Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Arts (BCom/BA)
| Course Code | FH047 |
| Course Type | Undergraduate |
| Credit Points Required | 240 |
| CRICOS code | 055964D |
Description
This stimulating and challenging combination of commerce,humanities and social sciences will prepare students for managerial and specialist roles in business or the public sector. The five-year full-time (or equivalent part-time) combined Bachelor of Commerce/Bachelor of Arts program produces graduates who are well prepared for the challenges of today's business world and who possess a wide range of industry-relevant skills and knowledge. Many organisations have international affiliations and business operations, so students often choose to combine their studies in commerce with a language - an invaluable asset in gaining international employment.
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 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:
- seven core Commerce units of study (36 credit points) comprising 30 credit points of junior units (including a zero credit point unit) and a six credit point senior capstone unit.
- a compulsory major selected from one of the Commerce subject areas
- at least 96 credit points in units of study from the Business School (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
- 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.
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 study before 2013, will 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.
Majors and electives
Commerce majors and electives
In the Bachelor of Commerce component, students select at least one compulsory 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 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 prior to 2013 should refer to the Handbook of the year you commenced study for details on available majors.
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 and Social Sciences subject areas (Table A)
| American Studies | Ancient History | Anthropology | Arabic and Islamic Studies |
| Archaeology | Art History | Asian Studies | Australian Literature |
| Biblical Studies | Buddhist Studies | Celtic Studies | Chinese Studies |
| Cultural Studies | Digital Cultures | Econometrics * | Economics |
| English | European Studies | Film Studies | French Studies |
| Gender Studies | Germanic Studies | Government and International Relations | Greek (Ancient) |
| Hebrew (Classical) | Hebrew (Modern) | History | Indigenous Australian Studies |
| Indonesian Studies | International and Comparative Literary Studies | Italian Studies | Japanese Studies |
| Jewish Civilisation, Thought and Culture | Korean Studies | Latin | Linguistics |
| Medieval Studies | Modern Greek | Music | Performance Studies |
| Philosophy | Political Economy | Sanskrit | Social Policy |
| Sociology | Spanish and Latin American Studies | Studies in Religion | |
| Pali (no major available) | Writing (no major available) | ||
* Note: From 2012, Econometrics will be available as a major offered by the School of Economics in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.
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 and Environment 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.
| Year / Semester | Unit of study 1 | Unit of study 2 | Unit of study 3 | Unit of study 4 | Total credit points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year 1 | BUSS1001 and BUSS1900 | BUSS1030 | BUSS1040 | BA junior (major) | 24 |
Year 1 | BUSS1002 | BUSS1020 | BCom junior (major or elective) | BA junior (major) | 24 |
| Year 2 Semester 1 | BCom senior (major) | BCom junior or senior (major or elective) | BA junior or senior (elective) | BA senior (major) | 24 |
Year 2 | BCom senior (major) | BCom junior or senior (major or elective) | BA junior or senior (elective) | BA senior (major) | 24 |
Year 3 | BCom senior (major) | BCom senior (major or elective) | BA senior (elective) | BA senior (major) | 24 |
Year 3 | BCom senior (major) | senior (elective) | BA senior (elective) | BA senior (major) | 24 |
Year 4 | BCom senior (major) | senior (elective) | BA senior (elective) | BA senior (major) | 24 |
Year 4 | BCom senior (major) | senior (elective) | BA senior (elective) | BA senior (major) | 24 |
Year 5 | BCom senior (major or elective) | senior (elective) | senior (elective) | senior (elective or BA elective) | 24 |
Year 5 | BUSS3500 | senior (elective) | senior (elective) | senior (elective or BA elective) | 24 |
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 2013. 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.