BIS

240 credit points (Pass)

80 extra credit points (Honours)

INDEX

The revised Bachelor of Information Systems course applies to students commencing from 2003. Students studying under the previous course structure should obtain advice from the relevant School or Course Coordinator.

Duration                               3 years full-time or equivalent part-time (Pass)

                                            4 years full-time or equivalent part-time (Honours)

Available at                         Brisbane Campus QLD (McAuley at Banyo)

                                            Melbourne Campus VIC (St Patrick's)

                                            North Sydney Campus NSW (MacKillop)

Pass Course

The Bachelor of Information Systems is a professional training program, preparing students for a variety of occupations in the field of computer–based information systems, including technical, user, and customer support. Emphasis is placed on the role of computer technologies in contemporary organisations; and in particular aims to prepare students for emerging employment niches in the fields of data communications, distributed processing, and PC–based local area networks.

Students complete a compulsory core of 16 units in Information Systems. A further four Information Systems options are to be selected from a group of 12 units offered according to local School student numbers, resources, staff availability and expertise. The three Professional Experience units are compulsory and are the same as those approved for the Bachelor of Business., the first one focusing on personal service in the community.

Mode of Offering

The course is offered on-campus, normally full-time. Part-time programs may be negotiated.

Admission

Apply to relevant state Tertiary Admissions Centre.

New South Wales Assumed Knowledge: Any Mathematics.

Queensland Prerequisites: English (SA, 4 semesters). Assumed Knowledge: Mathematics A,B or C - any combination (SA, 4 semesters) is recommended but is not a formal prerequisite.

Victoria Prerequisites: Units 3 and 4 and a study score of at least 25 in English (any) and Mathematics (any).

Course Structure

Definition of Terms

An Information Systems Double Major is a specified sequence of 16 units.

Requirements for Completion of Pass Award

Completion of 240 credit points (cp), (each unit has a value of 10cp), as follows:

• Information Systems Double Major (16 units);
  
• Information Systems Options (4 units);
  
• plus 4 elective units.

In addition, students must complete 20 days (equivalent to 140 hours) of approved professional experience in each of the three years of the degree. Students will be required to enrol in a Professional Experience unit each year and to write a report on their professional experience. Credit must be gained in these units to enable graduation. (These units do not attract credit point weightings nor involve payment of fees.)

Unit Offerings

Unit offerings will vary subject to student demand and lecturer availability.

Elective units will vary between campuses and from year to year.

Each unit has a credit point value of 10, unless otherwise indicated. Prerequisites are indicated in parentheses.

Information Systems Double Major Core

INFO101 Fundamentals of Information Systems

INFO106 Programming Techniques 1

INFO108 Communication Skills

INFO109 Programming Techniques 2 (INFO106)

INFO110 Operating and Hardware Systems

INFO111 Discrete Mathematics for Information Systems

INFO117 Reasoning and Critical Thinking for Information Systems Professionals

INFO202 Systems Analysis and Design (INFO101)

INFO204 Database Design 1

INFO205 Data Communications 1 (INFO101)

INFO206 Ethics and Informatics

INFO303 End User Support (INFO108)

INFO304 Project Management (INFO202)

INFO305 Information Technology Project (INFO319 or INFO304)

INFO310 State of the Art in Information Systems (120 cp with at least 60 cp from INFO units)

INFO319 Decision Support Systems (INFO202)

Plus

BIPX100/200/300 Professional Experience 1/2/3

Information Systems Options

INFO207 Data Communications 2 (INFO205)

INFO208 Technology Management

INFO214 Software Engineering

INFO215 Human Computer Interaction

INFO306 Programming Techniques 3 (INFO109)

INFO307 Virtual Organisations (INFO205)

INFO313 Network Computing (INFO207)

INFO314 Object Oriented Systems Development (INFO202)

INFO315 Database Design 2 (INFO204)

INFO316 Web Design and Web Development (INFO109, INFO204)

INFO317 Programming Techniques 4 (INFO306)

INFO318 Intelligent Systems

A further 4 Information Systems options are to be selected from the group of 12 units offered according to local School numbers, resources, staff availability and expertise. The structure allows students to either specialise or to select subjects across specialisations.

Students are required to undertake a series of 4 elective units from other disciplines within the Sub-Faculty of Business and Informatics OR from other disciplines within the University subject to campus availability and the successful completion of unit prerequisites. A maximum of 2 electives only may be undertaken from Information Systems units.

Sample Enrolment Pattern

Professional Recognition

The Bachelor of Information Systems is accredited at a professional level by the Australian Computer Society in New South Wales and Victoria and is pending in Queensland.

Honours Program

The Honours program allows students to build upon the knowledge gained in the Pass degree, and to develop research techniques for further study at higher degree level. The program includes the writing of an Honours thesis, along with coursework units appropriate to the discipline of the thesis and an advanced industry placement.

Grades

The Honours degree is awarded in one of the following four grades as determined by the School Committee on the basis of results obtained in units undertaken in the Honours course at ACU, weighted according to their credit point values, and using the following numerical scale.

First Class Honours                                       85 - 100

Second Class Honours – Division A                75 - 84

Second Class Honours – Division B                65 - 74

Third Class Honours                                       50 - 64

Mode of Offering

The course is offered on-campus, normally full-time, Part-time may be negotiated.

Admission

In order to qualify for admission to the Honours course a student must normally:

·         have completed the requirements for a Bachelor of Information Systems Pass degree, normally within the previous 5 years;

·         have gained at least a credit average  (or equivalent) in the units of the entire Pass degree including at least four (4) of the units in the major sequence of the discipline in which the Honours program will be undertaken;

·         have satisfied the prerequisites for particular units to be undertaken in the Honours course.

In exceptional circumstances an individual not fulfilling these requirements may apply to the School Committee through the relevant Head of School for entry into the Honours course.

Course Structure

Requirements for Completion of Honours Award

Completion of 80 credit points in academic studies as prescribed hereunder (in addition to satisfying the requirements of the Pass degree):

·         one (1) unit in research methods (10cp);

·         one  (1) advanced coursework unit (10cp);

·         one (1) unit of advanced industry placement (10cp);

·         Honours Thesis (50cp).

Units Offered