University of Sydney Handbooks - 2016 Archive

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Bachelor of Commerce – Degree structure

Degree structure

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

  • 36 credit points in core units of study, composed of five junior units (30 credit points); and one six credit point senior unit;
  • a major selected from the Commerce major subject areas;
  • an optional second major and/or elective units of study selected from any of the Business School, Economics and Econometrics subject areas 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 60 credit points in junior (1000 level) units of study; and
  • a minimum of 96 credit points in units of study from the University of Sydney Business School and Economics and Econometrics subject areas from the School of Economics (Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences).

Requirements for the degree with honours

To be awarded the Bachelor of Commerce (Honours), meritorious students complete an additional honours year of study (48 credit points) after the completion of the requirements for the Bachelor of Commerce. Honours study is offered in most of the subject areas available to students enrolled in the Bachelor of Commerce.

For details of the requirements for the entry into and completion of the honours year in this program, students should refer to sydney.edu.au/business/honours.

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Core units of study

Students enrolled in the Bachelor of Commerce degree must complete six core units of study as follows:

(1) Junior core units of study (30 credit points)

  • BUSS1001 Understanding Business
  • BUSS1002 The Business Environment
  • BUSS1020 Quantitative Business Analysis
  • BUSS1030 Accounting, Business and Society
  • BUSS1040 Economics for Business Decision Making

(2) Senior (capstone) unit of study (six credit points)

  • BUSS3500 Integrated Business Applications
Progression sequence for completing core units of study

Students must complete their core units in a set progression sequence. This is outlined below.

Junior core units of study

Junior core units are completed as per the following progression sequences:

  • Full-time students: All junior core units must be successfully completed within the first year of enrolment in the recommended sequence set out in the tables under the Progression guide for this degree.
  • Part-time students: All junior core units must be successfully completed within the first two years of enrolment.

All students must complete BUSS1001 in their first semester of study.

Senior core unit of study

The senior capstone unit, BUSS3500, should be completed during the final semester of study as reflected in the degree progression guide tables.

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Majors and electives

Commerce major

In the Bachelor of Commerce students must select one major from the subject areas offered by the Business School and School of Economics (as specified below) to fulfil the requirements of their degree.

In most cases, a major consists of 36 credit points in senior units of study (usually six units) in a single subject area. Junior units of study (1000 level) may be used to meet the prerequisite requirements for more than one major. However, senior (or in some cases intermediate and senior) units of study (2000 and 3000 level) can only be used to meet the requirements for one major.

(1) Subject areas from the University of Sydney Business School

(2) Subject areas from the School of Economics (Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences)

Additional majors and electives

Students may select an additional major and/or elective units of study from any subject area offered by the Business School and School of Economics (as listed above) or from any other faculty of the University of Sydney (subject to approval of the faculty offering the unit and degree requirements). Other faculty majors may differ in credit point value, however in most cases, a minimum of 36 credit points in senior (or intermediate and senior) units of study must be completed in a single subject area.

For this degree, a maximum of 48 credit points in units of study (both junior and senior) from outside the Business School and School of Economics (Economics and Econometrics subject areas) may be completed. Students should refer to the relevant faculty's handbook or website for further information regarding their major requirements.

Note: Due to these credit point restrictions not all majors offered by the Faculty of Science are available to students enrolled in the Bachelor of Commerce degree. For example, students are not able to complete a major in Psychology or Financial Mathematics and Statistics under the Bachelor of Commerce due to the number of credit points required for these majors. Students can complete Psychology units as electives only.

Industry Placement Program (IPP) electives

Students who achieve a WAM of 65%+ across two semesters of full-time study (a minimum of eight units of study – 48 credit points) may apply for an assessable work integrated learning placement unit. Access to these units is subject to the availability of suitable placements, with available placements offered on a competitive basis, subject to WAM performance and interview.

The Business School's Industry Placement Program (IPP) offers placement opportunities across the following areas:

  • Sydney – placements with Sydney based organisations
  • Canberra – placements in government and not-for-profit agencies
  • Regional NSW – placements with regional organisations
  • International – placements in Asia, Europe, South America and the USA

Note: This placement unit cannot be counted towards a major.

Further information on the Industry Placement Program (IPP) can be found at: sydney.edu.au/business/study/opportunities/industry_placement_program.

Community Placement Program (CPP) elective

The Community Placement Program (CPP) provides students with the opportunity to work with a diverse range of social businesses. Students who achieve a WAM of 65%+ across two semesters of full-time study (a minimum of eight units of study – 48 credit points) may apply for an assessable placement unit.

The Business School’s Community Placement Program (CPP) offers placement opportunities in the following areas:

  • Local – Sydney based social business projects
  • Rural – social enterprise projects in regional areas
  • International – social enterprise placements with CPP partners overseas

Note: This placement unit cannot be counted towards a major.

Further information on the Community Placement Program (CPP) can be found at: sydney.edu.au/business/study/opportunities/community_placement_program.

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