Bachelor of Information Technology (BInfTech) FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Academic Advice
If this page is not enough to help you work out your options, make an appointment through the School’s main office (level 2, General Purpose South, Building 78) enquiries@itee.uq.edu.au, phone + 61 (7) 3365 2097 to talk to an academic advisor.
Changes in Offerings
Q: Some courses have disappeared since 2006. How do I complete my study plan?
A: Try to complete based on the current offering. If you can’t, see an academic advisor. Specific changes include not only course deletions but a reduction in duplicate offerings over both semesters, and some changes in semester of offer. For example, from 2008, MMDS1400 will be in semester 1, COMP3301 will be in semester 2, and CSSE4003 will be in semester 1.
Q: There is no 2007 course map. How can I easily check prerequisites?
A: The 2008 map is substantially the same, except a few course deletions had not taken effect in semester 1, and some changes of semester (MMDS1400, COMP3301, CSSE4003) had not taken effect in 2007.
Q: My major needs courses which have disappeared.
A: If you were doing a major which included courses which have been deleted in 2007 or 2008, and you have already completed any of those courses, they will still count. If you haven’t completed them, work to the current plan; see an academic advisor if you have difficulties.
Q: The majors are changed since 2005. What happened?
A: Some details have been tidied up and Scientific Computing, not available last year, has been added. Another significant change is that you can now do 2 majors, as long as there is at least #8 in level 3 courses different between the two majors.
Q: In current study plans I see reference to “double majors”. How is this different to two majors?
A: A double major is a bigger major – a big collection of related courses (officially, totalling more than #20). You get two majors when you take two majors in different areas. This terminology may change if a proposal is accepted. Watch this space.
Q: Since I started the degree, the available courses have changed. Do I have to do the new compulsory courses?
A: Aim to complete with the current rules and course list as far as that is possible. If you have completed all your compulsory courses (Part A compulsory list; also called red courses on our web pages), you have no problem. If you completed all the compulsory courses on a previous program list, focus on finding enough level 3 courses to meet the degree requirements. If you have missed any introductory compulsory courses and they are no longer available, you may have to make substitutions. Talk to an academic advisor to make sure what you plan on doing is acceptable. The 2006 changes are not very substantial so most students will not have a problem if they already worked out how to graduate under the 2005 rules.
Q: I completed COMP1500 and COMP1501 before COMP1502 was available. Do I have to do CSSE1001 now?
A: If you have passed COMP2500, we will exempt you from this requirement. If you haven’t passed COMP2500, you have two options:
- finish under your original requirements, but with CSSE2002 replacing COMP2500, and CSSE2003 replacing COMP2801
- to change to the new requirements, you will have to do CSSE1001
Q: Given changes in available courses, how will I know if I have completed the degree?
A: You can go to the EPSA Faculty (Hawken, Building 50) to ask for a graduation check when you have decided what you want to do in your last semester. It’s a good idea to do this in the middle of the semester when they are not busy with issues like problems of incoming students or completing students.
Free Electives
Q: Can I take any course I like as a free elective?
A: You can only take courses which can count towards your degree. That means you should not take a course incompatible with anything you’ve already done, or with any compulsory courses you still need to take. “Incompatible” rules include courses intended as catch-ups for missed material, like language courses aimed at students with no prior background, or maths or science courses for students who missed that subject at school. If unsure, speak to an academic advisor. In the case of a language course, talk to the School offering the course.
Incompatibilities
Q: What happens if I take a course which is incompatible with the degree (e.g., a commerce course with light technical content, designed for students without an IT background)?
A: The course will not count as credit towards BInfTech. The only case where you can get away with a course like this as credit is if it is a compulsory course for another degree, taking in conjunction with BInfTech, when you are doing a dual degree.
Q: What happens if I take courses which are incompatible with each other?
A: You will only receive credit for one of the courses. You may find yourself short a course to graduate.
Q: How can I avoid taking incompatible courses?
A: This issue most often arises when new courses appear with some overlap with older courses (e.g., COMP2303 introduced in 2005 overlaps with COMP3300, so you can’t get credit for both), or when taking courses not on our program list. Check carefully in particular when taking free electives. We require that free electives be approved by EPSA (who will refer you to an academic advisor) to minimise this problem.
Planning a Degree
Q: What happens if I ignore study plans and majors, and choose my own combination of courses to fit the rules?
A: As long as you make the requirements, you will be able to graduate. However, think about what will make you employable, or open up options for advanced study. Finding out from your friends which courses are considered to be soft options and padding out your degree with these is not the best strategy. A BInfTech with a weird combination of free electives from all over the university will not help you with your future after graduating.
Multiple Codes for Same course
Q: I need to sign up for a year-long project code and it has two codes. Do I sign up for both?
A: No. Two codes are supplied to allow for signing up in either semester. Work out in which semester you are starting and which code applies to that semester. If you sign up for both codes, you will find you are doing the course twice, which is probably not what you intended. You will have to sign up with the same code in both semesters in a case like this.
Q: A course has a level 7 code as well as a level 1, 2, 3 or 4 code. Can I sign up with any of the codes?
A: No. You can only sign up for a level-7 code if doing a Masters. If doing an undergraduate or Honours degree, you can’t do a level 7 course (even if it has the same content as an undergraduate course). Sign up for the level 1-4 version if not doing a Masters, the level 7 version otherwise. Generally in a 3-year degree, you can’t take courses with a first digit in the code higher than 3. If you are doing a PhD, you can do whatever you like because the course is not formally for credit (you will need special permission in any case).
General
Q: How can I find out details of a course like prerequisites, what it’s incompatible with, etc.?
A: The http://www.uq.edu.au/study web pages should be helpful. You can search for a course by code if it’s still on offer. Click the button labelled Course, then type in the course code and search for it. If it’s not on offer any more, you may still find it listed as a prerequisite or incompatible for another course.
Q: How important is it to complete prerequisites?
A: Prerequisites are not enforced as rules, but if you take a course without the necessary background, you are doing so at your own risk. The School strongly recommends that you do complete all introductory courses before attempting advanced courses. The first digit of the course code should be your guide: do courses with a “1” in the first position in year 1, “2” in year 2 and “3” in year 3 – unless we publish a study plan suggesting otherwise.
Q: I really want to do Engineering, but didn’t quite make the cut. Can I convert in year 2?
A: Yes, but you will need to make the GPA requirement for switching. What you should do is take the compulsory year 1 BInfTech courses, and courses you missed at school (e.g., sciences) and make up the balance of your year 1 courses with IT electives which could also be used in BE – mathematics courses are the obvious choice.
Q: What will the job market be like when I graduate?
A: It’s a safe guess that it will be different to the job market when you started. The industry tends to go in cycles. A new wave of technology requires a lot of original development, which settles into a phase of less original development as off-the-shelf solutions appear. Then a new wave starts. Your best bet is to make sure you have a good general understanding so that if the areas of interest shift, you can move quickly to be at the head of the next wave. Take a look at job web sites like Seek to get a picture of what’s on offer.