University of Sydney Handbooks - 2019 Archive

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Information Systems

INFORMATION SYSTEMS

Information Systems major

A major in Information Systems requires 48 credit points from this table including:
(i) 12 credit points of 1000-level core units
(ii) 18 credit points of 2000-level core units
(iii) 12 credit points of 3000-level major core units
(iv) 6 credit points of 3000-level interdisciplinary project units according to the following rules:
(a) for students in the Bachelor of Advanced Computing or Bachelor of Computing they must complete the ISYS coded interdisciplinary project units
(b) all other students may complete either the ISYS or SCPU coded units

Information Systems minor

A minor in Information Systems requires 36 credit points from this table including:
(i) 12 credit points of 1000-level core units
(ii) 18 credit points of 2000-level core units
(iii) 6 credit points of 3000-level selective unit

Units of study

The units of study are listed below.

1000-level units of study

Core
INFO1110 Introduction to Programming

Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1,Semester 2 Classes: lectures, laboratories, seminars Prohibitions: INFO1910 OR INFO1103 OR INFO1903 OR INFO1105 OR INFO1905 Assessment: through semester assessment (50%), final exam (50%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This unit is an essential starting point for software developers, IT consultants, and computer scientists to build their understanding of principle computer operation. Students will obtain knowledge and skills with procedural programming. Crucial concepts include defining data types, control flow, iteration, functions, recursion, the model of addressable memory. Students will be able to reinterpret a general problem into a computer problem, and use their understanding of the computer model to develop source code. This unit trains students with software development process, including skills of testing and debugging. It is a prerequisite for more advanced programming languages, systems programming, computer security and high performance computing.
INFO1113 Object-Oriented Programming

Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1,Semester 2,Summer Main Classes: lectures, laboratories, seminars Prerequisites: INFO1110 OR INFO1910 Prohibitions: INFO1103 OR INFO1105 OR INFO1905 Assessment: through semester assessment (50%), final exam (50%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
Object-oriented (OO) programming is a technique that arranges code into classes, each encapsulating in one place related data and the operations on that data. Inheritance is used to reuse code from a more general class, in specialised situations. Most modern programming languages provide OO features. Understanding and using these are an essential skill to software developers in industry. This unit provides the student with the concepts and individual programming skills in OO programming, starting from their previous mastery of procedural programming.

2000-level units of study

Core
ISYS2120 Data and Information Management

Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: Lectures, Tutorials, Laboratories, Project Work - own time Prerequisites: INFO1113 OR INFO1103 OR INFO1105 OR INFO1905 OR INFO1003 OR INFO1903 OR DECO1012 Prohibitions: INFO2120 OR INFO2820 OR COMP5138 Assumed knowledge: Programming skills Assessment: through semester assessment (50%), final exam (50%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
The ubiquitous use of information technology leaves us facing a tsunami of data produced by users, IT systems and mobile devices. The proper management of data is hence essential for all applications and for effective decision making within organizations.
This unit of study will introduce the basic concepts of database designs at the conceptual, logical and physical levels. We will place particular emphasis on introducing integrity constraints and the concept of data normalization which prevents data from being corrupted or duplicated in different parts of the database. This in turn helps in the data remaining consistent during its lifetime. Once a database design is in place, the emphasis shifts towards querying the data in order to extract useful information. The unit will introduce the SQL database query languages, which is industry standard. Other topics covered will include the important concept of transaction management, application development with a backend database, and an overview of data warehousing and OLAP.
ISYS2110 Analysis and Design of Web Info Systems

Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1 Classes: Lectures, tutorials Prerequisites: INFO1113 OR INFO1103 OR INFO1105 OR INFO1905 Prohibitions: INFO2110 Assessment: through semester assessment (40%), final exam (60%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This course discusses the processes, methods, techniques and tools that organisations use to determine how they should conduct their business, with a particular focus on how web-based technologies can most effectively contribute to the way business is organized. The course covers a systematic methodology for analysing a business problem or opportunity, determining what role, if any, web-based technologies can play in addressing the business need, articulating business requirements for the technology solution, specifying alternative approaches to acquiring the technology capabilities needed to address the business requirements, and specifying the requirements for the information systems solution in particular, in-house development, development from third-party providers, or purchased commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) packages.
ISYS2160 Information Systems in the Internet Age

Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: lectures, tutorials Prohibitions: ISYS2140 Assumed knowledge: INFO1003 OR INFO1103 OR INFO1903 OR INFO1113 Assessment: through semester assessment (50%), final exam (50%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This unit will provide a comprehensive conceptual and practical introduction to information systems (IS) in the Internet era. Key topics covered include: system thinking and system theory, basic concepts of information systems, internet and e-commerce, e-payment and m-commerce, online marketing and social media, information systems for competitive advantage, functional and enterprise systems, business intelligence, information systems development and acquisition, information security, ethics, and privacy

3000-level units of study

Major core
ISYS3401 Information Technology Evaluation

Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1 Classes: Lectures, Tutorials Prerequisites: (INFO2110 OR ISYS2110) AND (INFO2120 OR ISYS2120) AND (ISYS2140 OR ISYS2160) Assessment: Through semester assessment (35%) and Final Exam (65%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
Information Systems (IS) professionals in today's organisations are required to play leadership roles in change and development. Your success in this field will be aided by your being able to carry out research-based investigations using suitable methods and mastery over data collection and analysis to assist in managing projects and in decision making. Practical research skills are some of the most important assets you will need in your career.
This unit of study will cover important concepts and skills in practical research for solving and managing important problems. This will also provide you with the skills to undertake the capstone project in the IS project unit of study offered in Semester 2 or other projects. It will also provide hand-on experience of using Microsoft Excel and other tools to perform some of the quantitative analysis.
ISYS3402 Decision Analytics and Support Systems

Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: Lectures, Laboratories, Project Work - own time Prerequisites: (ISYS2110 OR INFO2110) AND (ISYS2120 OR INFO2120) Assumed knowledge: Database Management AND Systems Analysis and Modelling Assessment: through semester assessment (50%), final exam (50%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
With the rapid increases in the volume and variety of data available, the problem of providing effective support to facilitate good decision making has become more challenging. This unit of study will provide a comprehensive understanding the diverse types of decision and the decision making processes. It will introduce decision modelling and the design and implementation of application systems to support decision making in organisational contexts. It will include a range of business intelligence and analytics solutions based on online analytical processing (OLAP) models and technologies. The unit will also cover a number of modelling approaches (optimization, predictive, descriptive) and their integration in the context of enabling improved, data-driven decision making.
Interdisciplinary project
ISYS3888 Information Systems Project

Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: meetings, project work, site visits Prerequisites: (INFO2110 OR ISYS2110) AND (INFO2120 OR ISYS2120) AND (ISYS2140 OR ISYS2160) Prohibitions: INFO3600 OR ISYS3207 OR ISYS3400 Assessment: through semester assessment (100%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This unit will provide students an opportunity to apply the knowledge and practise the skills acquired in the prerequisite and qualifying units, in the context of a substantial information systems research or development project and to experience in a realistic way many aspects of analysing and solving information systems problems. Since information systems projects are often undertaken by small teams, the experience of working in a team is seen as an important feature of the unit. Students often find it difficult to work effectively with others and will benefit from the opportunity provided by this unit to further develop this skill.
SCPU3001 Science Interdisciplinary Project

Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Pauline Ross Session: Intensive December,Intensive February,Intensive January,Intensive July,Semester 1,Semester 2 Classes: The unit consists of one seminar/workshop per week with accompanying online materials and a project to be determined in consultation with the partner organisation and completed as part of team with academic supervision. Prerequisites: Completion of 2000-level units required for at least one Science major. Assessment: group plan, group presentation, reflective journal, group project Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
This unit is designed for students who are concurrently enrolled in at least one 3000-level Science Table A unit of study to undertake a project that allows them to work with one of the University's industry and community partners. Students will work in teams on a real-world problem provided by the partner. This experience will allow students to apply their academic skills and disciplinary knowledge to a real-world issue in an authentic and meaningful way. Participation in this unit will require students to submit an application to the Faculty of Science.
Minor selective
ISYS3401 Information Technology Evaluation

Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1 Classes: Lectures, Tutorials Prerequisites: (INFO2110 OR ISYS2110) AND (INFO2120 OR ISYS2120) AND (ISYS2140 OR ISYS2160) Assessment: Through semester assessment (35%) and Final Exam (65%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
Information Systems (IS) professionals in today's organisations are required to play leadership roles in change and development. Your success in this field will be aided by your being able to carry out research-based investigations using suitable methods and mastery over data collection and analysis to assist in managing projects and in decision making. Practical research skills are some of the most important assets you will need in your career.
This unit of study will cover important concepts and skills in practical research for solving and managing important problems. This will also provide you with the skills to undertake the capstone project in the IS project unit of study offered in Semester 2 or other projects. It will also provide hand-on experience of using Microsoft Excel and other tools to perform some of the quantitative analysis.
ISYS3402 Decision Analytics and Support Systems

Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: Lectures, Laboratories, Project Work - own time Prerequisites: (ISYS2110 OR INFO2110) AND (ISYS2120 OR INFO2120) Assumed knowledge: Database Management AND Systems Analysis and Modelling Assessment: through semester assessment (50%), final exam (50%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
With the rapid increases in the volume and variety of data available, the problem of providing effective support to facilitate good decision making has become more challenging. This unit of study will provide a comprehensive understanding the diverse types of decision and the decision making processes. It will introduce decision modelling and the design and implementation of application systems to support decision making in organisational contexts. It will include a range of business intelligence and analytics solutions based on online analytical processing (OLAP) models and technologies. The unit will also cover a number of modelling approaches (optimization, predictive, descriptive) and their integration in the context of enabling improved, data-driven decision making.