Bachelor of Commerce (BCom)
| Course Code | FH037 |
| Course Type | Undergraduate |
| Credit Points Required | 144 |
| CRICOS code | 012849G |
Description
This version of the Bachelor of Commerce is for students commencing from 2011. Students who commenced their degree prior to 2011 should refer to their handbook or old degree FH027.
The three-year Bachelor of Commerce program has been designed in consultation with industry leaders, graduate recruiters, current students and alumni to provide students with a highly relevant and professional program of study. This degree program places a strong emphasis on the key aspects of business and the practical knowledge needed to thrive in today's global market.
The Bachelor of Commerce core units of study have been designed to progressively develop a student's knowledge and skills, to help them transition from school to university and then to the world of business with confidence. At the end of the degree students will have industry-ready insight and the analytical skills to pursue any business-related career of their choosing.
The key features of the Bachelor of Commerce are as follows:
- a strong commercial grounding in the principle areas of business
- flexibility to combine specialist study in a wide range of disciplines, allowing students to tailor their degree to suit your career aspirations.
- exposure to real-world business cases and experiences, exploiting the Business School's deep corporate connections, internationally renowned teaching, and global partnerships.
Degree structure
Please Note: This information is for 2013 commencing students. Students who commenced their degree prior to 2013 should refer to the course structure set out in the handbook of the year they commenced study. Archived handbooks can be accessed on the Handbooks website.
To be awarded the Bachelor of Commerce, students complete units of study with a total value of 144 credit points, comprising:
- seven core units of study (36 credit points), comprising six junior units of study, including a zero credit point unit, (30 credit points) and one senior (capstone) unit of study (six credit points)
- a compulsory major selected from the 'Commerce subject areas'
- either an optional second major and/or elective units of study selected from any of the Business School subject areas or from any other faculty of the University of Sydney (subject to approval of the faculty offering the unit and degree requirements)
- a maximum of 60 credit points in junior (1000 level) units of study
- a minimum of 96 credit points in units of study from the Business School (a maximum of 48 credit points in units from any other faculty).
Please Note: Students who commenced their degree prior to 2013 should follow the structure of the degree as set out in the Handbook of the year they commenced study.
Core units of study
Students are required to complete their junior core units of study as follows:
- Full-time students: All junior core units must be completed within the first year of enrolment in a sequence set out in the degree progression table below.
- Part-time students: All junior core units must be completed within the first two years of enrolment.
BUSS1001 and BUSS1900 must be completed in a student's first semester of enrolment.
The senior capstone core unit should be completed in a student's final year of enrolment.
(i) Junior units of study (30 credit points):
- BUSS1001 Understanding Business
- BUSS1002 The Business Environment
- BUSS1020 Quantitative Business Analysis
- BUSS1030 Accounting, Business and Society
- BUSS1040 Economics for Business Decision Making
- BUSS1900 Managing Business Communication A (zero credit points)^
^ The zero-credit point unit, BUSS1900, is designed to support students in developing their business communication skills at the very outset of their degree to ensure success in the semesters that follow. All commencing undergraduate students must enrol in BUSS1900 but have the option of withdrawing following a mandatory waiver test conducted during Orientation Week (O Week) preceding the start of each semester.
(ii) Senior (capstone) unit of study (six credit points):
Transitional arrangements for 2011 and 2012 commencing students
From 2012, ECOF1003, ECOF1004 and ACCT1005 will no longer be offered and students who have not completed these units must complete the substitute unit as indicated in the following table (i.e. BUSS1001, BUSS1002 and BUSS1030). Students who commenced study in 2011 can still count ECMT1010 and ECON1001 as junior core units. However, if 2011 continuing students have not yet completed these units, it is recommended that they complete BUSS1020 and BUSS1040 instead.
Students commencing before 2013 do not need to complete BUSS1900 as a core unit for their degree.
| 2011 junior core unit | 2012 junior core unit |
|---|---|
ECOF1003 Understanding Business (formerly Business Contexts A) |
BUSS1001 Understanding Business |
ECOF1004 The Business Environment (formerly Business Contexts B) |
BUSS1002 The Business Environment |
ACCT1005 Accounting, Business and Society |
BUSS1030 Accounting Business and Society |
ECMT1010 Business and Economic Statistics A |
BUSS1020 Quantitative Business Analysis |
ECON1001 Introductory Microeconomics * |
BUSS1040 Economics for Business Decision Making * |
The senior capstone core unit from 2012 is BUSS3500. This unit substitutes for ECOF3010.
* Note. BUSS1040 and ECON1001 are not prohibitions for each other. Students can choose to complete both BUSS1040 and ECON1001 (depending on degree requirements).
Majors and electives
Compulsory major
In the Bachelor of Commerce students select a least one compulsory major to fulfil the requirements of their degree. A major consists of a minimum of 36 credit points in senior units of study (usually six units) in a single subject area. Senior units may only be counted towards the requirements of one major. Compulsory Commerce subject areas are as follows:
- Accounting
- Business Information Systems
- Commercial Law
- Econometrics
- Economics
- Finance
- Industrial Relations and Human Resource Management
- International Business
- Management
- Marketing
- Quantitative Business Analysis
Note. The Quantitative Business Analysis major replaces the Operations Management and Decision Sciences major from 2012. Students who commenced study in 2011 can choose to complete either the Quantitative Business Analysis major or the Operations Management and Decision Sciences major.
Students who commenced study before 2013 should refer to the Handbook of the year of commenced study for further information regarding available majors and subject areas.
Additional majors and electives
Students may select an additional major and/or elective units of study from any subject area offered by the Business School or they can choose a major and/or elective units from any other faculty of the University of Sydney (subject to approval of the faculty offering the unit).
Other faculty majors may differ in size, however in most cases; a minimum of 36 credit points in senior (or intermediate and senior) units of study must be completed in a single subject area. For this degree, a maximum of 48 credit points in units of study (both junior and senior) from outside the Business School may be completed. Students should refer to the other faculty's handbook or website for further information regarding their major requirements.
Professional accreditation
Professional accounting accreditation
Students planning to satisfy the entry requirements of CPA Australia or the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia should include in their course a prescribed set of units of study, including units of study from accounting, business law, business information systems and finance. Required units of study are listed under the Professional accreditation in accounting information. For further information regarding accreditation requirements contact either CPA Australia or ICAA.
Australian Computer Society (ACS) accreditation
Students planning to satisfy the entry requirements of the ACS should include in their course a prescribed set of units of study, including a major in Business Information Systems. Required units of study are listed under the Business Information Systems major.
Australian Human Resources Institute (AHRI) accreditation
All
undergraduate award courses incorporating a major in Industrial
Relations and Human Resource Management are AHRI-accredited. Students
wishing to satisfy the requirements for professional membership of AHRI
should include this major in their course. The required units of study
for the major are listed under Industrial Relations and Human Resource Management major.
Progression guide
| Year / Semester | Unit of study 1 | Unit of study 2 | Unit of study 3 | Unit of study 4 | Total credit point |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 Semester 1 | BUSS1001 and BUSS1900 | BUSS1030 | BUSS1040 | junior (elective or major) | 24 |
Year 1 | BUSS1002 | BUSS1020 | junior or senior (elective or major) | junior or senior (elective or major) | 24 |
| Year 2 Semester 1 | senior (major) | senior (2nd major or elective) | senior (elective) | senior (elective) | 24 |
| Year 2 Semester 2 | senior (major) | senior (2nd major or elective) | senior (2nd major or elective) | senior (elective) | 24 |
| Year 3 Semester 1 | senior (major) | senior (major) | senior (2nd major or elective) | senior (2nd major or elective) | 24 |
| Year 3 Semester 2 | senior (major) | senior (major) | senior (2nd major or elective) | BUSS3500 | 24 |
Please Note: The information listed in this example is based on the unit of study offerings for 2013 and is intended as a guide only. Students are usually able to complete the units of study for their course in different sequences to that which is listed (including enrolling in units in Summer or Winter School sessions when available). Students are advised to plan their course based upon their individual needs and to contact the faculty's Student Information Office if they need any assistance in planning their progression in their degree.
Degree progression examples - majors and major combinations
Please select the links below to download example major/unit combinations for the Bachelor of Commerce program.
Please Note. The information listed in these examples are meant as a guide only. The information is intended for students commencing their degree in 2013. Students should always check the requirements for individual units of study and majors. Students are advised to plan their degree based on their individual needs and to contact the Student Information Office if they need any assistance in planning their progression in their degree. For majors from other faculties, students are advised to contact the relevant Department, Discipline or School for further information on what is required to complete these majors.
- Majors in Accounting and Commercial Law
(including the additional units of study required to meet professional accounting accreditation) - Majors in Accounting and Finance (including the additional units of study required to meet professional accounting accreditation)
- Majors in Business Information Systems and Marketing (including the additional units of study required to meet Australian Computer Society accreditation)
- Majors in Business Information Systems and Computer Science (Faculty of Science)
- Majors in Commercial Law and Industrial Relations and Human Resource Management
- Majors in Economics and Quantitative Business Analysis
- Majors in Econometrics and Quantitative Business Analysis
- Majors in Economics and Finance
- Majors in Industrial Relations and Human Resource Management and Management
- Majors in International Business and Japanese Studies (Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences)
- Majors in International Business and Marketing
- Majors in Management and Quantitative Business Analysis
Pre-2011 continuing students should refer to the handbook of the year they commenced their degree for details of their degree and major structures. Progression examples can be found on the at FH014 Bachelor of Commerce page under discontinued courses.
Honours Year
For details the honours program, including honours preparation, admission requirements and areas of study available, please check the Honours Year information on this website.