Careers with Code 2014 by Refraction Media

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heads up Careers in computer science are diverse, exciting and in demand. Australia’s Chief Scientist, Ian Chubb, and the Director of Engineering at Google Australia, Alan Noble, believe you can use these skills to invent an incredible future.

ustralia was once home to one of the world’s top computers. It was 1949, and our computer was just the fifth of its kind ever built. It weighed as much as a rhino stacked on an elephant, it filled the space of a double garage and it cost more to power than a suburban street. For a little country, it was a big deal. Today, you could fit all the data that computer was able to store in your pocket, on a smartphone – with 99.9996% of your storage capacity left over. You can do in seconds, things that once took an organisation like NASA months or even years to complete. You’re part of a world wide web that links together some 10 billion individual devices with more than 2 billion users. The web is growing. And so are the opportunities for your future in computer science. Studying computer science doesn’t just offer you the technical knowledge that’s needed in every industry and soon in every business. It prepares you to be a leader of change.

The future needs fast movers and big ideas. Above all, it needs people who can grasp a complex problem and build the solution required – with talent, creativity and flair. If any employer is looking for those sorts of people – and they should be – I’d suggest they start in the computer science classrooms of Australia. I hope they might find you there. Aim high, work hard and good luck – the future belongs to you! Professor Ian Chubb AC, Australia’s Chief Scientist

rom Wi-Fi to the cochlear implant, to technology startups like Atlassian, Australia has a long history of creation and innovation. While most of these innovations have a strong component or even foundation in computer science, the number of computer science (CS) graduates in Australia is in decline. So how do we turn this around? We need to start by broadening the understanding of what careers in CS can lead to. CS has a strong foundation in maths and science – but it’s not just about code and programming. At its core, it’s about computational thinking and problem-solving – looking at the big challenges the world is facing and designing solutions to solve them. It’s about combining CS with other disciplines and discovering new insights and solutions on every scale.

CS + X (where “X” is your passion) is not new. It has a long history in the sciences: CS + physics = computational physics, CS + chemistry = computational chemistry, CS + biology = bioinformatics, etc. But it doesn’t stop with science. “X” can be virtually anything. For example: CS + retail = online shopping; CS + finance = “fin tech”, think online banking, personal finance management, etc; CS + music = products like Pandora; CS + health = devices like fitbit, and so on. There’s even an Aussie startup that combines CS + crime fighting. The opportunities are endless. We hope this guide will inspire you to think big and take up the challenge to solve the world’s big problems. By combining CS with your passion, your “X”, anything is possible. Alan Noble, Director of Engineering, Google Australia

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Discover new ideas, careers and study options... <STARTUP> 5

Kickstart your career! From space to Antarctica, and from hackathons to billion-dollar businesses, computer science (CS) leads to some amazing careers. First steps So what if you’re not a super geek! You can give CS a go no matter what your background is.

10 Ready, set... If you do CS at uni, what will you be learning during study hours? And where does it all lead? 12 Jump in! Get some experience in CS right where the action is!

<PROBLEM-SOLVERS> 18 Smart solutions Tackle the world’s big issues with CS + science! Google Maps helps people during disasters, while an electronic engineer takes on mega projects.

22 bold ideas CS + business or law = surprising opportunities. Meet two best friends who skyrocketed to success by mixing CS with business.

<HEALERS> 28 New dimensions CS + health = exciting new ways to treat disease and save lives.

<CREATORS> 30 Creative coders CS + design = artistic explosion! Check out an app that gives you customised radio and find out how one designer makes tech more user-friendly.

<TEACHERS> 34 Tech for teaching There’s a wealth of opportunities for those inspired to help others learn using CS + education.

35 Quiz: what is your CS + X? Take our test – no study required!

<FUTURE> 36 Where to next? Technology will reinvent our world. How? That’s up to you…

<DIRECTORY> 38 It starts here... Your guide to degrees that combine CS with cool stuff.

<uni highlights> 14 UNSW Australia Robot superstars. 16 australian national university CS + music, travel apps and more. 21 macquarie university Build your skills and compete. 24 University of melbourne Giving startups a boost. 27 federation university Opening industry doors. 32 rmit university Careers in video games.

Boot Up Your Career in Computer Science Whether you want to design computer systems for multinational businesses or make a splash developing the next killer app, RMIT has a program to get your career started. Explore your options with programs like: • Associate Degree in Information Technology

• Bachelor of Information Technology (Games and Graphics Programming)

• Certificate IV in Information Technology Networking

• Bachelor of Information Technology

• Bachelor of Software Engineering

• Bachelor of Technology (Computing Studies)

• Bachelor of Computer Science > Visit the website for more information

Be true to you

www.rmit.edu.au/programs/computing

Hamzah Soboh Bachelor of Software Engineering

kickstart your career!

SHUTTERSTOCK

In Antarctica, using equipment like this telecommunication unit at German Neumayer Station II, computer scientists gather and transmit research data, while also controlling systems that keep the crew alive.

From the far reaches of space to the coolest places on Earth, and from running a hackathon to starting up a billion-dollar business, computer science leads to some amazing careers. Fran Molloy reports

to write, decode and understand software. And as demand for people with strong software and data analysis expertise skyrockets, not nearly enough students are graduating from Australian universities with those skillsets. The Office of the Chief Scientist reports that computer science graduates make up just 2% of Australia’s total domestic graduates each year – that’s 30% less than the global average.

echnology is advancing rapidly, so how do you skill yourself up for a career that may not exist yet? Or prepare for the perfect job – one that blends your passions with the needs of a changing society? Computer science is used everywhere on Earth – and beyond. It plays a part in everything we do – from the smartphones in our pockets to the smartcards we use to travel. Data, software and engineering build the information networks that track our health, wealth and selfies. Computers aren’t just laptops, phones and tablets. They’re found in TVs, toys, weapons, appliances and medical systems. And all of these run on software. No matter where you work, software is a big part of planning, doing and reviewing what gets done. While most people use computers, few have the knowhow to create with code. Programming skills give you the ability

Where can it take you? In Antarctica, computer scientists gather data and code software for everything from complex ice radar systems and weather stations to the heating systems that keep the crew alive through the long, cold winter. As the International Space Station (ISS) revolves above us in low Earth orbit, computer scientists continually update

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Who would you work for? Computer scientists work at the world’s most valuable public companies – think Google, Microsoft, Apple, IBM and Samsung – in everything from the teams designing new products to top leadership roles. But it’s not just tech companies that hire computer scientists – nearly every major company in the world now relies on software designers, data analysts and computer programmers: hospitals, major pharmaceutical companies, airlines, car manufacturers, shipping companies, farming companies and supermarkets.

Telecommunication companies rely on software engineers to develop most of the new features in the smartphones you’ll want to buy next year. Computer scientists are also in big demand in Hollywood, developing production tools and special effects engines for most major movies today. Codes, wires and cloud Choosing a computing-related field at university can give you opportunities in some of the most exciting careers around. But with hundreds of Australian undergraduate degrees with ‘computer’ or ‘technology’ in the title, the range of choice can be overwhelming (see guide on p38). Both computer science and software engineering degrees will teach you programming skills, but if you prefer theoretical study and are interested in scientific challenges, computer science might be more your thing. Computer science is about designing algorithms and languages, systems and applications software and hardware. Computer scientists focus on the programming, maths and core technologies involved in using a computer to solve a scientific, business or social problem.

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and improve its core operations, gathering data and sending new enhancements. Most people working up on the ISS have a strong computer science background, such as US astronaut Reid Wiseman, who holds a degree in computer and systems engineering. Back on the ground in Belgium, Andrea Boyd, a mechatronics engineer whose degree from the University of Adelaide combined computer science with robotics, is part of an ISS research team investigating the activity on the surface of the Sun. The team has even moved the whole space station to get a better view for the research.

Nearly every major company in the world relies on computer scientists. Coding is a skill that can take you anywhere!

can you hack it?

s an open programming Each year, the government run nge coders from many event called GovHack to challe different backgrounds. night and

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ia Waugh says she has the coolest job ever. As director of Gov 2.0 in ent the Federal Government Departm as elf hers es crib of Finance, Pia des er” “open data ninja” and “head cat-herd n ope est bigg ia’s for one of Austral programming events, a 48-hour ‘hackathon’ called GovHack. In 2014, more than 1300 people ss in 200 teams from 11 cities acro s site ous vari at Australia met up : on a weekend in July. Their mission g usin s tion lica app new To create great and tion rma info lic pub freely available pete government data. Oh, and to com ey. mon e priz in for around $70,000

The teams star t on a Friday and have 48 hours to create a solution and y mar sum o vide produce a short up ‘pitch’. In the following month, it’s er. winn the ide dec to to a public vote : Some of the 2014 projects include the and GPS s use h Rain Parrot, whic r Bureau of Meteorology rain rada is rain n whe t aler to send you an 15 minutes away; CancerMash, cer which summarises trends in can which ll, eyba Mon ect statistics; and Proj . info lic pub ns atio don l makes politica ents stud ol scho high Pia says even participate in GovHack. “It’s not just to a way to develop their skills, but also

Marita makes robots to help people with disabilities.

Tech girls rule!

Software engineering will suit you if you like the practical side of computing. You’ll go into depth on software creation and learn to design, produce, test and maintain large-scale software systems. If you’re interested in the machinery of computers, or in how electronics and software interact, electrical engineering or mechatronics might be up your alley.

A digital career is a dynamic way to create, invent and have fun.

enine women who’s Beekhuyzen carved out a says technology fascinating tech offers loads of career. Marita chances for young founded Robogals people to have – a volunteer Jenine Beekhuyzen interesting and group that rewarding careers. encourages girls As head of the Tech Girls to do science, computing and Movement, an Adjunct engineering degrees – and Professor at Griffith was awarded 2012 Young University, and with her Australian of the Year. She own tech company, now runs her own company, Jenine is living proof! 2Mar Robotics, which makes When Jenine switched to mechanical arms for people IT from a business degree with disabilities. she “was one of the very Marita wanted to few girls in the classroom”. encourage girls to start She soon found her niche. programming because, “I’m not really a often, girls started doing programmer, I’m more into computer science degrees systems design, and I was without much programming very excited to find the experience compared to branch of information many of their male peers. systems and realise that “The best programmers it was really my thing.” are the ones who spend Jenine has written their spare time working on two books: Tech Girls projects or finding out about Are Superheroes and Tech technology,” Marita says. Girls Are Chic. Available to “Who doesn’t want to be students for free, the books a superhero?” Jenine adds. outline some of the amazing “The message behind roles in technology held Tech Girls is: you can take by Australian women. over the world, you can Marita Cheng is one of create your own future. our best-known young Come and join us.”

Computer science + X You can do computer science subjects in broad degrees like a Bachelor of Science or Arts, and even in law or health. Choose subjects that match your passions and give you job-ready digital skills. <continues p8>

It’s not just a way to develop their skills, but also to learn to work in the community.

work learn to work in the community, to to ce chan a them s give it and with code, the in , that s add Pia .” folio create a port on to past three years, some have gone ness. busi in and uni at s skill e apply thes show k Hac Gov at s tion crea Plus, the . “One potential beyond the competition on sieM Aus ed call e gam a ted team crea an trali Aus uses but n émo – it’s like Pok animals. Kids love those battle card games, so it was a real hit!”

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It means more career options when you graduate. employers are generally looking for people with really good problem-solving ability and practical skills.

industry internships – suddenly saying they wished they knew some programming or had done some computer science!” she says. Even students who don’t want to work in IT will benefit from adding these skills to their degree. “Most universities in Australia have a first year course like introduction to programming,” Tara says. “These sorts of courses teach you the language of computer science – basic programming skills that will let you communicate with the computer and get it to work for you in any discipline.” Once you have the foundation, you can continue learning about databases and building programming skills that you can use in a broad range of jobs. “It means more career options when you graduate,” Tara says. “Employers are looking for people with really good problem-solving ability and practical skills.”

highlight: UNSW Australia

Best foot forward design abulous shoes made to your own usual might not sound like part of your computer science career. l, but “It sounds more fashion than technica s skill r it’s all online so there are a lot of othe a Australi that feed into it,” explains UNSW Teh, who nda Beli uate grad nce scie r compute Shoes of works as a soft ware engineer for ent, web Prey. “It needs database managem k a lot design and networking. I also wor ering.” rend 3D and g ptin scri , hics with grap e Bel’s parents exposed her to the sam age, g activities as her brother from a youn ps. ksho wor ics tron elec th Smi Dick including nce, Always interested in maths and scie l trica elec ying stud ed ider she cons of the engineering, but chose CS because lved amazing projects she could get invo e. sinc back ed look ’t hasn she in – and

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Bel was part of UNSW Australia’s winning team in the 2014 RoboCup tournament in Brazil. She was in charge of programming the robots’ kicking action – to control details such as where to kick the ball, how to get the ball to a particular spot at a particular speed, and so on. “The idea is to code robots to play soccer and continually improve so that by 2050 we will have robots that can play against humans!” One day, Bel hopes to work for SpaceX – a company that designs, makes and launches spacecraft. “I’d love to go to Mars!” – Lynnette Hoffman

UNSW

Several US universities have introduced a new type of degree called ‘CS+X’, where you can mix computer science subjects with those from other disciplines without having to do a longer double degree. Tara Murphy is an astrophysicist at the University of Sydney, who also runs her own IT training company, Grok Learning, and is Director of the National Computer Science School. She says that, while there are some CS+X degrees in Australia, there’s enough flexibility in many other undergraduate courses to add CS into the mix. “There’s definitely growing awareness that doing a bit of computer science or IT will help you in other disciplines,” she says. The key is getting students to realise this before they start their degrees. “I see a lot of students in the third year of their degree – starting things like research projects or

FIRST STEPS H

ave you ever wondered how Google predicts your search query before you’ve finished typing it? Or how Google Maps finds the best route to your destination, and adapts it to the traffic conditions? Computer science is becoming more crucial to both science and our daily lives. From the app that wakes you at the optimal point in your sleep cycle to the discovery of the Higgs boson and controlling the Large Hadron Collider, computer science is rapidly changing our world. Computer scientists break problems down into manageable pieces. They use systematic problem-solving techniques to find amazing solutions. They can take a puzzle and write an algorithm that doesn’t just solve it, but does so in the fastest, most efficient and most elegant way. They are smart, practical people who use technology to solve big problems.

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SO WHAT IF YOU’RE NOT A SUPER GEEK! YOU CAN GIVE COMPUTER SCIENCE A GO NO MATTER WHAT YOUR BACKGROUND IS, SAYS Linda MCIver. So who can become a computer scientist? How can we recognise the kinds of people who will be good at these sorts of challenges? Are they people who have been programming forever, and spend their lives in darkened rooms sitting in front of glowing screens? Far from it! Computer scientists need to be able to think logically, but many people who start computer science at university have no programming experience. In fact, most Australian CS degrees have only one entry requirement, apart from your tertiary entrance score – maths. While programming experience is not necessary for you to make a start in CS at university, the important thing is to have a wide range of skills to solve a wide range of problems as computer scientists do. As computer scientists, we need to be able to communicate with people

I found myself doing more and more CS until it was all I was studying. I was hooked! 9

in all different fields so we can understand the problems they need us to solve. Combining computer science with another area that interests you is one of the most useful and interesting things you can do. You can do CS in double degrees with almost every other area of study, including music, commerce, law, education, design, engineering and biology. Understanding another area of research will help you apply computer science effectively to solve the problems in that field. For example, you’ll be able to build systems to find patterns in music, recognise relevant cases in law databases, simulate the impact of a mutated flu virus, or control a self-driving car. At uni, I did a science degree, intending to study genetics. Computer science was a fill-in subject, but I found myself doing more and more CS until it was all I was studying. I was hooked! If you like a challenge, love to solve problems, think logically and want to change the world, computer science is the way to go.

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Ready, set...

er omputer science degrees cov ation orm inf of the building blocks g erin and computation. Off on both a theoretical and handsect exp can grounding in the subject, you ate cre lls, ski to gain excellent programming , ign des to innovative apps and learn how re twa sof x ple implement and maintain com offer units on systems. Many courses also elements dge some of the most cutting-e including ay, of computer science (CS) tod xity, ple big data, games, graphics com s otic rob cloud computing, and even and artificial intelligence. The difference between CS and degrees information technolog y (IT) between is not set in stone and varies ng, the aki universities. Generally spe of tion term ‘IT’ refers to the applica , with ent pm software design and develo CS as ere more of a business focus, wh a ide d goo is more fundamental. It’s a m fro n to browse course informatio ich various universities to see wh lities. abi best fits your interests and

degrees Computer science for coding and give you the skills what will you much more – but g study hours? be learning durin it all lead? And where does Ben Skuse report

Course requirements any Surprisingly, you don’t need in beg to programming experience ea hav ies a CS degree. Most universit sion mis Ad y minimum Australian Tertiar CS o int ry Rank (ATAR) score for ent siderably, courses, which can vary con

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the future needs fast movers, big ideas and people with talent and creativity.

merce. philosophy, geography and com can head in With a CS degree, your career ’ll have the any direction. Better yet, you the better. chance to change society for are likely “CS will give you skills that ades,” says to be in demand in coming dec fast movers. Ian Chubb. “The future needs it needs It needs big ideas. Above all, plex problem people who can grasp a com ed – with and build the solution requir talent, creativity and flair. people “Employers will be looking for m gives the ng with these skills, and learni long a out g you a great chance of car vin an e hav and rewarding career. You’ll meaningful ing eth som do to ity opportun that helps others.” year Katrina Le, who’s in the second e enc of a Bachelor of Computer Sci Adelaide, of y rsit ive Un the at ) (Advanced to like originally thought she would h oug Thr work in the games industry. now her studies, however, she can . see her horizons expanding g software atin cre in ed olv inv g “Gettin in their that can help a lot of people opportunity everyday lives is definitely an I don’t want to miss.”

in your and require you to take maths . final high school exams ject whose “Mathematics is the only sub formance per es anc study consistently enh s say ,” nce across all fields of scie Chubb. Australia’s Chief Scientist, Ian fic and nti scie st mo “It forms the basis of ent.” pm elo dev industrial research and English in des gra e In addition, reasonabl L) for (ES ge gua Lan or English as a Second ary. ess nec are rs ake non-native English spe ies rsit ive un e som in It’s also an advantage 12. r Yea in s ject sub to have studied science pathways are Note that special admission ered to have sid con available for students kground bac d age come from a disadvant res Strait Tor and al and also for Aborigin Islander people. Where you may end up ning With the average graduate ear ir the in r yea a healthy $53,000 per r to doo the ns ope first full-time job, CS work ld cou You ies. ilit a spectrum of possib ss, ine bus n ow r you for a company, start tes dua Gra ic. dem aca teach or become an nt, me ern gov by er are highly sought aft ies, and any large and small tech compan artment. dep IT an other business with and cal lyti In addition, the ana from problem-solving skills gained many to ble era a CS degree are transf nal sio fes pro other sectors, such as g. kin ban and ser vices, marketing a broad up, end to nt Wherever you wa lore exp to le ilab ava range of options are ing dur ns sio pas and other subject areas of ad He r, kne Fal a your degree. Katrin e at the the School of Computer Scienc course a s run , ide University of Adela . ion cat edu h that combines CS wit of nd ble a is ch “Often this resear techniques, traditional computer science and ce gen elli such as artificial int chology or psy ion cat visualisation, and edu lains. exp she es,” iqu social science techn ld cou you ts jec Other potential sub include combine with your CS degree y, log bio , ges psycholog y, langua

Work + Study = experiences A great way to make the most of your degree is to do an internship while you study. Adding real-world skills to academic knowledge is great preparation for life after university. Numerous Australian organisations offer internships, from small tech businesses all the way up to government agencies and multinational companies. Here’s just a few: ATLASSIAN Internship program: year-round, flexible two-month internships for students from various disciplines. goo.gl/f7aNQv CSIRO Vacation scholarships: around 200 third-year university students per year spend their summer holidays working with CSIRO. goo.gl/ex5VMe GOOGLE Internships are offered across three project areas where you could end up working on maps, apps, geo and social products – and that’s just in the Sydney office. goo.gl/fxk067 MICROSOFT Intern program: a flexible program of up to 12 months for full-time students completing their final year at an Australian university in an undergraduate or postgraduate course. goo.gl/Ea2MK2

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JUMP in!

ith a mission to organise the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful, in its 16 years Google has changed the way we interact with our digital world. Since Larry Page and Sergey Brin founded the company on 4 September 1998, Google has become a global company employing around 50,000 people worldwide. During that time, the company transformed workplace culture and its name even became a verb! As a company that’s passionate about pushing the boundaries of digital technology, it’s no surprise that Google is excited about encouraging everyone to learn to code. Start with Code is their initiative to help Australians discover and unlock the potential of a career in computer science. “We really encourage everyone to learn to code,” says Sally-Ann Williams, Engineering Community & Outreach Program Manager at Google. “Learning to code offers the widest possible career path, as code and computer science touches every industry and even careers that don’t exist today. CS + X is the key to unlocking an amazing future, working on big problems and making a difference in the world.”

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Internships at Google are wildly popular. “A Google internship is a great way to start a career in software engineering,” says Sally-Ann. “Many of our interns convert to full-time employees on completion of their degree and have the opportunity to work at offices around the world and on different products over their career at Google. The real world skills you learn through an internship are great preparation for work in industry, further research, a PhD, or even starting your own company.” Opportunities vary from Software Engineering and Product Management Internships for final year students, to Summer Trainee Engineering Programs for first and second year students. Internships are full-time for university students. The cutting-edge work and the fun, social culture at Google mean that every experience is unique. And you don’t have to go halfway round the world to become a Google intern. “In Australia, we work on many global products – Maps, Chrome, Apps, Drive, Google+ and many others, and the engineering operations team works on back-end infrastructure, networking tools, networking engineering and more,” says Sally-Ann. “Each intern is embedded in one of these local teams and works alongside engineers on a project that fits their skills and challenges them to extend themselves.” TO GET THERE: Meet Google interns goo.gl/dmUkuU

LAUREN TROMPP

The best way to find out if CS is for you is to get some experience right where the action is. As a bonus, it could kickstart your career. Ben Skuse reports

going places Computer science has taken Lily Xia around the world working on products that people use every day.

oogle software engineer Lily loves being able to show her family and friends a product like Google Docs and say: “See what happens when you click that button? I did that!” Lily decided on her career in high school after she went to a computer science summer school run by the University of Sydney. There she learned the programming language Python and how to write a browser. “I was amazed by how much I learnt in that two weeks and what I could do with it! It became clear to me then that software engineering was what I wanted to do.” While girls are under-represented in computer science, once they start they excel at it like Lily has – even though she “never played computer games or did any hacking or programming before my studies.” At UNSW Australia in Sydney, Lily did a double degree in Engineering (Software Engineering) and Commerce (Finance). The finance part was to put her mum at ease, who was worried that the field of computing changes too quickly. When she graduated, Lily landed a job with Google. So far, her six-year career has taken her to 25 countries, including five years working for Google in New York and San Francisco. While the job has fulfilled her desire for travel, it’s the work itself that keeps her going. “What gets me up each day is the chance to create something out of nothing,” she says. “To make things that millions of people are going to use.” – Laura Boness

What gets me up each day is the chance to create something out of nothing – to make things that millions of people are going to use.

TO GET THERE: Bachelor of Engineering (Software)/ Bachelor of Commerce (Finance), UNSW Australia goo.gl/Cl21ff

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<HIGHLIGHT: UNSW>

Robot superstars Students at UNSW Australia develop their computer science skills through team research projects that include kicking a few awesome programming goals. Lynnette Hoffman reports

ustralia won the 2014 World Cup soccer in Brazil! You mightn’t have heard, however, because the players are all half a metre tall, made of plastic and, though they can field a ball and know their field positions, are not human. Every year, teams of autonomous robots from all over the world compete as the stars of RoboCup Soccer. A team of computer science and engineering students from UNSW Australia in Sydney took out the 2014 Standard Platform League competition, programming their team of robots to a 5-1 victory over a German university. But RoboCup, which promotes robotics and artificial intelligence research, is not just about sports. RoboCup Rescue, for example, is a project that researches the use of robots in disaster areas in order to speed up rescues and reduce the amount of time rescuers are exposed to dangerous conditions. Maurice Pagnucco heads up Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) at UNSW and says the university provides students with extensive opportunities to pursue projects they are passionate about. For example, student Mrinal Chakravarthy is working with the Redback Racing Team to build a data acquisition system for

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a Formula One-style car. It will be capable of reading several sensors at once, processing the data while the car is moving and displaying the information to the driver, as well as storing it for later analysis. “The operations within the system need to occur at a microsecond level,” Mrinal explains. The team is also developing a data-logger – an electronic device that records data quickly, reliably and, also, cheaply. CSE at UNSW assists the endeavours of students like Mrinal by making facilities and funding available. “CSE provides rent-free and low-rent space for up to a year for students and recent grads to create their own startups,” Mrinal says. Successful startups using the space so far include Mijura, which helps teams collaborate and manage tasks, and Foodbank Local, which matches food donors with welfare agencies who distribute food to people in need. There is also DevSpace – fitted out with a 3D printer, microprocessors, a virtual reality headset and other equipment – for students to build hardware and software projects. “We provide facilities and access to equipment to allow students to develop their own ideas and build their own gadgets in an innovative space,” Maurice says. TO GET THERE: cse.unsw.edu.au

Join the club UNSW Australia’s CompClub runs programming and computing workshops for high school students. The main aim of the club is to get younger generations interested in computing. “We teach them coding and show them how easy it is,” explains CS student Vincent Wong. “It’s great because they can meet students from other schools who have a similar interest in computing.” This year, the CompClub star ted running coding and robotics workshops in schools, and is working on an online portal for teachers to expand their skills.

DIGITAL CAREERS Myth #1: There are no information technology jobs in Australia Fact: There are 12,659 information technology jobs listed on seek.com.au 3,453 pay more than $150,000 per year* Less than 5,800 domestic students commenced undergraduate information technology studies in Australia in 2014**

* As of 19th August 2014 ** Source: http://docs.education.gov.au/system/files/doc/other/undergraduate_applications_and_offers_february_2014_0.pdf

digitalcareers.edu.au

<HIGHLIGHT: ANU>

A new way to play At the Australian National University, students are using computer science to shape and enhance their musical ideas.

usic and apps can be a beautiful pairing. Just ask ANU postgrad student Charles Martin, a classical percussionist whose instrument of choice today is an iPad. The Canberra-based computer scientist formed Ensemble Metatone – a band in which musicians perform using the iPad apps he is developing for his PhD at ANU. “The players touch the iPad to make sounds, and we use data from their touches to understand their musical intentions,” Charles says. “An algorithm identifies what particular gesture they’re doing at what time of the performance, and then it categorises the gestures.” For example, the app detects whether performers are tapping, swirling or swiping their finger on the

iPad, plus the frequency of their touches and what part of the screen they are focusing on. Musicians are also asked how they felt during the performance, and all that information converges to evaluate and improve the app. “It rewards musicians by giving them a new sound to explore.” Charles is not the only ANU researcher studying how people interact with technology. Lexing Xie is a research fellow using mathematical models to predict which YouTube clips will go viral. “We use techniques similar to the ones used to spot credit card fraud or make a medical diagnosis,” she says. “Students who learn the skills for building predictive models will have core skills that can be applied to many other data science tasks.”

Her research into designing models that predict online popularity combines computer science techniques, such as storing and analysing massive amounts of data, with the social science of how people respond and relate to videos. Lexing is also working to improve image searches by analysing how Flickr users tag their photos. She believes that in future, computers are likely to automatically generate better tags to make images easier to find. Media and advertisers will soon be putting images and videos through these kinds of algorithms. But they won’t be able to predict everything. “It’s feasible to predict the top 5% of videos, but not the very top ones,” says Lexing. “Gangnam Style was one in a billion!” – Lynnette Hoffman TO GET THERE: cecs.anu.edu.au

eye robot R

ISTOCK

obots that can assemble cars, load shipping containers, explore planets and vacuum homes are already a reality. “In all these cases, robots are either teleoperated by humans or scripted to work in a controlled environment like a factory,” says Stephen Gould of the ANU and the ARC Centre of Excellence for Robotic Vision. “For robots to be autonomous, they need to be able to see.” There are many challenges involved, but ARC researchers are edging closer.

{Careers with Code}

“Instead of programming a computer to recognise objects, we program them to learn by themselves. Then we show them lots of examples of different types of objects,” Stephen says. “Eventually, they learn to recognise new objects by themselves.” This research could lead to things like self-driving cars, as well as robots that help on construction sites, monitor the environment and assist in search and rescue missions.

Something for Everyone Alice Boxhall makes the web more accessible for people with disabilities.

oftware engineer Alice is enthused by her job at Google in San Francisco. “I can see that the work I’m doing can improve someone’s life,” she says. Alice is working on a Google Chrome project to help people with disabilities access the internet. The browser extension she’s created enables developers to run an ‘accessibility audit’ on their website or product to check that it can be used by people with disabilities. Alice was inspired to work on accessibility after watching a talk given by a blind lawyer at a Linux conference. He showed how he used a browser without being able to see it. She did a Bachelor of Engineering in Software Engineering and a Bachelor of Arts at the University of Melbourne and says you can go into a computer science degree “never having touched a line of code in your life”. “If you can write out directions for someone to make a cake or walk to the shops, you can learn to write code,” Alice says. And you don’t have to adhere to a ‘geek’ stereotype either.

“I know programmers who wear dresses and high heels to work every day,” she says. Alice is keen to put an end to misleading attitudes that girls aren’t interested in computer science and to get more girls into coding. “Everyone has their smartphones, everyone is interested in using the internet – so it’s clearly not the case that people aren’t interested in computers,” she explains. “We know that girls are really good at maths, which shows we’re highly capable of the kind of reasoning that programming involves!” – Michelle Wheeler TO GET THERE: Bachelor of Arts, University of Melbourne goo.gl/VScxTz Bachelor of Engineering (Software), University of Melbourne goo.gl/gx6O7F

Highlight: anu

Apps in action

he daily dilemma of whether to wait at the bus stop outside his home or walk 15 minutes to the interchange drove ANU student Zakaria Bouguettaya, then in his final year of software engineering, to make an app to show where buses are in real time. Zak and a team of fellow students offered their proof of concept to the ACT government, free of charge, but it was refused. Months later, the government announced a $12.5 million

Highlight: digital careers

hacker vision

andra Mau’s first science project was building a rover she saw on a science show. “I still have that first robot,” she says. Since then, Sandra has travelled from Canada and the USA to Australia, where she joined NICTA (National ICT Australia) to work on advanced surveillance technology. With a colleague, she started the company See-out, which specialises in image recognition. Sandra was also on a team that took part in GovHack 2014, which brings together coders from all different backgrounds to find new and exciting ways to use public data. Sandra’s team made a digital card game called AussieMon. Based on Pokémon, the game teaches kids about Australian native animals. AussieMon earned the team second place for Best Overall Digital Humanities Hack. “There’s creativity as well as logic behind programming,” Sandra says. – Laura Boness

budget for a similar app, which was contracted to a European company. Undeterred, Zak and a fellow ANU CS student Andrew Clapham launched their MyBus 2.0 app anyway. As the story spread, so did interest in their business: Imagine Team Solutions. “MyBus 2.0 has over 58,000 active users in Canberra, which is astonishing considering the population is only about 380,000,” says Zak. “We’ve now built over 65 apps.” – Lynnette Hoffman

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Smart s n o i t u l so lems. ways to tackle big prob er ev cl d fin s ist nt ie sc r Compute Myles Gough report s

rna l habits of information on the noctu for nd ma de ng tion of invasive here is a growi animals and the distribu to s ate du gra ce alian biodiversity. computer scien species that threaten Austr t’s ne pla the of e also playing an help solve som Computer scientists are . ges ting sustainable biggest challen important role in promo ers ch ear res an dreas Reinhardt, Scientific advances me power consumption. An ta da re mo g tin stralia, has been are collecting and genera a researcher at UNSW Au ke ma to is w no k y management than ever. The major tas developing a smart energ r fte t-a gh sou st mo sensors to collect sense of it all. One of the system. It uses wireless ret erp int ge, na points, and skills is the ability to ma information from power ta. da x ple com of iques to analyse and share huge amounts machine learning techn in. e com ers That’s where programm and interpret the data. ter scientist pu com w much power a is k llic Ho a hu Jos It can tell you exactly ho for b Hu the at me are using and and engineer working the appliances in your ho h arc ese eR d an age to reduce your Immersive Visua lisation help you modify your us a hu Jos . WA in ty rsi (HIV E) at Curtin Unive bon footprint. s turn complex car eer gin en computing d an ts tis en sci helps “It’s thanks to my solid as h suc – s ion tat en e to design and data into visua l repres background that I was abl ry age im ve cti era int ect ure in which 3D models, diagrams or develop a software archit . rns tte pa the see to aluate solutions – which ma ke it easier I can implement and ev an in ta da s thi lise says. “Being able to visua to this problem,” Andreas ts igh ins e vid pro int uitive way can often c models or that lead to new scientifi he says. g,” a better understandin big challenges for e s… This is especially tru r study and work option ate change, Check out some of you clim as h suc nt, me on vir en in the ersity. food security and biodiv CAREERS , er at Australia’s ear tion sof tware developer Claire D’Este is a res ch Data scientist, applica e er, Sh ine . eng s IRO otic CS rob , the y, list data visualisation specia nationa l science agenc ert + more! hnology at QUT tec on ati orm inf marine technology exp d die stu at e nc ige ell int ial and did a PhD in artific BACHELOR OF... dies have helped UNSW Australia. Her stu ence, UNSW Australia Science/Computer Sci tists new ways to en sci al tur na ow “sh r he goo.gl/qa5xzn better ways of examine their data and r)/Computer Science, be reused to Engineering (Compute looking after it so it can le goo.gl/cX7LB7 ast wc University of Ne she says. ” ge, led ow kn w ne ate cre al r Systems)/Mathematic all-terrain Engineering (Compute Claire is programming an ide ela Ad of ty rsi Unive ously at night. & Computer Sciences, robot to navigate autonom k loc e-c -th cn5 nd IFy rou e .gl/ abl goo The objective is to en nce, ltural monitoring. nication Technology/Scie Information & Commu environmental and agricu c BS t goo.gl/ T12 farmers protec University of Tasmania Her research could help s ist log eco e giv d crops from disease, an

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LAUREN TROMPP

get into CS + science!

<PROBLEM-SOLVERS>

scoot to success for a long time, googler James MCGill had his career path all mapped out.

ames’s passion for computers was sparked at age six when a teacher loaned him a pile of books on how to program the school’s BBC microcomputers. His parents gave him his first computer soon after and he hasn’t looked back since. Today, he’s a staff engineer at Google in Sydney. “I just love what I do,” he says. As part of his Bachelor of Engineering/Bachelor of Business Management at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, James chose to study computer systems engineering. He dabbled in robotics and electronics and built up his programming skills at the same time. During the holidays, James scored paid industry internships and enjoyed the one at Google in Sydney so much that he made it his mission to get a job there. James works on the programming that allows Google Maps to be used in other websites and in apps like Runtastic, which map running, walking and cycling routes. But his proudest achievement is pioneering work on Google Crisis Maps. When devastating bushfires hit Victoria in February 2009, he and his colleagues noticed

emergency service websites were overwhelmed by visitors trying to get information. They brainstormed and, over a weekend, built a map where people could view fire locations and alert levels through a Google Maps interface. Unlike typical websites, Google Maps can cope with the extreme web traffic generated during natural disasters. The Crisis Maps have since evolved into a global project, bringing together multiple types of disaster-related information, from satellite imagery to evacuation routes, and covering a growing number of countries. After five years at Google, James now manages a team of 16 engineers and his work takes him all over the world. “If you love what you do, it’s much easier to be successful,” he says. After visiting high schools with Google, James believes that many people have an inner computer scientist waiting to be unleashed. “There are so many people out there who think that technology is not something they’re that interested in,” he says. “But then they try it and fall in love.” – Jude Dineley

TO GET THERE: Bachelor of Engineering (Computer Systems)/ Bachelor of Business Management, University of Queensland goo.gl/k0Elpu

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<PROBLEM-SOLVERS>

Globetrotter C

omputer science has been Elwyn’s passport to success. It’s brought a string of interesting jobs and sent her overseas for almost a decade. It’s also funded the lifestyle she loves: plenty of travel and adventure! “When I was growing up, I always enjoyed making things and understanding why they worked,” says the Perth native. She enjoyed the challenge of maths and science at school, going on to study electronic engineering and computer science at the University of Western Australia in a double degree. She now specialises in ‘low-level programming’ – writing code that a broad number of machines understand – for the purpose of getting electronic gadgets to talk to each other. She landed a job building a sonar GPS system for Nautronix, a marine technology solutions company in Fremantle, WA. Normal GPS doesn’t work underwater, but a navigation system is needed in the oil and gas industry to help guide remote operated vehicles during undersea construction.

She wrote the master control programs for sonar GPS, and after a few years became a team leader. The project involved testing components at sea off the WA coast, and later she was sent to Hawaii to test a similar product for the US Navy. Elwyn then landed a position in the UK as a project manager at an aerospace company working on the Boeing 787 jet airliner. “I was working on the ‘common core’ – a sort of mini-ethernet for the plane.” Before returning to Australia, Elwyn worked for several other UK companies in various roles. “I was working on some very cool systems, but unfortunately [because of company privacy rules] I can’t say anything about what they did!” Working in a team and seeing people use the things she’s made gives her a real buzz. “Study subjects that you enjoy and this will give you a career to relish for the rest of your life.” – Clare Pain

To get there: Bachelor of Computer Science/Bachelor of Engineering (Electrical & Electronic), University of Western Australia goo.gl/NHTzTT

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ROBERT FRITH © ACORN PHOTOGRAPHY

Elwyn Campbell has taken on mega projects around the world.

<HIGHLIGHT: MACQUARIE UNI>

Get there… FIRST! Gather your party and build a robot.

MQ UNI

uilding a powerful robot was just part of the FIRST Robotics Competition experience for Liesel Brock. She also got to travel to Hawaii to compete with teams of high school students from around the world, develop a business plan, raise funds and give research presentations. Now in her first year of a Bachelor of Engineering/ Science combined degree at Macquarie University, she says, “I’m not sure I would have done engineering if it wasn’t for FIRST.”

The FIRST Robotics Competition sees teams design, build and program robots within a strict time frame of six weeks, and then compete using the robots in a variety of challenges. “Every year the theme changes – two years ago it was basketball, last year it was frisbee, this year it was a big pilates ball that you had to move from one robot to another,” says Macquarie Uni electronics and software engineer Mike Heimlich. Teams converge in international competitions,

usually held in the USA, and are expected to compete with each other and also to collaborate and complete tasks with other teams. There are comps closer to home, too. Every year, Australian robot teams compete at Barker College in Sydney in the Duel Down Under, sponsored by Macquarie University. And in 2015, the FIRST Robotics

Competition Regional will be held at Olympic Park. For Liesel, FIRST gave her exposure to technology, CS and problem-solving. It helped to build her skills in research, time management and teamwork. And now she is mentoring other students. “You’re learning, but you can forgive that fact because you’re having so much fun doing it!” – Ruth Beran

Bold ideas Mixing CS with business can lead to amazing opportunities. Fran Molloy reports

reating new ways to shop, inventing toys, streamlining software… these are just a few of the ways in which CS is transforming the business world. Most startup businesses rely on computer science – and the benefits can be huge. Take Jodie and Michael Fox and Mike Knapp, who met as law students in Queensland and went on to form their own successful company, Shoes of Prey. They sandwiched their legal and business minds to this online custom shoe outlet where customers can log on and design their own kicks. Or Jess Nichols who graduated with a Bachelor of Information Technology from the University of Technology, Sydney. She now works in San Francisco at digital service company Deloitte Digital where her job description is ‘Digital Strategy, Design & Awesomeness’. Jess travels the world helping big companies master social media and digital strategies. On any given week, she might fly to Hungary to teach social media skills or show senior partners at a leading global financial firm how to improve their LinkedIn profiles.

The combination of a great degree and practical use of it makes you super-employable. {Careers with Code}

Jess is also a founding trustee for the Sydney chapter of the Awesome Foundation, which gives grants to kickstart great ideas in the local community. She’s helped fund projects to create toys for autistic children, run 1980s aerobics nights and develop the world’s smallest synth for musicians. Jess says that the strong business component and industry placements at Unilever and Deloitte during her IT degree helped her to realise how much business is steeped in technology. “It helped me really understand my clients and figure out the best solutions for their needs.” Josh Teichman graduated with a Business Information Systems (BIS) degree from Monash University and Josh now works as a management man Teich consultant in the Digital Change division of PricewaterhouseCoopers in Melbourne. He says the best thing about combining business with computer science is that you develop strong critical thinking and analysis skills. Businesses want people who can solve real-world problems, he says. “Every organisation has to redefine its strategy for the digital age,” he says. “Businesses are always looking for ways to improve performance.” Meanwhile, a fellow Monash BIS graduate Jessica Scott now leads a team of hackers at a big Australian bank. “My day-to-day job involves coordinating a team of hackers to ensure security within the bank,” Jessica says. “It is really cool to be a paid hacker!”

get into CS + business or law! Check out some of your study and work options…

CAREERS ICT consultant, business development manager, social media manager, chief information officer, customer experience consultant, systems analyst, security manager, customer support manager + more!

BACHELOR OF... Business Information Systems, Monash University goo.gl/xCDe4O Business/Science in Information Technology, University of Technology, Sydney goo.gl/dnbNa4 Information Systems, Australian School of Business, UNSW Australia goo.gl/vZ68Eu Commerce (Business Information Systems), Australian National University goo.gl/JhaEdL Information Technology/ Laws, QUT goo.gl/FULt4a Information Technology/ Laws, University of Sydney goo.gl/Ul6ABk Commerce (Business Information Technology), Curtin University goo.gl/pUK6aZ

Grinding out success Adam Theobald is a tech entrepreneur with win-win fixes for coffee drinkers and vendors.

Having processed more than 1 million hot drink orders (over 250,000 litres of coffee) and acquired Australia’s leading loyalty app, eCoffeeCard, Beat the Q is going from strength to strength – and onward to international recognition. “It was a bit of a ‘pinch me’ moment when PayPal’s global president and chief product officer were demonstrating Beat the Q at the Mobile World Congress in Spain. I was very proud of our team and what they had produced.” Adam puts his success down to his computer science background. “I am not a good programmer. But the computer science skills I learned help me daily, and I’m very thankful.” His advice to students is to focus less on the subjects they will study and more about the way they want to think when they finish. “Don’t rely on your degree. Focus on work experience to sit alongside your study. The combination of a great degree and practical use of it makes you super-employable.” – Ben Skuse TO GET THERE: Bachelor of Computer Science & Technology, University of Sydney goo.gl/z1OYD

LAUREN TROMPP

lazing a trail across the city’s busy cafes, Beat the Q is a free mobile ordering and payment app Sydneysiders are using to pick up their coffee from their regular pit stop with no fuss. “Often you get to your cafe and wait for 10 minutes,” says Adam, entrepreneur and Beat the Q founder. “We allow you the coffee fix without the wait.” This saves customers time – on average four minutes per customer – and allows coffee shops to serve more people. “Win-wins are hard to find, but this is one of them.” Adam did his Bachelor of Computer Science and Technology degree at the University of Sydney. “I loved my time at the University of Sydney and highly recommend the degree there,” he enthuses. “I enjoyed the course so much that I decided to continue my studies in a Master of Commerce.” He went straight into investment banking after that, but his enthusiasm for computer science never died. “I’m a bit of a geek – I love computers and have always been a gadget guy.” His passion, combined with ‘the entrepreneur bug’, led him to start three successful tech companies – the most recent of which is Beat the Q.

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Highlight: University of Melbourne

The University of Melbourne’s Accelerator Program helps students make the step up from study to startup business.

ohan Workman knows how vital tech literacy is for a new business. As manager of the Melbourne Accelerator Program (MAP), he sees many startups pass through his doors. “MAP is an entrepreneurship program at the University of Melbourne that provides support through workshops, programs and events,” Rohan explains. “We also run the Startup Accelerator, which offers Entrepreneurial Fellowships to top young businesses who compete for selection.” All startups chosen for this year’s program have a strong foundation in computer science. “Fifty-six startups applied for MAP Fellowships for 2014,” says Rohan. “All of the six that were successful use elements of computer science, and some have a very technical base.”

Ed Hooper and Rohan Workman

Ed Hooper, co-founder and CEO of startup 121cast (see p31), won a MAP Fellowship in 2012. He says his degree gave him an edge over other graduates. “Studying information systems at the University of Melbourne taught me about applying technology to business, organisation processes and solving problems,” says Ed. “As well as providing office space and funding, MAP connected us with great mentors. These were people who were already successful or who were expert at a particular function that we needed help with.” Ed and his business colleagues managed to secure a $250,000 investment from Optus and Adventure Capital at the end of their time in MAP. “If an idea works, we can turn it on all over the world,” he says. – Sarah Keenihan

TINA SMIGIELSKI

fast track

The Sky’s the Limit at the University of Melbourne Imagine yourself surrounded by the best teachers and facilities, game-changing research and innovation, and the potential to turn your own great idea into a successful business venture. We’re Australia’s no.1 ranked university for computer science and information systems*, and we’re home to some amazing people and ideas, opening up a world of career possibilities when you study with us. We have a range of IT course options at the undergraduate level, including a major in computing and software systems as part of our Bachelor of Science degree, and if you want to go further, our internationally accredited masters level programs in information systems and information technology can take you to the next level of skill and expertise. We’re also ranked no. 10 in the world for the employability of our graduates*. What’s more, if you come up with a great new idea that you think the world would love, you can apply to the Melbourne Accelerator Program to help develop it and be put in touch with the mentors and investors to make it happen! Learn more at www.msi.unimelb.edu.au *QS World University Rankings 2013-2014

Taking a

RISK law Judith Gammie combines CS with for a career-boosting edge.

TINA SMIGIELSKI

Judith’s oftware design and development was she so 12, and 11 rs Yea in favourite subject . uni at ree deg tech a knew she would do tion rma Info of r helo Bac a After completing quarie Technology/Bachelor of Laws at Mac several in ked wor University in Sydney, she policy. and ing lish areas of law, including pub spent in I er long the but “I enjoyed the work, ld make cou I ised real I that industry the more ,” she role l nica tech a in a greater contribution ter Mas a do to uni to k says. So she went bac ity vers Uni IT RM at of Computer Science ion in Melbourne. “I came to the realisat is.” sion pas real my that tech was where k in wor to s plan th Judi After graduating, to like d she’ ately ultim a large company. But in nd grou back her work for herself – with the edge. computer science and law to give her arding. rew but ging llen cha Studying CS is ing solv from feel you tion “The satisfac ’ve you lem prob g min a program been staring at for hours is incredible,” she says. “Learning about the sorts of things you can do in computer science is really inspiring and the endless.” career options you can pursue are of geeks to ion erat gen t She encourages the nex – having uni or ol scho of work on projects outside w sho to pt scri tran c more than your academi es niti ortu opp for out k employers is useful. Loo the to ly app – e tim at school and in your own or look at National Computer Science School, Coursera. and city sites like Codecademy, Uda get things and ent erim “Don’t be afraid to exp able as valu ly real is wrong,” she says. “Failure erent diff a try and n long as you use it to lear ess Bon ra Lau – approach the next time.”

Don’t be afraid to experiment and get things wrong.

tion Technology/ TO GET THERE: Bachelor of Informa y goo.gl/NBakp8 Bachelor of Laws, Macquarie Universit

{Careers with Code}

The need to succeed

quhar, Mike Cannon-Brookes and Scott Far ian, founders of software startup Atlass skyrocketed to success with their CS + business model.

our customers are doing amazing things using our software.

{Careers with Code}

ATLASSIAN

hen best friends Scott and Mike started tech company Atlassian in Sydney with a $10,000 credit card in 2002, they probably didn’t imagine their business would one day be worth $3.5 billion. Today, they have more than 800 employees in offices in Sydney, San Francisco and Amsterdam, and are regularly on Australian and global rich lists. “For the first two years, we could only afford to pay ourselves $15,000 each – we were in survival mode,” says al, Scott. “But that forced us to be frug ” sed. focu stay and s ines hustle for bus ies pan com 00 35,0 More than worldwide use Atlassian’s flagship product JIRA – soft ware that helps teams of developers collaborate and the Nationa l Computer Science build programs faster. Summer School for awhile – high “One of the best parts of my job is school kids from all over New South learning about the amazing things e, Wales go to the University of Sydney our customers do using our soft war for a couple of weeks over summer. whether it’s landing the Mars Rover, I’ve mentored it, and we’ve sent a lot unlocking the human genome or of mentors from Atlassian as well.” building robots to aid in natural The experience blew him away. disaster recovery,” Scott says. 10 kids on my team But it’s not just customer satisfaction “I had four Year e on a coding cha llenge and they wer that drives Scott. “We’ve aspired to g thin any g doin n’t y super smart. I was create a socially responsible compan ts like this in Year 10!” that cares for the communities it exis One d. nee Aside from a little tinkering on an in e thos as l wel within, as old machine at home as a kid, Scott’s of my proudest moments was last tech passion surfaced quite late. “It year when our Atlassian Foundation wasn’t until I got into a scholarship closed more than US$3 million in program for a Bachelor of Science in donations to Room to Read.” Information Technology at UNSW that Mike adds that Atlassian often does d I really started to get into computers.” more than donate. “We’ve sponsore

Scott thin ks the next generation needs computer skills as young as possible. “It changes the way you approach problems and can open up career paths in many industries,” he says. “I know how important CS skills have been for my own success.” What’s the best way to get started? “Learn as much as you can and find a mentor in industry – many people are willing and excited to help newcomers,” he says. Mike adds that tech expertise will help you in any field. “Technology is the underlying driver for almost all change in business nowadays,” he says. “There’s about 2.5 billion people on the internet now and there’ll be 5 billion by 2020. The demand for tech solutions is rising. We’re on the .” upswing of huge technology change – Ben Skuse & Fran Molloy ce TO GET THERE: Bachelor of Commer tralia (Information Systems), UNSW Aus tion goo.gl/x61h63 Bachelor of Informa QszeG Systems, UNSW Australia goo.gl/w

Highlight: Federation Uni

Big breaks Federation University’s collaboration with IBM offers students unique opportunities in computer science degrees.

FED UNI

hen student Joey Erasmus immigrated The skills graduates get from to Australia from South Africa, it was tech this degree cover a broad range of company IBM’s close relationship with subjects and are transferable to Federation University that first attracted her to the many areas. Students can also choose university’s Bachelor of Information Technology from a wide range of electives, such (Professional Practice). Now in her third year, as business or enterprise mainframe Joey is doing paid work experience with IBM’s computing, that will complement their development team as part of her degree. work experience with IBM. “Everything I learn at uni I apply at IBM,” she says, “It has some benefits over and above adding that it works both ways. “It’s a win-win doing an IT course,” says Kathleen Keogh, situation all the way. I can’t see any negatives.” course coordinator of Professional Professional work experience is built into the Practice. “The base model is the course – you work in the industry and get paid IT degree, and the added bonus is for it. Plus, there’s almost a guarantee you’ll find the work experience.” – Laura Boness a job after graduation, as you receive preferential TO GET THERE: Bachelor of Information access to IBM’s graduate employment opportunities. Federation University is also building relationships Technology (Professional Practice), FedU_GoogleGuide_210x139mm_PRINT.pdf 1 14/08/14 11:41 AM with banks around Australia who are looking for Federation University goo.gl/eo39JL graduates with skills in enterprise computing.

s n io s n e im d w Ne frontier of exciting new Computer science skills are at the ology. Lynnette Hoffman reports ways to treat diseases using techn

he trouble with treating cancer is most of the drugs don’t just kill the cancer cells. Treatments like chemotherapy destroy healthy cells too, causing terrible side effects such as hair loss, nausea and fatigue. But what if you could zero in on the target and leave the rest of the body unharmed? About 10 years ago, UK scientists discovered that a certain type of breast cancer responded to a class of drugs that doesn’t cause much harm to other parts of the body. Researchers at the University of Queensland (UQ) are now studying the phenomenon in detail using complex computer modelling techniques. Their goal is to find drugs that kill cancer cells selectively and are tolerated in the body. “A computer science background gives a great foundation for modern careers across the health sciences,” says Mark Ragan who’s leading this research at UQ. Jose Alvarado got a taste for how his IT skills could help improve people’s health with his final project for a Bachelor of Computer Science (Software Engineering) at Edith Cowan University. Inspired by his grandmother who suffered from Parkinson’s disease, Jose teamed up with an IT engineer who had developed tests that measure changes in coordination and control over motor movements in patients with the disease. They developed the Parkinson iTest app, which helps

Get into CS + health! Check out some of your study and work options…

CAREERS

patients monitor their condition and sends results to their doctor immediately. At the University of Newcastle in NSW, geneticists and computer scientists are also teaming up to find genetic patterns associated with diseases. Using computers to work through a huge amount of clinical and molecular data, the researchers are working towards personalised medicine. This is where each patient’s treatment is tailored to fit his or her genetics. Many experts say personalised treatments are the future for medicine. Mark predicts that research relying on “big data and big computing” will boom as we attempt to understand how molecular systems work together. “It will involve close interactions among biologists, clinicians and computer science/IT people,” he says.

Biostatisticians, bioinformatics and biomedical researchers, health economists, clinical analysts, systems analysts, health sector IT project managers/business managers + more!

Bachelor of... Information Systems/ Health Sciences, Deakin University goo.gl/rcxNfZ Health Sciences/ Mathematical & Computer Sciences, University of Adelaide goo.gl/Gq39CD Sport Coaching & Exercise Science/Information Technology, University of Canberra goo.gl/EETv8a Bioinformatics, UNSW Australia goo.gl/p9BFZ1

ustralian scientist s have discovered a way to m a smartphone into sfor tran a microscope using a drop of polymer baked in the oven. Normally, lenses must be ground and polished, but biomedical engineer Steve Lee of the Australian National Universit y has found a much simpler, cheaper method.

{Careers with Code}

in Sydney made a 3D-printable “We put a droplet of frame to hold the lens, along pe polymer onto a microsco with tiny light s and battery. cover slip and then invert it. The makeshift microscope Then we let gravity do the can magnify up to 160 times. work,” Steve says. Steve says it will be helpful The perfect curved shape developing countries: “It will in forms naturally, and each enable health workers to take lens costs less than one cent. images at remote sites and Steve and his colleague transfer them to the internet an Tri Phan from the Garv for doctors elsewhere.” Institute of Medical Research

ANU, iStock

From phone to microscope A

Saving lives with CS Carolyn MCGregor interprets data to help premature babies. arolyn applies her computer science expertise and her clever use of data to save the lives of premature babies in intensive care. Far from “being stuck in a basement”, she says: “It can very much be a people-oriented job.” She graduated from the University of Technology, Sydney, with a Bachelor of Applied Science (Computer Science) with Honours – but she had no idea that she’d end up working in health. At age 21, she started working in commerce, developing expertise in information systems for big businesses. She then started her own successful consultancy.

Carolyn’s career path moved towards health after she lost her first baby who had been born premature. Then Carolyn heard about a data problem in the field. Intensive care machines for premature babies flash up data every second, but it was only being recorded by hand once an hour – meaning only one out of 3600 pieces of data was being used. Carolyn now works with hospitals worldwide to collect and interpret this wealth of data. By writing computer programs that look for patterns in babies’ heart rates, she’s made it possible to spot infections up to 24 hours earlier than before.

“Doctors, nurses and lawyers help people on a one-to-one basis,” she says. “People in computing can help from one to 1000.” Carolyn believes more girls should study computer science. “To be able to create great solutions you need diversity in your team – women and men, and people from different cultures. There’s a chronic shortage of women in computing and there are lots of girls who are good at maths and logic who have great potential,” she says. “I really enjoy what I do. I enjoy the challenges. I love exploring through the data.” – Clare Pain

to get there: Bachelor of Science (Information Technology), University of Technology, Sydney goo.gl/lTrJhE

A world of opportunity with computers and software engineering There’s never been a better time to study computer science at the University of Adelaide. From the car you drive to the phone you use and the games you play, computer science is a key part of everyday life. With rapid advances in technology, studies in computer science and software engineering can lead to an exciting career at the forefront of modern innovation. Our degrees have been developed in consultation with industry leaders to meet the growing demand for highly regarded graduates. For a rewarding and interesting career in future-leading technology, study at the University of Adelaide – ranked in the top 1% of universities worldwide. > Bachelor of Computer Science > Bachelor of Computer Science (Advanced) > Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) (Software) > Bachelor of Mathematical and Computer Sciences

For further information visit

www.adelaide.edu.au/degree-finder

2242-1

Creative coders sign Computer science meets de n, on a fiery frontier of inventio creation and expression.

omputers are reinventing and enhancing the way in which we express ourselves in almost every creative arena. “Just as a painter must learn how to use the technology of paint and brush to create a painting, a computer artist must learn how to use software to express creative ideas,” says Jon McCormack, an electronic media artist and computer science researcher at Monash University. To do so, he says, you need to learn “algorithmic thinking” – taking a physical process that exists in the world and turning it into something a computer can do. Jon and his colleagues made music composition software called Nodal that lets you create complex musical pieces on your computer. You can use Nodal to edit on the fly and explore new musical ideas. The combination of technical and creative expertise that you gain by studying the arts with computer science is in demand in industries such as new media and communications, film and TV, games, and information technology. You could be creating apps, computer-generated imagery, artificial intelligence and more.

{Careers with Code}

If you’re an artist, computer science skills can broaden your career options. Niki Yoblonski, an Australian digital artist at Pixomondo in Los Angeles, says 3D artists use code to build realistic imagery. “For example, an effects artist might use maths to generate an effect to simulate how water flows or how it interacts when hitting a surface.” Niki, who creates visual effects for Hollywood films including The Avengers and Iron Man 3, studied film and media art at university but says most of her fellow artists went to schools that specifically teach digital effects. Tien Pham, a successful 2D and 3D animator, had worked on corporate videos, TV commercials and architectural previsualisations before deciding to study computer science and game creation at Swinburne University in Melbourne. “Having a wide set of skills is useful. Being creative as well as technically skilled can be helpful in finding work – especially freelance work,” he says. “Doing a course where you work on creative material and gain solid software development skills suited my interests.”

GETTY

Lynnet te Hof fman report s

listen up Ed Hooper makes waves with audio apps.

or entrepreneur Ed Hooper, software is an exciting field to be in. He co-founded the audio platform 121Cast, which brings you personalised radio through the apps Omny and SoundGecko. Omny creates an audio stream based on your favourite music and podcasts, while SoundGecko turns text into speech so you can listen to websites and documents on the go. “Everything is becoming more and more about software,” he says. “It’s a great area to be in because there’s so much opportunity, there’s so many jobs… there’s a lot of uncharted territory.” As well as his Bachelor of Science (Computing & Software Systems) at the University of Melbourne, Ed did an internship at Microsoft. After that, he began his first startup, SOAK, to help farmers sustainably manage their water usage during the drought Australia was experiencing at the time – and it won the 2008 Microsoft Imagine Cup. SOAK created a market-ready product with a solid funding pitch, but the global financial crisis meant the team couldn’t get it off the ground. Ed then went to work for ANZ, gaining more experience in computing and business. Then Ed and a friend came up with the idea of 121Cast. To get their concept off the ground, they enlisted another friend, quit their jobs and started from scratch. The three of them lived off their savings and worked harder than ever. They received funding from the Optus Innov8 Seed Program, and the company gradually expanded to the point where they had two successful products and a growing team. So what does he love about his job? “Seeing how technology can be applied to make things better for people,” he says. – Laura Boness

Get into CS + create! Check out some of your study and work options…

CAREERS Animators, 3D modellers, games designers and testers, digital artists, audio engineers, interface designers, software engineers + more!

“There’s a lot of uncharted territory.”

BACHELOR OF... Arts (Games & Interactivity)/Computer Science, Swinburne University goo.gl/RVPm1r Information Technology (Games & Graphics Programming), RMIT University goo.gl/ViVZZi Information Technology (Games Design & Development), Macquarie University goo.gl/ngyg4y

TO GET THERE: Bachelor of Science

Digital Arts, ANU goo.gl/rDAtj5

University of Melbourne goo.gl/TBB06P TINA SMIGIELSKI

Games & Interactive Entertainment, QUT goo.gl/Jr0Kzq

(Computing & Software Systems),

Microsoft Australia Graduate Opportunities goo.gl/Ea2MK2

{Careers with Code}

User friendly Christine Soriano makes technology more human.

oogle user interface designer Christine strives to make technology better for us all. “I love finding and creating ways of using technology to help us live our lives,” she says. “It can assist us in education, as we age and in times of crisis. It can connect us with the people and the things we care about. I make technology more human. I love my job!” Christine studied computer science at Victoria University and then graphic design at RMIT University. She worked as a usability consultant, designing and improving user interfaces.

Christine also worked on STREAT – a platform that helps homeless youth improve their employability. One of her current projects is shaping the Google assistant in Google Now to help meet user information needs. Her studies were both a foundation and a springboard for what she does now. “Computer science gives you the key skills to shape technology in your own way,” she says. “What I gained was the ability to design and create products (like STREAT) that do good – to make positive and meaningful experiences for people and the world.” – Laura Boness

TO GET THERE: Bachelor of Science (Honours) (Computer Science), GOOGLE

Victoria University goo.gl/eCYRrR Graduate Diploma in Graphic Design, RMIT University goo.gl/tvIfwf

Highlight: RMIT

Game on! A

t Electronic Arts’ Firemonkeys studio in Melbourne, software engineer Tom writes the code that lets you dodge other cars in Real Racing 3 or put a TV in your house in The Sims FreePlay. “Getting to contribute to the creation of video games that are enjoyed by so many people is very satisfying,” he says. “Games are awesome. I love being so engaged

in a game that time flies by while I’m playing.” A Bachelor of Information Technology (Games & Graphics Programming) at RMIT University gave him core skills that apply in many areas of software engineering, as well as the chance to take subjects that match industry trends. “An example of this was the introduction of the iPhone development

subject, which enabled me to get started as a freelance developer.” He worked hard to get the most experience out of his freelance projects, which helped him get his “awesome job” in games. “Software engineering is about problem-solving and creating things,” he says. “I am working alongside world-class talent on games played by millions around the world.” – Laura Boness

TO GET THERE: Bachelor of Information Technology (Games & Graphics Programming), RMIT University goo.gl/tbYRxF

{Careers with Code}

FIREMONKEY STUDIOS

TOM HARRIS reached THE NEXT LEVEL WHEN HE SCORED A JOB AT one of the world’s biggest games companies.

<HIGHLIGHT: DIGITAL CAREERS>

programming...

and Beyond! T

he world’s industries are changing. Careers are evolving and new roles are being created. Historically, new technologies have always led to big changes in society, but the revolution happening right now is faster and more fundamental than ever before. So we need to be prepared. Digital technologies are more than just computer programming. A new wave of digital roles is emerging, which involve applying tech to media, science, business, sports, mining, defence, infrastructure and transport. Data can be used to gain insights, find patterns and create better solutions to our problems. For instance, while it might seem like the way to fix a transport issue is to build a second rail track, data analysis could show that you just need a more efficient schedule on the existing track.

“digital technologies will give us new insights into the natural world.” 33

PHOTODUNE

The digital future ha s arrived, writes Kars ten Schulz, NICTA’s Na Program Director of tional Digital Careers. So wh at’s next for this ge neration? Computers in some form will be with us for a long time. They will drive innovation forward in ways we cannot yet imagine. We think the computer revolution is underway but it’s really just started. And the next steps will be breathtaking. Digital technologies will give us new insights into the natural world. They will help us understand in detail how our bodies work and how drugs interact with them. Technology will enable us to spot the main things influencing markets so we can benefit from them economically. Computers are found everywhere: as ‘embedded systems’ in cars, aircraft, trains, trucks and home printers; and in our mines, stadiums, hospitals, manufacturing plants and farms. It’s getting harder and harder to think of a field that is digital-free. This doesn’t mean that everybody needs to be a programmer. But we all need to understand computers, so we know how to best apply them as problem-solving tools. If we can master and advance digital technologies, we can have great careers, good health and a buoyant economy. Are we ready?

{Careers with Code}

Tech for teaching

ing should “left to chance” – that cod at school. be taught alongside maths al The new Australian Digit a step is lum cu rri Cu Technologies dents towards this and helps stu ers of lop ve de e tiv va become “inno ge”. led ow kn d an s digita l solution scientist sting Linda McIver, a computer made all the more intere is ich wh w ne a of e ls agrees that laire Hocking is on and high school teacher, gaging with the digita l too en d an g kin loo ts e state of chnolog y is generation of studen change is on the way. Th available,” she says. “Te es, has n ch tha r tea he she to combine interests in CS rat n Victoria, where still seen as an add-o her .” ion CS subject cat 12 ar edu g Ye w and education. She is in rin ne introduced a ard way of delive nd sta a / ing ach Te of “I think pushing for final year of a Bachelor called VCE Algorithmics. For these reasons, Jess is r Science ute . mp ing Co proach d ap ch an tea the al in ge tic h an ma tec Mathe it’s going to ch greater integration of ide. ela Ad ’re going of We . ty rsi the ide of ive nw or Un tio at the Prince, direct of schools na off Ge ce en sci us on al Sciences “I always liked computer to see a much stronger foc Australian Mathematic ire. Cla s ools.” say t l,” sch raf oo a h up hig sch s at in en ce ths op en and ma computer sci titute, says coding Ins rt, spo at s kid d enjoy to “I also enjoyed coaching If you love technology an eer avenues. “The ability car of t tha ing nk thi nicating with and I chose this course connecting and commu is a necessar y skill for the e cod r.” ing is a great able teaching might be simila others, Linda says teach ity of mathematically cap jor ma r he are sh to sing demand ology, Claire likes being able option. “There’s an increa siona ls in science, techn fes pro ld cou I t tha ter science singly knowledge. “I also love for teachers with a compu eering, finance and increa gin en e om bec to on CS degree, that teach someone who goes background. If you do a dicine,” he says. He adds me in g.” tin pu need you.” be the ‘next big thing’ in com teaching is going to rea lly ing these skills shouldn’t uir acq s eer car in ns There are endless optio d education. combining computing an o’s “bringing Ta ke Jess McCulloch, wh education”. to get into CS + education! transmedia storytelling agon Dr Check out some of your study and work options... In 2013, she created The tive-based Collective Trilog y – narra CAREERS ng Chinese. units for students learni Educators, web/app/games developers, innovators, storytellers + more! ret agent Each student plays a sec defeat Bachelor of... on the hunt for clues to ’. Teaching/Mathematical & Computer Science, University of Adelaide goo.gl/JYz5PL ing ow Kn t No of om Do ‘The up ke ma to Information Technology/Teaching, University of New England goo.gl/gQDFkt “I love what I do. I get olved in, inv get can s kid t tha s storie

rtunities for those There’s a wealth of oppo ing their computing inspired by the idea of us n. Jane Lewis reports skills to help others lear

{Careers with Code}

ISTOCK

What Is your CS + X?

You are hands-on and practical. Use your love of mechanics to build tech structures, robots and innovative software for the next generation. Your mission begins on p14, 16 or 21.

Tap into your creativity. Imagine a programming career in design or games. Make the visuals, shape the tech, or invent the concepts. Your achievement unlocked on p30-32.

Supporting others is your forte. If you enjoy connecting with people and communicating ideas, loads of career options are available to you! Consider educating others through CS. Learn how on p34.

You have a knack for solving problems. Take this ability to the next level with an analytical career. Protect important info and create solutions on a googolplexian scale. Investigate on p12-13 or 25.

You get a rush from finding patterns in complexity. Why not help humanity along the way? By crunching big data, you could find exploding stars or cure the next pandemic. Uncover answers on p18-20 or 28-29.

ISTOCK

Your dynamic and outgoing side compels you to pursue something varied and off the beaten track. What about CS + sport science? Or travelling the world as an engineer? Start your journey on p20.

Don’t think! Don’t blink! Pick the pics you prefer and follow them down to find your passion… Ready? GO!

{Careers with Code}

Where to next?

In the coming years, technology used in fashion, health, science and our everyday lives will reinvent our world. How? That’s up to you… Robin McKie reports

device, you might have a wafer-thin phone that you can bend into a bracelet and clip around your wrist. You won’t need cash anymore either – money will be stored on your phone and voice recognition software will ensure that only you can use it. And it doesn’t stop at phones. Intelligent machines will operate mines, map the sea floor and space, and even drive our cars.

rom clunky old machines in the 1990s, computers have evolved into today’s most stylish devices: smartphones and tablets. Over the next 10 years, tech advances are likely to be just as amazing – if not more so. By the year 2025, the experts say there will be revolutions in nanotechnology, security and machine learning. For starters, rather than a pocket-sized

Imagination, above all, will be the key to success in computer science in the future. {Careers with Code}

Staying cybersafe As technology grows in importance to society, cybersecurity becomes an even bigger challenge. Computers are already major targets for criminals and spies, with 60,000 new viruses or worms found every day. Some of these can do serious damage. The agency in charge of USA nuclear reactor safety has been hacked three times since 2011 – and that’s just one example. Cambridge University researchers are trying to amp up cybersecurity with a tiny, wearable security device

called a Pico. In a transmission similar to Wi-Fi, the Pico creates an electronic ‘aura’ around you, which identifies you uniquely to your devices so that they only work when you’re near them. “If you lost your car keys, no one else could use them because they could not operate outside your aura,” says Frank Stajano, leader of the Pico project. “You could create devices to store all your passwords and know they were safe because they would only work inside your aura.”

Frank says that generating this kind of aura “can be done by fitting small devices onto people, disguised as rings, earrings, tie clips, badges – even attachments for glasses or belt buckles,” he says. The Pico project shows how CS will work in tandem with other fields such as psychology and design. “Future computer scientists will no longer be able to operate in isolation,” Frank says. “They’ll have to make their handiwork easy to use and acceptable to society.”

roboT helpers

Tara Murphy, an academic and astrophysicist based at the University of Sydney, is working on ways to pinpoint rare events in space, such as massive star explosions called supernovae, out of the vast streams of data collected by telescopes and satellites. “The Square Kilometre Array – a joint Australian-South African project 50 times more sensitive than existing telescopes – will start processing data in 2024. It will generate enough raw data to fill 15 million 64 GB iPods every day!” Tara says. She is developing machine-learning techniques so computers can sort through these huge masses of data. At present, when a cosmic event is detected, astronomers are often too late to catch its early, most revealing stages. But computers can solve this problem if they’re programmed to observe and record data independently. “By cutting humans out of the loop, we will gain precious time – and information,” says Tara. Computers that can make independent decisions faster than humans could run robots along the seabed, clean up nuclear reactors or even advise doctors during operations. But they will still need human guidance. “We’ll have to be careful how they’re programmed so we don’t introduce biases or prejudices,” says Tara. “Computer scientists of the future will have to be well versed in morals and ethics.”

Maurice Pagnucco, head of the School of Computer Science and Engineering at UNSW Australia, is optimistic about the place of robots in the future. Student robotics can be the starting point for some important developments. Making robots to compete in soccer games, for example, has led to broader improvements in the technology. “One university team recently developed an omni-directional drive so a robot could head off in any direction,” Maurice explains. “Then someone had the bright idea of fitting that device to a wheelchair.” Used in this way, the device makes it easier for a person in a wheelchair to steer in any direction. Something that was originally built for a game could go on to improve people’s quality of life. “And that is the real lesson for the future,” says Maurice. “It will not be enough just to make an improvement in a device – you will need the imagination to see how it will affect other aspects of society. Imagination, above all, will be the key to success in computer science in the future.”

CORBIS

watch the skies

{Careers with Code}

It starts here... ISTOCK

Here are just some of the available Bachelor degrees where you can lls study computer science and build ski in another field at the same time.

KEY CS = Computer Science IT = Information Technology Eng = Engineering

CS + be creative

arts, visual arts, digital design... Charles Darwin University >>> Creative Arts & Industries (New Media Design)/IT CQUniversity Australia >>> Digital Media >>> Multimedia & IT Curtin University >>> Digital Design (Mass Communication) >>> Web Media (Mass Communication) Edith Cowan University >>> Creative Industries (Animation) >>> Creative Industries (Interactive Media) Deakin University >>> Information Systems/Arts Murdoch University >>> Graphic Design QUT >>> Creative Industries/IT >>> Design (Interactive & Visual)

{Careers with Code}

RMIT University >>> Design (Animation & Interactive Media) >>> Design (Digital Media) University of Canberra >>> IT/Arts >>> IT/Media Arts & Production University of Newcastle >>> Visual Communication Design University of Queensland >>> Eng (Software)/Arts >>> IT & Arts >>> Multimedia Design >>> Science (CS)/Arts University of South Australia >>> Media Arts University of Sydney >>> IT/Arts University of Tasmania >>> Arts/Computing >>> Arts/Information & Communication Technology >>> Information & Communication Technology/Visual Communication

University of Western Sydney >>> Information & Communications Technology/Arts University of Wollongong >>> CS/Creative Arts UNSW Australia >>> Bioinformatics Eng/Arts >>> Computer Eng/Arts >>> CS/Arts >>> Media Arts/CS >>> Software Eng/Arts Victoria University >>> Creative Arts Industries >>> Interactive Media

CS + make games and apps

software, mobile, interactivity... Australian National University >>> Software Eng Bond University >>> Interactive Media & Design (Computer Games) Charles Darwin University >>> Software Eng

Charles Sturt University >>> CS (Games Programming) >>> CS (Games Technology) Curtin University >>> Software Eng >>> Visualisation Technologies Deakin University >>> Games Design & Development Edith Cowan University >>> Creative Industries (Game Design & Culture) >>> CS (Games Programming) Federation University >>> IT (Computer Games & Digital Media) >>> IT (Mobile Application Development & Security) Flinders University >>> Eng (Software) James Cook University >>> IT (Interactive Technology & Game Design) La Trobe University >>> CS (Games Technology) Macquarie University >>> IT (Games Design & Development)

RMIT University >>> IT (Games & Graphics Programming) >>> Software Eng

University of Technology, Sydney >>> Science (Games Development) >>> Science (IT)/Creative Intelligence & Innovation

Swinburne University >>> Applied Information & Communication Technology >>> Arts (Games & Interactivity)/CS >>> CS (Games Development) >>> Eng (Software)

University of Western Australia >>> CS & Software Eng

University of Melbourne >>> Science (Computing & Software Systems) University of Newcastle >>> Eng (Software) University of Queensland >>> Eng (Software) >>> Multimedia Design University of South Australia >>> IT (Games & Entertainment Design) >>> IT (Mobile Application Development) >>> IT (Software Development) >>> Software Eng University of Sydney >>> Design Computing

Monash University >>> Software Eng

University of Wollongong >>> CS (Mobile Computing) >>> CS (Multimedia & Game Development) UNSW Australia >>> CS (Computer Game Design & Construction)

CS + get into law or business

finance, management, systems... Australian Catholic University >>> IT/Business Administration Charles Darwin University >>> IT/Business >>> IT/Commerce Charles Sturt University >>> IT (Business Services) <continues p40>

UNSW Australia in Sydney

Murdoch University >>> Arts (Games Art & Design) >>> Arts (Web Communication) >>> Science (Game Software Design & Production) >>> Science (Games Technology) >>> Science (Internet Software Development) >>> Science (Internetworking) QUT >>> Business/Games & Interactive Entertainment >>> Computer & Software Systems >>> Games & Interactive Entertainment >>> Games & Interactive Entertainment/Mathematics

{Careers with Code}

CS + get into law or business <continued>

Curtin University >>> Business Information Systems >>> Business IT >>> Computer Systems & Networking Deakin University >>> Commerce/Information Systems >>> Criminology/IT Security >>> Information Systems/Law >>> Information Systems/IT

RMIT University in Melbourne University of Melbourne

Edith Cowan University >>> Eng (Computer Systems)/CS >>> Science (Cyber Security) >>> Technology (Electronic & Computer Systems) Federation University >>> IT (Business Systems) >>> IT (Professional Practice) Flinders University >>> IT (Network Systems) Griffith University >>> Business Information Systems La Trobe University >>> Accounting/IT >>> Business Information Systems >>> Business/IT >>> CS/Accounting Macquarie University >>> IT/Laws Monash University >>> Business Information Systems >>> Commerce/Business Information Systems Murdoch University >>> Science (Cyber Forensics, Information Security & Management) QUT >>> Business/Games & Interactive Entertainment >>> Business/IT >>> IT/Laws

{Careers with Code}

RMIT University >>> Business Information Systems >>> Eng (Computer & Network)/CS

University of Notre Dame >>> Commerce/Communications & Media

Swinburne University >>> Applied Information & Communication Technology >>> Business Information Systems >>> Eng (Telecommunication & Network Eng)/Business >>> Information & Communication Technology (Network Design & Security)

University of Queensland >>> B usiness Management/IT >>> Commerce/IT

University of Adelaide >>> Mathematical & CS/Finance University of Canberra >>> IT/Commerce >>> IT (Mainframe Computing) University of Melbourne >>> Science (Informatics) University of New England >>> CS/Law University of Newcastle >>> IT/Business

University of South Australia >>> B usiness (Management of IT) >>> IT (Enterprise Business Solutions) >>> I T (Networking & Cybersecurity) >>> IT (Systems Administration) University of Southern Queensland >>> Business/IT >>> Commerce/IT University of the Sunshine Coast >>> I nformation & Communications Technology University of Sydney >>> IT/Commerce >>> IT/Laws >>> Project Management (Software)

<DIRECTORY> University of Technology, Sydney

CS + be a scientist physics, chemistry, mathematics...

Deakin University >>> I nformation Systems/ Science Griffith University >>> Science/IT Monash University >>> Science/CS QUT >>> Science/IT University of Adelaide >>> E ng (Chemical)/Mathematical & CS >>> E ng (Computer Systems)/ Mathematical & CS >>> E ng (Telecommunications)/ Mathematical & CS >>> M athematical & CS

University of Tasmania >>> Computing/Information Systems >>> Computing/Laws >>> Economics/Information & Communication Technology >>> Information & Communication Technology >>> Information & Communication Technology/Laws >>> Information Systems >>> Information Systems/Laws University of Technology, Sydney >>> Business/Science (IT) >>> Science (IT)/IT Professional Practice >>> Science (IT)/Laws University of Western Sydney >>> Information & Communications Technology/Business & Commerce >>> Information & Communications Technology/Business & Commerce (Accounting) >>> Information Systems

University of Wollongong >>> CS (Digital Systems Security) >>> CS (Enterprise Systems Development) >>> CS/Laws >>> Information Systems >>> IT (eBusiness) >>> IT/Laws >>> IT (Network Design & Management) >>> IT (Web Design & Development) UNSW Australia >>> Bioinformatics Eng/Commerce >>> Bioinformatics Eng/Laws >>> C ommerce/Information Systems >>> Computer Eng/Commerce >>> Computer Eng/Laws >>> CS/Commerce >>> CS/Laws >>> Information Systems >>> Software Eng/Commerce Victoria University >>> Business (Information Systems Management) >>> IT (Network & Systems Computing)

University of Newcastle >>> E ng (Computer)/Mathematics >>> E ng (Computer)/Science >>> Mathematics/CS University of Queensland >>> E ng (Software)/Science >>> I T & Science University of Sydney >>> IT/Science University of Tasmania >>> I nformation & Communication Technology/Science University of Technology, Sydney >>> Mathematics/Computing >>> Science (IT)/IT Professional Practice University of Western Australia >>> Computer & Mathematical Sciences University of Wollongong >>> CS/Mathematics >>> CS/Science UNSW Australia >>> Science (Advanced)/CS >>> Computer Eng/Science >>> Software Eng/Science <continues p42>

{Careers with Code}

CS + be a teacher early childhood, primary, secondary...

University of Adelaide >>> Teaching/Mathematical & CS University of New England >>> IT/Teaching University of South Australia >>> Education (Secondary Design & Technology)

CS + be an engineer

robotic, electronic, mechatronic... Charles Sturt University >>> IT (Network Eng) Curtin University >>> Eng (Computer Systems)/ Science (CS) >>> Eng (Electronic & Communication)/Science (CS) Edith Cowan University >>> Eng (Computer Systems)/CS Griffith University >>> Eng/IT >>> Eng (Microelectronic) James Cook University >>> Eng (Computer) >>> Eng/IT Murdoch University >>> Eng (Industrial Computer Systems) QUT >>> Eng/IT >>> Eng (Mechatronics)

RMIT University >>> Eng (Computer & Network)/CS >>> Eng (Electronic & Communication)/CS Swinburne University >>> Eng (Electronics & Computer Systems)/CS >>> Eng (Telecommunication & Network)/CS >>> Eng (Robotics & Mechatronics)/CS University of Adelaide >>> Eng (Civil & Environmental)/ Mathematical & CS >>> Eng (Computer Systems)/ Mathematical & CS >>> Eng (Mechanical)/ Mathematical & CS >>> Eng (Mechanical & Aerospace)/ Mathematical & CS >>> Eng (Mechatronic)/ Mathematical & CS >>> E ng (Mining)/Mathematical & CS University of Newcastle >>> Eng (Computer)/CS >>> Eng (Mechatronics) University of South Australia >>> Eng (Electrical & Electronic) >>> Eng (Electrical & Mechatronic) >>> Eng (Mechatronic) University of Southern Queensland >>> E ng (Computer Systems) University of Sydney >>> E ng (Electrical, Computer) >>> E ng (Electrical, Telecommunications) >>> E ng (Mechatronic) >>> E ng (Mechatronic, Space)

University of Technology, Sydney >>> Eng/Professional Eng Practice University of Wollongong >>> E ng (Computer) >>> E ng (Mechatronics) >>> Eng/CS UNSW Australia >>> C omputer Eng >>> CS (Robotics) >>> CS/Eng Victoria University >>> E ng (Mechanical)

CS + work in health

medical, bioinformatics, sport... Deakin University >>> I nformation Systems/ Health Sciences University of Adelaide >>> H ealth Sciences/ Mathematical & CS University of Canberra >>> S cience (Sport & Exercise)/IT University of Sydney >>> I T/Medical Science University of Wollongong >>> M edical Mathematics UNSW Australia >>> Bioinformatics >>> B ioinformatics/Biomed Eng >>> Bioinformatics/Science >>> C omputer Eng/Biomed Eng >>> S oftware Eng/Biomed Eng

Disclaimer: Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of degree names at the time of publication. This is by no means an exhaustive list â&#x20AC;&#x201C; there are plenty of other great degrees available, including straight CS and IT. To find out more, visit myuniversity.gov.au

The 2014 Careers with Code guide is proudly supported by Google. Thanks to all of the Googlers who helped out with this guide. Editorial was facilitated by Engineering Community & Outreach Manager Sally-Ann Williams and Program Coordinator, Engineering & Outreach Programs, Marie Efstathiou. Careers with Code 2014 is a publication of Refraction Media. Copyright ÂŠ 2014 Refraction Media, all rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any manner or form without written permission. This issue went to press on 20 September 2014. Printed in Australia by Webstar. Cover image by Lauren Trompp.

{Careers with Code}

Produced & published by Refraction Media Publisher: Karen Taylor Editor: Heather Catchpole Production Editor: Heather Curry Art Director: Greg Kearns Additional design: Tim Verrender Sub-editor: Keira Daley Additional sub-editing: Rivqa Rafael Writers: Ruth Beran, Laura Boness, Jude Dineley, Myles Gough, Lynnette Hoffman, Sarah Keenihan, Jane Lewis, Linda McIver, Robin McKie, Fran Molloy, Clare Pain, Karsten Schulz, Ben Skuse, Michelle Wheeler

EDITORIAL & ADVERTISING OFFICES: Level 1, 97 Rose St, Chippendale NSW 2008, Sydney, Australia Email: info@refractionmedia.com.au Advertising enquiries: contact Karen Taylor at karen@refractionmedia.com.au or 02 9699 8999 Postal address: PO Box 38, Strawberry Hills NSW 2012 Sydney, Australia Digital edition + more: refractionmedia.com.au/careerswithcode

C o m p u t i n g at a n u The choice is yours

Designed for innovative and entrepreneurial high achieving students with a passion to transform and lead the ICT industry.

Bachelor of Advanced Computing Suits students with a strong technical interest in computing and, specifically, its application across other disciplines.

Bachelor of Software Engineering

Rating for success in getting a job*

largest computer anu is home to Raijin, australiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest and most powerful supercomputer.

$63K anu computer science graduates have an average starting salary of $63,183.*

R&D

Developed for problem solvers who enjoy leading and working in teams and aspire to be professional engineers.

ANU is the only Australian university that offers an undergraduate research and development degree in computing.

Bachelor of Information Technology

Flexible Double Degrees

Tailored for students who have an interest in IT or who are seeking to combine IT skills with other disciplines through a flexible double degree.

anu offers more choice so you can select your own two degrees to combine.

*Good Universities Guide 2014

cecs.anu.edu.au/ futurestudents

Bachelor of Advanced Computing (R&D)

CRICOS# 00120C | MO_140284

From those who are interested in transforming and leading the ICT industry, to those who are hoping to get a taste for IT, ANU offers a wide range of unique degrees to suit your interests in computer science.

careers of tomorrow start with code.

» find amazing opportunities » seek like-minded people » teach yourself new skills » watch real life stories google.com.au/startwithcode