Please Note. This information is for 2011 and 2012 commencing students. Students who commenced their degree prior to 2011 should refer to the course structure, available major subject areas and resolutions in the faculty handbook for the year they commenced. Archived downloadable faculty handbooks can be accessed on the Handbooks website.

Degree requirements

To be awarded the Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Arts, students must successfully complete a total of 240 credit points (with no more than 96 credit points in junior units of study), comprising:

For the Bachelor of Commerce component:

• six core Commerce units of study (36 credit points)
• a major selected from one of the Commerce subject areas
• at least 96 credit points in units of study from the Business School and the School of Economics (with a minimum of 48 credit points in senior units)

For Bachelor of Arts component:

• a major selected from one of the Arts subject areas in Table A in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences handbook (where a major is available)
• at least 72 credit points in senior units of study from Table A in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences handbook

For details of Arts majors, students should refer to the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences website or Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Handbook.

Commerce core units of study

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

Senior unit of study (six credit points):

• BUSS3500 Integrated Business Applications

Transitional arrangements for 2011 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. 

The senior capstone core unit from 2012 is BUSS3500. This unit substitutes for ECOF3010.

Majors and electives

Commerce majors and electives

In the Bachelor of Commerce component, students select at least one major from the 'Commerce subject areas' 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 of study may only be counted towards one major. Elective units can also be selected from these areas. The 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.

Arts majors and electives

For the Bachelor of Arts degree component, students select at least one major from the Arts subject areas ('Table A' subject areas in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Handbook). In the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, a major usually consists of a minimum of 36 credit points in senior units of study (six units). Students are normally required to complete at least 12 credit points in junior units of study (two units) as prerequisites in order to progress to senior units of study (in some majors specific junior units). Senior units may only be counted towards one major. Students cannot complete a major in all the Arts subject areas.

Students are required to complete at least 72 credit points in senior Arts units of study comprising the units for their selected major and additional senior units (either a second major and/or as electives).

The available Arts subject areas, including those areas in which majors cannot be completed (or those that may not be available in the future), are as follows:

Arts subject areas (Table A) for majors and electives

* Note: From 2012, Econometrics will be available as a major offered by the School of Economics in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Students can choose to count Econometrics and Economics units towards either the Commerce or Arts components of their combined degree but not both.

Other major and elective options available in this combined degree

Students may select additional majors and/or electives offered by the Business School, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, or from the Faculties of Science, Education and Social Work, Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources or other faculties in the University of Sydney (subject to approval by the Business School). For details of majors from other faculties, students should consult the handbook for the relevant faculty.

Progression guide

The following table shows a degree progression example for a student enrolled in the combined Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Arts on a full-time basis undertaking four units of study per semester. Core units of study for the Bachelor of Commerce component are in bold italic type and the required Commerce components are in italic. The required Arts units are in bold.

Please Note: The information listed in this example is based on the unit of study offerings for 2012 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 are 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 click on the links below to download some example major/unit of study combinations for the Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Arts.

Please Note: The information listed in these program of study examples are meant as a guide only. This information is intended for students who commenced their degree from 2012. Students should always check the requirements for individual units of study and majors (see information at the bottom of this webpage. Students are advised to plan their degree based upon 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 needed to complete these majors.

Honours Year

Both the Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Arts can be awarded with honours. Joint honours courses are available.

For the Bachelor of Commerce students must successfully complete an additional honours year of study. For details of this program students should refer to the Honours year information listed under the Bachelor of Commerce.

For the award of honours in the Bachelor of Arts, students must complete successfully an additional honours year of study in any of the subject areas where honours units of study are listed. For further details of requirements for honours, students should refer to the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Handbook.