Advice on unit of Study Choice in 2009 for First Year Students: BCST, BCST(Adv) or BIT Degrees

This advice applies to students who enrolled in BCST, BCST(Adv) or BIT degrees in 2009. If you enrolled in an earlier year, the degree rules that apply to you are different, and you should seek individual advice. If you are in a different degree, you should seek guidance from the advisor responsible for that degree.

Overview
At the start of the year, students enrol in units of study for both semesters.

The normal load is 24 credit points per semester; a student must enrol in at least 18 credit points per semester to be regarded as “full-time” for youth allowance, scholarship and visa requirements.
You choose subjects for the whole year when you enrol, but these choices can be changed later.
- First semester choices can change until shortly after the start of lectures (last day to add a subject for Semester 1 is 13 March, and to drop a subject is 31 March)
- Second semester choices can then change at the end of Semester 1 or even into the first week or so of lectures during Semester 2! (Last day to add a subject for Semester 2 is 7 August, and to drop a subject is 31 August).

All students in the BCST, BCST(Adv), and BIT must enrol in:

Three compulsory (called "core") first-year units: ENGG1805, INFO1103 and INFO1105 (or equivalent units such as advanced versions).
12 credit points of first-year (Junior) Mathematics - there is a wide choice for this, depending on the level of the student’s mathematical background.
At least one of the following "Recommended elective" units:
- Computer Science Stream: ELEC1601 or
- Information System Stream: INFO1003
- Many students enrol in both choices, to keep their options open between the streams, or to prepare for a double-stream education.
The remaining space in the year can be used for “free elective” study of subjects chosen from Science, Arts, Engineering and IT, or Economics and Business.

Here is a diagram of the typical enrolment pattern (each cell represents 6 credit points). However some students choose to re-arrange some of these choices (a few subjects like INFO1103 and INFO1003 are available in either semester, though each student can only complete a subject once).

Year/Sem	Unit/Cp	Unit/Cp	Unit/Cp	Unit/Cp	Total Cp
Year 1 Sem 1	INFO1103 Introduction to Programming	2 Junior Mathematics units (chosen on advice, see below)	ENGG1805 Professionalism in Engineering and IT	Free Elective
	6cp	6cp	6cp	6cp	24cp
Year 1 Sem 2	INFO1105 Data Structures	2 Junior Mathematics units (chosen on advice, see below)	INFO1003 Foundations of IT or ELEC1601 Foundations of Computer Systems	Free Elective
	6cp	6cp	6cp	6cp	24cp
				TOTAL	48cp

Below we show several common combinations of unit of study choice, which are especially suited for students with particular interests or those in particular situations (such as mid-year entry, or those with a high UAI or strong computing background).

Students interested in a broad coverage of Computing

Here is a very common enrolment pattern for first year, which allows one to continue to either stream (Computer Science or Information Systems) or to undertake a double-stream. Here students use their free elective slots to complete both recommended electives, and also to do a very useful unit of study on Logic.

Year/Sem	Unit/Cp		Unit/Cp	Unit/Cp	Total Cp
Year 1 Sem 1	INFO1103 Introduction to Programming	2 Junior Mathematics units (chosen on advice, see below)	ENGG1805 Professionalism in Engineering and IT	INFO1003 Foundations of Information Technology
	6cp	6cp	6cp	6cp	24cp
Year 1 Sem 2	INFO1105 Data Structures	2 Junior Mathematics units (chosen on advice, see below)	ELEC1601 Foundations of Computer Systems	PHIL1012 Introduction to Logic
	6cp	6cp	6cp	6cp	24cp
				TOTAL	48cp

Students interested in IT for Business

An important career path is to help businesses use computers effectively; this may involve writing software for business needs, or advising companies on how to integrate computers into their activities. If you plan to work as a computer professional for large corporate clients or as a consultant to them, it is important to know a lot about their concerns. This is also crucial if you plan to run your own computer-centred company. Here is a useful set of choices for first year, which leads to the Information Systems stream of the degrees, and includes units of study from the Faculty of Economics and Business as free electives.

Year/Sem	Unit/Cp			Unit/Cp	Unit/Cp		Unit/Cp	Total Cp
Year 1 Sem 1	INFO1103 Introduction to Programming		2 Junior Mathematics units (chosen on advice, see below)			ENGG1805 Professionalism in Engineering and IT	ACCT1003 Financial Accounting Concepts
	6cp	6cp			6cp		6cp	24cp
Year 1 Sem 2	INFO1105 Data Structures		2 Junior Mathematics units (chosen on advice, see below)			INFO1003 Foundations of Information Technology	WORK1003 Foundations of Work and Employment
	6cp			6cp	6cp		6cp	24cp
							TOTAL	48cp

In later years, these students might wish to use their free electives for units chosen from:
CLAW1001 Commercial Transactions A, CLAW1002 Commercial Transactions B, ECON1001 Introductory Microeconomics, ECON1002 Introductory Macroeconomics, CLAW2206 Legal Issues for E-Commerce, IBUS2101 International Business Strategy, INFS2010 Managing Information & Knowledge Assets, INFS2020 Business Process Integration & Modelling, INFS2030 Managing e-Commerce Business Models, WORK2201 Foundations of Management, WORK2209 Organisational Analysis and Behaviour.

Students interested in IT and Computing Hardware

A common career path for IT graduates involves dealing with software and also with the hardware on which it runs. This may involve programming embedded systems, or keeping an organisation's network running smoothly, or making recommendations on the equipment. Below is a suitable choice, which includes the same units as the first year in the Computer Engineering or Telecommunications Engineering degree (except for the Mathematics topics, where the Engineering students have less choice between different levels). This first-year enrolment leads to the Computer Science stream of the BCST, BCST(Adv) and BIT degrees. If you have interests in this direction, but don’t want to study Physics, you can substitute a different elective such as INFO1003!

Year/Sem	Unit/Cp			Unit/Cp	Unit/Cp		Total Cp
Year 1 Sem 1	INFO1103 Introduction to Programming		2 Junior Mathematics units (chosen on advice, see below)	ENGG1805 Professionalism in Engineering and IT	ELEC1103 Foundations of Electronic Engineering
	6cp	6cp		6cp	6cp	24cp
Year 1 Sem 2	INFO1105 Data Structures		2 Junior Mathematics units (chosen on advice, see below)	ELEC1601 Foundations of Computer Systems	PHYS1003 Physics 1 (Technological)
	6cp	6cp		6cp	6cp	24cp
					TOTAL		48cp

In later years, these students might wish to use their free electives for units chosen from the Digital and Telecommunications topics in Electrical and Information Engineering, such as: ELEC2302 Signals and Systems, ELEC2602 Digital System Design, ELEC3305 Digital Signal Processing, ELEC3505 Communications, ELEC3607 Embedded Computing.

Students seeking to combine IT study with a side-interest

(such as a language, or an arts, social science, or science field)

Because IT is so vital in every field of human activity, there is a large need for multi-skilled professionals who can combine expertise in IT with deep knowledge of another field. For example, those who combine IT with a language may be vital for a company whose customers speak that language, while people who understand both IT and geosciences can help transform the use of IT by mining companies. The University of Sydney, with its flexible degree structures and its huge range of experts, is ideal for students who have a strong interest in another field and seek to pursue this field along with IT.

In choosing units of study for this sort of path, there isn’t room in the BCST, BCST(Adv) and BIT degrees to pursue both the double-stream of Computer Science and Information Systems, and also a side-interest in depth. Thus in Semester 2, you will need to choose the recommended elective that is appropriate for the stream you wish to follow. When you enrol at the start of the year, you may not be sure which stream interests you most - in this case, just enrol in one of the two choices, and don’t worry: you can change your enrolment at the end of Semester 1, by which time you should have learnt from ENGG1805 about the different disciplines, and decided which stream you wish to follow.

For information about choosing the units of study that lead to your side-interest, you should consult the appropriate School or Department in the University. A list of possible fields is available and a link to faculty handbooks is provided at the end of this guide.

Year/Sem	Unit/Cp		Unit/Cp	Unit/Cp	Unit/Cp	Total Cp
Year 1 Sem 1	INFO1103 Introduction to Programming		2 Junior Mathematics units (chosen on advice, see below)	ENGG1805 Professionalism in Engineering and IT	Free Elective
	6cp	6cp		6cp	6cp	24cp
Year 1 Sem 2	INFO1105 Data Structures		2 Junior Mathematics units (chosen on advice, see below)	ELEC1601 Foundations of Computer Systems or INFO1003 Foundations of Information Technology	Free Elective
	6cp	6cp		6cp	6cp	24cp
					TOTAL	48cp

Students with a high UAI or strong IT background

There are alternative “advanced” units of study (INFO1903 and INFO1905), which can replace INFO1103 and INFO1105 in your enrolment. They cover the same technical material and skills, but include sophisticated material and more "challenging" activities such as assignments where more is expected. These advanced units are intended for students in the BCST(Adv), BIT, and BSc(Adv) degrees, as well as other students whose UAI is at or above the cut-off for one of these degrees (in 2007: BCST(Adv) - 96.15; BIT - 96.60; BSc(Adv) - 96.45).

In addition, students with extensive previous experience of high-quality programming may be allowed to enrol in INFO1903 and INFO1905; this is based on a portfolio of work. If you do not meet any of the conditions (high UAI or high-quality previous experience) for enrolment in the advanced units, you must enrol in INFO1103 and INFO1105. There will be opportunities to transfer your enrolment if you do very well in the first few weeks’ tasks in INFO1103, or later if you have good (Distinction or better) results in INFO1103. For further information, please contact the Undergraduate Director, Dr Josiah Poon.

Please note that the advanced and normal versions are alternatives; you can't enrol in both INFO1103 and also INFO1903, nor can you complete both INFO1105 and INFO1905. Because INFO1903 also covers the material of INFO1003 (as well as INFO1103), students who undertake the advanced units are able to prepare for a double-stream in Computer Science and Information Systems and also for a side-interest in another field, as shown below.

Year/Sem	Unit/Cp	Unit/Cp	Unit/Cp	Unit/Cp	Total Cp
Year 1 Sem 1	INFO1903 Informatics (Advanced)	2 Junior Mathematics units (chosen on advice, see below)	ENGG1805 Professionalism in Engineering and IT	Free Elective
	6cp	6cp	6cp	6cp	24cp
Year 1 Sem 2	INFO1905 Data Structures (Advanced)	2 Junior Mathematics units (chosen on advice, see below)	ELEC1601 Foundations of Computer Systems	Free Elective
	6cp	6cp	6cp	6cp	24cp
				TOTAL	48cp

Mid-year entry students

Students who enrol in July choose units of study for Semester 2 only (their first semester at the university). Below is a suggested Semester 2 enrolment:

Year/Sem	Unit/Cp		Unit/Cp	Unit/Cp	Unit/Cp		Total Cp
Year 1 Sem 2	INFO1103 Introduction to Programming	2 Junior Mathematics units (chosen on advice, see below)		INFO1003 Foundations of Information Technology	ELEC1601 Foundations of Computer Systems
	6cp		6cp	6cp	6cp		24cp
					TOTAL	24cp

Then in the following year, students will mix first year and second year units as shown here.

Year/Sem	Unit/Cp	Unit/Cp		Unit/Cp	Unit/Cp	Total Cp
Year 2 Sem 1	ENGG1805 Professionalism in Engineering and IT	2 Junior Mathematics units (chosen on advice, see below)	COMP2129 Operating Systems & Machine Principles		INFO2120 Database Systems
	6cp	6cp		6cp	6cp	24cp
Year 2 Sem 2	INFO1105 Data Structures	2 Junior Mathematics units (chosen on advice, see below)	INFO2110 Systems Analysis & Modelling		INFO2315 Introduction to IT Security
	6cp	6cp		6cp	6cp	24cp
					TOTAL		48cp

Notes on Mathematics unit of study choice

Students should complete 6 credit points of Mathematics each semester during their first year. There are a wide variety of alternative units of study offered, suited to different levels of previous experience. “Life Science” units assume a background equivalent to HSC Mathematics, “normal” units assume HSC Mathematics Extension 1, and “advanced” units assume HSC Mathematics Extension 2. Many (but not all) of the units are worth 3 credit points each, so the usual pattern is to enrol in TWO Maths units per semester, each worth 3 credit points.

More information can be found at http://www.maths.usyd.edu.au/u/UG/JM/

Students should note that the choice required for students in all of the Engineering degrees, including Engineering Flexible First Year, is MATH1001 + MATH1002 in Semester 1, and then MATH1003 + MATH1005 in Semester 2; any student who plans to study hardware or telecommunications subjects as electives should follow this choice too.

List of potential free electives

See the Faculty Handbooks for Arts, Science, and Economics and Business, linked from http://www.usyd.edu.au/handbooks/.