Global Utilities

La Trobe University
University Handbook 2012

Bachelor of Information Systems/Master of Health Information Management

Course code/s: Melbourne (SZISHI)

This degree is being phased out. No new enrolments will be permitted from 2012.

This is an integrated double degree program offered by the Department of Computer Science and Computer Engineering in conjunction with the Department of Health Information Management, School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences. The course offers completion of a Bachelor of Information Systems degree in combination with a Masters level degree in Health Information Management over a four-year period. The course is designed to produce graduates with specialist skills in health informatics and health information management.

Professional Recognition

The Bachelor of Information Systems is accredited by the Australian Computer Society, and graduates are eligible for Professional Membership. The Master of Health Information Management is accredited by the Health Information Management Association of Australia; graduates are eligible for Full Graduate Membership. The course is designed to meet the requirements being developed by Australian College of Health Informatics.

Course structure

This double degree program is of four years full-time or equivalent part-time duration and requires the completion of 480 credit points. The course has been designed so that students may exit at the end of the third year with a Bachelor of Information Systems degree.

Career opportunities

There is a huge demand for health professionals who are expert in health informatics and health information management. Hospitals and health services throughout Australia are upgrading and expanding their health information and related clinical decision-support technologies and there is a progressive move towards the development and implementation of electronic health records and more sophisticated electronic clinical information systems. Existing e-health initiatives in Australia and internationally are all finding recruitment difficult. As new and expanded information systems are implemented in hospitals and health services, this problem will be exacerbated. Graduates of the combined degree program will have thorough training in information systems that could also be utilised in non-health related fields.

Professional Practice

Students are required to undertake professional education in years 2 and 4 at agencies external to the university.

First year (120 credit points)
Teaching period Subject name Subject code Credit Points
TE-SEM-1 Discrete Mathematics MAT1DM 15
TE-SEM-1 Information Technology Fundamentals CSE1ITF 15
TE-SEM-1 Human Biosciences A HBS1HBA 15
TE-SEM-1 Object-Oriented Programming Fundamentals CSE1OOF 15
TE-SEM-2 Human Biosciences B HBS1HBB 15
TE-SEM-2 Intermediate Object-Oriented Programming CSE1IOO 15
TE-SEM-2 Information Systems CSE1IS 15
TE-SEM-2 Medical Terminology HIM1MTA 15
Second year (120 credit points)
Teaching period Subject name Subject code Credit Points
TE-SEM-1 Database Fundamentals CSE2DBF 15
TE-SEM-1 Health Information Management A HIM2HMA 15
TE-SEM-1 Information Systems Development CSE2ISD 15
TE-SEM-1 Internet Client Engineering CSE2ICE 15
TE-SEM-2 E-Business Systems BUS3EBS 15
TE-SEM-2 Health Classification and Clinical Coding A HIM3CCA 15
TE-SEM-2 Information Systems Practices CSE3ISP 15
TE-SEM-2 Professional Practice HIM5PPB 15
Third year (120 credit points)
Teaching period Subject name Subject code Credit Points
TE-SEM-1 Database Management Systems CSE3DMS 15
TE-SEM-1 Health Data Analysis A HIM4AHA 15
TE-SEM-1 Health Information Ethics and Law HIM5IEL 15
TE-SEM-1 Industry Project 3A1 CSE3PRA 15
TE-SEM-2 Health Information Management D HIM5HMD 15
TE-SEM-2 Industry Project 3B1 CSE3PRB 15
TE-SEM-2 Principles of Health Informatics C HIM5IHC 15
TE-SEM-2 Web Applications Engineering CSE3WAE 15

Key: 1 the subjects CSE3PRB must be taken in the one academic year.

Fourth year (120 credit points)

Core subjects (90 credit points)

Teaching period Subject name Subject code Credit Points
TE-SEM-1 Health Classification and Clinical Coding C HIM5CCC 15
TE-SEM-1 Health Information Management C HIM4HMC 15
TE-SEM-1 Principles of Health Informatics D HIM5IHD 15
TE-SEM-1 Professional Practice D HIM5PPD 15
TE-SEM-2 Health Data Analysis B HIM5AHB 15
TE-SEM-2 Health Systems Implementation HIM5HSI 15

Electives (30 credit points)

Students must choose 30 credit points of elective subjects from the following list.

Teaching period Subject name Subject code Credit Points
TE-SEM-2 Health Classification and Clinical Coding D HIM5CCD 15
TE-SEM-2 Action Learning Project in Health Information Management HIM5ALH 15
TE-SEM-2 Principles of Health Informatics E HIM5HIE 15
TE-SEM-2 Research Methods in Health 5 PHE5RMH 15
TE-SEM-2 Advanced Databases CSE4ADB 15
  A post-graduate subject offered by the School of Public Health   15
  A post-graduate subject offered by the Department of Computer Science and Computer Engineering   15
  Or an elective approved by the course adviser   15

Honours in Master of Health Information Management
Bachelor of Information Systems/Master of Health Information Management (Honours) (SZISHH) – Melbourne (Bundoora)

Applicants for Honours in Health Information Management will be selected in the third year of the course. The application process will be competitive and the applicants will need a minimum weighted mark of 70% over the previous 120 credit points of the course. Places will be offered based on academic merit.

Fourth year (Honours) (120 credit points)

Core subjects (105 credit points)

Teaching period Subject name Subject code CP
TE-SEM-1 Health Classification and Clinical Coding C HIM5CCC 15
TE-SEM-1 Health Information Management C HIM4HMC 15
TE-SEM-1 Principles of Health Informatics D HIM5IHD 15
TE-SEM-1 Professional Practice D HIM5PPD 15
TE-SEM-2 Health Data Analysis B HIM5AHB 15
TE-SEM-2 Research Project in Health Information Management HIM5RPH 15
TE-SEM-2 Research Methods in Health 5 PHE5RMH 15

Elective (15 credit points)

Students must choose 15 credit points of elective subjects from the following list.

Teaching period Subject name Subject code Credit Points
TE-SEM-1 Decision Support Services CSE4DSS 15
TE-SEM-1 Entrepreneurship in IT CSE4ENT 15
TE-SEM-2 Advanced Databases CSE4ADB 15
TE-SEM-2 Business Intelligence Engineering CSE4BIE 15
Fifth year (Honours) (45 credit points)
Teaching period Subject name Subject code Credit Points
TE-SEM-1 Thesis HIM5TMB 45

Honours in Bachelor of Information Systems

Honours degree students are selected based on their performance following the fourth year of the course. To qualify for entry to the Honours year in information systems students must obtain a minimum average of 60% across all of their third year subjects and obtain an average of at least 70% over their best third year level computer science and computer-engineering subjects (which must include a project) to the value of 60 credit points. The subjects CSE3ISB (30 credit points) will count as 15 credit points only in this calculation. Meeting this requirement, however, does not guarantee a place in the Honours year as resources may limit the total number of places available, and students are expected to find a supervisor prior to re-enrolment.

Please see the Honours entry under the Bachelor of Information Systems for more information.

Please note: Some of these subjects may not be offered in the current year. For a full description of subjects, including the subject name, subject code, credit points, campus/location, teaching period and availability, subject coordinator, class requirements, assessment, prerequisites and readings, please click on the appropriate Subject Code or refer to the Subject Database at www.latrobe.edu.au/udb_public.