About Business Information Systems (BSc)

In today’s world business information is increasingly complex with the growth of the Internet, sophisticated databases and other business software. Information Systems is the study of information generation, communication, storage, and application in the context of organised human activity. In your Business Information Systems course you will acquire skills that will enable you to discover organisational information requirements, systems planning, analysis, design and development, web authoring, project management, and the design and management of databases and communications networks. When you study Business Information Systems you will understand and be able to communicate how information systems are vital to the health of any organisation. You will be able to develop, design and manage such systems as a result of your creative problem solving, teamwork skills and professionalism.

What can I do with my Business Information Systems degree?

As a Murdoch Business Information Systems graduate, your employment outlook is positive, especially if you combine it with other disciplines.

The following are some of the professions you could consider:

• Systems Analyst/Computer Systems Analyst;

• Network Analyst;

• IT Business Analyst;

• Network Administrator.

Some of your potential employers may be:

• IT Firms;

• Audit Firms;

• Large Corporate Organisations;

• Australian Computer Society;

• Government Organisations;

• Software Companies.
  
  

• Download the flyer for this course
  

Professional Recognition

Graduates are eligible for Professional membership of the Australian Computing Society (ACS).

How to apply

Our entry requirements tool will help you find the most appropriate and quickest pathways to admission. The tool will take you through a couple of steps to help identify the best pathways for you based on your situation. Once you have chosen the most suitable pathway you will also be provided you with information on how to apply based on the criteria you are using for admission.

Course Details

Length of course	3 years full-time internal study or part - time equivalent. Available fully externally Please note that international students can only study full-time
International fee information	2008 fees per 24 points - $16,500
Location	South Street Campus
Murdoch course code	B1205
TISC code	MUISC
TER cut- off for 2008	N/A
STAT score	>145
Information on course units	Link to handbook entry

Recommended TEE subjects:

The following recommended subject will provide you with a useful background if you are interested in studying Information Technology: Maths.
We don’t have prerequisite subjects for any of our courses as we are a strong promoter of a well rounded education. However, remember that you will also need to demonstrate competence in English, normally through passing either English or English Literature or by getting a sufficiently high score in ESL.

Course Structure:

Year 1

Foundation Unit

All new first year students take a Foundation Unit. These are designed so you have some idea what’s going on, because, let’s face it, you may never have been to uni before!

Core Units

You must take these units for a particular major to gain a specialisation in this area. 

• Introduction to Computer Science 
• Introduction to Data Communications 
• Principles of Information Systems and Data Management 
• Introduction to Multimedia and the Internet 

Specified Electives

These are elective units that must be chosen from a specified list to give you further specialisation in your area of study.

Choose one from the following list: 

• Introduction to Statistics 
• Statistical Data Analysis and Databases 
• Computational Mathematics 
• Principles of Management 
• Introduction to Accounting

And one from the following list: 

• Introduction to 3D Graphics and Animation 
• Principles of Computer Science 
• Principles of Data Communications

General Electives

You must take these units to have enough units to graduate. General Electives give you the flexibility to learn from a variety of different areas.

• Download our flyer for further details on the course structure

Suggested double majors

To take a double major, students simply take the core units from another major in place of their general elective units. Further details on double majors are available in the Prospectus.

Some recommended double majors are:

• Internetworking & Security
• Internet Computing
• Business Informatics

 

What are my Career Options?

As a Murdoch Business Information Systems graduate, your employment outlook is excellent, especially if you combine it with other disciplines. Depending on which skill combinations or specialisations you have, your Murdoch degree may lead you towards work and study opportunities in a number of areas. The following are some professions to consider, including extra majors and minors that will improve your prospects of achieving them.

Professions	What they do	Suggested double majors
Systems Analyst/ Computer Systems Analyst	Computer Systems Analysts solve computer problems and apply computer technology to meet the individual needs of an organisation. They help an organisation to realise the maximum benefit from its investment in equipment, personnel, and business processes. Systems Analysts may plan and develop new computer systems or devise ways to apply existing systems resources to additional operations. They may design new systems, including both hardware and software, or add a new software application to harness more of the computer’s power. Most Systems Analysts work with specific types of systems - for example, business, accounting, or financial systems, or scientific and engineering systems that vary with the kind of organisation. Some Systems Analysts also are known as systems developers or systems architects. Systems Analysts begin an assignment by discussing the systems problem with managers and users to determine its exact nature. Defining the goals of the system and dividing the solutions into individual steps and separate procedures, Systems Analysts use techniques such as structured analysis, data modelling, information engineering, mathematical model building, sampling, and cost accounting to plan the system. They specify the inputs to be accessed by the system, design the processing steps, and format the output to meet users needs. They also may prepare cost-benefit and return-on-investment analyses to help management decide whether implementing the proposed technology will be financially feasible.	Multimedia, Multimedia Information Systems, Information Systems Development, Computer Science, Internetworking and Security, Mathematics and Statistics, Internet Computing
Network Analyst	Network Analysts research and recommend policies and strategies for an organisation’s network infrastructure. They design, install, analyse and implement computer systems/networks, ensure that the network is effective and that it meets emerging requirements of the organisation. The role can also include operational tasks sch as monitoring system performance, software and hardware upgrades.	Internetworking and Security, Multimedia Information Systems, Information Systems Development, Internet Computing, Business Informatics
IT Analyst	IT Business Analysts review, analyse and evaluate the overall business and information needs of an organisation, in order to develop solutions to business and related technology problems. The role also encompasses strategic business research and analysis in developing business plans and market research to support an organisation’s future directions. IT Business Analysts are employed in almost all industries, especially computer services, government administration and telecommunication services.	Management, Marketing Management, Business Informatics
Network Administrator	Network Administrators install, configure, maintain and support an organisation’s network environment. The role includes inventory documentation, resolution of network faults, security and the allocation of server resources in ensuring optimum network performance. The scope of the role can also include the design and support of sever systems and software, system back-ups and the planning and implementation of software and hardware.	Internetworking and Security, Multimedia Information Systems, Information Systems Development, Internet Computing, Business Informatics

• See our careers sheet for a full list of career options for this study area.