Faculty of Information Technology
FIT2004 Algorithms and data structures is a level 2, 6-credit-point, undergraduate unit from the Faculty of Information Technology, offered in 2026 in Semester 1 and Semester 2 at Clayton and Malaysia. It needs (FIT1008, FIT1054 or FIT2085) and (MAT1830 or FIT1058) and unlocks 15 units, leading on to 36 units in all. Students rate it 4.0 out of 5 from 1 review and call it very hard.
The 2027 handbook has no page for FIT2004. This is its 2026 entry, the latest one.
Hard but worth it. The assignments are brutal and you will spend whole weekends on them, but you come out actually understanding dynamic programming and graph algorithms. Do the tutorial sheets every week, the exam questions look a lot like them.
Pass these before you enrol.
15 units list FIT2004 as a prerequisite or corequisite.
This unit introduces you to problem solving concepts and techniques fundamental to the science of programming. In doing this it covers problem specification, algorithmic design, analysis and implementation. Detailed topics include analysis of best, average and worst-case time and space complexity; introduction to numerical algorithms; recursion; advanced data structures such as heaps and B-trees; hashing; sorting algorithms; searching algorithms; graph algorithms; and numerical computing.
| Teaching period | Campus | Mode |
|---|---|---|
| First semester | Clayton | Flexible |
| First semester | Malaysia | On campus |
| Second semester | Clayton | Flexible |
| Second semester | Malaysia | On campus |
Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.
When you finish this unit, you should be able to:
Analyse general problem solving strategies and algorithmic paradigms, and apply them to solving new problems;
Prove correctness of programs, analyse their space and time complexities;
Compare and contrast various abstract data types and use them appropriately;
Develop and implement algorithms to solve computational problems.
Minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of scheduled online and face to face learning activities and independent study. Independent study may include associated reading and preparation for scheduled teaching activities.
Applied sessions are scheduled from Week 2 to Week 12.
Python (latest version) installed in the labs
FIT2004 is part of 4 areas of study in the 2026 handbook.
You need (FIT1008, FIT1054 or FIT2085) and (MAT1830 or FIT1058) before you enrol.
FIT2004 is a prerequisite or corequisite for 15 units, including FIT3080, FIT3143, FIT3144, FIT3155, FIT3161 and FIT3163. Those lead on to 36 units in all.
In 2026, FIT2004 runs in Semester 1 and Semester 2 at Clayton and Malaysia.
Students who took it rate it very hard to do well in and very heavy on workload (1 rating). The handbook expects about 144 hours of study across the semester.
No. FIT2004 has 2 assessment tasks and no exam.
FIT2004 is part of Computational science and Computer science.
It is rated 4.0 out of 5 from 1 review. Read the reviews above or add your own.