Please note - Swinburne University of Technology

A business modelling major or minor will provide students
with valuable tools and skills that will complement majors or
minors undertaken in other disciplines.
The applied approach to business modelling and data
anlaysis adopted within the discipline is designed to meet
the needs of both industry and the business community.
Stage one provides students with an introduction to basic
business modelling and data anlaysis tools required to
support subsequent studies, both within the business
modelling and other faculty disciplines.
Stage two introduces a variety of analytical tools and
provides the additional skills that can be applied directly to
everyday problems in the business world; resource allocation
(fundamental to the world of commerce); business
forecasting (essential for business survival); managing
inventory; basic decision making and planning for changes in
Australia's population attributes (necessary to understand
changing business markets).
Stage three provides students with additional tools that are
necessary to enable an analysis of a number of real-world
business modelling problems. This stage is also designed to
strengthen and focus the skills already obtained enhancing
the value of possessing these skills to the business
community.
In today's business world, very little can be achieved without
the application of business modelling practices and
techniques. Students completing a major or minor sequence
of study in business modelling will also inherit valuable
multi-disciplinary skills that are extremely marketable within
the business community.
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In today's world, information technology has pervaded every
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computing and information systems is vital for any business
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There are a number of discipline areas within computing
and the student can select options based an interest or
career aspirations. These options can be categorised under
three main headings:
Business computing
This would be taken by students who would see themselves
as users of information systems rather than computer
professionals. The emphasis is on the effective use of
information technology within an organisation and the
development of skills for solving business problems.
Business systems
This would be taken by students who wish to focus on the
anlaysis of business information needs as a basis for
specification of computer based information systems rather
than the technical aspects of design and development.
Software development
Students taking this area will use a wide range of computer
software. They will be seeking to specialise in the design,
development and implementation of computer based
systems in the business environment.
Selecting one of these options in combination with other
relevant business studies enables the graduate to effectively
apply information technologies in the solving of business
problems.
Students who select appropriate units from the information
systems offerings qualify for level one membership of the
Australian Computer Society.
Economics
Understanding economic principles is a fundamental
requirement for a career in business. An economic approach
to important practical social and business problems is the
focus of the economics major.
Stage one is designed to acquaint students with economic
principles necessary to understand and evaluate economic
commentary and reports and to analyse the operations of
government and industry in Australia.
In stage two students may choose from units which
emphasise the relationship between industry and
government; managerial economics; environmental
economics; industrial relations; macro-economic policy and
economic techniques used in business.
Third stage provides an added insight into some of the
specialist practical areas in economics, such as international
trade, international finance, public finance, financial
institutions and monetary policy and industry relevant
economic research.
Students completing an economics major find employment
in a wide range of challenging fields. These include administration
in both public and private sectors, management
consulting, economic policy evaluation and financial analysis
and economic research.
Finance
Finance is a field of study which is concerned with financial
and capital markets, government influences on those
markets and the role of the organisation within this
framework. Finance theory is a relatively recent development,
and draws on the disciplines of both economics and
accounting. It is taught under the auspices of both
departments. A finance major will equip graduates with a
knowledge of: financial instruments which are available;
investment options available for both personal and enterprise
investment; how different forms of financial markets
function; the relationship between risk and reward; and the
relationship between the business enterprise and financial
markets, both domestic and international. It will lead to
knowledge which assists in making financial decisions for an
organisation.
Marketing
Successful companies take the path of 'market focus', ie.
their strategies are customer driven. Marketing deals with
the building and implementation of customer focus.
The meaning of marketing is often misunderstood.
Understandably so, as we see many magnificent advertisements
with out any real substance as to customer benefits
andlor the delivety of these benefits. Frequently no
distinction is made between selling and marketing.
Unfortunately marketing has been introduced into many
organisations as the 'inword', a kind of cosmetic change, the
solution to the company's problems, without changing the
focus and the attitudes prevailing in the organisation. It has
not worked resulting in companies becoming disillusioned
with marketing. These companies did not understand the
meaning of marketing.
What does it mean? The answer is relatively simple: put
yourself inside the skin of your customers and forget youself
for a while. That in itself is difficult to do, but that is exactly
the difference between cosmetic and real marketing.
To make this transition involves a rethink on your part.
Instead of thinking on behalf of your customers you have