MIS Research Specialisation
MajorYear: 2017
MIS Research Specialisation
Contact information
Coordinator
Dr Kathleen Gray
Dr Sean Maynard
Dr Kathleen Gray
email: kgray@unimelb.edu.au
Dr Sean Maynard
email: sean.maynard@unimelb.edu.au
Overview
The Master of Information Systems (MIS) Research Specialisation is a 200 credit point coursework degree for those interested in research or professional careers in IT management and digital business.
The research component of study will allow students to carry out independent and sustained research under appropriate supervision, to develop advanced research skills and techniques, and present their findings in a documented scholarly form. Elective streams are available in areas such as: IS Project and Change Management, IT Service Provision, Business Analytics, IT Innovation and Interaction Design, Spatial Information, and eHealth.
The research specialisation is only available to students who have received 37.5 points or less of advanced standing due to the compulsory subject requirements.
Intended learning outcomes
A graduate of the MIS should:
- Have developed a sound knowledge and understanding of the discipline of Information Systems
- Have acquired skills that will enable them to manage and change business processes through information and communications technology (ICT) and information systems.
- Have a broad business and real world perspective together with experience in applying business communication, interpersonal, and team skills to real situations.
- Have developed and demonstrated critical thinking and analytical skills to apply information system theory to ICT management practice
- Have gained professional practice knowledge within the real world of IT Management through the industry links of staff teaching in the program
- Have developed skills and had experience in communication of ICT issues to justify, critically evaluate and explain real-world situations leading to IT management decisions
- Be able to demonstrate an understanding of professional codes of conduct and ethical standards
- Have advanced knowledge of research principles and methods in Information Systems
Last updated: 4 March 2025
Structure
MIS Research Specialisation
All students must complete 200 credit points comprising:
- Foundation Core subjects (37.5 points). Students normally complete three foundation core subjects in the areas of information systems and research.
- Lower Core subjects (25 points). Four Lower Core subjects must be completed. They have no prerequisites and, in a student's first year of full-time study, are normally taken in parallel with the foundation subjects selected.
- Upper Core subjects (50 points). Four Upper Core subjects must be completed. Each has a prerequisite of 50 points of study (for students in the 200-point 2-year MIS) and the four are normally taken in parallel with elective subjects in a student's second year of full-time study in the course. Two of the Upper Core subjects (25 points, ISYS90032 Emerging Technologies and Issues, and ISYS90051 Impact of Digitisation) form the capstone of the MIS requiring students to engage in scholarly work within the discipline.
- Discipline Elective subjects (37.5 points). Three specific subjects will be selected taking into account the future career direction of the student. These electives have prerequisites of 50 points of study (for students in the 200 point 2 year MIS).
- Research Project (50 points). This is typically taken in the form of two subjects: 12.5 points in one semester followed by 37.5 points in the following semester. The specific sequence of subjects will be determined in consultation with the MIS Coordinator and the student’s supervisor.
Subject Options
Foundation
50 points:
| Code | Name | Study period | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISYS90026 | Fundamentals of Information Systems |
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
| ISYS90031 | Research Methods in Information Systems | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
PLUS ONE of:
| Code | Name | Study period | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| EDUC90716 | Qualitative Methods for Evaluation | Term 3 (Online) |
12.5 |
| EDUC90717 | Mixed Methods Research & Evaluation | Term 4 (Online) |
12.5 |
| MAST90078 | Quantitative Methods for Evaluation | Term 2 (Online) |
12.5 |
An Elective in the area of your research as approved by the MIS Coordinator (Credit Points: 12.5)
Note: The specific subject will be selected by the MIS Coordinator in conjunction with the student’s supervisor.
LOWER CORE
25 points
| Code | Name | Study period | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISYS90048 | Managing ICT Infrastructure |
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
| ISYS90049 | Business Analysis Modelling and Design |
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
UPPER CORE
50 points
| Code | Name | Study period | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISYS90032 | Emerging Technologies and Issues |
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
| ISYS90043 | Enterprise Applications & Architectures |
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
| ISYS90038 | IS Strategy and Governance |
March (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
| ISYS90051 | Impact of Digitisation |
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
RESEARCH PROJECT
50 points
| Code | Name | Study period | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISYS90065 | Information Systems Research Proj Major | Not available in 2017 | 12.5 |
| ISYS90064 | Information Systems Research Proj Major | Not available in 2017 | 25 |
| ISYS90063 | Information Systems Research Proj Major | Not available in 2017 | 37.5 |
| ISYS90062 | Information Systems Research Proj Major | Not available in 2017 | 50 |
DISCIPLINE ELECTIVE
37.5 points
Students would normally select three subjects from the list of electives presented below. Students may also study electives from elsewhere in the University and if interested they should discuss this with the MIS Coordinator.
IS Project and Change Management
| Code | Name | Study period | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISYS90037 | Managing IS Projects: People & Politics | Not available in 2017 | 12.5 |
| ISYS90052 | Managing Large Projects | Not available in 2017 | 12.5 |
| ISYS90087 | Service Management and Innovation | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
IT Service Provision
| Code | Name | Study period | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISYS90055 | Managing IT Outsourcing | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| ISYS90034 | B2B Electronic Commerce | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| ISYS90036 | Enterprise Systems | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| ISYS90070 | Information Security Consulting | Not available in 2017 | 12.5 |
Business Analytics
| Code | Name | Study period | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| MGMT90141 | Business Analysis & Decision Making |
Summer Term (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
| COMP90049 | Knowledge Technologies |
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
| MAST90072 | Data and Decision Making | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| ISYS90086 | Data Warehousing | Summer Term (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
IT Innovation and Interaction Design
| Code | Name | Study period | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISYS90035 | Knowledge Management Systems | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| ISYS90085 | Interaction Design and Usability | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| ISYS90087 | Service Management and Innovation | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
General Management
| Code | Name | Study period | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| ECON90015 | Managerial Economics |
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
| MGMT90111 | Management and Business Communication | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| MKTG90037 | Managing for Value Creation |
Summer Term (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
| MGMT90140 | Management Competencies |
Summer Term (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
Accounting & Finance
| Code | Name | Study period | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| ACCT90004 | Accounting for Decision Making |
Summer Term (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
| ACCT90009 | Strategic Cost Management |
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
| ACCT90012 | Corporate Reporting |
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
| BISY90009 | Managing Information Technology |
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
| MGMT90140 | Management Competencies |
Summer Term (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
People Management
| Code | Name | Study period | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| IBUS90004 | Cross Cultural Management and Teamwork |
March (On Campus - Parkville)
August (On Campus - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
| MKTG90004 | Marketing Management |
Summer Term (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
| MGMT90011 | Managing Stakeholders | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
Operations & Marketing
| Code | Name | Study period | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| MGMT90032 | Operations and Process Management | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| MKTG90017 | Digital Business and Marketing | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| MKTG90007 | Service Management | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
Spatial Information
| Code | Name | Study period | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| GEOM90008 | Foundations of Spatial Information |
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
| GEOM90015 | Spatial Data Infrastructure | July (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| GEOM90016 | Advanced Topics in GIScience | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| GEOM90018 | Spatial Databases | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
eHealth
| Code | Name | Study period | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISYS90069 | eHealth & Biomedical Informatics Systems | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| ISYS90078 | Health Data, Information and Knowledge | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| INFO90001 | eHealth & Biomedical Informatics Methods | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| ISYS90077 | EHealth Applications and Solutions | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| ISYS90076 | IT Infrastructure for eHealth | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
Information Technology
Other technical computing subjects can be selected from the MIT as elective subjects. See
| Code | Name | Study period | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| https://handbook.unimelb.edu.au/view/current/MC-IT | No longer available |
Notes
To continue to remain eligible for the Research Specialisation, students will normally be required to achieve at least a 75% average with no subject receiving less than 65%. Students will also need to receive excellent marks in their research foundation subjects to be able to continue in this specialisation.
Entry is dependent on the availability of a suitable supervisor for the chosen area of research. Candidates are encouraged to contact the MIS Coordinator to discuss their application.
It is recommended that students who are thinking of undertaking the Research Specialisation should contact the MIS Coordinator prior to the commencement of the first semester of their study.
Related Course(s):
Last updated: 4 March 2025