For the 24-point thesis degrees:

Following the Strategic Review of the Faculty of IT in 2004, the Coursework Masters Review Implementation Working Party (CMRIWP) was established in late 2005 to make recommendations for implementing strategic change to the Faculty's postgraduate coursework programs. The final report of the CMRIWP was presented to the Faculty's Postgraduate Coursework Subcommittee at its 3/06 meeting (17 May 2006). From this, a number of important changes to postgraduate programs within the Faculty were identified to strengthen and rationalise the Faculty's offerings. One of these changes was the recommendation that high-performing coursework Masters students be able to undertake a 24-point Minor Thesis as part of their degree in order to provide them with a pathway to higher degree research. This has been incorporated into new versions of the Faculty's Masters Professional and Masters courses that will be introduced from 2008.

For the 36-point thesis degrees:

This unit is used for the Master of Information Technology (Minor Thesis) and the Master of Network Computing (Minor Thesis) where students undertake a 36-point Minor Thesis.

This unit has been updated as part of a 2009 review and comparison of data with current Handbook, Syllabus + and Callista data.

07/12/2017 - Unit disestablished at FEC 5/17 Item 7.3.

This is an elective unit available across the Faculty's coursework Masters Professional and Masters. It comprises a 24 point Minor Thesis or a partial component of a 36 point Minor Thesis. It is available as an elective for FIT coursework masters degrees. An essential prerequisite or co-requisite unit is an approved research methods unit such as FIT4005 IT Research methods, as this unit builds on the knowledge and understanding provided in FIT4005. To create flexible enrolment options for students, it is also possible to take the 24 point or 36 point Minor Theses over more than one semester by enrolling in units that collectively comprise 24 or 36 points. These units include: FIT5016 (6 points); FIT5017 (12 points); and FIT5018 (18 points).

The unit intends to provide high performing Masters students with an optional pathway to a research degree. It is designed to help students to: acquire advanced knowledge of a selected area in IT; and to develop research skills needed to undertake a higher degree. It supports the University's strategic imperative to strengthen the link between teaching and research. It provides coursework masters students with an optional pathway to a research degree.

At the completion of this unit students will have -

A knowledge and understanding of:

• their research topic and the wider research domain.
• research approaches and methods, and how to resolve research problems and issues.
• well honed skills in critical thinking, analysis, evaluation and synthesis.

Developed attitudes that enable them to:

• have confidence in their ability to undertake independent research, and to plan and execute an individual research project.
• appreciate the significance and contributions of a research culture in both academic and workplace contexts.

Developed the skills to:

• plan and undertake rigorous independent research;
• locate relevant research literature, and critically analyse and evaluate published research findings;
• identify open problems in current research and promising new research directions, and from this to define a viable research topic;
• develop a sound research design and feasible research project plan and schedule;
• communicate effectively research results in a variety of forms, including informal oral presentations, written reports, seminar presentations and poster presentations.

Although research projects are carried out individually, students will be part of a wider research group, with whom they will interact regularly, and participate in research seminars and discussions. At the completion of the unit students will have demonstrated the communication and teamwork skills necessary to:

• communicate research ideas effectively in formal or informal contexts;
• collaborate effectively with others involved in a research project (supervisors, research colleagues, industry collaborators).

029999

This unit is an optional research/thesis unit for FIT coursework masters degrees, taken in the final stage of the Masters Professional or Masters course. FIT5014 is a 24-point unit taken over a single semester. It is also possible to take the 24-point Minor Thesis over more than one semester by enrolling in units that collectively comprise 24 points, ie FIT5016 (6 points); FIT5017 (12 points); and FIT5018 (18 points).

Before enrolling in the unit, students need:

1) to have prior approval from their course coordinator; and

2) to have reached agreement with a potential supervisor about a research area/feasible research topic for their Minor Thesis project.

On-campus

Presentation and final thesis: 100%

24

Regular meetings with supervisor(s) over the course of the unit enrolment

FIT

Students must be enrolled in a Faculty of IT Masters (Honours), Masters Professional or Masters (Minor Thesis) course or the Master of Information Technology degree; FIT5014 is to be taken in the final stage of the course.

In undertaking the Minor Thesis students must have: (1) their course leader's approval to enrol in the unit; and (2) completed/enrolled concurrently in FIT4005 IT research methods. In addition, the following rules apply: