Postgraduate Certificate in Business (PCBS) - PGradCertBus

CRICOS code (International applicants): 063623C

Notes

Formerly Postgraduate Certificate in Management (PCMG)

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Program focus

Postgraduate Certificate in Business (General)

This program enables graduates to study postgraduate courses that meet the particular needs of their specific work environment or area of interest regardless of where they are in their career as it enables graduates to select any four postgraduate courses that meet their particular needs and interests. These will be partly determined by the work environment of the student. Complete flexibility is available here, with course choice extending to all foundation management courses and all discipline specialisation studies. The Springfield campus offers a fixed set of courses with students able to study alternative courses that are offered externally.

Postgraduate Certificate in Business (Specialisation)

This program enables graduates to study postgraduate courses that meet the particular needs of their specific work environment or area of interest regardless of where they are in their career as it enables a graduate to undertake a limited number of postgraduate courses within a defined discipline area. The selection of the discipline specialisation will be influenced considerably by the demands of the work environment and the interests of the student. Thus, students must select the four courses from a single discipline specialisation.

Program aims

Postgraduate Certificate in Business (General)

This program enables graduates to select any four postgraduate courses that meet their particular needs and interests. These will be partly determined by the work environment of the student. Complete flexibility is available here, with course choice extending to all foundation management courses and all discipline specialisation studies (see Master of Business Administration entry for a list of courses). The Springfield campus offers a fixed set of courses with students able to study alternative courses that are offered externally.

Postgraduate Certificate in Business (Specialisation)

This program enables a graduate to undertake a limited number of postgraduate courses within a defined discipline area. The selection of the discipline specialisation will be influenced considerably by the demands of the work environment and the interests of the student. Thus, students must select the four courses from a single discipline specialisation (see Master of Business Administration entry in this Handbook for list of courses).

Program objectives

Postgraduate Certificate in Business (General)

The objectives of the program are to produce graduates who are able to:

• understand selected basic theories and skills associated with a limited number of management discipline areas

• apply acquired knowledge associated with their studies to their work environments

• synthesise selected areas of managerial knowledge to produce meaningful assignments/reports

• display competencies in a limited selected number of postgraduate discipline areas.

Postgraduate Certificate in Business (Specialisation)

The objectives of the program are to produce graduates who are able to:

• understand the concepts and essential basic theories and skills associated with a particular selected discipline specialisation related to business

• apply acquired discipline-directed skills to the practical work environment

• display a range of competencies in a selected business-related discipline area

• articulate both written and orally, the principle, theories, concepts and applications associated with a selected business discipline area.

Admission requirements

Admission normally requires a tertiary qualification at bachelor degree or equivalent level from a recognised institution, and a minimum of two years full-time equivalent relevant and appropriate work experience, as determined by the Director of Postgraduate Studies. Candidates who do not hold an undergraduate degree will be considered for admission if they have had a minimum of five years full-time equivalent relevant and appropriate work experience as determined by the Director of Postgraduate Studies.

International applicants must have met the University's English language requirements or have completed the University's ELICOS/UNIPREP program.

How to apply

Domestic students

Application for postgraduate programs may be made directly to USQ. You should ensure you submit your application by the closing dates.

International students

This program is offered to international students. An international student is a person who is not an Australian or New Zealand citizen and not an Australian permanent resident. Please refer to USQ International for information about entry requirements, visa arrangements and how to apply.

Program fees

Domestic full fee paying place

Domestic full fee paying places are funded entirely through the full fees paid by the student. Full fees vary depending on the courses that are taken. You are able to calculate the fees for a particular course via the Course Fee Finder.

Domestic full fee paying students may be eligible to defer their fees through a Government loan called FEE-HELP.

International full fee paying place

International students pay full fees. Full fees vary depending on the courses that are taken and whether they are studied on-campus, via distance education/online. You are able to calculate the fees for a particular course via the Course Fee Finder.

Program structure

The Postgraduate Certificate in Business is comprised of four units of postgraduate courses drawn from the suite of courses offered within the Master of Business Administration program.

Required time limits

Students have a maximum of 2 years to complete this program.

IT requirements

For information technology requirements please refer to the computer requirements section.

Other program requirements

Students must maintain good standing in this program. Please refer to Academic Regulation 5.9 of the University Calendar.

Articulation

Upon successful completion of the Postgraduate Certificate in Business (and achievement of a minimum GPA of 4.0 in the Postgraduate Certificate in Business), students may articulate into the Master of Business Administration, Master of Management, Master of Project Management or Master of Business .

Exit points

There are no exit points from the Postgraduate Certificate in Business.

Exemptions

Exemptions may be granted on the basis of equivalent courses undertaken at postgraduate level. In order for an exemption to be granted, the claim must meet the following specific requirements:

• the course passed was taken at least at Masters or equivalent level

• the course was passed within five years prior to the application (courses up to 10 years old may be considered if evidence is provided that the applicant has been employed in that field)

• the course passed is equivalent in objectives, content and weightings to a course prescribed in the Postgraduate Certificate in Business course, or alternatively, the course is suitable as an elective

• where the student has taken out an award from a recognised tertiary institution and is claiming exemptions on the basis of courses completed to meet the requirements of that program, the maximum exemptions on the basis of such courses shall be one-half of the total courses for the program

• the maximum exemptions granted are no greater than two courses for the Postgraduate Certificate in Business

• exemptions approved in this program will not automatically apply to other programs offered by the USQ.

Exemptions shall not be granted for undergraduate study.

Note: Where exemptions are granted, maximum and minimum duration will be adjusted in the same proportion as the exemptions, for example, where the maximum of 50 per cent exemptions is granted, maximum and minimum duration will be reduced by one-half.

In this section:

• General recommended enrolment pattern - Toowoomba campus
• General recommended enrolment pattern - Springfield campus
• Specialisation recommended enrolment pattern - Toowoomba and Springfield campuses
• Recommended enrolment pattern

General recommended enrolment pattern - Toowoomba campus

Students may select any courses from foundation management courses or discipline specialisations. Refer to the Master of Business Administration section of this Handbook for a listing of courses.

General recommended enrolment pattern - Springfield campus

Students may select any courses in the general management or project management specialisations. Refer to the Master of Business Administration entry in this Handbook for a listing of courses.

Specialisation recommended enrolment pattern - Toowoomba and Springfield campuses

Students may select any courses in a single discipline specialisation. Refer to the Master of Business Administration entry in this Handbook for a listing of courses.

Note: It is recommended that:

• CIS5001 Information Systems for Managers is completed before attempting the Information Systems Specialisation, or the e-Business Specialisation

• ACC5502 Accounting for Managers is completed before attempting the Accounting Discipline Specialisation courses

• LAW5503 Australian Law and Business or LAW5504 Comparative Law and Business be completed before attempting the Business Law Discipline or Insolvency and Restructuring Specialisation courses

• MKT5000 Marketing Management is completed before attempting the Marketing Discipline Specialisation courses, with the exception of MKT8009 Integrated Marketing Communication

• students who have not completed Finance as part of their undergraduate qualification are strongly encouraged to first complete FIN5000 Financial Management and/or FIN8102 Global Financial Markets, in the Finance Discipline Specialisation

• MGT8022 Project Management Framework is completed before attempting further courses in the Project Management Specialisation

• MGT8002 Strategic Management may not be undertaken in the Postgraduate Certificate program.

Students may choose the order in which they study the Discipline Specialisation courses.

Recommended enrolment pattern