Advanced Commerce

Outline

Outline

Are you a high achiever, aspiring to be a leader in your business field? Or perhaps you dream of pursing advanced research at the PhD level, discovering new business theories and applications? Our Advanced Commerce degree will ensure you’re well-equipped to thrive in your chosen field, regardless of your desired career path.

This advanced degree combines our three-year Bachelor of Commerce with our one-year Honours program, creating a holistic study journey where you’ll enjoy personalised education and professional development opportunities right from the start. With only a small cohort of elite students selected to study this degree, you’ll learn alongside the next generation of business leaders and researchers.

You’ll begin your study with a foundational year that will provide you with a solid knowledge base in business. You’ll focus on the principles of business acumen, professional practice, leadership, and entrepreneurship through the lens of real-world projects and assessments.

In your second year you’ll begin study in your chosen major. You’ll also have access to higher level units from your second year, such as the Introduction to Research Methods for Honours unit, which is usually not available until your fourth year. Early access to this unit can help you decide between a research or practical pathway in your final year.

You’ll solidify your learning in your third year through a capstone experience, enabling you to apply your studies through a practical industry-based unit. Unique to this advanced degree, you’ll be assigned a personal mentor to help guide your decision-making through this unit.

In your fourth and final year, you’ll apply and integrate your knowledge and skills through a thesis project or a practical industry experience and supporting project.

Throughout your degree, you’ll learn on industry-standard software, such as social media analytics platforms and Refinitiv Workspace trading and financial analysis software. You’ll also have access to biometrics for market research and analysis through our Consumer Research Lab.

In pursuing this degree, you’ll acquire a powerful blend of knowledge, technical expertise and research experience, enhancing your employability and preparing you for future postgraduate studies.

Professional development opportunities

High-achieving students may be eligible for a range of extracurricular activities designed to increase employability. These include:

• LinkedIn Learning: augmented skill-building resources for independent development
• Curtin Ignition: an intensive training program for aspiring entrepreneurs
• High Achievers Program: a fast-track industry experience, accelerating your professional development.

Course structure

First year

In your first year you’ll study our business core units:

• Analytics for Decision Making: You’ll learn basic data analysis to derive essential information from numerical, textual and visual datasets. As well as understanding the legal and ethical issues related to the collection and use of data, you’ll examine case study data sets from a range of business disciplines, communicate your findings to an audience and make recommendations.
• Communication, Culture and Indigenous Perspectives in Business: You’ll develop  awareness of responsible business practices and cultural, academic and professional integrity in business. These perspectives will help you in business communications and in making business decisions.
• Financial Decision Making: You’ll develop the skills and knowledge needed to make informed and responsible decisions using accounting and financial information. You’ll learn basic accounting and financial terminologies, how to interpret financial statements and make investment decisions.
• Markets and Legal Frameworks: You’ll explore how key business disciplines are connected and understand the relationship between a business enterprise and stakeholders including government, customers and the broader community. You’ll also identify the laws and regulations applied to businesses, and learn how business and marketing strategies can impact society and the environment.
• Strategic Career Design: You’ll explore the impact of changes in the global labour market and social trends and how technological innovation will affect career opportunities and the future of work. These changes have implications for individual and organisational career management strategies, and personal and professional branding in a digitised global economy.

You'll also have the opportunity to undertake introductory study in fields such as marketing, business law, economics and global business. This can be valuable if you are still deciding on your primary major and want to explore different business fields.

Second year

In your second year, you’ll begin studying your chosen major or double major. Go to Customise your course to see what majors and study combinations are available.

Third year

In your third year you’ll finalise your study in your chosen major and ‘cap’ off this study with one of our practical capstone experiences, enabling you to apply your skills and knowledge in an industry setting.

Fourth year: choose your pathway

Choose between our industry or research pathways:

• Industry pathway: undertake a practical experience through an industry experience, such as a work placement or study tour, combined with an industry project
• Research pathway: tailored for those with ambitions of pursuing a PhD, this pathway will provide you a solid foundation for further academic study and research.

Exit pathway

You can exit this degree with a Bachelor of Commerce after completing 600 credits (equivalent to three years of full-time study). If you have a course-weighted average (CWA) lower than 75%, we may recommend exiting with a three-year bachelor degree rather than completing your honours.

Further study

Postgraduate coursework

Upon graduation from our Advanced Commerce degree, you may qualify for direct entry into many postgraduate courses, including:

• Master of Commerce
• Master of Innovation and Entrepreneurship
• Master of Professional Accounting.

Depending on your major/s, you may also qualify for direct entry into additional postgraduate courses.

Postgraduate research

If you studied the research pathway in your fourth year, you may also qualify for direct entry into our research degrees. This includes our Master of Research, which is a one-year degree designed to expand on your honours research.

If you graduated with first or upper second class honours, you may be eligible to pursue a PhD in your field without needing to complete a master degree first. Visit our Higher Degree by Research page for more information.

Customise your degree

You can customise your degree to suit your career goals. If you aren’t sure what you want to study yet, our expert teaching staff will take you through the options in your first semester and help you choose the best pathway that embraces your unique passions and your career aspirations.

Step 1: Choose your business major

Choose one:

• Accounting¹
• Audit Analytics^1,2
• Business Information Systems
• Business Information Systems Extension³
• Business Law¹
• Economics
• Finance¹
• Financial Planning²
• Human Resource Management
• International Business
• Logistics and Supply Chain Management
• Management¹
• Marketing¹
• Property Development and Valuation Extension³
• Property Investment and Development
• Taxation¹
• Tourism and Hospitality

1. Available to study online

2. Available as part of a defined double major

3. Includes an embedded specialisation for accreditation by a professional body. Cannot be studied as part of a double major

Step 2: complement your major

Choose one of four options to complement your major.

Option A: a second major

With this option you benefit from studying two disciplines in equal depth and graduating with a double major. You can choose a second business major, or a major in arts and creative industries:

• Anthropology and Sociology
• Creative Writing
• Digital and Social Media
• English and Cultural Studies
• Fine Art
• Geography
• History
• International Relations
• Journalism
• Screen Arts
• Security and Strategic Studies
• Theatre Arts.

Option B: two business specialisations

A specialisation contains half the number of units as a major, allowing you to broaden your degree by studying two complementary disciplines alongside your primary major.  View list of specialisations.

Option C: a business specialisation and a non-business specialisation

Customise your degree by selecting a business specialisation and a specialisation from another area such as arts, design or even science. View list of specialisations.

Option D: a business specialisation and electives

You can complement your business specialisation with four elective units. You can choose elective units from any course offered at Curtin, provided you meet the unit prerequisites. 

Step 3: choose your capstone experience

In your final year, you will undertake a capstone experience to further your practical skills and international business knowledge.

You'll choose one of the following experiences:

• Enhancing Your Business Mind (recommended): Designed in consultation with industry, this unit aims to equip you with skills needed to succeed in the business environment. The content is designed around you, the student, to be fun, engaging, stimulating, and educational all at once. The unit will push you out of your comfort zone (in the most supportive way of course) to teach you things that you didn’t realise you needed to know – your first job outside of university is a big step in your career and we want you to feel confident in your ability to have a positive impact on your new team’s environment.
• Business Innovation Lab: You’ll use your initiative, creativity and adaptability as you work on an applied business project within a start-up environment. As part of an interdisciplinary team, you'll solve a problem or advance an innovation while demonstrating your managerial judgement, professional communications and commitment to responsible business practice.
• Business Internship: You’ll have the opportunity to gain work experience with an external employer or work on a real industry project related to your area of study, in Australia or internationally. These projects have defined objectives with activities that a graduate in the role would be expected to complete. During your internship, you could:conduct research or data analysis; scope the viability of new projects; support the implementation of new systems; revise marketing strategies; assist with an upcoming event. Note that selection for internships is a competitive process.
• Interactive Study Tour: Our Interactive Study Tour allows you to have a study abroad experience from home! You'll collaborate with fellow students from Curtin's global campuses to develop strategies for dealing with current and emerging global problems.
• Business and Law International Experience: Complete your degree while travelling the world by studying a short course with one of our exchange partners.
• Business Study Tour: Visit regions, countries and organisations in Australia or overseas to experience different ways of doing business.

Note that opportunities may vary according to academic performance and any international travel restrictions.

What you'll learn

• demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the fundamental business principles and practices, as well as expertise in one or more specific business disciplines
• engage in critical analysis of complex and multi-dimensional business problems, utilizing both practical and theoretical tools to address them, and evaluate the results within the context of existing disciplinary knowledge
• demonstrate advanced proficiency in digital literacy and cultural competencies specific to a chosen business discipline and demonstrate the ability to apply them within the framework of professional practice
• communicate professionally, in ways that are responsible and appropriate for international business contexts and in formats relevant to the audience
• critique and use ethical practices and demonstrate professional and academic integrity