How your first year in an IT undergraduate prepares you for the future

How your first year in an IT undergraduate prepares you for the future

Before starting a course in IT you’ll want to know how RMIT puts tomorrow in your hands. At RMIT your first year prepares you for the future of work with hands-on experiences like hackathons.

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Whether you’ve got a passion for software or want to develop your understanding of artificial intelligence, choosing an RMIT course in IT will give you the skills for the work of tomorrow.  

Our undergraduate IT courses have been designed to give you more flexibility in your studies while allowing you to tailor your degree to better suit your passions and dream outcome. From a new first-year structure to a greater focus on hands-on learning, RMIT’s undergrad IT courses give you the tools and means to stem to what’s next.  

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What you’ll learn about information technology in your first year

The career outcomes and expertise will differ depending on the study option that you take, however our courses in IT now have a lot in common during the first year of study.   

This makes it easier than ever to switch your course if you decide that you may prefer another IT course, over your current study. This applies to the following courses and their variants:

This common first year will allow you to work towards an exciting career in IT, but with the knowledge that if you change your mind you can pivot to a different specialty at any time in your first year. For example, during your first year you’ll learn software skills that will be useful throughout your career - no matter the industry.

This prepares you to explore the specialisations of your course while helping you gain skills that you will use in your career. For example, the common first year will teach you software skills that you’ll often rely upon in your future work. 

The Bootcamp2Studio model

At RMIT we use a teaching model known as ‘Bootcamp2Studio’ across our IT courses. This model gives you the chance to establish a theory-based foundation in sessions known as ‘bootcamps’ for the first six weeks of the semester before you go on to hands-on, studio-style learning for the remainder of the semester.   

While the bootcamp sessions help you focus on one fundamental area of IT, such as programming, the studio classes teach you broader computing concepts like databases, computer systems and networking.

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The Bootcamp2Studio model has been developed by a large team of academics led by Professor John Thangarajah, who noted that RMIT has been one of the first universities in Australia to deliver the subject this way. All courses in the model were designed with input from organisations and employers in relevant industries, to ensure that students get the skills they need for their future jobs. 

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Progressing to the studio

The studio portion of Bootcamp2Studio is explored in Semester 2. This is when you go into more advanced techniques, working in teams on projects where you will learn collaboratively and dive into lessons that are directly informed by industry leaders like Adobe.   

Studio learning environments teach you software programming skills and all about information technology concepts like backend systems, user interface design, databases, and security. You’ll also get hands-on experience with these concepts in hackathons, entrepreneurship competitions, showcases and industry events.  

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A hackathon is a learning and problem-solving exercise between small teams of students that takes place over a day or two. 

At the beginning of these projects, you'll get an industry mentor to work with to help you solve your team’s problem, giving you a connection to industry and an understanding of their needs. 

A hackathon is all about consolidating the skills you've learned and using them in a team. This reflects real-world environments where you need to communicate and find a solution together. 

In our hackathon sessions, the RMIT Activator team designs a challenge for students and acts as the judging panel. You’ll also receive mentorship from the RMIT Activator team while you participate in the hackathon, giving you insights into technical skills and how they are used day-to-day in industry roles. 

Getting hands-on with an internship

If you want to get a taste of your future career early, look no further than these courses in IT: 

These courses include an extra year where you undertake a 12-month internship that gives you the chance to take your IT skills to the next level in real-world environments.   

Not only will this internship help you build a professional network, but it's also a unique opportunity for you to develop your professional and technical skills. RMIT staff will assist you in finding these internships based on your skills and interests with companies, from NAB, Accenture or Deloitte to start-ups.  

RMIT’s courses in IT put the future in your hands and give you tailored learning you need to land the perfect role. What’s next stems from here when you can learn about the tech of the future your way.   

 

 

Story: Jacob Johnston 

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Acknowledgement of Country

RMIT University acknowledges the people of the Woi wurrung and Boon wurrung language groups of the eastern Kulin Nation on whose unceded lands we conduct the business of the University. RMIT University respectfully acknowledges their Ancestors and Elders, past and present. RMIT also acknowledges the Traditional Custodians and their Ancestors of the lands and waters across Australia where we conduct our business - Artwork 'Luwaytini' by Mark Cleaver, Palawa.

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aboriginal flag
torres strait flag

Acknowledgement of Country

RMIT University acknowledges the people of the Woi wurrung and Boon wurrung language groups of the eastern Kulin Nation on whose unceded lands we conduct the business of the University. RMIT University respectfully acknowledges their Ancestors and Elders, past and present. RMIT also acknowledges the Traditional Custodians and their Ancestors of the lands and waters across Australia where we conduct our business.

More information