Program

Commerce/Science - 3529

Program Summary

Faculty: Australian School of Business

Contact:  Australian School of Business Student Centre

Campus: Kensington Campus

Career: Undergraduate

Typical Duration: 4 Years

Typical UOC Per Semester: 24

Min UOC Per Semester: 3

Max UOC Per Semester: 24

Min UOC For Award: 192

UAC Code: 424001

ATAR: 96.30  

International Entry Requirements: See International Entry Requirements

Award(s):

Bachelor of Science (Major)

Bachelor of Commerce (Major)

Bachelor of Science (Honours)

Bachelor of Commerce (Honours)

Information valid for students commencing 2013.
Students who commenced prior to 2013 should go to the Handbook's Previous Editions

Program Description

Need information on our business programs? Start your search at the Australian School of Business website.
Students should always follow the program requirements according to the year they started their degree. For more information please visit Previous UNSW Online Handbooks.


Important information

From Semester 1 2013, Actuarial Studies will no longer be offered as a major in the Bachelor of Commerce program. A new program in Actuarial Studies is currently being developed for S1 2013 (subject to approval).
The dual degree program Bachelor of Commerce/Bachelor of Science (BCom/BSc) degree provides the latest thinking in business and technology for today and the future. It offers excellent career options, equipping graduates with unique skill sets that can lead to a wide range of career opportunities.

Whether you want to focus your career on science and also want the commercial skills that a business degree can give you, or you want a career in business with the added dimension of a science degree, then this dual degree gives you the flexibility to choose a program to meet your needs.

For detailed information on the professional recognition this degree offers please visit Professional Recognition of Programs in the UNSW Online Handbook.

Program Objectives and Graduate Attributes

On successful completion of the BCom component, students will have the ability to:
  • demonstrate business knowledge and apply that knowledge in business problems
  • demonstrate critical thinking and problem solving skills
  • present complex issues in coherent written statements and oral presentations
  • demonstrate understanding of disciplinary issues in a local or global context
  • demonstrate understanding of the principles of working collaboratively in teams
  • understand the social and ethical dimensions in their chosen disciplinary areas
The Bachelor of Science component has been designed to:
  • Develop and sustain an interest in and knowledge of Science
  • Develop a working knowledge of scientific methods of investigation
  • Encourage curiosity and creative imagination, and an appreciation of the role of speculation in the selection and solution of problems, the construction of hypotheses, and the design of experiments
  • Develop an appreciation of scientific criteria and a concern for objectivity and precision
  • Develop confidence and skill in formulating problems and in treating both qualitative and quantitative data
  • Develop the ability and disposition to think logically, to communicate clearly by written and oral means, and to read critically and with understanding
  • Develop the habit of seeking and recognising relationships between phenomena, principles, theories, conceptual frameworks and problems
  • Promote understanding of the significance of science, technology, economics and social factors in modern society, and of the contributions they can make in improving material conditions
  • Provide opportunities for the development of students' motivations and social maturity, and an awareness of their capabilities in relation to a choice of career which will be fruitful to themselves and to society
  • Provide an opportunity to study science in combination with other disciplines

Program Structure

Studies leading to the award of the Bachelor of Commerce/Bachelor of Science degree normally consists of 192 UOC or 32 courses to be completed over 4 academic years (16 Australian School of Business courses (96 UOC) and 16 Science courses (96 UOC).

These UOC need to be made up of:
  • BCom Compulsory core courses
  • Core statistics course
  • BCom Flexible core courses
  • Major requirements for both BCom and Science
  • Science elective courses
BCom Compulsory core courses account for 18 UOC (3 courses)
Core statistics course
  • 6 UOC (1 course) of statistics selected from
or alternative statistics courses approved by the program advisor.

BCom Flexible core courses account for 24 UOC (4 courses). Students should choose four courses from the following list:
Major requirements account for up to 138 UOC (23 courses)

BCom Major Requirements: A single major within the Australian School of Business consisting of 48 UOC, which includes 42 UOC in an approved disciplinary stream and 6 UOC from the core (compulsory or flexible) requirements. Students are unable to take a modern language as a major stream.
Any remaining credit requirements within the B Com component (a total of 96 UOC must be completed) after the core courses and Commerce major must be taken in courses offered by the Australian School of Business.
Business.
AND

BSc Major requirements: Completion of the required courses for a major in one approved Science discipline. Majors in the Bachelor of Science range from 54 units of credit to 90 units of credit. Please refer to the majors available in Please refer to the majors available on the 3970 Bachelor of Science program page.

Students may choose Information Systems as a major in the BCom component only. In selecting their combination of majors, students should note that while there is a wide range of choice, not every combination can be completed in 4 years of full-time study.

Science Elective courses: These will typically account between 6 and 42 units of credit in ‘science’ courses to ensure a student completes 96UOC for the BSc component. The exact number of additional 'science' courses to be completed will depend on the major chosen. For details of what courses constitute ‘Science’ courses, please see the 3970 Bachelor of Science program page.

Honours

B Com

High achieving students may apply to undertake honours in the area of their Commerce major. Honours is an additional year of full-time study which provides students with advanced knowledge of their chosen field and develops research and communication skills. Students usually complete advanced courses/seminars and a thesis. Students interested in studying at Honours Level should refer to the relevant Honours stream record for entry requirements and contact the Honours Co-ordinator in the relevant School.


B Science

Candidates for Honours in the Science component of the combined degree program will need to consult the Head of the School in which they wish to undertake Honours prior to their third year of study.

Academic Rules

Academic Rules relating to the Bachelor of Commerce component

Rules relating to the award of the degree of Bachelor of Commerce in dual mode shall apply wherever relevant. Students are advised to consult the Academic Rules for further information.

Requirements for the Bachelor of Science in dual mode.

When taken in dual mode a Bachelor of Science is comprised of 96 units of credit which includes:-
  • An approved major from the Bachelor of Science program; and
  • Science elective courses.

Academic rules relating to the Bachelor of Science in dual mode are as follows:
1. Students must complete a minimum of 96 units of credit for the Bachelor of Science;

2. Students must complete at least one approved Bachelor of Science major, and this must be declared before enrolling in level II courses. Details of approved Bachelor of Science majors and how to declare a major can be found on the 3970 Bachelor of Science program page;

3. In addition to the courses required for a student's chosen major, students must take 'science' courses so that the major plus 'science' courses total 96 units of credit. Details of what courses constitute ‘Science’ courses can be found in Table 1 on the 3970 Bachelor of Science program page;

4. Students must complete at least 24 units of credit of ‘science’ level I courses;

Most majors in the Bachelor of Science already satisfy this requirement, for example, the Molecular Biology major requires BIOS1101, BABS1201, CHEM1011, CHEM1021 and 6 units of credit of Mathematics. This is a total of 30 units of credit of science level I courses, therefore, no more level I science courses are required. Where a major does not include at least 24 units of credit of science level I courses, students will need to choose additional level I science courses to bring the total to 24 units of credit. For example, Psychology requires PSYC1001 and PSYC1011, therefore, students will need to choose an additional 12 units of credit of science level I courses. These science level I courses also count towards the 96 units of credit requirement at rule number 3.

5. No student may commence level II courses until 30 units of credit of level I courses have been successfully completed. (This is 30 units of credit of courses taken towards the entire dual program and not just courses for the Science component);

6. Students may commence Science level III courses upon successful completion of 72 units of credit (This is 72 units of credit of courses taken towards the entire dual program and not just courses for the Science component).

Students wishing to complete a double major in the Bachelor of Science when taken in dual mode with another degree program at UNSW, should be aware that it will be very difficult to complete two majors within 96 units of credit. Therefore where a dual degree student would like to undertake a double major, they should be aware that it may involve extra time and cost to complete, and may have visa implications for international students.

Fees

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

Professional Recognition

For further information, refer to the Professional Recognition of Programs in the UNSW Online Handbook.

Further Information

Please note that these requirements may be subject to change. Students should always follow the program requirements according to the year they started their degree. For more information please visit Previous UNSW Online Handbooks.

If students are unsure of the program requirements they should contact the relevant Faculty Office

Australian School of Business Student Centre
tel: + 61 2 9385 3189
location: Ground Floor, West Wing, Australian School of Business Building
Forms, policies and procedures
Frequently asked questions

Faculty of Science
e-mail: sso@unsw.edu.au
tel: + 61 2 9385 6125 / 9385 7788
location: Robert Webster Building, Room 128

Area(s) of Specialisation