Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Arts
The combined Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Arts is administered by the University of Sydney Business School for the duration of the combined degree.
| Course details | Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Arts |
|---|---|
| CRICOS code | 055964D |
| Degree abbreviation | BCom/BA |
| Credit points required for completion | 240 |
| Duration (full-time) * |
5 years |
* Part-time study is also available for this degree.
The combined Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Arts program provides the opportunity for students to combine professional commerce-related studies with studies in the humanities. Both degrees are studied concurrently and will be awarded after five years of full-time study.
Degree structure
To be awarded the Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Arts, students must successfully complete units of study with a total value 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 units of study (36 credit points), as set in the Bachelor of Commerce section
- a major selected from the compulsory Commerce major subject areas, as set out in the Bachelor of Commerce section
- a minimum of 96 credit points in units of study from the University of Sydney Business School and the School of Economics (Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences), with a minimum of 48 credit points in senior units.
For the Bachelor of Arts component:
- a compulsory major selected from the subject areas listed under Table A in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences handbook (where a major is available)*
- a minimum of 72 credit points in senior units of study selected from the subject areas listed under Table A in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences handbook (including units completed for the major listed above).
* An Economics major can only count towards either the Commerce or Arts (Table A) requirements not both.
Requirements for the degrees with honours
Both the Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Arts can be awarded with honours. Joint honours degrees are also available.
Bachelor of Commerce (Honours)
For the award of the Bachelor of Commerce with Honours, meritorious students complete the Bachelor of Commerce and an additional honours year of study in their major area of study. For details of the requirements for entry into and for the completion of the Honours Year in this program in the Business School, please refer to the Business School website: sydney.edu.au/business/honours
Bachelor of Arts (Honours)
For the award of the Bachelor of Arts with Honours, meritorious students must successfully complete the Bachelor of Arts with an additional honours year of study in their major area of study (where honours study is available). For further details of requirements for honours in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, students should refer to the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences handbook sydney.edu.au/handbooks/arts
Majors and electives
Commerce majors and electives
In the Bachelor of Commerce component, students must select a compulsory major from the subject areas offered by the Business School and School of Economics to fulfil the requirements of their degree. Students can select an additional major from the same Commerce subject areas if they desire. 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.
Elective units can also be selected from these subject areas. Students must complete 96 credit points in units of study from the Business School and School of Economics with a minimum of 48 credit points in senior units of study (including any units completed for a major).
Arts majors and electives
For the Bachelor of Arts degree component, students select a compulsory major from the Table A subject areas in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Handbook. Students can select an additional major from the same Table A subject areas if they desire. 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 (some majors require specific junior units). Senior units may only be counted towards one major. Students cannot complete a major in all the Arts and Social Sciences subject areas.
Students are required to complete at least 72 credit points in senior Arts and Social Sciences (Table A) units of study comprising the units for their selected major and additional senior units (either a second major and/or electives).
Please note School of Economics majors and units of study can be used to count towards either Commerce or Arts requirements - they cannot be used to count towards both degree requirements.
For details of the requirements and availability of the particular Bachelor of Arts majors, students should refer to the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences handbook.
Electives and additional majors
Students may choose an additional major and/or electives from any subject area offered by the University of Sydney Business School or the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, or any other faculty of the University of Sydney (subject to degree requirements and approval of the faculty offering the unit). Other faculty majors may differ in size, however in most cases; a minimum of 36 credit points in senior (or intermediate and senior) units of study must be completed in that subject area. Students should refer to the other faculty's handbook or website for further information regarding their major requirements. Please Note. Students cannot complete the requirements for a Psychology major (and accreditation) under this combined degree.
For details of majors and electives from other faculties, students should consult the handbook for the relevant faculty (sydney.edu.au/handbooks).
Professional accreditation requirements
Within the Bachelor of Commerce component of the combined 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.
Progression guide
The following table illustrates a degree progression example for a student enrolled in the Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Arts on a full-time basis undertaking a total of 24 credit points per semester and completing two majors (one Commerce and one Arts). Students can, depending on the major selected, complete a maximum of four majors.
Note: In this example, core units of study for the Bachelor of Commerce (BCom) are in 'bold italic' type, the compulsory Commerce components of the program are in 'italic' and the required Bachelor of Arts (BA) units are in 'bold'.
| YEAR | SESSION | UNITS OF STUDY | CREDIT POINTS | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | Semester 1 | BUSS1900 Managing Business Communication A* | BUSS1001 Understanding Business |
BUSS1030 Accounting, Business and Society |
BUSS1040 Economics for Business Decision Making |
BA junior unit (for the compulsory BA major) | 24 |
| Semester 2 | BUSS1002 The Business Environment |
BUSS1020 Quantitative Business Analysis |
BCom junior unit (for a major or as an elective) | BA junior unit (for the compulsory BA major) | 24 | ||
| Year 2 | Semester 1 | BCom senior unit (for the compulsory BCom major) | BCom junior or senior unit (for the major or as an elective) | BA junior or senior unit (as an elective or for a major) | BA senior unit (for the compulsory BA major) | 24 | |
| Semester 2 | BCom senior unit (for the compulsory BCom major) | BCom junior or senior unit (for a major or as an elective) | BA junior or senior unit (as an elective or for a major) | BA senior unit (for the compulsory BA major) | 24 | ||
| Year 3 | Semester 1 | BCom senior unit (for the compulsory BCom major) | senior unit (as an elective) | BA senior unit (as elective or for major) | BA senior unit (for the compulsory BA major) | 24 | |
| Semester 2 | BCom senior unit (for the compulsory BCom major) | senior unit (as an elective) | BA senior (as an elective or for a major) | BA senior unit (for the compulsory BA major) | 24 | ||
| Year 4 | Semester 1 | BCom senior unit (for compulsory BCom major) | senior unit (as an elective) | BA senior unit (as an elective or for a major) | BA senior unit (for the compulsory BA major) | 24 | |
| Semester 2 | BCom senior unit (for compulsory BCom major) | senior unit (as an elective) | BA senior unit (as an elective or for a major) | BA senior unit (for the compulsory BA major) | 24 | ||
| Year 5 | Semester 1 | BCom senior unit (for a major or as an elective) | senior unit (as an elective) | BA senior unit (as an elective or for a major) | senior unit (as an elective) | 24 | |
| Semester 2 | BUSS3500 Integrated Business Applications |
senior unit (as an elective) | BA senior unit (as an elective or for a major) | senior unit (as an elective) | 24 | ||
| 240 | |||||||
* This is a zero credit point unit.
Please note: The information listed in this example is based on the unit of study offerings for 2014 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 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/course/FH047/