Students

COMP8851 – Major Project

2026 – Session 1, In person-scheduled-weekday, North Ryde

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Convenor and Lecturer of Internal Project stream
Yan Wang
yan.wang@mq.edu.au
Convenor and Lecturer of Internship stream
Yuankai Qi
yuankai.qi@mq.edu.au
Credit points Credit points
20
Prerequisites Prerequisites
Completed 40CP at 8000 level in COMP units
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

This unit provides the option of either an industry-based internship or an internally supervised project as a major project experience for students in the Master's course.

An internally supervised project may comprise literature research, a case study, a software project development, or a project sponsored by the candidate's employer. Candidates are expected to demonstrate initiative and independence in researching, executing and documenting an involved information and communications technology project as well as its ethical implications.

The industry-based internship helps students gain experience in the industry. Students work with both industry and academic supervisors to complete a major project or smaller projects, working part-time over the session. Project topics will be agreed upon between the University, the student and the industry partner. Candidates may complete the project work at the industry partner's location or their place of employment, subject to University approval. Assessment will be based on a combination of written reports and presentations. 

Learning in this unit enhances student understanding of global challenges identified by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) Quality Education; Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • ULO1: Evaluate ethical issues related to working in a IT environment.
  • ULO2: Critically evaluate the experience gained while undertaking the project
  • ULO3: Apply lessons learned from previous units of study to project tasks.
  • ULO4: Explore career alternatives prior to graduation.

General Assessment Information

This unit has two streams of students: the Internal Project Stream and the Internship Stream. The unit is assessed through three components: Project Planning and Development (Detailed Planning Presentation), Project Initiation (Midterm Report), and Project Completion (Final Report). The assessments for the two streams vary in detail when it comes to the requirements.

Marking Criteria and Report Templates for both streams can be found on iLearn.

Requirements to Pass this Unit

The unit does not have hurdle assessments. To pass this unit, you must:

  • Achieve a total mark equal to or greater than 50%.

In this unit, late submissions will be accepted as follows:

  • All assessment tasks: YES, Standard Late Penalty applies 

Late Assessment Submission Penalty 

Late Submission Policy

  • 5% penalty per day: If you submit your assessment late, 5% of the total possible marks will be deducted for each day (including weekends), up to 7 days.

    • Example 1 (out of 100): If you score 85/100 but submit 20 hours late, you will lose 5 marks and receive 80/100.

    • Example 2 (out of 30): If you score 27/30 but submit 1 day late, you will lose 1.5 marks and receive 25.5/30.

  • After 7 days: Submissions more than 7 days late will receive a mark of 0.

  • Extensions:

    • Special Consideration: If you need more time due to serious issues and for any assessments that are not eligible for Short Extension, you must apply for Special Consideration. 

For any late submission of time-sensitive tasks, such as scheduled tests/exams, performance assessments/presentations, and/or scheduled practical assessments/labs, students need to apply for Special Consideration.  Special Consideration should be submitted before the assessment submission deadline and granted.

Special Consideration

The Special Consideration Policy aims to support students who have been impacted by short-term circumstances or events that are serious, unavoidable, and significantly disruptive, and which may affect their performance in assessment. If you experience circumstances or events that affect your ability to complete the assessments in this unit on time, please inform the convenor and submit a Special Consideration request through ask.mq.edu.au.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due Groupwork/Individual Short Extension AI Approach
Project Initiation 20% No Week 4 Friday 11:55pm, 20 March 2026 Individual and Group No Open
Project Planning and Development 30% No Week 8 Friday 11:55pm, 1 May 2026 Individual and Group No Open
Project Completion 50% No Week 13 Friday 11:55pm, 5 June 2026 Individual and Group No Open

Project Initiation

Assessment Type 1: Portfolio
Indicative Time on Task 2: 10 hours
Due: Week 4 Friday 11:55pm, 20 March 2026
Weighting: 20%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual and Group
Short extension 3: No
AI Approach: Open

Students will present an overview of their proposed project, outlining its purpose, goals, and initial plan. The overview will be delivered in a format appropriate to the project context and submitted early in the session to allow for timely feedback.
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Evaluate ethical issues related to working in a IT environment.
  • Critically evaluate the experience gained while undertaking the project
  • Apply lessons learned from previous units of study to project tasks.
  • Explore career alternatives prior to graduation.

Project Planning and Development

Assessment Type 1: Portfolio
Indicative Time on Task 2: 10 hours
Due: Week 8 Friday 11:55pm, 1 May 2026
Weighting: 30%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual and Group
Short extension 3: No
AI Approach: Open

Students will present the detailed planning and development of their project to date. The presentation should be delivered in a format suitable for effectively communicating the project work. 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Evaluate ethical issues related to working in a IT environment.
  • Critically evaluate the experience gained while undertaking the project
  • Apply lessons learned from previous units of study to project tasks.
  • Explore career alternatives prior to graduation.

Project Completion

Assessment Type 1: Portfolio
Indicative Time on Task 2: 25 hours
Due: Week 13 Friday 11:55pm, 5 June 2026
Weighting: 50%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual and Group
Short extension 3: No
AI Approach: Open

Students will present the detailed planning, development, and final outcome of their project. The format and type of presentation will be based on the needs and characteristics of the project. Individual written reports and in-person presentations, including demonstrations where relevant, will be required to effectively communicate the outcome.
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Evaluate ethical issues related to working in a IT environment.
  • Critically evaluate the experience gained while undertaking the project
  • Apply lessons learned from previous units of study to project tasks.
  • Explore career alternatives prior to graduation.

1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:

  • the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
  • Academic Success for academic skills support.

2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation.

3 An automatic short extension is available for some assessments. Apply through the Service Connect Portal.

Delivery and Resources

This unit  (20 Credit Points) combines the Internal Project as well as the Internship unit.

For details of days, times and rooms consult the timetables webpage.

Presentation schedules will be announced on ilearn.

Report submissions and presentations have to be submitted on ilearn.

Details about the internship can be found HERE. Information on internal projects will be made available on the iLearn site.

Week 1 classes

Internship: We have already organized the internship workshop. You can access the workshop Recording HERE. During week 1, the company must sign the internship form, and you will start your internship (in Person) in the company. 

Internal Project: The unit convener (Internal Project) will present the available projects during the first lecture in week 1. You will choose your project, and a lecturer from the teaching team will be assigned to you as your supervisor. Please check the day/time of the lecture on the timetables "https://publish.mq.edu.au//".

Methods of Communication

Internship: There will be a weekly consultation for projects. The information will be available on iLearn.

Internal Project: There will be a weekly lecture to help students with their projects. Please check the day/time of the lecture on the timetables "https://timetables.mq.edu.au/2024/".

Unit Schedule

For details of days, times and rooms, consult the timetables webpage (https://publish.mq.edu.au/).

There is no final examination, but you are expected to submit a number of reports and attend all the presentations.  If you are not available at that time, there is no guarantee an additional examination time will be offered. 

There are no hurdles in this unit.

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/student-conduct

Results

Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit connect.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Academic Integrity

At Macquarie, we believe academic integrity – honesty, respect, trust, responsibility, fairness and courage – is at the core of learning, teaching and research. We recognise that meeting the expectations required to complete your assessments can be challenging. So, we offer you a range of resources and services to help you reach your potential, including free online writing and maths support, academic skills development and wellbeing consultations.

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

Academic Success

Academic Success provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic writing, and communication skills.

The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources. 

Student Services and Support

Macquarie University offers a range of Student Support Services including:

Student Enquiries

Got a question? Ask us via the Service Connect Portal, or contact Service Connect.

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/. 

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Changes from Previous Offering

We value student feedback to be able to improve the way we offer our units continually. As such, we encourage students to provide constructive feedback to the teaching staff directly via student surveys or the FSE Student Experience & Feedback link on the iLearn page. Student feedback from the previous offering of this unit was very positive overall, with students pleased with the clarity around assessment requirements and the level of support from the teaching staff. As such, no change to the delivery of the unit is planned; however, we will continue to strive to improve the level of support and student engagement.

Unit information based on version 2026.04 of the Handbook