Students should ensure they review the Course Structure information provided on the Course Details page for their Bachelor’s Degree. It is essential that students complete any Foundation units identified in that information at the earliest available opportunity in their studies. For those degrees which do not identify any Foundation Units, the necessary fundamental knowledge is incorporated within each degree specific major in your course. Where Foundation units are identified, they are essential and are chosen to provide fundamental knowledge which will assist you throughout the remainder of your studies. In some cases these foundation units are also essential prerequisites to enable you to undertake required units within your chosen majors, so these units should always be completed as early as possible in your course.

Students can access specific major pages through the handbook search function.

Course overview

Description

The Computer Science core of this degree will develop student knowledge of the principles of computation and information that underpin the computing s oftware and systems that are revolutionising the world in which we live, work and communicate. This core knowledge will enable a student to continue to grow and learn in this fast-moving field.

The Bachelor of Advanced Computer Science (Honours) has three specialist streams: (1) Artificial Intelligence; (2) Computing and Data Science; and (3) International Cybersecurity. These streams introduce students to the state of the art units culminating in a research project in which students will carry out research and communicate arguments and results for expert and general audiences. A named degree raises visibility of our offerings in these growing areas of specialisation within computer science and has a target audience of high ATAR students.

The Bachelor of Advanced Computer Science embraces the multidisciplinary nature of computing in the modern world. In the Artificial Intelligence specialisation, students will gain awareness and critical thinking skills for the ethical dimensions of problems that arise when applying Artificial Intelligence technologies. In the Computing and Data Science specialisation, students will learn how to use statistical and computational methods to support evidence-based and data-driven decisions, becoming a valuable problem solver in the workplace. In the International Cybersecurity specialisation, students will study contemporary international politics in the context of cybersecurity, giving students the breadth of understanding that employers are looking for alongside technical knowledge. All majors have been designed so that they can also be taken within the Bachelor of Philosophy

To ensure students are capable of succeeding in this course, the BACS has a proposed ATAR entry of 92 with a minimum average WAM requirement of 70 for progression. WAM will be calculated at the end of each academic year. Students who have been on Probation for one year and do not meet the minimum WAM requirement will be transferred into the Bachelor of Science in either the Computer Science or Data Science major.

Students must meet the WAM requirement to progress into the Honours year. Students who have completed all other course requirements but do meet the WAM requirement will be transferred to the Bachelor of Science and graduate with a Bachelor of Science with a major in either Computer Science, Data Science or Cybersecurity.

Award abbreviation

BACS

Course code
BH008
Status
Current / 2024
Administered by
School of Physics, Mathematics and Computing
Course Coordinator(s)
Dr Jin Hong

Course details

Credit points required
192
A standard full-time load is 24 points per semester.
Structure
192 points comprising 32 six-point units. Students normally take eight units each year, four in each semester.
Available to international students
Yes. For information on international student fees see 'Student Procedures: Fees'. (Enquiries: https://www.uwa.edu.au/askuwa)
Attendance type
Full-time only
Delivery mode
Internal
Standard full-time completion
4 years
Standard part-time completion
8 years (maximum 12 years)
Locations offered
UWA (Perth)
Majors available
(1) MJD-ARIDM Artificial Intelligence
(2) MJD-CDSDM Computing and Data Science
(3) MJD-ICYDM International Cybersecurity
(4) MJD-QCOMP Quantum Computing
Domestic fee type
Commonwealth supported and/or HECS-HELP
Fees
Visit the fees calculator.

Prospective students should see the Future Students website for details on admission requirements, intake periods, fees, availability to international students, careers information etc.

Rules

Title

1. These rules are the Bachelor of Advanced Computer Science [Honours] Course Rules.

Terms Used

2. The Glossary provides an explanation of the terms used in these rules.

Applicability of the Student Rules, policies and procedures

3.(1) The Student Rules apply to students in this course.

(2) The policy, policy statements and guidance documents and student procedures apply, except as otherwise indicated in the rules for this course.

Academic Conduct Essentials module

4.(1) Except as stated in (2), a student who enrols in an undergraduate degree course of the University for the first time irrespective of whether they have previously been enrolled in another course of the University, must undertake the Academic Conduct Essentials module (the ACE module), Communication and Research Skills (the CARS module) and Indigenous Studies Essentials (the ISE module) in the teaching period in which they are first enrolled.

(2) A student must successfully complete the ACE module within the first teaching period of their enrolment. Failure to complete the module within this timeframe will result in the student's unit results from this teaching period being withheld. These results will continue to be withheld until students avail themselves of a subsequent opportunity to achieve a passing grade in the ACE module. In the event that students complete units in subsequent teaching periods without completing the ACE module, these results will similarly be withheld. Students will not be permitted to submit late review or appeal applications regarding results which have been withheld for this reason and which they were unable to access in the normally permitted review period.

(3) A student who has previously achieved a result of Ungraded Pass (UP) for the ACE module, the CARS module or the ISE module is not required to repeat the relevant module.

English Language competency requirements

5. To be considered eligible for consideration for admission to this course an applicant must satisfy the University's English language competence requirement as set out in the University Policy on Admission: Coursework.

Admission requirements

6.(1) To be considered for admission to this course an applicant must have—
(a) achieved an ATAR of at least 92, or equivalent as recognised by UWA; and meet the additional requirements stated at (2) below

or

(b) an assured pathway offer;

or

(c) a place in a relevant UWA access program.

and

(2) A scaled mark of at least 50% in ATAR Mathematics Methods, or equivalent.

Admission ranking and selection

7. Where relevant, admission will be awarded to the highest ranked applicants or applicants selected based on the relevant requirements.

Transfer Requirements

8.(1) A student enrolled in an undergraduate degree course at UWA may apply to transfer into this course if they satisfy the following conditions:

(a) the student has not commenced their final semester of enrolment;

and

(b) the course transfer is undertaken within the specified transfer windows in each academic year;

and

(c) there are no quotas preventing the student from enrolling in a major or unit in which the student seeks to enrol; and
(2) the student has completed a minimum of 24 points of study in their current course and achieved a WAM of at least 70

and

(3) the student has successfully completed Mathematics Methods ATAR, or MATH1721 Mathematics Foundations: Methods, or equivalent as recognised by UWA, CITS1401 Computational Thinking with Python and CITS1001 Software Engineering with Java, or equivalent as recognised by UWA.

Course structure

9.(1) An integrated Honours Degree Course consists of 192 credit points (normally 32 units), comprising:

(a) 144 credit points (normally 24 units) of an undergraduate component, including:

(i) no more than 72 credit points (normally 12 units) at Level 1; and

(ii) at least 72 credit points (normally 12 units) at Level 2 and Level 3, including at least 18 credit points (normally 3 units) at Level 3; and

(iii) at least 24 credit points (normally 4 units) outside the student's degree-specific major to provide breadth of study; and

(iv) a degree-specific major chosen from the list below:

(1) MJD-ARIDM Artificial Intelligence

(2) MJD-CDSDM Computing and Data Science

(3) MJD-ICYDM International Cybersecurity

(4) MJD-QCOMP Quantum Computing

and

(v) any relevant foundation units.

and

(b) 48 credit points (normally 8 units) of an Honours component, including:

(i) at least 24 credit points (normally 4 units) at Level 4 and Level 5; and

(ii) at least 24 credit points (normally 4 units) of Dissertation or equivalent units at Level 4 and/or Level 5; and

(iii) at least 12 credit points (normally 2 units) of the 48 credit points are undertaken at Level 4.

(2) Students may choose to undertake an additional major and/or up to two minors from any undergraduate degree, provided the student will be able to complete all nominated majors and minors within 192 credit points.

Satisfactory progress

10.(1) To make satisfactory progress a student must pass units to a point value greater than half the total value of units in which they remain enrolled after the final date for withdrawal without academic penalty.

(2) This rule is intentionally blank.

(3) A student who has not achieved a result of Ungraded Pass (UP) in any one or more of the CARS module or the ISE module when their progress status is assessed will not have made satisfactory progress.

(4) A student who fails a unit twice is not permitted to enrol again in that unit unless the relevant board approves otherwise.

(5) A student who has completed a minimum of 144 points in this course but who has not achieved a WAM of at least 70 in the course will be required to exit with a Bachelor of Science and a major in either Computer Science, Data Science, or Cybersecurity.

(6)(a) A student must achieve a minimum WAM of 70 to progress into the Honours year.

(b) a student who chooses to exit after three years or is unable to progress to Honours will exit with a Bachelor of Science and a major in either Computer Science, Data Science, or Cybersecurity.

Progress status

11.(1) A student who makes satisfactory progress is assigned the status of 'Good Standing'.

(2) Unless the relevant board determines otherwise because of exceptional circumstances —

(a) a student who does not make satisfactory progress for the first time under Rule 10(1) is assigned a progress status of 'On Probation';

(b) a student who does not make satisfactory progress for the second time under Rule 10(1) is assigned a progress status of 'Suspended';

(c) a student who does not make satisfactory progress for the third time under Rule 10(1) is assigned a progress status of 'Excluded';

(d) a student who does not make satisfactory progress under Rule 10(3) is assigned a progress status of 'On Probation' unless they have been assigned a progress status of 'Suspended' or 'Excluded' for failure to make satisfactory progress under Rule 10(1).

(3) A student who has been 'on Probation' for one year under rule 10(5) and does not meet the minimum WAM requirement will be transferred into the Bachelor of Science.

Deferrals

12. Applicants awarded admission to the course are entitled to a deferral of up to 12 months, as per the University Policy on: Admissions (Coursework).

Final honours classification

13. The final honours classification is awarded in accordance with the University Policy on: Assessment.