Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery

The Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery are administered by the University of Sydney Business School for the first three years and the University of Sydney Medical School for the remaining four years.

This seven-year (full-time) program provides students with the opportunity to study in areas that are of particular relevance to the management and conduct of business in addition to studying Medicine. Students may choose from a range of subject fields for their major in Commerce and are required to complete six units of study in preparation for the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery. Areas of study available within the Commerce degree include accounting, business information systems, commercial law, econometrics, economics, finance, industrial relations and human resource management, international business, management, marketing and quantitative business analysis.

Degree structure

To be awarded the Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery, students complete units of study with a total value of 336 credit points, comprising:

• all requirements for the Bachelor of Commerce degree (units of study with a total value of 144 credit points), as set out under the 'Degree requirements for the Bachelor of Commerce' below, in the minimum amount of time allowed and maintaining at least a credit average (65 percent) grade
• all requirements for the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (units of study with a total value of 192 credit points) as set out in the Sydney Medical School handbook (sydney.edu.au/handbooks/medicine).

This combined degree program is sequenced so that successful students proceed first through the Bachelor of Commerce degree and then onto the degree of Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery.

Degree structure for the Bachelor of Commerce

To be awarded the Bachelor of Commerce in this combined degree, students complete units of study with a total value of 144 credit points, comprising:

• seven core units of study (36 credit points), as set out under 'Core units of study' in the Bachelor of Commerce section in this handbook.
• a major selected from the compulsory major subject areas, as set out under 'Major and electives' in the Bachelor of Commerce section in this handbook (excluding Econometrics and Economics)
• 18 credit points in specified junior Faculty of Science units of study (Biology/Molecular Biology, Chemistry and Physics)
• one zero credit point medicine (SMTP) unit of study
• a maximum of 60 credit points in junior units of study (1000-level)
• a minimum of 96 credit points in units of study from the University of Sydney Business School (with a minimum of 48 credit points in senior units).

Degree requirements for the Bachelor of Commerce with Honours

For the award of the Bachelor of Commerce with Honours, meritorious students complete the Bachelor of Commerce with an additional honours year in their major area of study. Those who qualify to undertake honours in the Bachelor of Commerce degree may elect to do so either by suspending their enrolment in the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery degree for one year, with the permission of the Sydney Medical School; or after completion of the combined course.

For details of the requirements for entry into and for the completion of the Honours Year in this program, please refer to Honours information on the Business School website (sydney.edu.au/business/honours).

Commerce majors and electives

Compulsory major

In the Bachelor of Commerce component, students must select a compulsory major from the subject areas offered by the Business School to fulfil the requirements of their degree. Students can select an additional major from the same subject areas if desired. 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.

For full details of the requirements for these majors, please refer to the 'Compulsory major' heading under 'majors and electives' in the Bachelor of Commerce section in this handbook.

Note. Students cannot complete a major in Econometrics or Economics as part of this degree. Electives from these subject areas can be completed (a maximum of 48 credit points can be completed from non-Business School subject areas).

Additional major and electives

Students can complete a second major or electives from any of the subject areas listed above offered by the Business School.

Students can select elective units of study from any subject area offered by the Business School or from any other faculty of the University of Sydney (subject to approval of the faculty offering the unit and degree requirements). A maximum of 48 credit points in units of study from another faculty can be completed under this degree (which includes the compulsory Science units).

Compulsory Science junior units of study

Students must complete three six-credit point junior units of study from each of the following Faculty of Science subject areas (18 credit points in total):

• Biology or Molecular Biology
• Chemistry
• Physics

Students should refer to the Faculty of Science handbook (sydney.edu.au/handbooks/science) for available units of study in these subject areas.

Medicine (SMTP) unit of study

As part of this program, students are required to complete the following zero-credit point unit of study within their third year of study:

• SMTP3007 Elective 1*

* This unit is a field of interest unit of study approved by both the Sydney Medical School and the University of Sydney Business School.

For further details of these units (including third year elective options), please refer to the Sydney Medical School handbook (sydney.edu.au/handbooks/medicine) or website (sydney.edu.au/medicine/).

Professional accreditation requirements

Within the Bachelor of Commerce component of this double degree, students may choose to pursue a program of study that would allow them to seek accreditation with particular professional bodies. See the Bachelor of Commerce entry in this chapter for details of available professional accreditation requirements.

Degree progression

The following table illustrates a degree progression example of the first three years of study for a student enrolled in the Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery on a full-time basis undertaking units of study with a total of (24 credit points) per semester.

Note: In this table, core units of study for the Bachelor of Commerce (BCom) are indicated in 'bold' type, compulsory faculty of Science units of study are in 'italics' and compulsory Sydney Medical School prerequisite unit of study is in 'bold italics'.

* These are zero credit point units.

Please note: The information listed in this example is based on the unit of study offerings for 2013 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 is 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 Student Information Office if they need any assistance in planning their progression in their degree.

The Business School website illustrates units of study progression sequences for specific majors in this combined degree. This information can be accessed at sydney.edu.au/business/courses/FH049/.

Degree progression requirements for the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery

By the end of their third year of study in the combined degree, full-time students who have completed the requirements for their Bachelor of Commerce degree will be eligible to graduate with this degree. Those students who have completed the Bachelor of Commerce, including the required medicine 'SMTP' and science units in the minimum time required and maintaining, as a minimum, a credit average (65 percent) in this degree, will then be eligible to apply for admission to candidature for the degree of Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery. After admission, they will then complete an additional four years of study with the Sydney Medical School. (For details, please refer to the Sydney Medical School handbook: sydney.edu.au/handbooks/medicine).

If a student fails to satisfy the minimum requirements for admission to the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery degree, they will be transferred to candidature for the single degree and graduate with the Bachelor of Commerce only.