Bachelor of Commerce/Bachelor of Science

2023 Deakin University Handbook

Note: You are seeing the 2023 view of this course information. These details may no longer be current. [Go to the current version]

Year	2023 course information
Award granted	Bachelor of Commerce / Bachelor of Science
Course Map	This course map is for new students commencing from Trimester 1 2023. This course map is for new students commencing from Trimester 2 2023. This course map is for new students commencing from Trimester 3 2023. Course maps for commencement in previous years are available on the Course Maps webpage or please contact a Student Adviser in Student Central.
Campus	Offered at Burwood (Melbourne)
Online	No
Duration	4 years full-time or part-time equivalent
CRICOS course code	001806J Burwood (Melbourne)
Deakin course code	D321
Approval status	This course is approved by the University under the Higher Education Standards Framework.
Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) recognition	The award conferred upon completion is recognised in the Australian Qualifications Framework at Level 7.

Course sub-headings

Course overview

Deakin's Bachelor of Commerce/Bachelor of Science empowers you to take your science career beyond the lab. Pair specialist science knowledge with a strong foundation in commerce and graduate ready to lead, innovate and disrupt in your chosen field.

Dual skills in science and commerce can set you up for a lucrative career. Through this industry-led combined course, you can follow your curiosity into any field that inspires you and forge your own path by choosing from a wide range of major sequences. Whether you're aspiring to a role in science communication or management or want to complement your commercial acumen with evidence-based decision-making skills, this combined course arms you with a unique skill set that makes you stand out from the pack. Better still, a focus on real-world learning prepares you for the workforce and ensures you’re ready to hit the ground running when you graduate.

Combined skills in science and business can set you up for a lucrative career. Are you ready to take control of your future with a sought-after set of skills?

Traditional yet contemporary, the commerce stream offers students the opportunity to develop personal skills, hone adaptability, curiosity, imagination, innovation, entrepreneurial thinking and professional confidence. It also gives you the freedom to pursue your passions in a range of specialised areas of business, from accounting to marketing.

You'll graduate with key skills built around three pillars grounded in the everyday realities of business and sought after by employers:

financial acumen
market knowledge
management smarts

Led by a team of academics who are experts in their field, our science stream trains you to be a scientific explorer, ready to solve tomorrow's global issues through science and discovery. You'll build your foundational knowledge by studying a range of science-related study areas before focusing on one of 7 majors:

animal biology
cell biology and genomics
chemistry
environmental science
human biology
mathematical modelling
plant biology.

Our broad spectrum of science specialisations allows you to tailor your degree to your unique career aspirations. Follow a lifelong passion and get more out of your degree by focusing on the topics that matter to you.

Best of all, learning extends beyond the classroom. You'll gain practical experience through programs in modern science laboratories, the completion of a Community Science Project, undertaking industry-based learning placements and by getting a taste of the international business world with overseas internship programs.

Indicative student workload

As a student in the Faculty of Business and Law, you can expect to participate in a range of teaching activities each week. This could include classes, seminars, practicals and online interaction. You can refer to the individual unit details in the course structure for more information. You will also need to study and complete assessment tasks in your own time.

Professional recognition

Deakin Business School ranks in the top 1% of business schools globally.^* The school holds the prestigious and globally recognised AACSB and EQUIS accreditations, which attest to quality, academic and professional excellence, ongoing improvement, innovation and graduate employability.

Students who complete the accounting major can apply for the:

Students who complete the marketing major are eligible for a one-year credit towards their five-year Certified Practicing Marketer certification awarded by the Australian Marketing Institute (AMI).

Students who complete the finance major are recognised through the CFA Institute University Affiliation Program.

Students who complete the financial planning major satisfy the education standards of the Financial Adviser Standards (FAS). This enables students to provide financial advice in Australia and eligibility to enter certification programs of the professional financial planning associations. These include the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® Certification Program by the Financial Planning Association of Australia (FPA) and the Fellow Chartered Financial Practitioner designation by the Association of Financial Advisers (AFA).

Depending on your units of study, commerce graduates are also eligible to apply for membership to the:

The Bachelor of Science (Chemistry major) has been professionally accredited by the Royal Australian Chemical Institute (RACI). Graduates who have successfully completed the chemistry major as part of this course are encouraged to apply for membership of the respective local branch of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute.

Students should consult with a course adviser to identify any additional requirements for membership for each professional body, and also consult with the professional body.

Career opportunities

Employment opportunities for Bachelor of Commerce/Bachelor of Science graduates exist in just about every area of business, science and government. Your technical prowess in science and commerce, combined with sought-after soft skills like leadership and critical thinking, will make you a sought-after candidate in a range of roles including:

research scientist
scientific editor
environmental manager or consultant
park ranger
chemist
accountant
financial planner
IT and systems professional
marketing manager
human resources manager

Participation requirements

Units in this course may have participation requirements that include compulsory placements, work-based training, community-based learning or collaborative research training arrangements.

Placement can occur at any time, including during the standard holiday breaks listed here: https://www.deakin.edu.au/courses/key-dates.

Reasonable adjustments to participation and other course requirements will be made for students with a disability. More information available at Disability support services.

You may be required to complete units in Trimester 3 depending on your chosen major. Please refer to the Handbook for unit offering patterns.

Mandatory student checks

Units which contain work integrated learning, a community placement or interaction with the community may require a police check, working with children check or other check. These requirements will be detailed in unit guides upon enrolment.

Alternate exits

Bachelor of Commerce (M300)
Bachelor of Science (S320)

Fees and charges

Fees and charges vary depending on your course, the type of fee place you hold, your commencement year, the units you choose and your study load.

Tuition fees increase at the beginning of each calendar year and all fees quoted are in Australian dollars ($AUD). Tuition fees do not include textbooks, computer equipment or software, other equipment or costs such as mandatory checks, travel and stationery.

Use the Fee estimator to see course and unit fees applicable to your course and type of place. Further information regarding tuition fees, other fees and charges, invoice due dates, withdrawal dates, payment methods is available on our Current students fees website.

Course Learning Outcomes

Please refer to the Course Learning Outcomes (CLOs) of each of the single degrees.

Course rules

To complete the Bachelor of Commerce/Bachelor of Science, students must attain a total of 32 credit points, consisting of 16 credit points from the Faculty of Business and Law and 16 credit points from the Faculty of Science, Engineering and Built Environment plus completion of the compulsory 0-credit point module, MAI010 Academic Integrity Module. Most units (think of units as 'subjects') are equal to 1 credit point. Most students choose to study 4 units per trimester, and usually undertake 2 trimesters each year.

Major sequences

Refer to the details of each major sequence for availability.

All students in the Bachelor of Commerce/Bachelor of Science are required to complete one major sequence from the Bachelor of Commerce and one major sequence from the Bachelor of Science.

Bachelor of Commerce Majors:

^ These majors are the recommended pathway to qualify for membership of professional organisations.

* Offered to continuing students only

# Offered online only

Bachelor of Science Majors:

*Enrolment in a Trimester 3 study period is compulsory

Course structure

Units

The 16 credit points from the Bachelor of Commerce include:-

Completion of ^*MAI010 Academic Integrity Module (0-credit-point compulsory module)
8 credit points of core units (MAA103, MAE101, MAF101, MIS171, MLC101, MMK101, MMM132 and MWL101)
an 8 credit point major sequence
Level 3 - at least 4 credit points (which must be course grouped to a Faculty of Business and Law undergraduate degree)

^* to be completed in first trimester of study.

The 16 credit points from the Bachelor of Science include:-

8^# credit points of core units (SLE111, SLE103, SLE115, SLE123, SLE200, (SLE301 or SLE352), (SIT190 or SIT191) and (SLE133 or SLE155)
a 6 credit point approved science major sequence
2 credit points of Science elective units
Level 3 - a least 4 credit points of Science units
SLE010 Laboratory and Fieldwork Safety Induction Program (0 credit point unit)
STP010 Career Tools for Employability (0 credit point unit)

^#Please note: Students undertaking D321 are not required to undertake SLE209 Science and Society - core unit in the single degree S320 Bachelor of Science.

Other course information

Course duration - additional information
Course duration may be affected by delays in completing course requirements, such as accessing or completing work placements.

Further information

Student Central can help you with course planning, choosing the right units and explaining course rules and requirements.

Contact Student Central