The Dual degree program, Bachelor of Commerce Bachelor of Education (Secondary) is a four-year program (192 UOC) for intending secondary school teachers. The program is a nationally accredited pre-service qualification.

Students undertake studies to qualify as a secondary school teacher in two teaching specialisations (i.e., business studies and economics). The program covers both theoretical and practical aspects of education, including 80 days supervised professional experience in at least two different secondary schools.

The program objectives for the Bachelor of Commerce component of the dual degree may be found here: Bachelor of Commerce 3502.

The program objectives for the Bachelor of Education component of the dual degree are as follows:

This comprises the following Education Core courses:

EDST2002, EDST6760 and EDST6761 provide students with a total of 80 days of professional experience in secondary schools and other educational settings.

Choose one course from the following list:

Proficiency in English is essential in all courses that form a part of the Bachelor of Education (Secondary) component of the dual degree. It is expected that all applicants will have a Higher School Certificate minimum Band 5 in Standard English, English as a Second Language or Advanced English, or an overall IELTS score of 7.5, with a minimum of 8.0 in Speaking and Listening and a minimum of 7.0 in Reading and Writing, or the equivalent.

Students must pass a national literacy and numeracy test as part of the program requirements.

High achieving students who secure a WAM of 75 in the Bachelor of Education (Secondary) component of the dual degree and have completed at least 48 UOC at UNSW in that component, are eligible to receive the award “with Distinction”.

After completion of 144 UOC including all of the requirements of the Bachelor of Education (Secondary) dual degree, high achieving students may apply for admission to the Bachelor of Education (Secondary) (Honours) program 4509. A minimum WAM of 70 in the Bachelor of Education (Secondary) component of the dual degree is required for entry into Honours.

Bachelor of Education (Secondary) (Honours) program 4509

To qualify for the award of the degree at Pass level, a student must:

This comprises the following courses:

1. Compulsory core courses (24 UOC). All four of the following courses must be completed:

2. Flexible core courses (24 UOC). Four of the following courses must be completed, being mindful of the major that the student has chosen (i.e., depending on the major, different combinations of the following courses may need to be completed):

3. Students enrolled in a Bachelor of Commerce Bachelor of Education (Secondary) dual degree need to choose one major from: (a) Business Economics, (b) Financial Economics, (c) Business Strategy and Economic Management, and (d) Accounting. Information on the precise courses that need to be completed for each of these majors may be obtained by clicking on one of the following links:

4. One or more of the courses in each of these majors are also core courses (Compulsory or Flexible core) for the program. This means that students will need to ensure they complete all courses for the major outside of the Core, PLUS additional Business courses to ensure they fulfil the 96 UOC required for the Bachelor of Commerce component of the dual degree.

Students who intend to qualify as a secondary school teacher in business studies and economics AND also wish to gain associate membership of CPA Australia, or wish to enter the Chartered Accountants Program of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand, are permitted to complete a major in Accounting instead of Business Economics, Business Strategy and Economic Management or Financial Economics. THESE STUDENTS WILL NEED TO COMPLETE THE COURSE REQUIREMENTS OF CPA AUSTRALIA OR CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND (please refer to the CPA or CA websites, noted below, for the requirements of the two bodies) AND ADDITIONALLY COMPLETE TWO 6 UOC ECONOMICS COURSES AT LEVEL 2 OR ABOVE. ONE LEVEL 2 ECONOMICS COURSE MAY BE TAKEN AS THE COMMERCE ELECTIVE, WHILE THE SECOND LEVEL 2 ECONOMICS COURSE MAY NEED TO BE TAKEN ON A NON-AWARD BASIS.

For academic entry requirements for the CPA Program with CPA Australia refer to: https://www.cpaaustralia.com.au/ManageApplications/AccreditedCourse.mvc/SearchAccreditedCourses

For academic entry requirements for the Chartered Accountants Program with Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand refer to: https://www.charteredaccountants.com.au/Candidates/The-Chartered-Accountants-Program/Entry-requirements/Accredited-courses

High achieving students who secure a WAM of 75 in the Bachelor of Commerce component of the dual degree and have completed at least 48 UOC at UNSW in that component, are eligible to receive the award “with Distinction”.

After completion of 144 UOC including all of the requirements of the Bachelor of Commerce component of the dual degree, high achieving students may apply for entry into 4501 Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) to undertake honours in their business discipline. The Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) comprises one year of full-time study (48 UOC) and provides students with advanced knowledge in their chosen field, research skills and communication skills. Students usually complete advanced courses/seminars and a thesis. Students interested in studying at Honours Level should refer to the 4501 Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) program and plans for entry requirements.

Please refer to the Program Structure for the academic requirements relating to this program.
Rules relating to the award of the degree of Bachelor of Commerce shall apply wherever relevant. Students are advised to consult the Academic Rules for further information.

For information regarding fees for UNSW programs, please refer to the following website:  UNSW Fee Website.

The Academic Rules for the UNSW BCom BEd (Secondary) and the online enrolment facility provide students with a wide range of course choices. The online enrolment facility checks that students meet the enrolment requirements for individual courses but not that a course complies with Program Rules. Students are responsible for ensuring they are enrolling in accordance with the Academic Rules outlined above. Students should not assume that because they have enrolled in a course online that the course is automatically credited to their degree program.

Contact the UNSW Arts and Social Sciences Student Centre for advice.
Tel: + 61 2 9385 2289
Email: arts@unsw.edu.au
Location: Room G1 Ground Floor, Morven Brown building (C20)
Opening Hours: Monday to Friday 9am - 5pm
Frequently asked questions