Bachelor of Computer Science (Honours)

Overview

The Bachelor of Computer Science (Honours) is intended to provide students who have demonstrated academic ability with the opportunity to pursue their undergraduate studies to an advanced level, to deepen their intellectual understanding in the fields of Computer Science and/or Software Engineering, and to develop their research skills.

The Honours course is a recognised point of entry into postgraduate research studies. Students will concentrate on a chosen problem from the fields of Computer Science and/or Software Engineering, gaining a better understanding and practising appropriate research techniques. Students will also be required to complete a substantial original piece of research for their thesis to ensure that they develop the ability to conceptualise problems, devise research strategies and carry out individual research work under the supervision of a member of staff with expertise in the area.

Graduates of this course will have advanced skills in Computer Science and/or Software Engineering and will have well-developed oral and written communication skills.

Learning outcomes

Students who successfully complete this course will be able to:

• critically evaluate the underlying principles and concepts within the fields of Computer Science and Software Engineering that facilitate independent lifelong learning in their professional practice
• critically analyse existing knowledge and formulate a research question in the context of a specialized area within Computer Science and Software Engineering, and to use accepted research methodologies to explore possible solutions
• plan and execute a substantial individual research project that demonstrates the ability to undertake further research in a post-graduate context
• effectively communicate, both orally and in written form, the identified question, the chosen research methodology, the rationale behind the chosen methodology, and the achieved outcomes to the relevant community.

Career opportunities

If you wish to seek employment following your honours degree, the course affords the opportunity to extend your knowledge of information technology and to specialise in an area within it. The course's strong orientation to research should teach you the principles and techniques of original research and prepare you for areas of professional employment in which conceptual, organisational and research skills are in demand.

Course rules

To qualify for the award of Bachelor of Computer Science (Honours) students must complete 100 credit points comprising:

• Two (2) core project units (75 Credit Points)
• Two (2) core computing technology units (25 credit points) that are related to their honours research project

An overall Honours Grading is based on a weighted average of four units.

Students in this Course will be awarded merit based Honours according to Swinburne’s Academic Course Regulations. Honours merit calculation will be based on the averaged results of the all units undertaken in the Course.

BCs (Hons) with First Class Honours (H1); for students who achieve 80%-100%

BCs (Hons) with Upper Second Class honours (H2A); for students who achieve 70% – 79%

BCs (Hons) with Lower Second Class honours (H2B); for students who achieve 60% – 69%

BCs (Hons) with Third Class Honours (H3); for students who achieve 50%-59%

Final results are given for the year as a whole. Students will be graded as follows:

First class Honours (H1) 80%-100%

Second class Honours Division A (H2A) 70%-79%

Second class Honours Division B (H2B) 60%-69%

Third class Honours (H3) 50%-59%

Maximum Academic Credit

The maximum level of credit that can be granted for the Bachelor of Computer Science (Honours) is 50 credit points