Master of Information Systems

AIMS

Information Technology now impacts on people and processes within and beyond organisational boundaries. The discipline of Information Systems is concerned with the effective use of IT by people and organisations. This subject provides context on Information Systems practice and use viewed through a range of roles that interact with these systems, including those of system developers, users, business managers, IT managers, and vendors. It provides students with a foundation that is further built on in other information systems subjects.

The subject supports course-level objectives by allowing students to understand the complexity of real-world applications of information systems within a range of industries. It challenges students to integrate concepts, theories and frameworks with case studies and examples drawn from industry. The emphasis is on gaining a tool kit for a rich understanding of the practical problem solving rather than learning the theory per se. The subject contributes to the development of independent critical inquiry, case study analysis and problem solving.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

Klings’s Social Informatics, Prahalad and Hamel’s Core Competencies, Porter’s Competitive Advantage, Chan and Luftman’s Concepts of Business – IT Alignment, Cullen and Seddon’s Outsourcing Management, Willcock’s Offshoring Challenges, Agarwal and Sambamurthy’s IT Governance issues and various Change Management Models.

Please view this video for further information: Concepts in Information Systems

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AIMS

The subject introduces key topics in modern information organisation, particularly with regard to structured databases. The well-founded relational theory behind modern structured query language (SQL) engines, has given them as much a place behind the web site of an organisation and on the desktop, as they traditionally enjoyed on corporate mainframes. Topics covered may include: the managerial view of data, information and knowledge; conceptual, logical and physical data modelling; normalisation and de-normalisation; the SQL language; data integrity; transaction processing, data warehousing, web services and organisational memory technologies. This is a core foundation subject for both the Master of Information Systems and Master of Information Technology.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

This subject serves as an introduction to databases and data modelling from a data management perspective. Database design, from conceptual design through to physical implementation will be covered. This will include Entity Relationship modelling, normalisation and de-normalisation and SQL. Additionally the use of databases in various contexts will be explored (web based databases, connecting programs to databases, data warehousing, health contexts, geospatial databases).

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AIMS

This subject introduces the fundamental concepts of computing programming, and how to solve simple problems using high-level procedural language, with a specific emphasis on data manipulation, transformation, and visualisation of data.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

Fundamental programming constructs; fundamental data structures; abstraction; basic program structures; algorithmic problem solving; use of modules.

The subject assumes no prior knowledge of computer programming and is not suitable for students with prior programming experience.

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AIMS

This subject focuses on business analysis from the context of digital technologies. It introduces modern business analysis techniques, including a selection of those in the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge (BABOK) by the International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA), and exemplifies them by means of digital technologies applied to solve problems or exploit new business opportunities. It also includes in-depth case studies in which business problems and opportunities, drawn from real-world scenarios, are mapped to digital solutions. The work is summarised in seven guiding principles that should be followed by every business analyst.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

Topics include methods, techniques and tools for requirements elicitation, business analysis planning and monitoring, stakeholders engagement planning, business needs identification, business process identification and modelling, change strategy definition, and the design, delivery and evaluation of information systems solutions to business problems.

Examples of projects that students complete are:

• A report focussing on the information gathering and modelling of a business problem.
• A comprehensive report covering all aspects related to the analysis of a business problem and the design, delivery and evaluation of an information systems solution to this problem.

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AIMS

This subject introduces a range of information security management services implemented in industry. The subject will cover the fundamental principles and practice of security risk assessment, incident response and disaster recovery, knowledge leakage, systems and network security, and policy and culture. Students will develop an appreciation for the kinds of security practices that exist in industry in each of these areas.

This subject supports course-level objectives by allowing students to have in-depth knowledge of the specialist area of information security management. The subject’s assessment tasks include five quizzes continuously testing knowledge of cybersecurity management delivered in class, a group research assignment assessed in oral format, and an individual closed-book examination. These tasks will encourage students to develop a high level of achievement in critical thinking, research activities, presentation skills, and the practical application of cybersecurity management principles in organizational contexts.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

Security principles and techniques discussed are: Models for understanding knowledge leakage, Security Risk Assessment Methods, Firewall and virtual private network (VPN) security scenarios, and Incident Response Methodology. Real world cases will be drawn from a range of organization types including critical infrastructure installations in Australia.

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AIMS

This practice-oriented subject allows students to develop their ability to build and utilise good working relationships with internal and external clients. Feedback from industry indicates that these 'consulting skills' are highly valued, and an important factor in employment and promotion decisions. Information systems professionals learn that technical knowledge is seldom sufficient in itself, and must be supported by the ability to understand, communicate and collaborate with clients.

Students work individually and in syndicate groups. Classes are interactive and focus on practice, with reading and research tasks undertaken largely outside class. Most classes feature a guest speaker from industry.

Topics covered include understanding business and management needs, setting and managing expectations, reporting and staying on track, giving advice, written and verbal communication, consulting ethics, and the business of consultancy.

The subject will enhance students’ ability to manage relationships with stakeholders, communicate effectively about IS services, and engage effectively with senior decision makers in organisations.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

• Defining consulting
• Understanding the challenge of consulting
• Understanding the client: What managers want
• Establishing Expectations
• Selling IT Services
• Managing Expectations
• Consulting practices
• Working with the client
• Meetings, Interviews, Workshops
• The trusted advisor
• Effective written and verbal communication
• Dealing with problems and difficult people
• Negotiation Basics

Please view this video for further information: Professional IS Consulting

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Aims:
Information Systems as a discipline and practice usually informs a range of research skills. This subject will cover some of these essential skills such as carrying out critical literature review, designing research questions and methodologies, and comparing different approaches that are appropriate for primary research or development. Research skills are also essential for IS development projects, particularly in the requirements analysis and planning stages of development.

Research is a systematic process of answering questions to acquire new knowledge. Research in information systems questions how professional practice is conducted and contributes to the development of better practices. The subject provides students with coverage of how research is conducted within information systems, and how to critically assess published research and current practitioner knowledge. Topics covered include the nature of research, research design, approaches to development, theory and research, research paradigms: positivist, interpretivist and critical research approaches, quantitative and qualitative methodologies, and experimental research.

Indicative Content
Topics covered will include qualitative and quantitative research methods commonly used in social science research such as those often used in the Information Systems discipline. Also, covered will be epistemology and theory, methodology and methods; how to conduct a literature review and identify research questions; how to design research that is both rigorous and relevant; designing good processes for requirements analysis, research ethics; and understanding the limitations of different research models and development approaches.

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AIMS

This subject covers management of information technology projects and leading project teams and associated change management roles, tasks and processes. Topics include the project life cycle, project tasks and deliverables, project scheduling, critical path analysis, resource levelling, risk management, quality assurance and project delivery including post implementation reviews. The limits of projects as change agents will also be covered.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

The Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK).

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AIMS

This core subject introduces the concept of enterprise architecture (EA). The structure of an EA provides the framework by which an organisation can be understood. It introduces the fundamental relationships existing between various components of the EA namely: processes, information, organisational structure and enabling technologies. Consequently, many of the concept domains introduced in this subject are more fully explored in further core and elective subjects.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

Integrating business applications across business functions and companies provides large benefits to organisations. This subject has two primary themes. Firstly, it introduces EA concepts and frameworks that serve as artefacts of the business and also the process of creating an EA. Secondly, it looks at the implementation of the EA into the organisation and the impacts on the processes, information, organisational structures and applications employed by to enable the organisation to function. A final discussion covers the benefits, risks and critical success factors.

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AIMS

Strategic alignment of ICT and business is crucial for organisations' competitive positioning and long-term sustainability. ICT governance deals with all aspects of the formulation and implementation of ICT management plans, including ICT strategic plans and sustainable practices. This subject discusses approaches to the formulation and development of ICT strategies. Topics covered include analysing an organization's operating model, ICT governance arrangements, ICT governance policy frameworks, and maturity in adopting enterprise architectures with a focus on sustainable practice. Students are expected to become familiar with current ICT governance frameworks and their implications for developing ICT governance plans.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

Topics covered in the subject include: critical and strategic thinking, modes of strategic planning, ICT strategic frameworks, ICT Governance frameworks, ICT Governance policy documents, ICT Governance design frameworks, ICT Governance arrangements, models of organisational decision making, operating models, relationship of ICT Governance design to the development of enterprise architectures, ICT Governance design methodologies, and value creation through ICT Governance design and implementation. The course also focuses on sustainable strategy and governance practices.

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AIMS

This subject involves students undertaking professional work experience with a Host Organisation, generally at the Host Organisation’s premises. Students will work under the supervision of both an academic mentor and an external supervisor at the Host Organisation.

By completing their internship as part of this subject, students will receive support in navigating their placement, guidance on maximising their learning from the experiences they gain and training in how to use these experiences when seeking employment.

This subject uses structured reflection to help students develop the professional skills and competencies required by engineers and IT professionals. Each student is allocated an academic mentor to assist them in their development and support their well-being.

Please view this video for further information: Internship

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AIMS

This subject involves an in-depth investigation into a real-world problem, utilising a Design Thinking approach to identify technology-based solutions to the problem. Students working in groups will be required to perform research, customer and problem discovery, ideation, concept creation and validation, and technical implementation for a real-world challenge. The subject also provides students with skills and knowledge for improving written and oral communication.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

Indicative content includes design thinking methodology, customer & problem discovery, design ideation, development of innovative technology prototypes, and innovation presentations.

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This subject provides final semester Master of Information Systems (MIS) students with the opportunity to undertake an industry-based project to demonstrate and apply their knowledge and skills in Information Systems. Students will work in a group of four to solve specific problems experienced by their industry client. Each group will be allocated an academic mentor.
The subject involves in-depth investigations of a business problem in the real world and the proposal of a solution that may involve information systems and/or business process reengineering. The proposed solution should offer economic, environmental, and social benefits to the client organisation and their stakeholders. Typical project tasks include defining project requirements, researching relevant literature, designing, and evaluating a solution, and communicating project outcomes to the industry client, practitioners, academics, and the general public.
While undertaking the project, students will need to demonstrate an understanding of IS professional practice, ethical conduct, and sustainability considerations.

Please note - this subject must be completed in the last semester of study.

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AIMS

Students undertake an original investigation of a topic relevant to Information Systems (or cognate discipline). Specific research projects will depend on the availability of appropriate expertise but may address a range of issues within Information Systems research. Under the supervision and guidance of an academic researcher, students are required to design and conduct a research investigation. This would typically involve a literature review, data collection and data analysis. The results will be written as a project report and presented publicly. In some instances, it is expected that the results will also be submitted for publication in a conference or journal.

During their research investigation, students will develop skills to formulate a research problem, implement strategies to pursue new knowledge, and learn best practices of academic writing under the guidance of their supervisor.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

Research will be conducted on a topic of mutual interest under the guidance of an experienced Information Systems researcher.

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Please refer to the Handbook page for Part 1: ISYS90109 Information Systems Min Res Project Part 1.

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AIMS

The contemporary political, economic, technological and social environment is undergoing rapid and transformational change. This is a period of massive disruption as we harness technological innovations and transform the ways in which wealth is created in the new digital economy. Our organisations need to respond to this change and develop strategies and structures to support the reformation of business and work practices necessary to survive.

This subject focuses on the strategic response required by organisations to address this disruption. The subject further explores development and implementation of information systems as both a catalyst for, and a response to, organisational change.

In this subject, several change management theories and models are investigated in depth with an analysis of their applicability, benefits, risks and impacts. A case study of a contemporary organisation is used to facilitate this learning with the application of theory, methods and best practices applied in real situations. These learnings will be of enormous value to students and professionals leading the change in their organisations.

This subject supports course-level objectives by allowing students to develop analytical skills to understand the complexity of real-world work in organisations. It promotes innovative thinking around the deployment of existing and emerging information technologies. The subject contributes to the development of independent critical inquiry, analysis and reflection.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

This subject focuses on providing foundation understanding for the professional to understand and manage the current and future impact of change in this disrupted economy.

Topics discussed include: the relationship between change and disruption; the need for strategic change management; and explore the change architecture and organisational readiness to transform itself. The subject will also explore the impacts, on individuals, organisational structures and the role of the change manager in developing the strategic response to successfully navigate the change.

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AIMS

In this subject, students examine the implications of the digitisation of data, information, and communications on organisations and society. Students will investigate how digitisation affects individuals, organisations, and society with associated security, compliance, legal and regulatory considerations. These implications are also examined in regard to ethical questions around information privacy, accessibility, ownership, and accuracy.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

Topics covered may include the impact of new and emerging information products and services on social networks, on privacy, censorship and content control, information security, intellectual property, citizenship, and other aspects of organisational and daily life.

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AIMS

This subject will focus on the patterns of IT spending in organisations, particularly strategies to reduce IT costs, increase information productivity and enhance knowledge capital.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

This subject discusses key themes relevant to Chief Information Officers (CIOs) in the context of the information economy such as the theory of knowledge capital, economic growth and the role of technological progress, knowledge valuation, outsourcing and profits, and insurance for IT risks.

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AIMS

Business Process Management (BPM) is a well-established discipline for improving organisational performance. By using a ‘process lens’, BPM enables organisations to systematically oversee how work is performed, in order to ensure consistent outcomes and take advantage of improvement opportunities.

This subject provides an in-depth introduction to BPM by covering the typical phases of a BPM project, from process identification to process monitoring, addressing along the way the discovery, analysis, redesign and implementation of business processes. The subject supports course-level objectives of developing analytical skills to understand the complexity of real-world organisations. It contributes to the development of independent critical inquiry, analysis and reflection.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

Topics include methods, techniques and tools for process identification and discovery, for process analysis and redesign, and for process implementation and monitoring. Students will learn how to identify business processes within an organisation, how to organise them in a business process architecture and prioritise the management of these processes. Students will also be exposed to a broad range of techniques to discover business processes in the form of process models (using the BPMN standard), to analyse process issues on the basis of these models, and to assess the qualitative and quantitative impact of these issues on organisation performance. Students will further learn how to evaluate and implement different process redesign options aimed at lifting the identified issues, and how to monitor the adherence of the redesigned processes to set performance targets. The subject also exposes students to recent developments in the area of process mining.

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This subject introduces the mainstream methods and techniques for the identification, modelling and analysis of business processes. Students will learn techniques for analysing historical business data through the lens of a process. The methods, techniques and tools for business process modelling and analysis are relevant for the design and analysis of process-aware information systems. The content in this subject is complemented with hands-on tutorials with software tools.

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AIMS

In today’s digital world, the opportunities for innovation, and therefore entrepreneurs, are abundant. Hence, understanding the dynamic relationship between these two and how they interact to create commercially successful ventures has never been more critical.

Innovation and entrepreneurship are complex topics widely debated in the business, education, and economics communities. This subject focuses on the nature of innovation in the rapidly evolving business landscape and considers what entrepreneurs need to create the climate for successful innovation.

The subject is relevant to all students, whether they seek to be strategy consultants, budding entrepreneurs, or work as ‘intrapreneurs’ in large organisations. Students will discover in this subject that innovation is more than having great ideas and that entrepreneurs can emerge from diverse backgrounds and industries.

The subject emphasises the proactive nature of innovation and ‘technopreneurship’, as it will focus on the role of technology, in driving digitally focused innovative entrepreneurial pursuits. Students will learn about the various behaviours, attitudes, values, and skills needed by the entrepreneur.

By equipping students with the relevant knowledge and foundational professional skills, this subject aims to nurture an entrepreneurial mindset and inspire and prepare them for success in technology-driven industries by empowering them to create, build, sustain or advise innovative businesses in the digital era.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

The subject comprises four themes:

• Innovation Catalysts – Exploring current perspectives on driving innovation and entrepreneurship in the digital era, including strategies and frameworks for fostering a culture of innovation.
• The Customers' Point of View - Customer-centric approaches to understanding customer needs, and techniques to enable customer involvement in the innovation process.
• Start-ups and How to Build Yours – Understanding the startup process, from developing a strategic approach and managing risks to building an effective team. Also, how entrepreneurs can navigate challenges and increase their chances of success.
• Knowledge and Skills for Startup Leadership – highlighting the importance of vision and commitment in leading innovative ventures and introducing the practical knowledge and skills, such as finances, knowledge protection, compliance and ethical behaviours.

The subject involves advanced learning activities, including case-based, experiential, and team-based approaches.

Students learn how to devise and pitch an innovation idea and then present it in written form as a startup planning report. They also develop the necessary professional skills, personal attributes and reflections to help them be successful on their entrepreneurial journey.

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AIMS

This subject focuses on how Knowledge Management (KM) and a range of Information Technologies and analysis techniques are used to support KM initiatives in organisations. Technologies likely to be considered are: collaborative and social media tools; corporate knowledge directories; data warehouses and other repositories of organizational memory; business intelligence including data-mining; process automation; workflow and document management. The emphasis is on high-level decision-making and the rationale of technology-based initiatives and their impact on organizational knowledge and its use. This subject supports course-level objectives by allowing students to develop analytical skills to understand the complexity of real-world KM work in organisations. It promotes innovative thinking around the deployment of existing and emerging information technologies for KM. The subject contributes to the development of independent critical inquiry, analysis and reflection.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

Techniques of analysis and design likely to be learned are: critical thinking, discourse analysis and design thinking. Real-world case studies in the form of fieldwork are conducted likely from the following domains: software industry; retail; creative/fashion industry; manufacturing; emergency management. Real case-study work will shape thinking about IT support for KM in these industries.

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AIMS

This subject is intended to help students understand (a) what in packaged enterprise application software (PEAS) is, (b) how such software is implemented, and (c) how organisations can maximize benefits from their often-large investments in packaged-software-based systems such as Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Supply Chain Management (SCM), and Business-Intelligence (BI) systems. These systems are important because most organisations around the world today rely on such systems to support their core business processes.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

The subject discusses (a) what enterprise-systems software is, (b) claimed advantages and limitations of enterprise systems, (c) how best to implement packaged enterprise application software, (d) future directions that PEAS are likely to head as vendors respond to market pressures for integration between heterogeneous information systems, cloud computing, greater access from mobile devices, and demand for more information faster than ever before, and (e) what organisations need to do to maximize benefits from their often-large investments in packaged enterprise application software. Students will normally undertake approximately 10-15 hours of hands-on exercises with software from a leading vendor, SAP.

Please view this video for further information: Enterprise Systems

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Healthcare is information intensive. Health data are generated, shared, consumed, and stored in a variety of partially overlapping complex networks. Healthcare lags behind many other sectors, despite efforts to use digital technologies to shape and improve health data and information processes since the middle of the 20th Century. The need for digital transformation of health is driven by socio-economic concerns (making healthcare more accessible and affordable) and patient safety (reducing medical errors, and redundant and ineffective interventions).

This subject introduces the background, current state, and future opportunities of digital health. It provides a basic understanding of health and disease and how individuals experience both. It explores the nature of biomedical data, information, and knowledge - and how digital technologies are shaping the way these are used. Digital health technologies are examined from ethical, historical, technological, and psycho-social perspectives, considering positive and negative impacts.

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This subject develops familiarity with technical and administrative aspects of health information science – when, why and how health data can be generated, collected, stored, communicated and integrated to inform patient care, health research and health services management. It provides an overview of the knowledge and tools that are essential for managing and governing digital patient record data for primary and secondary uses.

Lectures and tutorials cover four major topics: (a) Structuring health data in the era of big data in healthcare; (b) Managing and governing electronic health and medical records for safety and quality of care, including: standards, terminologies and mapping approaches applicable to clinical data and clinical documentation; (c) Structural and semantic interoperability to support data use for connected care and population health, including: Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR); (d) Managing and governing secondary use of data, including health services administration and health research, including: approaches to data privacy and security, repositories, retrieval, quality assessment, and linkage.

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Business analytics involves the use of data to support business decision-making. Managing investments in business analytics, initiating business analytics programs, and knowing how to tailor programs and tools for specific business analytics needs are import skills in modern organizations. The course aims at teaching students about key business analytics tools and initiating and supervising business analytics programs from a managerial/consulting perspective.

Indicative Content

This subject introduces the concepts of business analytics, decision making, data warehouse design, data warehouse modelling, data quality, data warehouse implementation - including the extract-transform-load (ETL) process, and data warehouse use in supporting business analytics – including decision making tools and OLAP. Readings are provided for all topics that introduce real world cases on business analytics and related areas and include the use of business analytics in organisations.

The subject also explores how organisations gather and generate multiple forms of information, and how this information is analysed and converted into useful knowledge via individual judgement and organisational learning processes. In applying empirical and analytical approaches to practical situations, students will develop insights into both the nature of the business problems as well as methods that are used for identifying and evaluating alternative solutions. The subject content will include conceptual foundations, practical tools, and case studies to discuss the costs, benefits and risks of the various analytical methods that will be introduced.

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This subject offers an overview of major health informatics research areas and methods that contribute to quality improvement, scientific research, and technological innovation in healthcare and biomedicine. The subject sets out the scientific foundations of digital health, and disciplined approaches to understanding the implications of digital health for health system performance.

The subject is arranged in blocks of study that examine methods for: (a) Undertaking digital health research and innovation projects, including: justifying a project in pragmatic and conceptual terms; drawing on existing practice and knowledge; specifying and staging work packages; meeting needs for partnerships and resources; assuring socially and ethically responsible conduct; reporting on progress rigorously and communicating for impact; (b) Managing exponential growth in health and biomedical knowledge, including: increasing openness in research data life cycle management; automating processes of generating, synthesising, and translating evidence; assuring the quality of electronic decision support systems for clinicians and patients; producing sophisticated forecasts and scenarios of the future of health; (c) Analysing structured and unstructured health data, including: wrangling phenome, exposome and other omics data; scaling up clinical, translational and population health research on platforms; approaching artificial intelligence in medicine through data analytics techniques and machine learning; (d) Modelling and simulating the dynamics of health conditions and health services, including: building personalised and population-level models of health and disease; mapping patient journeys, clinical workflows, and health supply chains; creating immersive environments for healthcare system learning and research.

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This subject develops technical capabilities required for sound infrastructure decision-making about digital health solutions and management, including telehealth, cloud computing, security and standards. It reviews the digital health building blocks of hardware, hosting platforms and networks. It identifies requirements for designing solutions to support clinical workflows and the need for interoperability of systems, as well as outlining technical management and governance issues.

Five major topics are covered in lectures and tutorials, as well as demonstrations and site visits where possible: (a) End user computing and the health devices layer; (b) Digital health network connectivity; (c) Health information and communication systems, platforms and hosting; (d) Functional interoperability and secure messaging in healthcare ; (e) Governance and management of health ICT infrastructure.

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AIMS

This subject provides an overview of design, implementation and evaluation considerations for developers of major digital health solutions and applications, including electronic health records (EHR), telehealth, clinical decision support systems (CDSS), consumer health self-management, and innovative tools for biomedical research.

Students are presented with a selection of digital health design challenges faced by real-world health IT developers. Students work individually to plan and propose their response to their selected challenge.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

Key stages and major considerations in developing digital health solutions are covered as follows:

• Requirements gathering
• Interaction design
• Prototyping
• User experience evaluation
• Regulatory environment
• Ethical issues

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