15 June 2006
The Australian Computer Society has given its seal of approval to the revamped undergraduate information technology program at Monash University.
The ACS professional accreditation, which provides undergraduate courses with industry endorsement and peer approval, was granted after a comprehensive review.
IT Dean Professor Ron Weber said the ACS accreditation was vital industry recognition of the faculty's restructured undergraduate program and would enhance opportunities for graduates in the workforce and in professional development.
"The accreditation is an affirmation of the program's quality," Professor Weber said. "It also ensures that students are eligible to join the various memberships and initiatives provided by the society."
The four undergraduate courses offered by the IT faculty -- the Bachelor of Information Technology and Systems, Bachelor of Business Information Systems, Bachelor of Computer Science and Bachelor of Software Engineering -- have been accredited until 2010.
The ACS is the recognised professional association of Australia's information and communications technology industry. It is concerned with maintaining standards and professional ethics and providing opportunities for professional education, networking and certification.
Course accreditation at the professional level indicates that graduates have met the knowledge requirements for professional membership of the society.
Panel members look for breadth and depth of teaching and require that programs cover three mandatory areas -- ethics/social implications, interpersonal communications and project management/quality assurance.
Professor Weber said the faculty had strategically reviewed the overall direction for its undergraduate program in 2004, introducing a set of core units to all IT degrees. The review followed a world-wide downturn in IT student enrolments.
"All our students will now graduate with a broad-based understanding of both the technical side of IT as well as the organisational and social side," Professor Weber said. "The ACS accreditation recognises this and enhances opportunities for our graduates to prosper as IT professionals."
For more information contact Melissa Marino, Media Communications, on + 61 3 9905 2085 or 0437 121 978.
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