UTS course code: C09019
Testamur title: Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Information Technology
Abbreviation: BSc(Hons)
Program Leader: Dr R Rist
Course fee: HECS (local); $9,350 per semester (international)
Total credit points: 48

Overview
Course aims
Admission requirements
Course duration
Course structure
Course program
Assessment
Other information

Overview

This course provides the opportunity for students to develop their level of competence in a chosen area of information technology.

Course aims

The Honours program aims to: provide students with a sound research methodology; provide for the in-depth study of particular topics in information technology; provide students with the experience of undertaking a research-oriented project; and provide students with a basis for postgraduate research or a career in industrial research and development.

The precise selection of subjects to be offered in any particular year depends on the interests of the students, and the interests and availability of academic staff. Students should consult the Honours Program Leader who will assist them in planning their program.

Admission requirements

For students within the Faculty who are eligible to graduate from an undergraduate degree, the admission criterion is a weighted average mark of 70 per cent or higher, normally with no recorded failures in the core subjects after the first year (full time) or Stages 1 and 2 (part time) of the undergraduate degree.

Students are expected to be drawn from the following undergraduate groups.

• Bachelor of Science in Computing Science
• Bachelor of Science in Computing Science, Diploma of Information Technology Professional Practice
• Bachelor of Mathematics and Computing
• Bachelor of Science in Information Technology, Diploma of Information Technology Professional Practice
• Bachelor of Science in Information Technology
• Bachelor of Science in Information Technology Innovation
• Bachelor of Business, Bachelor of Computing.

Students can now enrol without having organised a supervisor, but must organise one by the end of Week 2 of their first semester. Students are strongly advised to 'sound out' a potential adviser during their final undergraduate semester, or sometime before the application deadline for external students.

'External' students are those students from another faculty in the University, or from another university, with qualifications equivalent to the Bachelor of Science in Information Technology. These students are considered for entry, subject to approval by the Honours Program Leader, on the basis of their potential to complete the Honours degree.

Course duration

The Honours program is offered over one year, full time, or two years, part time.

Course structure

The Honours degree consists of research (comprising half of the program) and advanced coursework (comprising the other half of the program). The research component is spread over the entire course: in the first semester, students take 32931 Information Technology Research Methods and review the research literature in their chosen area (31481 Honours Project A); in the second semester, students undertake a formal research project in their chosen area (31482 Honours Project B).

Course program

Year 1

Autumn semester
32931 Information Technology Research Methods 6cp
31481 Honours Project A 6cp
xxxxx Honours electives 12cp

Spring semester
31482 Honours Project B 12cp
xxxxx Honours electives 12cp

Any undergraduate elective or Master's subject in the Faculty of IT may be taken by an Honours student, subject to prerequisites and availability. Other subjects may be taken as electives with the permission of the Program Leader.

Assessment

Grading of awards

The assessment of students' results takes into account the Honours level coursework subjects and the research project (31482 Honours Project B). Honours at the grades of First Class, Second Class (Division 1), Second Class (Division 2) and Third Class are awarded for successful completion of the course.

A student with 48 credit points of approved study, a weighted average mark of 50 per cent or greater, and at most one failure over the course, qualifies for Third Class Honours.

The grading of awards above Third Class Honours is carried out on an individual basis by the Faculty's Examination Review Committee. The actual qualifying standards are determined yearly by the Committee within the following criteria.

• For First Class Honours, the minimum qualifying average mark is 85 per cent and no failures are permitted over the entire course.¹
• For Second Class (Division 1) Honours, the minimum qualifying average mark is 75 per cent and only one failure is permitted over the entire course.¹
• For Second Class (Division 2) Honours, the minimum qualifying average mark is 65 per cent and only one failure is permitted over the entire course.¹

Footnote:
1. The term 'entire course' refers only to subjects in the Honours course. A student's undergraduate results are not considered when grading an Honours award.

The Committee is provided with the following information on each qualifier:

• any failures, including subject details and whether the failure was of a technical nature
• the subject details and marks for all subjects undertaken
• the time taken to complete the course in terms of stages, excluding leave of absence, and
• the average mark for each stage of the course.

Other information

For additional information on the Honours Program, see:

http://it.uts.edu.au/courses/c09019.html