BlogUniversityPros and Cons of a Bachelor of Information Technology (Information Systems) at QUT

Pros and Cons of a Bachelor of Information Technology (Information Systems) at QUT

If you’ve read up on what it’s like studying a Bachelor of Information Technology (Information Systems) at QUT and you’re now looking for an in-depth review of the course, look no further, because you’ve come to the perfect place!

We scored a chat with Jack, an Information Systems graduate, who gave us a rundown on his experience in the course. 

If you’re searching for the ins and outs, the ups and downs, and the pros and cons of Information Systems at QUT, keep on scrolling. 

Let’s go! 

Why should you study an Information Systems degree at QUT?
Top 3 Pros of an Information Systems Degree
Top 3 Cons of an Information Systems Degree
Mistakes You Shouldn’t Make
Things to Know Before Starting QUT Information Systems
What Makes this Degree Different
Motivations for Studying QUT Information Systems
Potential Career Paths

Why should you study an Information Technology degree at QUT?

The Bachelor of Information Technology (Information Systems) is a 3-year undergraduate degree at QUT offered to computing whizzes, programming fanatics and budding mathematicians, or any student just wanting to learn and develop their knowledge in IT! 

Whether you’re a seasoned IT enthusiast or have never touched on the subject, the Bachelor of Information Technology is waiting for you and is a great option for every student, no matter your starting ability. This is university we’re talking about, so you’re going to learn everything you need to know in the course! 

Information Systems QUT - Quote

IT is a field that utilises computers to retrieve and store importation data and information. As technology becomes more and more ubiquitous and complex, IT is an industry that’s only going to increase in relevance and importance, so get your foot in the door where you can! 

QUT’s Bachelor of Information Technology (Information Systems) takes on a business-focused approach to teach the technical and professional skills required to plan, create and monitor complex IT projects. You’ll learn about the advanced processes which apply statistical and mathematical techniques to computer programs and software. 

As a Bachelor of Information Technology student, you’ve got two options when it comes to majors. You can either specialise in Information Systems like Jack did or major in Computer Science. Either one would be great but in this article, we’re diving into the Information Systems major. 

Top 3 Pros of an Information Systems degree

#1: The group assignments develop essential skills 

While a majority of us aren’t the most keen on group assessments, especially when there’s the off chance that you’re the one stuck doing all the work, Jack reminded us of how important they can be in developing some essential skills! 

Some of the units I found really helpful, I didn’t realise it at the time, but a lot of the subjects develop really long-term skills. You’ll develop a lot of skills doing group assignments. In some subjects, the entire grade is based on group assignments, so you’ve got your capstone project, design thinking which requires group work,” Jack said. 

“You’ll definitely get a lot of interesting people who end up in your groups. Now that I’ve been in the industry for a few years now, it was definitely the first taste I got of working with people with different personality types and different motivations.”

So, there you go! Not so bad, is it? You’ll be meeting new people, gaining experience and figuring it all out! 

#2: Relevant and informative content 

Another great feature of Information Systems at QUT is that the course is full of relevant, transferable and useful content that you’re going to continually use no matter the career path you intend to take. 

Jack specifically recognised the benefits of a consulting class he took, which enabled him to feel comfortable in his future consulting job. 

“As a background, I do consulting now, so we had a great consulting class that was really helpful to get me here. It teaches you how to talk to clients and stakeholders while also allowing you to translate things that are more technical into more business-speak, without dumbing it down too much,” Jack explained. 

So, not only will you be learning about the ins and outs of Information Technology, but you’re also understanding it in a way to enable you to share that knowledge with other people, in a simplified and digestible way. You’ll basically be everyone else’s avenue into IT. Cool! 

#3: Work experience opportunities 

Jack told us that he was a big fan of the Capstone Project built into the Bachelor of Information Technology program at QUT. Capstone Project 1 and 2 are the main classes that will give you a proper taste of the professional world and industry. 

“They’re really industry-focused, so you’d have an industry client, so companies like BHP or Rio Tinto, whoever the lecturers can get that year, and as a student collective, you respond to a bunch of problems and design solutions,” said Jack.

The Capstone Project units are designed to offer students the opportunity to work with leading industry actors. You’ll get to work under the guidance of industry professionals to develop initial concepts, feasibility analyses, evaluate and play-test every stage of the project.  

“It’s not always to do with solutions either — a lot of the time, depending on your group, it’s a mixture of the information system majors and the computer science majors, so in my group we ended up writing an application, delivering that and then working on a prototype for the final workshop or presentation,” Jack explained. 

He added that the Capstone Projects were “probably the closest we got to real work experience”.

Top 3 Cons of an Information Systems degree

#1: There are some repetitive classes

According to Jack, when he was studying the Bachelor of Information Technology at QUT he noticed that some of the units were a tad repetitive. While repetition is great to solidify your understanding of certain subjects, Jack explained that there were a couple subjects that had a bit too much of an overlap. 

“There were a few classes that kind of touched on the same thing, so they had a few in business process modelling focussed on building process models and they’re really useful and definitely have come into play at work a lot, but not as much as I thought they would. Obviously that’s dependent on the career,” he said. 

Jack added, “A lot of those classes tend to over-teach things or at least they tend to overlap a bit. It wasn’t like a succession between harder classes, it just overlapped. Some of the material was the same in the classes.”

#2: If you’re transferring into the course, you may miss out on classes 

While this negative is particular to Jack’s situation, it’s still something to keep in mind if you’re planning on undertaking bridging courses or transferring into the Bachelor of Information Technology. 

Jack found that since he undertook a diploma, he felt like he missed out on some classes that he otherwise wished he could’ve taken. 

“I did a Diploma of Networking and because of that, I missed out on a few subjects that I would’ve liked to do just because they weren’t offered at the right time for me,” Jack explained. 

This would also be a good time to give a shout out to the range of diplomas and bridging courses that QUT has on offer. Even if you don’t quite get the 70 ATAR, there’s still a way into the course. 

The QUT College offers a bunch of pathway programs into the Bachelor programs for students who may have missed out on entry. QUT understands that one number in no way defines a student, and definitely can’t indicate someone’s interests, abilities or skill! 

If you’re looking for a way into the Bachelor of Information Technology program at QUT, your best bet would be through the Diploma in Information Technology

#3: The subject outline is quite prescriptive 

Like a lot of jam packed uni courses, the Information Technology subject outline is relatively rigid in its requirements, but that just means you can be certain that you’ll learn everything there is to know as an Information Technology professional. There’s also a decent amount of elective units, so don’t worry, you’ll still get a couple of chances to explore other disciplines. 

Jack said, “I suppose one of the negatives is that sometimes the subject flexibility isn’t great. You’re better off planning not just your next semester but your next few semesters to make sure you can cover the subjects you’re interested in.

Because I started mid-year, it made it really difficult for me to do the certain subjects that I wanted to do.” 

You can take a look at the Bachelor of Information Technology subject outline right here

Any regrets? 

Jack explained that while he got a lot out of the Bachelor of Information Technology (and it helped him score a job), he told us that he regrets not varying his units a little bit more. As we mentioned earlier, since the subject outline is relatively structured, you may be better off broadening your horizons with some funkier classes as you’re choosing electives. 

Of course, choosing your electives is completely up to you. Maybe you’d like to utilise your 96 credit points of electives to hone in on your maths skills or, if you’re feeling explorational, you could take a subject totally out of your comfort zone. Maybe an arts or social science unit to balance the Information Technology load! It’s totally up to you but Jack explained he wished that he’d branched out a little more. 

“I think it comes down to not varying my subjects more. For me, a lot of the classes I took were very similar to one another. I don’t know if I chose them similar but at the time I thought they were the ones I’d get the most value out of,” Jack said. 

What do you wish you had known before starting Information Systems at QUT? 

#1: Get to know your faculty 

As an Information Systems student, your go-to faculty will be the Faculty of Science and within that faculty, you’ll report to the School of Information Systems. This means you’ll get to know experienced and accomplished tutors specifically within Information Systems while also having access to broader science-related resources. 

Jack told us that getting to know your faculty and asking questions when needed is fundamental if you’re wanting to get the best out of uni. 

The faculty helped when there were any concerns or issues, so it was really beneficial. I remember at one stage, there was a unit without enough tutorials, a few of us flagged that, and the faculty sorted it out really quickly,” Jack said. 

He advised, “Don’t be afraid to talk to your faculty. A lot of the time my friends would actually complain about things without having gone to talk to the faculty or their support staff. If you have an issue or you’re struggling with certain subjects, there are plenty of resources available.” 

#2: Get involved with all the societies 

Following on from getting to know your faculty, something else that Jack shared was the importance of engaging and getting involved with all the societies at your uni. By joining a group or club, you’re automatically upping your chances to make new friends, get to know the industry and attend networking opportunities! 

Jack said, “Get involved in societies and network as much as you can. I think it really pays off when you’re looking for jobs once you graduate. There’s a lot of opportunities at QUT, you’ve just got to search for them.”

And he’s right! QUT has a wide variety of clubs and societies for all current and potential students. Whether you’d like to join the Civil Engineering Social Society, the Rock Climbing Club or the Dungeons and Dragons Guild, QUT has got you covered. 

Check out all of your club and society options here

What makes this degree different from the ones offered at other universities? 

Not only is QUT ranked #9 in Australia for Computer Science and Information Systems, but their technology-focussed approach and central location provided everything Jack was looking for in a university. 

“Honestly for me, it was the location primarily. QUT was a lot closer for me, a lot more central to my job and on top of that, I think QUT is a pretty technology-focussed university so the degree just lined up with what I wanted to do,” highlighted Jack.

If you scored the 70 ATAR (or even if you didn’t), the Bachelor of Information Technology majoring in Information Systems might be the perfect next step for you. If you’re looking for a sign, let this be it! 

What inspired you to choose Information Systems at QUT?

“At school, the only thing I was really interested in was IT, but I wasn’t so interested in the programming side of it. I did it and I was okay at it, but I didn’t enjoy it enough to do it at a job every day,” Jack said. 

He added, “I’m a lot more people-focussed and I like to talk to people about problem solving. I just love technology and how it can affect and improve people’s lives, so I think for me the degree and major kind of aligned with that.” 

Since Jack has always been pretty keen on IT, it only made sense to apply for the Bachelor of Information Technology. And lucky he did, because the degree allowed him to score a great consulting position where he still uses the knowledge he developed at uni to this day! 

While Jack always had his eye on IT, his choice of majoring in Information Systems as opposed to Computer Science was pretty thought through: 

“The Computer Science major is a lot more STEM-focussed, a lot more programming oriented whereas in Information Systems there’s more of an analysis side to it and it focusses on how it fits into business. The degree just aligned more with what I was interested in and what I thought I wanted to do.” 

What are the possible career paths?

Information Systems QUT - Careers

See! Even within the IT world, you’ve got a huge variety of career paths to choose from. After graduating from the Bachelor of Information Technology (Information Systems) you could go on to focus on the business side or IT, the engineering side, the maths side or the education side! Seriously, the world is your oyster with this degree. 

Since you’ll graduate with essential and highly sought after skills in design, analysis, systems thinking, stakeholder engagement, modelling and abstraction, you’re already going to fly to the top of potential employer’s selection lists.

If we take into consideration the experience that you’ll develop as part of your Capstone Projects, voluntary internships and general work experience, you could graduate with everything an employer is looking for. 

You could score a position in social media, business management, mobile development, programming or academia! 

Discover roles you could end up in with a Bachelor of Information Technology here!


Gemma Billington is a Content Writer at Art of Smart and an undergraduate student at the University of Technology Sydney. While studying Journalism and Social and Political Sciences, Gemma enjoys spending her time at the gym or reading about Britain’s medieval monarchy – ideally not at the same time. She currently creates and administers social media posts for Central News and writes for the student publication, The Comma. After completing her undergraduate degree, she hopes to study a Masters of Medieval History and is very excited about the prospect!

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