Bachelor of Business and Commerce (BBCM) - BBusCom

QTAC code (Australian and New Zealand applicants): Toowoomba campus: 904501; Online: 904505; Springfield campus: 924501

CRICOS code (International applicants): 092182E

Notes

Students can commence study at Toowoomba campus in semester 1 or semester 2. Students can commence study at Springfield campus or online in semester 1, semester 2 or semester 3.
There is no semester 3 intake for international on-campus students.

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Contact us

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Professional accreditation

Accounting major and Accounting (Extended) major graduates will meet the educational entrance requirements of CPA Australia and Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CAANZ). This provides Associate membership of CPA Australia, eligibility to study the CPA Australia professional exams and eligibility to study the CAANZ professional exams.

The Accounting major and Accounting (Extended) major are accredited by the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) and the Association of International Accountants (AIA).

Successful completion of the Accounting major and Accounting (Extended) major can qualify students for exemptions from the Fundamental level (9 papers) of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) exams.

Accounting major and Accounting (Extended) major students who complete a Finance minor will meet the educational entrance requirements of the Financial Services Institute of Australasia (Finsia).

Students who wish to be registered tax agents must complete the Accounting (Extended) major and complete LAW3444 Competition and Consumer Law as an elective in order to meet the educational entrance requirements of the Tax Practitioners Board.

Finance major graduates will meet the educational entrance requirements to become a member of the Financial Services Institute of Australasia (Finsia).

The Human Resource Management major is accredited by the Australian Human Resources Institute (AHRI) and satisfies the educational requirements for professional membership of AHRI.

The Marketing major is accredited by the Australian Marketing Institute (AMI), and students are eligible for credit towards becoming a Certified Practising Marketer (CPM) upon completion.

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Program aims

The Bachelor of Business and Commerce is a professionally-oriented degree program. The aim of the program is to produce graduates who are equipped to identify, describe, analyse and resolve business problems in both the public and private sectors. Successful completion of the program will equip graduates with the skills and knowledge required to undertake employment in relevant professions.

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Program objectives

Upon successful completion of the program, students will be able to:

1. synthesise business knowledge, disciplinary concepts, theories, principles and processes

2. think critically, constructively and logically about business-related issues, problems and theoretical debates

3. communicate clearly and concisely in presenting relevant knowledge and ideas to a range of audiences

4. apply business-related knowledge and technical skills to resolve problems and make ethical decisions across a range of institutional, national and global contexts

5. use initiative, creativity and judgement to plan and implement professional projects

6. work autonomously and collaboratively as part of ongoing learning and professional practice.

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Australian Qualifications Framework

The Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) is a single national, comprehensive system of qualifications offered by higher education institutions (including universities), vocational education and training institutions and secondary schools. Each AQF qualification has a set of descriptors which define the type and complexity of knowledge, skills and application of knowledge and skills that a graduate who has been awarded that qualification has attained, and the typical volume of learning associated with that qualification type.

This program is at AQF Qualification Level 07. Graduates at this level will have broad and coherent knowledge and skills for professional work and/or further learning.

The full set of levels criteria and qualification type descriptors can be found by visiting www.aqf.edu.au.

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Program Information Set

View USQ’s admission criteria, student profiles and a summary of all offers made under Course Admission Information Set via the QTAC website.

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Admission requirements

To be eligible for admission, applicants must satisfy the following requirements:

• Have achieved a minimum Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) of 58.9, or equivalent qualification.^

• English Language Proficiency requirements for Category 2.

Applicants are advised to also address the following:

• Assumed Knowledge expectations: English (Units 3 & 4, C) and General Mathematics (Units 3 & 4, C).

All students are required to satisfy the applicable English language requirements.

If students do not meet the English language requirements they may apply to study a University-approved English language program. On successful completion of the English language program, students may be admitted to an award program.

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Program fees

Commonwealth supported place

A Commonwealth supported place is where the Australian Government makes a contribution towards the cost of a students' higher education and students pay a student contribution amount, which varies depending on the courses undertaken. Students are able to calculate the fees for a particular course via the Course Fee Finder.

Commonwealth Supported students may be eligible to defer their fees through a Government loan called HECS-HELP.

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. Students 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 provided they meet the residency and citizenship requirements.

Australian citizens, Permanent Humanitarian Visa holders, Permanent Resident visa holders and New Zealand citizens who will be resident outside Australia for the duration of their program pay full tuition fees and are not eligible for 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. Students are able to calculate the fees for a particular course via the Course Fee Finder.

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Program structure

The Bachelor of Business and Commerce comprises 24 single-unit courses as indicated in the table below. Students are not permitted to complete more than ten (10) Level 1 courses as part of the program.

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Required time limits

The standard duration for completion of this program is 3 years full-time or 6 years part-time. Students have a maximum of 9 years to complete this program.

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Core courses

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Major studies

A major study is a set of courses that make up a coherent, in-depth study of a specific discipline. Bachelor of Business and Commerce majors comprise 8 or 16 units. All students in the Bachelor of Business and Commerce must complete at least one major study selected from those offered within the Bachelor of Business and Commerce:

8-unit majors:

• Accounting

• Business Administration

• Business Economics

• Finance

• Human Resource Management

• Management and Leadership

• Marketing

12-unit major:

• Accounting (Extended)

16-unit majors:

Double major studies

Students may choose to complete a second major from the Bachelor of Business and Commerce, except the General Commerce major, or from the undergraduate degree programs in another area at the University of Southern Queensland. A program in which there is a first and second major is known as a 'double major'.

For example, students may undertake a second major from the Bachelor of Arts or the Bachelor of Communication and Media . Examples of second majors include Advertising, International Relations, Journalism or Public Relations. Where a student is required to do one or more core courses from that program to satisfy prerequisites for the proposed major, the core course/s may form part of that major, and be substituted for one of the courses in the major.

Where a second major from another area contains fewer than 8 units, students must complete extra elective units, chosen from undergraduate courses offered at the University of Southern Queensland to ensure that their program contains 24 units in total.

Students who complete a double major will have both majors shown on their testamur.

Specific majors

In this section:

• Important notes
• Accounting major
• Accounting (Extended) major
• Business Administration major
• Business Economics major
• Finance major
• Human Resource Management major
• Management and Leadership major
• Marketing major

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Important notes

Students wishing to undertake PWE3000 Professional Work Experience as an elective must have successfully completed a minimum of 16 units in their program of study. Students considering enrolling in PWE3000 should read the information and conditions contained in the course specification.

PWE3000 is not available to international students regardless of location or mode of study as it is an elective course. Australian regulations do not allow an elective work-based training course that is not a mandatory program requirement to be offered to international students.

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Accounting major

The Accounting major provides students with a broad knowledge base in financial accounting, management accounting, business law and finance. Second majors or minors are available in a range of business, commerce and arts areas.

Accounting major graduates will meet the educational entrance requirements of CPA Australia and Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CAANZ). This provides Associate membership of CPA Australia, eligibility to study the CPA Australia professional exams and eligibility to study the CAANZ professional exams.

Successful completion of the Accounting major can qualify students for exemptions from the Fundamental level (9 papers) of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) exams.

Accounting major students who complete a Finance minor will meet the educational entrance requirements of the Financial Services Institute of Australasia (Finsia).

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Accounting (Extended) major

The Accounting (Extended) major provides students with a broad knowledge base in financial accounting, management accounting, business law and finance. Minors are available in a range of business, commerce and arts areas.

Accounting (Extended) major graduates will meet the educational entrance requirements of CPA Australia and Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CAANZ). This provides Associate membership of CPA Australia, eligibility to study the CPA Australia professional exams and eligibility to study the CAANZ professional exams.

Successful completion of the Accounting (Extended) major can qualify students for exemptions from the Fundamental level (9 papers) of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) exams.

Accounting (Extended) major students who complete a Finance minor will meet the educational entrance requirements of the Financial Services Institute of Australasia (Finsia).

Students who wish to be registered tax agents must complete the Accounting (Extended) major and complete LAW3444 Competition and Consumer Law as an elective in order to meet the educational entrance requirements of the Tax Practitioners Board.

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Business Administration major

This Business Administration major equips students with an understanding of how organisations operate in different environmental contexts, both private and public, and with administrative management skills. It exposes students to a wide range of issues and challenges faced by managers as they strive to make organisations more successful and sustainable, and become responsible stakeholders in society. Students develop relevant conceptual, analytical, functional, and operational capabilities to equip them to confidently address a range of organisational and managerial challenges in contemporary organisations.

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Business Economics major

Business economics is concerned with how managers utilise resources efficiently in achieving the firm’s goals. This includes the use of labour, capital, materials and energy within the firm, and the firm’s relationship with consumers and with government. This major provides students with skills to apply economic analysis in business and management contexts and is a good complement to majors and minors in other commerce majors as well as arts and education majors.

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Finance major

The Finance major provides students with a knowledge of financial environments and modern analytical techniques. Students learn to understand a broad range of finance areas including business finance, stockbroking, investment management, international financial management and financial economics. Graduates will be equipped for a career in stockbroking, financial services and business. Second majors or minors are available in a range of Business, Commerce and Arts areas.

Finance major graduates will meet the educational entrance requirements to become a member of the Financial Services Institute of Australasia (Finsia).

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Human Resource Management major

The aim of the Human Resource Management (HRM) major is to engage students in learning about how the HRM professional must use a range of progressive and co-dependent people-related activities to simultaneously drive business performance and sustain the capability and well-being of the people working for the organisation. Students will acquire an understanding of how the HRM professional builds partnerships with, fosters and influences, key organisational stakeholders to design and maintain a respected and dynamic HRM strategy that contributes to organisational strategies. Students will learn to apply the skills associated with being an expert HRM practitioner who is jointly sensitive to the demands of operating responsibly within a business-driven environment and meeting the needs of a sustainable, capable workforce and culture.

The Human Resource Management major is accredited by the Australian Human Resources Institute (AHRI) and satisfies the educational requirements for professional membership of AHRI.

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Management and Leadership major

The aim of the Management and Leadership major is to equip students with advanced management and leadership skills applied to real-life organisational situations. We explore management at the individual, team and organisation level including the relationships between knowledge and strategy, organisation and leadership. At the individual and group level, we explore how different behaviours and conflicts develop and how to deal with individual differences. We study how organisational groups learn and challenge their own thinking and how managers can create an organisational climate that helps people see the big picture. To develop leadership skills, the major addresses different leader approaches from behavioural leadership to strategic and authentic leaders. For the latter, we explore how senior management groups function and their responsibilities to stakeholders. We address how managers explore different change options and how to relate these to the strategies of the business. Students of this major will learn critical and valuable skills in management and leadership generally that will help them solve difficult and complex problems in any organisation.

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Marketing major

Marketing is an essential activity for every organisation and every brand regardless of its size or scope and the best part about a marketing degree, is that it does not confine you to an industry, a country, or a type of business. Marketers are needed anywhere there is a transaction between two or more parties with marketing being responsible for improving the viability of the firm and also for delivering value to customers. So if you are a person who is creative; self-motivated; likes to work in a team; organised but flexible; and most of all likes engaging with people, then marketing may be the career for you. The marketing major at USQ focuses on providing you with the skills and knowledge in a real-world context to equip you for an exciting and rewarding career. Marketing delivers value to customers and the firm, it benefits society by creating informed consumers and it offers great career opportunities.

The Marketing major is accredited by the Australian Marketing Institute (AMI), and students are eligible for credit towards becoming a Certified Practising Marketer (CPM) upon completion.

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Minor Studies

A minor study is a group of courses designed to provide students with an area of knowledge and skills that either:

• draw from a recognised discipline and are designed to contribute to the major study or

• may transcend traditional disciplinary boundaries, but complements the objectives of the program.

A number of minor studies are available to students in this program.

Students are advised to consider the whole range of minor studies offered. However the availability of general minor studies may be limited by a number of factors, including:

• the authorisation of the student’s choice by the academic adviser and faculty

• the satisfactory completion of pre-requisite courses by the student

• the provisions of the faculty offering the minor, including audition and interview requirements in certain areas of the arts and education

• timetabling constraints

• quotas.

All students in the Bachelor of Business and Commerce, except those undertaking a second major, must complete a four-unit minor study. Courses must be taken over a minimum of two levels and should be in the same discipline or recognised multi-disciplinary area.

A minor in the Bachelor of Business and Commerce may comprise one of the following:

• any four units from a major in the Bachelor of Business and Commerce apart from those majors indicated below, and as long as pre-requisites are met

• any four business-related or approved units from a major in another program from the University of Southern Queensland as long as pre-requisites are met - where a student is required to do one or more core courses from that program to satisfy prerequisites for the proposed minor, the core course/s may form part of that minor

• four specified units in a disciplinary area designed to extend knowledge as listed below. See a list of minor studies at http://www.usq.edu.au/handbook/current/optionstudies/optionstudies.html.

NOTE: Students are not permitted to enrol in more than ten (10) Level 1 courses as part of the program.

Minors are not permitted from the following majors:

Students who wish to take a minor study that falls outside the guidelines above for the Bachelor of Business and Commerce, must obtain Faculty of Business, Education, Law and Arts approval prior to enrolling in courses to be counted towards that minor. Before undertaking any course, the pre-requisite courses must be completed or exempted.

Minors in a disciplinary area in the Bachelor of Business and Commerce designed to extend knowledge include the following:

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Electives/Approved courses

Students not completing a double major must select a minor plus four units of elective courses from courses offered in the Bachelor of Business and Commerce or, with Faculty of Business, Education, Law and Arts approval, from other undergraduate programs offered at the University of Southern Queensland. Enrolment requirements must be satisfied for any course selected.

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IT requirements

For information technology requirements please refer to the minimum computing standards.

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Other program requirements

Students must maintain good standing in this program. Please refer to the Academic Standing, Progression and Exclusion Procedure.

Students enrolled in the joint TAFE/USQ Diploma Programs must complete their Diploma studies at the TAFE Queensland before continuing enrolment at USQ.

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Exit points

Students must maintain good standing in this program (see Other program requirements section). Students not wishing to complete the Bachelor of Business and Commerce may be permitted to exit with either the Diploma of Business and Commerce (DPBC) or the Associate Degree of Business and Commerce (ADBC).

Students may exit with the Diploma of Business and Commerce (DPBC) if they have completed 8 courses as follows:

• a minimum of 4 courses from the Bachelor of Business and Commerce core courses, and

• 4 other courses from the Bachelor of Business and Commerce, or 4 business-related courses with the approval of the Faculty of Business, Education, Law and Arts.

Students may exit with the Associate Degree of Business and Commerce if they have completed 16 courses as follows:

• 8 core courses from the Bachelor of Business and Commerce and

• 8 other business-related courses with the approval of the Faculty of Business, Education, Law and Arts.

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Credit

Candidates for admission to the Bachelor of Business and Commerce may be eligible for up to 16 units of credit on the basis of successful completion of relevant, equivalent undergraduate study from a recognised university or institution offering equivalent study. Credit approved in this program will not automatically apply to other programs offered by USQ.

Students studying accounting should note that professional bodies such as the CPA Australia and Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CAANZ) have advanced standing policies that are more restrictive so students are advised to seek current information from these bodies before applying for credit.

Claims for credit for previous study should be submitted prior to or at the time of enrolment. Each claim will be assessed on individual merit in line with USQ policy.

Note: Where credit is granted, maximum and minimum duration will be adjusted in the same proportion as credit, for example, where eight units of credit is granted, maximum time will be six years and minimum time will be four semesters.

Recommended enrolment patterns

In this section:

• Recommended enrolment patterns
• Accounting major - On-campus and Online (Semester 1 intake)
• Accounting major - On-campus and Online (Semester 2 intake)
• Accounting (Extended) major - On-campus and Online (Semester 1 intake)
• Accounting (Extended) major - On-campus and Online (Semester 2 intake)
• Business Administration major - Toowoomba campus and Online
• Business Economics major recommended enrolment pattern - Toowoomba campus and Online
• Finance major - On-campus and Online (Semester 1 intake)
• Finance major - On-campus and Online (Semester 2 intake)
• Human Resource Management - On-campus and Online (Semester 1 intake)
• Human Resource Management - On-campus and Online (Semester 2 intake)
• Management and Leadership major
• Marketing major - On-campus and Online (Semester 1 intake)
• Marketing major - On-campus and Online (Semester 2 intake)

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Recommended enrolment patterns

Students are able to enrol in any offered mode of a course (on-campus, external or online), regardless of the program mode of study they enrolled in.

Given the program structure information, students should plan their enrolment making sure that they have fulfilled all core, major, minor and elective requirements. Enrolment requirements must be satisfied before enrolling in a course.

As a guide, full-time students (shown as ONC) should plan to undertake 8 courses per year and part-time students (shown as ONL) who are in employment, a maximum of 6 courses per year, with a minimum of 4 courses per year. This is exclusive of any semester 3 enrolments.

Courses are normally offered on-campus and online in the same semester. If a course is offered twice in one year, the second offering will normally be on an online basis only.

Students wishing to undertake PWE3000 Professional Work Experience as an elective must have successfully completed a minimum of 16 units in their program of study. Students considering enrolling in PWE3000 should read the information and conditions contained in the course specification. PWE3000 is not available to international students regardless of location or mode of study as it is an elective course. Australian regulations do not allow an elective work-based training course that is not a mandatory program requirement to be offered to international students.

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Accounting major - On-campus and Online (Semester 1 intake)

Students are able to enrol in any offered mode of a course (on-campus, external or online), regardless of the program mode of study they enrolled in.

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Accounting major - On-campus and Online (Semester 2 intake)

Students are able to enrol in any offered mode of a course (on-campus, external or online), regardless of the program mode of study they enrolled in.

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Accounting (Extended) major - On-campus and Online (Semester 1 intake)

Students are able to enrol in any offered mode of a course (on-campus, external or online), regardless of the program mode of study they enrolled in.

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Accounting (Extended) major - On-campus and Online (Semester 2 intake)

Students are able to enrol in any offered mode of a course (on-campus, external or online), regardless of the program mode of study they enrolled in.

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Business Administration major - Toowoomba campus and Online

Students are able to enrol in any offered mode of a course (on-campus, external or online), regardless of the program mode of study they enrolled in.

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Business Economics major recommended enrolment pattern - Toowoomba campus and Online

Students are able to enrol in any offered mode of a course (on-campus, external or online), regardless of the program mode of study they enrolled in.

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Finance major - On-campus and Online (Semester 1 intake)

Students are able to enrol in any offered mode of a course (on-campus, external or online), regardless of the program mode of study they enrolled in.

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Finance major - On-campus and Online (Semester 2 intake)

Students are able to enrol in any offered mode of a course (on-campus, external or online), regardless of the program mode of study they enrolled in.

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Human Resource Management - On-campus and Online (Semester 1 intake)

Students are able to enrol in any offered mode of a course (on-campus, external or online), regardless of the program mode of study they enrolled in.

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Human Resource Management - On-campus and Online (Semester 2 intake)

Students are able to enrol in any offered mode of a course (on-campus, external or online), regardless of the program mode of study they enrolled in.

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Management and Leadership major

Students are able to enrol in any offered mode of a course (on-campus, external or online), regardless of the program mode of study they enrolled in.

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Marketing major - On-campus and Online (Semester 1 intake)

Students are able to enrol in any offered mode of a course (on-campus, external or online), regardless of the program mode of study they enrolled in.

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Marketing major - On-campus and Online (Semester 2 intake)

Students are able to enrol in any offered mode of a course (on-campus, external or online), regardless of the program mode of study they enrolled in.