The widespread availability of home computers, and the appeal of programming as a hobby among teenagers, has meant that many students arrive at university with quite reasonable IT skills, and the current structure of our introductory computing subjects often covers material with which these students are already familiar. In recent years, an attempt has been made to provide these students with some additional challenging material, and this proposal is an attempt to formalize those previously extramural activities.Feedback on our previous informal advanced project schemes (Carbone, 1997) indicated a view among students that the informality and lack of assessment added to the enjoyability and quality of their learning, but that some formal recognition by the University of their efforts would be valued. These subjects attempt to meet these potentially-conflicting needs.The subjects are designed to improve the students' flexible learning options by achieving the following goals:

• To enable the School to better satisfy the desire of many advanced students to be extended beyond the current curriculum.
• To enable the School and Faculty to attract more of the very best students.
• To enable formal recognition, on a student's academic record, of work done, both by student and University, to educate the student on computing matters beyond the curriculum.
• To build on the best aspects of current informal ways of helping advanced students.
• To enable advanced students to study advanced material in a way that does not restrict their ability to enrol in other subjects.

The last three points may merit further explanation.On point 3: there is currently substantial activity, both by students and staff, on informal advanced 1st and 2nd year projects. This has proved successful in extending these students, but neither the student nor Monash get formal recognition for the work put in by both parties. Having a formal subject, which appears on a student's academic record, would rectify this.On point 4: student feedback on the informal advanced project schemes to date indicates a student preference for the work not to be assessed (Carbone, 1997), since (a) part of their satisfaction comes from the lack of compulsion, and (b) the projects vary in nature and difficulty so much that rigorous assessment would be very difficult. This suggests assessment as Pass Grade Only. Awarding zero credit points for the subject would also be in keeping with this.On point 5: we have not felt it desirable for an advanced project scheme of this nature to restrict students' ability to enrol in other subjects in their first or second years. Giving credit points for the subject would have that effect. It is therefore proposed that the subject carry zero credit points. It will thus not restrict students' choice of other subjects at all. The subject is not intended to bring in EFTSUs directly, but rather (a) to recognise work which students and staff do anyway to meet the educational needs of advanced students, and (b) to bring in, or retain, EFTSUs indirectly through increased student satisfaction and more attractive degree programmes. The subject follows the general form of the Advanced 1st Year Talks scheme (1997) and Advanced 1st and 2nd Year Projects (1996-98), co-ordinated in 1996-97 by Angela Carbone and reported in (Carbone, 1997).