Master of Commerce

OUTLINE OF DEGREE STRUCTURE

The Master of Commerce requires the completion of units of study totalling 96 credit points, comprising:

• 12 credit points in core units of study - one in the first semester of study and one in the final semester of study;
• 12 to 36 credit points in foundational units of study;
• at least one specialisation (24 credit points in advanced units of study) selected from the Commerce areas of specialisation; and
• additional specialisation/s, dissertation and/or elective units of study required to make 96 credit points in total (excluding foundational units).

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)
The Business School recognises the importance of prior learning and industry experience. If you hold a prior qualification and/or have industry experience of at least 3 years in duration, you could be eligible for a Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) in your Master of Commerce degree, reducing the duration of your studies by up to one year. Find out more details at Recognition of Prior Learning.

Core units of study

BUSS5000 Critical Thinking in Business:
This compulsory entry point unit equips you with key thinking and decision-making skills that are vital to effectiveness in today’s competitive business environment. In particular, it gives you the capability to analyse and respond to business-related problems and opportunities in ways that are both innovative and practical.

BUSS6000 Succeeding in Business:
This compulsory Capstone unit, undertaken in the final semester of study, equips you with high-level cross-disciplinary and cross-functional insights, knowledge and skills. You will work collaboratively with peers and expert advisers to integrate specific knowledge acquired from your chosen specialisations to address real-world business challenges.

Foundational units of study

Two to six foundational units selected from:

• ACCT5001  Accounting Principles,
• BUSS5002  Business Fundamentals,
• CLAW5001 Legal Environment of Business,
• ECON5001 Microeconomic Theory,
• FINC5001 Capital Markets and Corporate Finance,
• IBUS5002 Strategy, Innovation and Entrepreneurship,
• IBUS5003 Global Business,
• INFS5001 Project Management,
• INFS5002 Digital Business Foundations,
• ITLS5000 Foundations of Supply Chain Management,
• ITLS5100 Transport & Infrastructure Foundations,
• MKTG5001 Marketing Principles,
• QBUS5001 Quantitative Methods for Business, and
• WORK5003 Management and Organisations.

Areas for specialisation

For 2016, the following specialisation subject areas will be available to students:

• Accounting,
• Aviation and Maritime Management and Logistics,
• Banking,
• Big Data in Business (new for 2016)
• Business Analytics, 
• Business Information Systems,
• Business Law,
• Business Sustainability,
• Economics,
• Finance,
• Infrastructure and Transport Management,
• International Business,
• Logistics and Supply Chain Management,,
• Marketing,
• People, Management and Organisations,
• Project Management,
• Quantitative Finance, and
• Strategy, Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

Degree progression examples for specialisations and specialisation combinations available in this degree can be found on the Business School website.

Elective units of study

Students can select elective units of study from any of the Commerce specialisation subject areas and other available electives listed in the unit tables in University of Sydney Business School (Postgraduate) Handbook.

Industry and Community Placement: High-achieving students may elect to undertake an assessable industry or community placement in Sydney, regional NSW or internationally. Places are offered on a competitive basis, subject to availability.

NEXT Innovation Program: Students who achieve a WAM of 65%+ in a minimum of eight units of study (48 credit points) may apply for the NEXT Innovation Program unit. A global recognised innovation program, the NEXT Innovation program (Formerly Deloitte FASTRACK Innovation Challenge) is designed to give business and management students’ practical experience in business innovation.

Commerce Dissertation: Students who achieve a weighted average mark (WAM) of 80 percent or higher in at least eight units of study have the option to complete a supervised research dissertation of 15,000 to 20,000 words (equivalent to four units of study) on an approved business topic.

DEGREE PROGRESSION

Sample degree progression – one specialisation

YEAR ONE

Semester 1 Semester 2 BUSS5000
Critical Thinking in Business Unit for specialisation Foundational unit for specialisation Foundational unit OR elective unit Foundational unit Foundational unit OR elective unit

Foundational unit OR elective unit

Foundational unit OR elective unit 24 credit points 24 credit points

YEAR TWO

Semester 1 Semester 2 Unit for specialistion BUSS6000
Succeeding in Business Unit for specialistion Unit for specialisation Elective unit Elective unit Elective unit Elective unit 24 credit points 24 credit points

 For degree progression examples for one or two specialisations, please refer to the Business School (Postgraduate) Handbook.

For further degree progressions for specific specialisations or combinations of specialisations, please refer to the Business School website.

What is a specialisation?

A specialisation is defined sequence of study comprising specified units of study in a particular subject area. A specialisation in the Master of Commerce consists of at least six credit points of foundational units of study and 24 credit points in advanced units of study (compulsory and elective or just elective depending on the specialisation chosen). Advanced units of study cannot be counted towards more than one specialisation.

Core specialisations

• Accounting
• Aviation and Maritime Management and Logistics
• Banking
• Big Data in Business
• Business Analytics
• Business Information Systems
• Business Law
• Business Sustainability
• Economics
• Finance
• Infrastructure and Transport Management
• International Business
• Logistics and Supply Chain Management
• Marketing
• People, Management and Organisations
• Project Management
• Quantitative Finance
• Strategy, Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Optional specialisations

• Accounting
• Aviation and Maritime Management and Logistics
• Banking
• Big Data in Business
• Business Analytics
• Business Information Systems
• Business Law
• Business Sustainability
• Economics
• Finance
• Infrastructure and Transport Management
• International Business
• Logistics and Supply Chain Management
• Marketing
• People, Management and Organisations
• Project Management
• Quantitative Finance
• Strategy, Innovation and Entrepreneurship