with Education.

*** The double degree course with Fine Art is available for the Multimedia Development and Games Development majors in the BInfoTech and the Visual art specialisation in BFine Art only.

These course outcomes are aligned with the Australian Qualifications Framework level 7, the Bologna Cycle 1 and Monash Graduate AttributesAustralian Qualifications Framework level 7, the Bologna Cycle 1 and Monash Graduate Attributes (http://www.monash.edu.au/pubs/handbooks/alignmentofoutcomes.html).

Upon successful completion of this course, it is expected that graduates will be able to:

1. communicate at a professional level with clients, system users and peers
2. work effectively in a team environment
3. work independently and self-assess performance
4. apply methods, theory and research to plan, develop and implement correct, well-structured and documented information products and systems
5. act in accordance with professional codes of conduct, recognizing the social, legal and ethical consequences of their work
6. recognise the role and value of information technology in organizations and society
7. effectively use computer hardware and software technologies
8. learn and apply emerging technologies.

This is a comprehensive course, structured in three equal parts:

Part A. Information technology specified study

This will provide you with foundation skills and knowledge for your IT education and ensure a breadth of understanding of IT and its applications in organisations and society.

Part B. Information technology listed major

This will provide you with a focused program of study that will develop your expertise in one area of Information technology. You will develop the practical and theoretical skills and knowledge in your chosen major needed to successfully plan, develop, implement and evaluate information products and systems.

Part C. Free elective study

Electives will enable you to further develop your knowledge of your major area of study, or IT more broadly, through a second major or a minor. Alternatively you can select units from across the University in which you are eligible to enrol.

For students in a double degree course, some units required for the partner degree are credited as electives towards the Information Technology degree.

Students must complete units as specified in Parts A, B and C (144 points): a minimum of 96 points of Information technology study over Part A and Part B, and 48 points of free electives in part C.

In choosing your units you must ensure that you complete no more than 10 level one units (60 points), and that you complete at least six units (36 points) at level 3 of which at least four (24 points) being Bachelor of Information Technology listed units (units with a FIT code).

Units are six points unless otherwise specified.

The course progression mapcourse progression map (http://www.monash.edu.au/pubs/2016handbooks/maps/map-c2000.pdf) will assist you to plan to meet the course requirements, and guidance on unit enrolment for each semester of study.

A. Information technology specified study (48 points)

Students complete#:

(a.) One introductory* programming unit (6 points) from:

• FIT1051 Programming foundations
• FIT1045 Introduction to algorithms and programming
• FIT1048 Foundations of C++

Before making your choice, refer to your anticipated major as a particular one of these may be required for your major. You may take additional units from this list as free electives in Part C.

(b.) The following four units (24 points)

• FIT1047 Introduction to computer systems, networks and security
• FIT1049 IT professional practice**
• FIT2002 IT project management
• FIT2094 Databases

**Students in the double degree course with Secondary Education do not complete this unit since professional practice is provided through the Education component. Students replace it with a level 1 mathematics unit.

(c.) One of (6 points):

• FIT2001 Systems development
• FIT2099 Object-oriented design and implementation

(d.) Capstone project units (12 points) or an industry-based learning unit (18 points) from one of the following combinations:

• FIT3047 Industrial experience studio project 1 and FIT3048 Industrial experience studio project 2
• FIT3039 Studio project 1 and FIT3040 Studio project 2
• FIT3045 Industry-based learning (only for students in the Industry-Based Learning placement stream) (18 points)***

*** 6 points of the 18 point IBL project will replace an elective either in the major in B below or a free elective in C below.

# If a unit is used for both IT specified study above and a major, you will complete additional units offered by the Faculty of IT to ensure a total of at least 96 points of Information Technology study (any unit starting with code 'FIT'). The exception is that students enrolled in the double degree course with Secondary Education use the released points in a), b) and c) to complete a 4 unit (24 points) mathematics sequence as needed for teacher registration, and as indicated below.

Four mathematics units for Secondary Education students:

For students who have Level 3/4 VCE Specialist Mathematics (a study score of 30) the Mathematics minor and the Mathematical Statistics minor from the Bachelor of Science are both available. Students who do not have Level 3/4 VCE Specialist Mathematics (a study score of 30), but have at least 25 in VCE Mathematical Methods will need to complete MTH1020 Analysis of change and MTH1030 Techniques for modelling and two level 2 or 3 MTH units. It is recommended that one of the level 2 MTH units is statistics. Students who do not have Level 3/4 VCE Mathematical Methods (a study score of 25) will need to complete MTH1010 Functions and their applications and MTH1020 Analysis of change and two level 2 or 3 MTH units.

B. Information technology listed major (48 points)

Complete at least one Information technology listed major. A major requires eight units with no more than two units at level one (12 points) and at least three units (18 points) at level three. You may replace the major with an extended major by using the elective units available in Part A or Part C.

Note that students completing a double degree with Secondary education may only take the Software development major or the Business information systems major.

If you intend to undertake an honours year you should ensure you complete the specific units required as a pre-requisite for honours in your chosen major area of study.

Minors, majors and extended majors

Refer also to the table of minors, majors and extended majors by campus which also details if an area of study is available as a minor, major or extended major.

• Business analytics
• Business information systems
• Computer networks and security
• Computer science
• Creative computing
• Cybersecurity
• Data science
• Games design
• Games development
• Information and society
• IT for business
• Mobile apps development
• Multimedia development
• Software development
• Software engineering
• Web development

C. Free elective study (48 points)

Your elective units may be chosen from any of the units offered at Monash to suit your interests or career aspirations. For example, you may choose to take other units available in the Bachelor of Information Technology course to extend your major or to complete a second major or minor(s) from the course, or you may take Faculty of IT units from the Bachelor of Computer Science, its Data Science specialisation, or the Bachelor of Software Engineering. Elective units may also be used to sample from across the University or to complete a major or minor(s) from another course so long as you have the prerequisites and there are no restrictions on enrolment in the units.

For students in double degree courses, some units required for the partner degree are credited as electives towards this degree.

Students undertaking the Business Information Systems major or the Software Development major may apply for selection to complete a second placement unit FIT2032 Industry-based learning (18 points) which will use three of the free electives in Part C. This second IBL placement is not an option for double degree students.

Industry Based Learning (IBL) placement program

Students selected to participate in the IBL placement program will complete FIT3045 Industry-based learning (18 points) which will replace the capstone project unit and one IT elective.

IBL students must complete a unit over summer semester or overload in one semester by one unit in order to complete the degree within three years. (This is because you only complete 18 points of credit during the IBL placement semester.)

Students must have completed at least three semesters of their course before starting their IBL placement.

Honours

Students successfully completing the Bachelor of Information Technology may proceed to a one year honours program leading to the Bachelor of Information Technology (Honours). To be eligible to apply for entry into the Bachelor of Information Technology (Honours), students must obtain a credit grade average (60 percent) or above in all units together with a distinction grade average (70 percent) or above in level three IT units.