Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Information Systems

There is no commencing student intake into this course.

The combined Bachelor of Commerce/Bachelor of Information Systems course provides a course of study for students who want to understand information systems from a technological perspective, the organisational contexts in which these systems are developed, and the business environments which determine how the systems can be used to create value. Graduates of this course should readily find employment across a spectrum of knowledge-intensive careers, including accounting, consulting, and general management.

The objectives for this combined course encompass the objectives of the Bachelor of Commerce and the Bachelor of Information Systems.

It will be possible within the outlines of the BCom/BIS course to achieve either the approved undergraduate course of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia (ICA) or the required subjects for associate status with CPA Australia.

In commerce/information systems at the University of Melbourne, we expect to educate our students with the fundamental skill of managing information, its transformation into knowledge and being able to integrate this knowledge into a business environment. These outcomes are fully consistent with the University's general ambition for our graduates, and emphasise the transferability of the skills practised in commerce and information systems.

Throughout their course, students will find that many of the abilities that they develop are shared by, and so are valued by and are applicable to, activities in all walks of life. In particular, these are the skills that are essential to providing leadership to the business and information-technology base of the Australian economy and culture.

Students must complete a minimum (and maximum) of 500 points. Within the 500 points students must ensure that they satisfy the requirements of both the science component and the information systems component as specified below.

Students must complete a minimum (and maximum) of 500 points. Within the 500 points, students must ensure that they satisfy the requirements of both the commerce component and the information systems component as specified below.

Commerce component
A minimum of 200 commerce points is required, which must include:

• 50-125 points at the 100-level;
• at least 50 points at the 300-level (these must be completed at the University of Melbourne);

the following compulsory subjects:

• ECON10003 Introductory Macroeconomics
• ECON10004 Introductory Microeconomics
• ECON10005 Quantitative Methods 1
• MGMT20001 Organisational Behaviour (students who commenced their Bachelor of Commerce double degree prior to 2005 are not required to complete this subject)

and one of:

• ECOM20001 Introductory Econometrics
• ECON20003 Quantitative Methods 2
• MGMT20005 Managerial Decision Analysis
• MKTG20004 Market Research

The 200 commerce points must be chosen from subjects taught by departments in the Faculty of Business and Economics, or subjects with a BLAW prefix taught by the Faculty of Law.

Information systems component

A minimum of 212.5 points of information systems subjects is required, which must include:

• 175 points of core subjects or approved alternate subjects; and
• 37.5 points of information systems elective subjects, including 25 points at third year level.

A number of changes to subject offerings have occurred in recent years. Many subjects identified as either core or elective in the information systems have been replaced by alternate subjects.

Students requiring specialist advice on subjects to enrol in to fulfil the requirements of the information systems component should contact the Eastern Precinct Student Centre.

Balance of points
The remaining 87.5 points may be taken from subjects offered by information systems, business and economics, or another faculty.

There is no commencing student intake into this course.

It is University policy to take all reasonable steps to minimise the impact of disability upon academic study and reasonable steps will be made to enhance a student’s participation in the University’s programs. Students who feel their disability may impact upon their active and safe participation in a subject are encouraged to discuss this with the relevant subject coordinator and the Disability Liaison Unit.

Honours and Masters level studies are available as indicated at

http://graduate.science.unimelb.edu.au/

http://www.gsbe.unimelb.edu.au

Bachelor of Commerce/Bachelor of Information Systems graduates have strong information technology skills with an awareness of the business environment. These graduates are able to:

• synthesise information from a range of sources, evaluate this, and add new ideas to their existing knowledge;
• make effective use of information to identify and solve problems;
• work independently or in teams;
• understand and fit into a work organisation's culture;
• view and understand an organisation's wider business picture and position;
• understand the commercial environment and recognise and define issues or problems within it;
• understand the issues involved in the design, specification, and creation of information systems; and
• understand the human and organisational arrangements needed to use information systems to achieve organisational goals.

From their training in information systems, graduates have five streams of knowledge and skills: information systems, information technology, organisations, analytical skills and professional competencies.

These graduates comprehend the larger picture of how information systems collect, process, store, and distribute information so that it can be used to make decisions, keep track of resources, and plan for the future. In particular, they can imagine, specify, design, justify, build, implement, manage and use information systems to add value in a wide variety of public and private organisations.

They are familiar and comfortable working with computer hardware and software, telecommunications, databases and data structures, information technology architectures, and information technology infrastructures. They have practical experience in these areas enabling them to assess the current and future capability of information technology. They therefore know the potential of information technology to add value in an organisation, knowledge that is vital to the successful implementation and use of information systems.

A distinguishing characteristic of the Bachelor of Information Systems graduate is their ability to analyse and evaluate the organisational environment and its impact on information systems. They are able to implement information systems efficiently and effectively in organisations analyse and understand the functions, processes, environments, characteristics and cultures that give rise to a complete organisation.

Graduates also have a broad range of analytical skills, including data classification and modeling, information mapping and representation, systems analysis and design, and statistics. These and other analytical skills are essential for understanding, and communicating about, complex organisational situations and the potential and performance of information systems, to ensure that effective design, development, and implementation of information systems in organisations occurs.

Having been trained in professional skills within their program of study, graduates are able to interact effectively with people across the broad spectrum of technical and business interests and skills. The program gives graduates a set of personal competencies, including listening, collecting and synthesising information, writing, presenting, and working in teams, which are vital in any organisational context.

Their studies in commercial disciplines enable graduates to accept and deal with a level of uncertainty in problem solving and decision making, particularly when access to information is limited.

The need to manage the multiplicity of tasks (lectures, laboratory and assignment work), means that commerce/information systems graduates are aware of the need to structure and manage time effectively and efficiently, to retain balance and to prioritise their activities. They are able to juggle several tasks simultaneously, take responsibility for their own work, independently or within a group, and to plan their schedule appropriately.

A detailed description of the generic skils expected of a graduate of the Bachelor of Commerce/Bachelor of Information Systems is included under 'Graduate Attributes'.