Why Study / Key Benefits

The Bachelor of Computer Science (Honours) is a one-year research-oriented undergraduate honours qualification that takes prior computer science or related undergraduate study to an advanced level. It is designed for students who want to develop independent research capability and undertake a substantial research project in Computer Science, Software Engineering or Information Technology.

Key benefits include:

• Advanced study following a three-year bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Development, Software Engineering or a cognate discipline.
• A substantial individual research project leading to an honours thesis.
• Development of research design, methodology, critical analysis and problem-solving skills.
• Advanced software engineering and computer software-development skills.
• Exposure to machine-learning applications and contemporary computing research.
• Development of written and oral research communication skills.
• Industry-linked projects and Work Integrated Learning opportunities.
• A pathway toward further research study, including master's by research or PhD programmes.

Programme Structure and Subjects / Topics

The Bachelor of Computer Science (Honours) is primarily a research programme rather than a conventional coursework-heavy bachelor's degree.

The current structure is:

1. Honours Project Part A
   • Unit code: NPS40012
   • 25 credit points
2. Honours Project Part B
   • Unit code: NPS40013
   • 50 credit points
3. Topics in Computer Science
   • Unit code: COS40004
   • 12.5 credit points
4. Research Methods
   • Unit code: ICT40005
   • 12.5 credit points

Disciplines / Specialisations

There is no fixed list of formal majors within the honours qualification. Instead, students select an approved research project within an appropriate Computer Science, Software Engineering or Information Technology area.

Current honours project topics published by Swinburne demonstrate research opportunities in areas such as:

• Artificial intelligence
• Machine learning
• Data science
• Cybersecurity
• Software engineering
• Computer systems
• Cloud computing
• Network and security technologies
• Human-computer interaction
• Advanced visualisation
• Virtual reality
• Robotics
• Data-intensive computing.

Programme Highlights

• One-year full-time honours qualification.
• 100 credit points.
• Hawthorn campus in Melbourne.
• CRICOS code 083473B.
• Semester 1 and Semester 2 entry.
• Research-oriented rather than a standard coursework bachelor's degree.
• 75-credit-point individual honours research project.
• Formal Research Methods and Topics in Computer Science study.
• Requires an approved research project and supervision panel.
• Suitable preparation for master's by research or PhD study.
• Research opportunities across Computer Science, Software Engineering and related ICT fields.
• Swinburne currently identifies Computer Science and Engineering as #1 in Australia in the ARWU Global Ranking of Academic Subjects 2025.

Career Outcomes

Swinburne identifies career opportunities including:

• Data scientist
• Programmer
• Software developer
• Software engineer
• Software architect
• Systems analyst.

The course handbook additionally identifies potential roles such as:

• Research scientist
• Data scientist
• Cybersecurity expert
• Teaching assistant
• Machine-learning engineer
• Cybersecurity specialist
• Systems architect
• Roles in artificial intelligence and robotics
• Network security and cloud-computing roles.

Latest Updates / Special Requirements

The latest published 2027 information confirms:

• Semester 1 starts: 1 March 2027.
• Semester 1 application deadline: 24 February 2027.
• Semester 2 starts: 2 August 2027.
• Semester 2 application deadline: 28 July 2027.
• Campus: Hawthorn.

Important special requirements:

• Applicants need a relevant three-year bachelor's degree.
• Minimum credit-average academic performance is required.
• A suitable honours research project must be identified.
• Prior agreement from the Project Supervision panel is required.
• The supervision panel must include at least two supervisors.
• The programme involves substantial independent research.
• Applicants should review the available project/supervisor list before applying.

International Student Visa Requirements

For an international student travelling to Australia to undertake this on-campus course, the relevant visa is generally the Australian Student visa (subclass 500).

Swinburne specifically states that international students in Australia holding Student visas are required to study full-time and on campus. This one-year full-time Hawthorn programme therefore fits the stated study-mode requirement.

General Student visa requirements include:

• Enrolment in an eligible Australian course.
• A valid Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) when the visa is decided.
• Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC), unless an exemption applies.
• Meeting health and character requirements.
• Meeting the Genuine Student requirement.
• Providing financial evidence where required.
• Complying with all conditions attached to the visa.

Work rights:

• Student visa holders can generally work up to 48 hours per fortnight while their course is in session.
• When the course is not in session, student visa holders can generally work unlimited hours, subject to their visa conditions.
• The special unlimited-hours exception applies to students studying master's degrees by research or doctoral degrees; it does not apply to this Bachelor of Computer Science (Honours).