The Bachelor of Commerce program provides a solid grounding in the business disciplines of Accounting,Economics and Quantitative Analysis and then offers a broad choice of specialist areas. Most students select two areas of specialist study.

The objectives of the Bachelor of Commerce (BCom) are:

The Bachelor of Commerce program may be conferred as a Pass or Honour degree. In the case of superior academic performance throughout the program, the Pass degree with be conferred with Distinction.
Studies leading to the award of the Bachelor of Commerce degree normally consist of 144 units of credit (24 courses) to be completed over a period of three academic years.

These units will be made up of:

Core Courses which account for 36 units of credit (6 courses)

Note: Students in Actuarial Studies programs substitute approved Mathematics courses for professional recognition for ECON1202 and ECON1203.

In Addition Bachelor of Commerce students must complete

Students in this program must complete 12 units of credit in General Education courses or their equivalent (unless otherwise entitled to exemption). For further information, please refer to General Education Requirements.

Please note that students enrolled in programs within the Faculty of Commerce and Economics cannot take General Education courses offered by the Faculty of Commerce and Economics.

If students are unsure of their General Education Requirements they should contact the Faculty Student Centre

Upon completion of first or second years of a full-time program or the corresponding stages of a part-time program, a candidate may make a written application to the Head of School concerned for permission to enrol for an Honours degree. For the Honours degree, the student must complete a further 48 units of credit in an approved disciplinary area.

When such permission is granted but a candidate's later performance is unsatisfactory, permission to continue as an Honours student may be withdrawn and the student may proceed to an appropriate Pass degree.

A person who has graduated with a Pass degree of Bachelor of Commerce can not be admitted to candidature for the Honours degree of Bachelor of Commerce, except with special permission on the recommendation of the Head of the School.

Honours can be undertaken in the following disciplinary areas:

Accounting
Actuarial Studies
Business Economics
Business Strategy & Economic Management
Finance
Financial Economics
Human Resource Management
Industrial Relations
Information Systems
International Business
Management
Marketing

For rules relating to programs which are no longer offered to new students, please refer to earlier Faculty Handbooks. Copies of these rules are also available from the Faculty of Commerce and Economics Student Centre .

Rule 1 - Pass and Honours Degrees
The degree of Bachelor of Commerce may be conferred as a Pass degree or as an Honours degree. There shall be three classes of Honours, namely Class 1, Class 2 in two Divisions and Class 3. In cases of superior academic performance throughout the program, the Pass degree will be conferred with Distinction.

Rule 2 - Disciplinary Minors
Students not completing the requirements of two majors in the Bachelor of Commerce degree must complete a 'disciplinary minor' in a discipline other than their major. A 'disciplinary minor' is defined as four approved session courses, or equivalent value for courses taught outside the Faculty, of which no more than 12 units of credit may be first year courses.

Rule 3 - Transfer Between Degrees
Candidates are admitted to the Bachelor of Commerce, the Bachelor of Commerce in Marketing, Tourism and Hospitality Management, the Bachelor of Commerce/Bachelor of Science or the Bachelor of Economics program. There is no automatic transfer between these programs. Candidates who wish to transfer between these programs must reapply through UAC if they are a Local student or Undergraduate Admissions if they are International students.

Rule 4 - Assessable Hours
Normal workload expectations for each degree are a minimum of 25 hours per session per unit of credit, including class contact hours, preparation and time spent on all assessable work.

Rule 5 - Passing in a Course
Where, in the following rules, reference is made to the requirement that a candidate shall pass a course, the requirement shall be construed as meaning that the candidate shall complete assignments, laboratory work, other set work and an examination or examinations by the prescribed dates to the satisfaction of the Head of the School concerned.

Rule 6 - Normal Program
The program leading to the award of the degree of Bachelor of Commerce normally consists of 144 units of credit to be completed over a period of three academic years or six 14-week sessions, with the exception of programs with an Industrial Training component which consist of 192 units of credit over four academic years or eight 14-week sessions. Except in exceptional circumstances, a student must enrol in a minimum of 6 units per session and will not be permitted to enrol in more than 24 units.

Rule 7 - Minimum Time for Completion
(a) The minimum time for completing the requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Commerce at Pass level is normally six sessions full-time or 12 sessions part-time, unless the student is enrolled in a Co-op program in which case the minimum time for completion is eight sessions full-time.

(b) For the Bachelor of Commerce in Marketing, Tourism and Hospitality Management program at Pass level, the minimum time for completion is eight sessions full-time.

Rule 8 - Nomination of Plan
A student must nominate on the enrolment form the specialisation intended when enrolling for the first year. A candidate may change from one plan to another but not more than once per year. The change requires the approval of the program authority and unless it is a transfer between a Pass and an Honours program, the change must be completed before enrolment is finalised for the particular year.

Rule 9 - Academic Program Requirements: BCom 3502
To complete the requirements for the award of the degree of Bachelor of Commerce:

1. For the Pass degree, a student must complete and pass 144 units of credit, which shall include:

1.1 36 units of common Level 1 core courses as follows:

ACCT1501 - Accounting & Financial Mgt 1A
ACCT1511 - Accounting & Financial Mgt 1B
ECON1101 - Microeconomics 1
ECON1102 - Macroeconomics 1
ECON1202 - Quantitative Methods A#
ECON1203 - Quantitative Methods B#

#Students in Actuarial Studies programs substitute approved Mathematics courses for professional recognition for ECON1202 and ECON1203.

1.2 (a) satisfactory completion of a minimum of 12 units of credit in General Education courses or their equivalent (unless otherwise entitled to exemption). Combined undergraduate degrees offered with another faculty and leading to the award of two degrees satisfy this requirement (12 units of credit in General Education) within the program.

1.2 (b) undertake an additional 56 hours of study which examines the purposes and consequences of their university education and which fosters socially, ethically and professionally responsible behaviour. The Bachelor of Commerce fulfills this requirement as part of the normal program curriculum.

1.3 either a major of at least 48 units in an approved disciplinary stream and a minor of 24 units of approved session courses of which no more than 12 units may be Level 1 courses (excluding Industrial Training components when included in program requirements); or

1.4 a double major of 84 units, consisting of 42 units from each of two approved disciplinary streams (excluding Industrial Training components when included in program requirements)

2. A student cannot:

2.1 count more than 60 units of Level 1 core and electives courses towards their degree unless in exceptional circumstances:

2.2 substitute more than 6 units of mainstream courses offered by other faculties towards General Education requirements.

2.3 count a mainstream course offered by faculties other than Faculty of Commerce and Economics both as a substitute for a Commerce and Economics option and as a substitute for a General Education elective.

3. A student enrolled in a Co-op program must satisfactorily complete the industrial training components specified in the program requirements,

4. For the Honours degree, a student must complete a further 48 units in an approved disciplinary stream.

4.1 Honours may be taken in one disciplinary stream only

4.2 The additional units, comprising specified courses from the relevant disciplinary stream and a thesis, must be completed in two sessions following the completion of the Pass degree component.

4.3 Honours degree will not be awarded if academic performance is below the prescribed level.

4.4 Except when recommended to the contrary by the relevant Head of School, a student intending to enter the Honours year must:

4.4.1 satisfy the Pass degree requirements and obtain a minimum average of 70% in Level 2 and Level 3 courses of the relevant disciplinary stream in the Pass degree component,

4.4.2 pass all courses in the Pass degree component at first attempt.

4.5 Except with the special permission of the program authority on the recommendation of the relevant Heads of School, a person on whom the Pass degree of Bachelor of Commerce or equivalent has been conferred shall not be admitted to candidature for the Honours degree of Bachelor of Commerce.

5 Approved disciplinary streams (Pass) are listed below:

Accounting
Accounting Co-op Program
Actuarial Studies
Business Economics
Business Strategy and Economic Management
Business Statistics
Business Law
Economic History
Finance
Finance Co-op Program
Financial Economics
Human Resource Management
Industrial Relations
Information Systems
Information Systems and Management Co-op Program
International Business
Management
Marketing
Marketing Co-op Program
Modern Languages*
Taxation
Tourism and Hospitality Management^

*Modern Languages is not available as a single major, but as a co-major only

^Available only as a co-major in the integrated Bachelor of Commerce in Services Marketing - Tourism and Hospitality Management program


Rule 10 - Honours Degree
Upon completion of first or second years of a full-time program or the corresponding stages of a part-time program, a candidate may make a written application to the Head of School concerned for permission to enrol for an Honours degree. When such permission is granted but a candidate's later performance is unsatisfactory, permission to continue as an Honours student may be withdrawn and the student may proceed to an appropriate Pass degree.

A person on whom the Pass degree of Bachelor of Commerce has been conferred shall not be admitted to candidature for the Honours degree of Bachelor of Commerce, except with special permission on the recommendation of the Head of the School.

Rule 11 - Credit for Courses Passed at Another University
Subject to the University rules governing admission with advanced standing, courses passed at another university may be counted towards fulfilling the requirements of the degree but, in general, not more than four courses studied for a year or equivalent which are already counted for another degree may be counted towards the requirements for the Bachelor of Commerce. Advanced standing will not normally be granted for courses completed more than 7 years before the date of admission of the applicant, except with the approval of the Head of the School.

Rule 12 - Options
Subject to the requirements of the individual programs, students may choose a maximum of 2 options from any approved course taught by any other UNSW faculties. Approval must be sought from the program authority to count courses as options. Apart from service courses for other faculties, all courses taught by the Faculty of Commerce and Economics will be automatically approved as options, but no course can be counted both as an option and as a prescribed course. Heads of the Schools may, in exceptional circumstances, vary courses in prescribed programs.

Rule 13 - Order of Progression of Courses
It is expected students shall undertake core courses in the equivalent of their first year. It is expected failed courses will be repeated in the first session in which they are next offered.

Rule 14 - Prerequisite and Corequisite Requirements
Except in exceptional circumstances, a candidate shall not enrol in any course without having satisfied the prescribed prerequisite or corequisite requirements.

For information regarding fees for UNSW programs, please refer to the following web-page:  https://my.unsw.edu.au/student/fees/FeesMainPage.html

Australian Computer Society (ACS)
The School of Information Systems, Technology and Management Programs are now accredited by the Australian Computer Society.
Programs accredited to the level of Professional by the Australian Computer Society are:
Bachelor of Commerce (Information Systems) including honours and double degrees
Bachelor of Commerce (Information Systems and Management) including honours and double degrees
Bachelor of Science (Information Systems) including honours and double degrees
Bachelor of Science (Business Information Technology) including honours and double degrees.
http://www.acs.org.au/

The Institute of Actuaries of Australia
The profession of Actuary is one of the oldest in the financial world. It is highly regarded and requires the completion of, or exemption from, professional examinations. Fellows of The Institute of Actuaries of Australia, the Institute of Actuaries or Faculty of Actuaries (UK), or the Society of Actuaries (North America) can practise as actuaries in Australia.

Students intending to enter the actuarial profession should normally have completed 4-unit mathematics or obtained a high mark in 3-unit mathematics and should be aiming to obtain an average of at least 70% mark in their University studies. Experience has shown that the higher your UAI or equivalent, the better your chances of success in meeting the standard for exemption from the professional actuarial examinations (95 and above is often recommended).

To obtain maximum professional actuarial course exemptions, ACTL3001, ACTL3002, ACTL3003 and ACTL3004 (all List A) should be completed and ACCT2542, ECON2101/ECON2102 and FINS1613 from List B.
http://www.actuaries.asn.au/

CPA Australia
CPA Australia has accepted this University as an approved tertiary institution for the purpose of its membership qualifications. Associate membership of this association requires an accredited undergraduate degree with a major in accounting. Students who commence recognised programs after 1st January 2003 are no longer required to pass acceptable examinations in auditing, and Australian income taxation. However students must pass acceptable examinations in Australian business law or pass a coherent group or sequence of courses in one of the following disciplines: Finance, Management accounting, Information technology, or other approved combination.
http://www.cpaonline.com.au/cps/rde/xchg

The Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia
Graduates who have completed the Bachelor of Commerce degree program are eligible under the Institute's new admission requirements to enter the 'CA Program' leading to membership. The specific courses to be included have been reduced by the Institute to the following 6 core areas: Financial Accounting, Management Accounting, Finance, Auditing, Australian Commercial and Corporate Law, & Australian Taxation Law.
http://www.icaa.org.au/

Chartered Secretaries Australia (CSA)
CSA is the professional association for 10,000 company secretaries and corporate managers in Australia. It also operates as the Australian Division of the International Institute of chartered Secretaries and Administrators to which most CSA members also belong.
CSA accredits courses which, if completed, count towards the academic requirements of both professional associations. During their undergraduate studies, students are encouraged to become CSA Student Members.
http://www.csaust.com/


The Australian Institute of Banking and Finance (AIBF)
The educational requirements for Associateship will be satisfied on completion of a University degree specialising in Banking and Finance which includes a management, a marketing and four banking and finance courses.

The educational requirements for Senior Associateship will be satisfied on completion of a University degree specialising in Banking and Finance which includes a management, a marketing and four banking and finance courses and employment in the Australia/New Zealand Banking and Finance industry for at least two years.

Graduates who have met the academic, but not the work experience, requirements for Senior Associate, qualify for Associate membership.

Students are advised to contact the AIBF for current requirements:
http://www.aibf.com.au

The Securities Institute of Australia
The Securities Institute of Australia grants exemptions from certain courses leading to associate membership of the Institute to graduates who have completed finance courses offered in the BCom or BEc degree programs.
Applications for registration, exemption or admission should be made direct to the Institute.
http://www.securities.edu.au/

Australian Market and Social Research Society (AMSRS)
Undergraduate marketing students at UNSW are able to obtain the Certificate of Market Research if they have successfully completed a number of approved courses. The Certificate of the MRSA is widely recognised by government and industry as a measure of competence in market research.
To qualify for the Certificate, undergraduate students must complete and pass the following courses:

MARK1012 - Marketing Fundamentals
MARK2051 - Consumer Behaviour
MARK2052 - Marketing Research
MARK2054 - Market Analysis

For further information contact the School of Marketing.
http://www.marketing.unsw.edu.au/
Or the Australian Market and Social Research Society (AMSRS).
http://www.mrsa.com.au

The Co-op Program at UNSW provides outstanding scholars with the opportunity of combining the requirements of the Bachelor of Commerce degree with industrial training experience. Entry to this program is at first year only and through the selection procedures administered by the Co-op Program Office. For further information, refer to: http://co-op.web.unsw.edu.au