Bachelor of Commerce (B-COM) // Course structure

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Course structure

GENERAL POINTS REQUIREMENT
The Bachelor of Commerce requires the successful completion of 300 points that must include at least 225 points of commerce discipline subjects and at least 50 breadth points.

There are compulsory requirements at each level, a compulsory quantitative requirement, and requirements for majoring in a commerce discipline.

Level 1

  • Level-1 compulsory subjects:
    ECON10004 Introductory Microeconomics
    ECON10003 Introductory Macroeconomics
    ACCT10001 Account Reports and Analysis
    FNCE10002 Principles of Finance
  • A minimum of 87.5 points must be taken at Level-1. A maximum of 125 points may be taken at Level-1. A maximum of 37.5 points of breadth may be taken at Level 1.

Level 2

  • At least 62.5 points of commerce subjects at Level-2, including the compulsory subject:
    MGMT20001 Organisational Behaviour.
  • Students commencing from before 2011 are not subject to the 62.5 point minimum.

Level 3

  • At least 50 points of commerce subjects at Level-3 to be completed at the University of Melbourne.
  • A minimum of 75 points must be taken at Level-3.

Remaining Points

  • The remaining 75 points must include one of the following:
    1. 50 breadth points and 25 commerce elective points
    2. 62.5 breadth points snd 12.5 commerce elective points
    3. 75 breadth points
  • Students may not complete more than 37.5 breadth points at level-1.

COMPULSORY QUANTITATIVE REQUIREMENT
There are two ways to satisfy the quantitative requirement of the course:

  • Option 1 - Standard Path:

    ECON10005 Quantitative Methods 1; and

    One level-2 quantitative subject from the list below:
    ECON20003 Quantitative Methods 2
    ECOM20001 Introductory Econometrics
    MGMT20005 Business Decision Analysis
    MKTG20004 Market and Business Research
  • Option 2 - Mathematics Path:

    Two level-2 subjects are taken in second year:
    MAST20006 Probability for Statistics OR MAST20004 Probability (which must be completed by students pursuing actuarial studies), and
    MAST20005 Statistics

    Students who opt to complete the mathematics path, do not complete Quantitative Methods 1 and 2. They may, if they wish, complete any of:
    ECOM20001 Introductory Econometrics
    MGMT20005 Business Decision Analysis
    MKTG20004 Market and Business Researchs

    Students who complete the mathematics path are still required to complete 62.5 points of level-2 commerce subjects; the mathematics subjects are counted as breadth.

    The level-1 prerequisites for the mathematics path subjects above are as follows:

    Students with a study score of 25 or above in units 3/4 VCE Mathematical Methods (or equivalent):MAST10005 Calculus 1, MAST10006 Calculus 2 & MAST10007 Linear Algebra
    Students with a study score of 27 or above in units 3/4 VCE Specialist Mathematics (or equivalent): MAST10006 Calculus 2 & MAST10007 Linear Algebra
    Students with a study score of 38 or above in units 3/4 VCE Specialist Mathematics (or equivalent):MAST10008 Accelerated Mathematics 1 & MAST10009 Accelerated Mathematics 2

It is recommended that students not pursuing actuarial studies meet the prerequisites for MAST20006 Probability for Statistics and MAST20004 Probability by enrolling in MAST10006 Calculus 2 and MAST10007 Linear Algebra, even if they meet prerequisites for MAST10008 Accelerated Mathematics 1 and MAST10009 Accelerated Mathematics 2. Students intending to pursue actuarial studies will take the mathematics path and enrol in MAST20004 Probability.

Which Quantitative Subjects?
The choice of quantitative subjects will depend on your chosen field/s of study, your level of ability and interest in mathematics and the subjects in which you wish to enrol later in your degree.

Through the mathematics path, it is possible to satisfy the quantitative requirement of the course by taking mathematics subjects as breadth. This option is suitable for students who enjoy mathematics and have strong mathematical skills.

In deciding which quantitative subjects to take, you should check the prerequisites of the level-2 and level-3 subjects you wish to take to ensure you make the most appropriate choice.

MAJORS
Students must complete at least one major within the BCom, and may complete up to two majors. With the exception of the multidisciplinary business major and the economics major, a major requires the completion of 3 specified subjects at level-3. Subjects required for each of the majors are:

  • Accounting 37.5 level-3 points comprising:
    ACCT30001 Financial Accounting Theory
    ACCT30002 Enterprise Performance Management
    ACCT30004 Auditing and Assurance Services
  • Actuarial Studies 37.5 level-3 points chosen from:
    ACTL30001 Actuarial Modelling I
    ACTL30002 Actuarial Modelling II
    ACTL30003 Contingencies (25 point subject)
    ACTL30004 Actuarial Statistics
    ACTL30005 Models for Insurance and Finance
    ACTL30006 Financial Mathematics III
  • Business 75 level-3 points from three or more areas of study within the BCom.
  • Economics 25 level-2 & 37.5 level-3 points comprising:
    ECON20001 Intermediate Macroeconomics
    ECON20002 Intermediate Microeconomics
    Three level-3 Economics elective subjects - one of which must have a prefix ECON and one must have a prefix ECOM

    Elective options:
    ECON30001 International Trade Policy
    ECON30002 Economic Development
    ECON30003 Industrial Economics
    ECON30005 Money and Banking
    ECON30006 Labour Economics
    ECON30007 Economics of Food Markets
    ECON30008 History of Economic Thought
    ECON30009 Macroeconomics
    ECON30010 Microeconomics
    ECON30011 Environmental Economics
    ECON30012 Ecological Economics
    ECON30013 Economic Analysis and Policy
    ECON30014 Business Applications of Economics
    ECON30016 The Economics of Taxation
    ECON30017 Organisations, Economics and Incentives
    ECON30018 Economics of the Law
    ECON30019 Behavioural Economics
    ECON30020 Mathematical Economics
    ECON30021 Regional Economics
    ECON30022 Experimental Economics
    ECON30023 Health Economics
    ECON30024 Economics of Financial Markets
    ECON30025 Computational Economics and Business
    ECON30026 Auctions and Bidding
    ECON30027 Economics of Innovation
    ECOM30001 Basic Econometrics
    ECOM30002 Econometrics
    ECOM30003 Applied Microeconometric Modelling
    ECOM30004 Time Series Analysis and Forecasting
  • Finance 37.5 level-3 points comprising:
    FNCE30001 Investments
    FNCE30007 Derivative Securities
    One Level-3 Finance elective subject

    Elective options:
    FNCE30003 International Finance
    FNCE30004 Asian Capital Markets
    FNCE30005 Real Estate Finance
    FNCE30006 Entrepreneurial Finance
    FNCE30008 Street Finance
    FNCE30009 Ethics in Finance
    FNCE30010 Algorithmic Trading

    Note: This structure for the Finance major applies to 2017-commencing students. Students who commenced in 2016 or earlier and who have completed FNCE10001 Finance 1 and/or FNCE20001 Business Finance are required to complete FNCE30002 Corporate Finance (per the previous major requirements).

  • Management 37.5 level-3 points chosen from:
    MGMT30002 Managing in Contemporary Organisations
    MGMT30004 International Human Resource Management
    MGMT30005 Managing Strategic Change
    MGMT30006 Managing Entrepreneurship and Innovation
    MGMT30007 Managing Organisational Learning
    MGMT30008 Organisations, Ethics and Society
    MGMT30009 Research for Managers and Consultants
    MGMT30010 Quality and Business Process Management
    MGMT30011 Supply Chain Management
    MGMT30012 Management Consulting
    MGMT30013 Strategic Management
    MGMT30014 Current Trends in Work and Employment
    MGMT30015 Managing Work and Your Career
    MGMT30017 Global Management Consulting
    MGMT30018 Business Communication
    MGMT30019 The Future of Work
    MKTG30012 Business Ethics (this subject can count towards a Management or Marketing major)
    IBUS30002 International Corporate Governance
    IBUS30003 Managing Conflict in Global Workplaces
    IBUS30004 Chinese Business and Economy
  • Marketing 37.5 level-3 points chosen from:
    MKTG30003 Service and Relationship Marketing
    MKTG30006 Retail Management
    MKTG30007 Marketing and Society
    MKTG30008 Neuromarketing
    MKTG30009 Internet Marketing
    MKTG30010 Advertising and Promotions
    MKTG30011 Product Management
    MKTG30012 Business Ethics

Breadth in the Bachelor of Commerce
Breadth studies are those subjects chosen from outside the Faculty of Business and Economics. Students may take all of their 50 - 75 breadth points in one or more breadth disciplines. You can select subjects of your choice, or follow a breadth track: a set of complementary breadth subjects in various disciplines.

Note: Certain breadth subjects in law or mathematics must be taken to gain accounting or actuarial accreditation. Students pursuing an approved engineering breadth sequence or accreditation in actuarial studies should see “special arrangements” below.

To view breadth subjects for this course, please refer to the Breadth Options section below

Breadth subjects not available for Bachelor of Commerce students: any subjects offered by the Departments of Accounting, Economics, Finance and Marketing and Management and the Centre for Actuarial Studies cannot be taken as breadth subjects (even if expressly available as a breadth subject for students based in another degree).

Special arrangements

Students commencing in 2010 - 2016 who are pursuing an approved engineering breadth sequence in the civil, electrical, mechanical or software streams will undertake 112.5 points of breadth and 187.5 commerce points.

Students pursuing accreditation in actuarial studies will take 75 – 87.5 points of breadth, including two breadth subjects that are neither mathematics nor statistics.

Progression
Students must complete 50 points of study at one year‐level before proceeding to the next year‐level.

Concurrent Diplomas
Certain breadth subjects may be cross-credited toward a concurrent diploma. These diplomas offer specialised study in a range of area:

Diploma in Informatics
Diploma in Languages
Diploma in Mathematical Sciences
Diploma in Music (Practical)
Universitas 21 Diploma in Global Issues

Commencing students interested in pursuing a diploma should seek advice from both Stop 1 and the owning faculty of the diploma.

Breadth requirements

Find breadth subjects

Use the Handbook Search function to find subjects that can be used as breadth studies in the Bachelor of Commerce

Last updated: 14 March 2025