Caulfield campus
Course code: 1545
Course coordinator: Ms Anne Hamilton
The aim of the Bachelor of Information Systems is to provide undergraduate students with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes essential to the analysis, design and implementation of computer-based information systems to address business problems. The course focuses on the application of technology to the solution of problems, rather than on the technology itself. It prepares students for careers as specialist systems analysts who work with users and business managers to identify the nature of their problems and design systems which make use of technology to solve them. This emphasis differentiates the course from the Bachelor of Computing which is oriented towards the needs of students who wish to be either technical specialists or computing generalists.
The course structure is based around a core of information systems subjects which teach the skills and techniques needed to identify information problems and to design and implement solutions. Corequisite subjects in management, accounting, project management, computer systems and software development are specified to complement the information systems subjects. The course structure and content is monitored by a course advisory committee to ensure that it retains its professional relevance. Membership of the committeee comprises academics and representatives from industry, including some of the most senior information systems practitioners in Australia.
The course has been designed such that the first year has a similar structure to the Bachelor of Computing. This common first year allows greater flexibility of course progression and transfer, as Bachelor of Computing students may apply for admission to the Bachelor of Information Systems after their first year.
Entry into the Bachelor of Information Systems will require completion of the Victorian Certificate of Education (or equivalent) with a minimum grade of C in English at levels 3 and 4. Mature-age applicants are considered on the basis of their employment history, educational background and career objectives. A lack of formal qualifications should not discourage inquiry. Applicants usually need to sit a STAT test. For further information, please refer to the `Information for students' section at the front of this handbook.
Bachelor of Computing students may apply for transfer to the Bachelor of Information Systems at the start of second year providing they meet the Bachelor of Information Systems English entry requirements and have achieved credit grades in their first year information systems subjects.
The Bachelor of Information Systems will prepare students for careers as specialist systems analysts. In this role graduates will not be responsible for writing computer programs or installing and maintaining physical computer systems, but rather they will work with users to identify the nature of their problems and design systems that can be implemented by other technical professionals. The course has a strong practical orientation, and will be ideally suited to meet the needs of industry, government and business.
Outstanding students who wish to gain a deeper knowledge and understanding of information systems may choose to take a fourth year of study, called an honours year. Completion of an honours year is essential for students who wish to pursue a research career. Entry into the Bachelor of Information Systems honours year will require completion of the Bachelor of Information Systems pass degree or an information systems major sequence in any Monash degree, or equivalent qualification, with an overall grade average of credit. For further information about the honours program, refer to the course details entry below.
For course map details please refer to Map 10 in the `Undergraduate course maps' section.
The pass degree involves 144 credit points of study comprising:
The compulsory minor sequence from another faculty will comprise subjects in one discipline comprising twenty-eight points. The choice of electives must include at least two subjects from the Faculty of Business and Economics. These required business subjects may be counted toward the minor, in which case additional electives must be studied; they may be taken either from Faculty of Computing and Information Technology offerings or from outside the faculty. With careful choice of electives students may complete a major sequence in a business discipline.
Students may study the information systems subjects in the evening at Caulfield and during the day at Caulfield or Clayton. The non-computing minor may be studied at Caulfield or Clayton.
The first-year subjects provide a general introduction to information systems and ensure that students have a grounding in the key basic aspects of computer technology.
The first-semester subject SYS1001 introduces students to the concept of an information system and to the process of systems analysis. The information systems perspective on common data processing tasks is investigated and techniques such as data flow diagrams are used to record and evaluate the system.
The second-semester subject SYS1252 explores the analysis of information systems in more depth using additional diagramming and other techniques. There is an emphasis on structuring data to support the development of appropriate data bases.
The computer technology subjects (COT1130 and COT1140) and the software development subjects (SFT1101 and SFT 1102) provide the student with the basic grounding they need in computer hardware and programming.
Second year develops further information systems knowledge and skills. In second year there is an emphasis on the design and implementation stages of system development which builds on the analysis stages studied in first year.
SYS2168 completes the introductory study of systems analysis and design by addressing the design and implementation stages of system development.
The remaining second-year information systems subjects give more detailed coverage of a number of key aspects of systems development: SYS2104 provides students with a detailed analysis of a variety of different approaches which can be taken to systems development; SYS2194 enables students to explore one of the most common of these approaches, prototyping, in considerable depth; and SYS2204 extends students' understanding of the communication requirements of information systems development while helping them to learn practical skills in communication with clients and end-users that will be highly desirable for future employment in this field.
The three other compulsory second-year subjects complete the students' grounding in the basic elements of computing: BUS2174 develops a knowledge of project planning and control essential to all systems development; COT2134 covers basic concepts in database theory and practice; and SFT2205 teaches the basic elements of COBOL, which is the programming language in which the majority of existing business systems have been written.
The third-year subjects consolidate the students' understanding of system development theory by giving them the opportunity to apply it in practice, and introduce them to a range of advanced topics in information systems.
SYS3550 (Information systems project) is an exercise in applying the skills and knowledge developed in the first two years of the course to a real-world problem where students can begin to appreciate the complexity of the system development process. Under the supervision of an academic staff member, students work in groups to build a system for a client who may be from within or outside the university. Successful completion of the project is a rewarding experience and one which prepares students well for employment as a computing professional.
SYS3074 introduces students to the issues involved in managing the information systems function in an organisation; SYS3184 covers aspects of systems theory; and SYS3054 introduces students to the key issues involved in developing systems to support managerial decision-making.
In addition to these compulsory subjects, students choose twenty-four credit points of study from a wide range of electives, either in information systems or in another discipline of their choice. Elective units are offered at both the Caulfield and Clayton campuses. Within information systems, students can choose to deepen their knowledge of analysis and design or broaden their knowledge of information systems topics by taking subjects in systems management, decision support systems or knowledge-based systems.
Coordinator: Ms Danielle Fowler
The honours year is designed to allow students to study an area of information systems in depth. Central to honours study is applied research leading to the presentation of a minor thesis. This not only prepares students for a research or academic career but develops important analytical skills for professional practice. Students are expected, where possible, to conduct their research within one of the department's research groups.
Students undertaking the honours program are enrolled in a single subject, namely SYS4000 (Information systems honours). This subject requires the completion of twenty-four points of coursework at fourth-year level and a minor thesis (twenty-four points). Students must take SYS4020 (Research methods) which teaches the overall principles and practice of academic research. They select the remainder of their program within the prerequisite structure as approved by the honours coordinator. Students can study up to twelve credit points of their coursework from other departments subject to the approval of the head of department.
Satisfactory results in the four coursework subjects is a hurdle requirement for completion of the honours year, but the overall SYS4000 grade of HI, HIIA, HIIB or HIII or N is determined by the thesis grade.
The information systems subjects at fourth-year level are:
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