Please note: Information on this page relates to the 2013 academic year unless otherwise specified.
On this page:
Victoria Business School (Faculty of Commerce)
Phone: +64 4 463 5376
Email: fcom-sas@vuw.ac.nz
Location: Level 1, Railway West Wing, Pipitea Campus
Enquiries to: Ground Floor, Rutherford House, Pipitea Campus
The Bachelor of Commerce (BCom) programme has been designed to equip students for a successful future in today's exciting commercial environment. It provides a strong foundation of the essentials required for work in all areas of public administration and private business.
Please note: The name of our BCA degree has changed to BCom. Students who complete their degree by the end of 2012 will receive a BCA, but those re-enrolling in 2013 or subsequently will only be able to select the new qualification and will receive a BCom on graduation.
It is useful to have studied Accounting, Economics, and Statistics and Modelling at high school. Any work experience in a commerce environment will also be beneficial for shaping your degree and future career aspirations.
Commerce graduates are able to transfer the skills they acquire across many sectors and may become managers, accountants, economists, analysts and entrepreneurs in businesses and public sector organisations, both within New Zealand and overseas.
They can become financiers, marketing managers, researchers, financial advisers, managers of Māori enterprises and trusts, exporters and importers, human resource managers, tourism analysts and operators, information managers and e-commerce specialists, international managers, media professionals and policy analysts.
The BCom majoring in Accounting can lead to a qualification as a professional accountant. To find out more please visit the Accounting subject page.
The following majors are currently offered. Students must major in at least one of these subjects. Double majors are possible for students who satisfy the requirements of more than one subject area.
Click on the subject links to find out more:
Note: Communications Studies is also available as a subject for elective study, but not as a major. Econometrics is no longer offered as a major subject; however the courses are still offered and can be incorporated into an Economics or Finance major.
A standard full-time programme for your first year of study is four 15-point courses in each of trimesters 1 and 2. The summer trimester is optional.
Academically able students may be able to enrol in five courses in a trimester.
You should include as many core courses as possible in your first-year programme, together with any courses required for advancement in your chosen major subject areas, as follows:
It may be possible to do some core courses during the summer trimester.
The first-year BCom is open to any student satisfying university entry requirements subject to places being available. Please visit the Admission page for more information about entrance to the University. Acceptance into most courses is limited by room capacity so early application is recommended.
A full-time BCom will generally take three years to complete. There is no fixed upper limit for part-time students. However, if too much time has elapsed, students may have to repeat key courses for certain majors.
If you are planning to study part time it is important not to underestimate the workload of academic study. It is recommended that part-time students take one or two courses per trimester to begin with.
Part-time study may impact on eligibility for student allowances and borrowing levels of student loans. Visit our Financial Matters site to find out more.
Fees are worked out on a per point basis, so your selection of courses will determine the final cost. Some courses will have charges for other items such as study materials or equipment.
Please use the Fees Calculator to obtain a more accurate estimate, or to calculate international fees.
Victoria's flexible learning structures allow a number of courses to be credited to separate degrees, making it possible for two three-year degrees to be completed within four to five years.
A conjoint or double degree programme offers the possibility of extensive interdisciplinary work. For example, many BCom students are interested in Law and find a BCom/LLB programme attractive. There are many other combinations which can be designed to suit your interests and ambitions. If you are interested in doing a conjoint or double degree please contact the Faculty of Commerce Student and Academic Services office to discuss your options.
Conjoint degree programmes require slightly fewer points than the corresponding double degree (540 points for two 3-year degrees). However, a B- or better must be maintained and the two degrees studied together.
The Faculty offers an extremely broad range of postgraduate programmes, which cater for the various requirements of the commercial, financial, administrative and academic worlds.
Faculty programmes range from modular courses for working managers, to Certificate and Graduate Diploma programmes for a variety of learning needs and for post-experience students, through to the BCom(Hons), the BTM(Hons), specialist Master's programmes, and the PhD for extensive research.