Bachelor of Computer Science (Honours)

Overview

The Bachelor of Computer Science (Honours) provides you with the opportunity to take your undergraduate studies in Computer Science and Software Engineering to an advanced level.

This qualification requires you to complete a thesis, giving you the skills and knowledge to conceptualise problems, develop your oral and written communication skills and devise research strategies.

Learning outcomes

Students who successfully complete this course will be able to:

• demonstrate an in-depth understanding of 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:

• 1 Research Methods unit (12.5 credit points) 
• 1 Honours Seminar unit (12.5 credit points)
• Honours Research Project (50 credit points) *
• 2 approved advanced electives from the area of Computer Science and Software Engineering (a total of 25 credit points) **
   

* The Honours Research Project can either be taken as a 50 credit point unit in the second semester of the degree or split up into multiple units spread over both semesters with a combined total of 50 credit points. The student must undertake one research project which is common to all of the research project units. The project supervisor will also be common to all research project units.

** These units must be chosen in consultation the Course Coordinator and Project Supervisor and must be Level 3 or 4 units. It is recommended that the advanced electives chosen support the topic of the research project undertaken.

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.