• Computer Science and Information Technology requires you to have a solid foundation in Mathematics and ability in problem-solving
• As the technology advances, Computer Science and Information Technology has grown into a multidisciplinary course with various specialisations available
• You may study Computer Science and Information Technology through Diploma and/or Degree

Computer Science and Information Technology have become fundamental to the way we live, work, socialise and play. It is an exciting and fast-moving field of study, which will allow you to combine your skills of problem-solving, analysis and creative thinking to come up with solutions for various technological hurdles.

If you choose to study Computer Science and Information Technology, you need to have a solid foundation in Mathematics and love to solve logical problems. Having a strong mathematical perspective will help you tremendously in coming up with algorithms to solve problems. Logical thinking will not only be useful in your career as you must be able to structure your solutions to computing problems in logical steps, just as how a computer would process it.

‘’Although Computer Science and Information Technology requires to study a lot of theories and programming languages, it is a very practical industry and you will learn the most from internship and work experience’’

Training in Computer Science and Information Technology will help you to become a confident user and manager of information technologies; to administer and manage network or database systems; and to develop new software solutions to meet specific market or organisational needs. Good training in this industry opens up the world of technology and an array of exciting career opportunities.

Note that some universities offer Information Technology while others offer Computer Science. Generally, the latter is more theoretical but some schools simply categorise one or the other interchangeably. Look into the course content before choosing a major to know exactly what you will learn.

Computer Science and Information Technology has grown into a multidisciplinary course with various specialisations available. Some institutions also offer it as a complementary major.

Fields

• Artificial Intelligence relates to a machine that can perceive its environment and takes flexible and rational actions to maximise its goals.
• Information Security Managementrelates to security for devices and networks.
• Software Engineeringrelates to the understanding of computer architecture that helps to design and develop software systems.
• Computer Networkrelates to technology skills to design, install, configure and maintain network systems.

Types of jobs

• Business analyst
• Data mining specialist
• Software engineer
• Mobile app developer
• Game developer
• Systems designer
• Network specialist
• Research analyst
• Software quality assurance officer
• Enterprise distributed application developer
• IT analyst
• IT auditor
• IT project manager

Successful people/ companies

• Baidu is a Chinese web services company that offers 57 search and community services including a Chinese search engine for websites, audio files and images, Baidu Baike (an online, collaboratively built encyclopedia), Baidu Music and a searchable, keyword-based discussion forum. Baidu was established in 2000 by Robin Li and Eric Xu, both of whom are Chinese nationals. In 2005, Baidu was listed on NASDAQ, and in 2007 became the first Chinese company to be included in the NASDAQ-100 Index.

There are several pathways to your desired degree after your Secondary Education. You can choose to pursue a Pre-University course, a Foundation in Science (or IT) in your chosen university or a Diploma in Computer Science and Information Technology. Upon completion of any of those qualification, you will then be eligible to pursue a Degree in Bioscience. As it is a constantly advancing and changing field, you will find yourself learning, developing and operating new things.

Types of qualifications

• Foundation in Science
• Diploma in Computer Science and Information Technology
• Degree in Computer Science and Information Technology

Entry requirement

• Good pass in Secondary Education. Subject prerequisites may apply.
• Minimum 3 credits in Secondary Education. Subject prerequisites may apply.
• Good pass in Secondary Education and a Pre-University course, Diploma or Foundation in Science.*

Duration of courses

• 1 year
• 2 to 3 years
• 3 to 4 years

*As a rule of thumb: ‘A’ Level minimum 2 Es; STPM minimum 2 Cs; Australian Pre-University minimum of ATAR 60.0; CPU minimum average of 55% in 6 subjects; Diploma minimum CGPA of 2.0; Foundation in Science minimum CGPA of 2.0. All qualifications should include Mathematics.