Bachelor of Commerce/Bachelor of Science

2025 Deakin University Handbook

Year	2025 course information
Award granted	Bachelor of Commerce / Bachelor of Science
Deakin course code	D321
Course version	2
Faculty	Faculty of Business and Law
Course Information	For students who commenced from 2022 onwards
Campus	Offered at Burwood (Melbourne)
Online	No
Duration	4 years full-time or part-time equivalent
Course Map - enrolment planning tool	This course map is for new students commencing from Trimester 1 2025. This course map is for new students commencing from Trimester 2 2025. Course maps for commencement in previous years are available on the Course Maps webpage or please contact a Student Adviser in Student Central.
CRICOS code	001806J Burwood (Melbourne)
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 are aspiring to a role in science communication or management, or you 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 are 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?

A commerce degree offers students insight into the ways a specialised area of business affects the science industry and provides transferable skills that will see you graduating with professional confidence and an entrepreneurial mindset.

You will 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, the science component trains you to be a scientific explorer, ready to solve tomorrow's global issues through discovery. You will build your foundational knowledge by studying a range of science-related study areas before focusing on one of eight majors:

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

Our broad range of science majors allows you to tailor your degree to your unique career aspirations. Follow your 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 will gain practical experience through programs in modern science laboratories, the completion of a Community Science Project or an industry-based learning placement, and by getting a taste of the international business world with overseas internship programs.

Indicative student workload

You can expect to participate in a range of teaching activities each week. This could include lectures, seminars, online interactions, or professional experiences for Work Integrated Learning (WIL) units. 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 holds the prestigious and globally recognised AACSB and EQUIS accreditations, which attest to quality, academic and professional excellence, ongoing improvement, innovation and graduate employability.

Deakin’s accounting major enables students to apply for the:

The marketing major provides a one-year credit towards the Australian Marketing Institute (AMI) five-year Certified Practicing Marketer and Chartered Marketer certification.

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

The financial planning major satisfies the Financial Adviser Standards (FAS) education standards, meaning students can provide financial advice in Australia and are eligible for financial planning certification programs including:

the Financial Adviser Association of Australia (FAAA) CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER®.

The human resource management major enables students to apply for the Australian HR Institute (AHRI) membership.

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:

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

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 standard holiday breaks. Learn about key dates at Deakin.

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.

Alternative exits

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

Articulated courses

Bachelor of Information Technology (Honours) (S470)
Bachelor of Science (Honours) (S400)

Course learning outcomes

Deakin Graduate Learning Outcomes	Course Learning Outcomes Bachelor of Commerce (M300)	Course Learning Outcomes Bachelor of Science (S320)
Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities	Apply a broad and coherent theoretical and technical knowledge of commerce and its applications.	Apply a broad and coherent knowledge of the scientific disciplines of mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology and the environment within the chosen major area(s) of study to demonstrate a deep understanding of scientific facts, scientific practices and the edifice of science. Apply technical knowledge and skills and use them in a range of activities, in a professional and/or academic setting within the major area(s) of study; this application of technical knowledge and skills being characterised by demonstrable in-depth knowledge of scientific methods and tools, and demonstrable proficiency in the utilisation of chosen major area(s) knowledge. Use hypotheses, laws, facts and theories to investigate, test, analyse, and evaluate scientific data and demonstrate autonomy, well-developed judgement and responsibility to argue about characteristics and aspects of scientific theory in the advancement of science.
Communication	Communicate commerce concepts and information effectively including in oral, written and visual forms in a cohesive and understandable manner to academic audiences, business professionals and laypersons.	Demonstrate listening skills and the ability to use a range of communication skills to accommodate, encourage and answer audience questions. Articulate the boundaries or limits of scientific information, experimental or field data, discuss error, probability, uncertainty, conclusions and arguments. Judge how well to present essential details of scientific procedures, key observations, results and conclusions in a professional manner using appropriate style, language and references including local, national, and international contributions or contexts.
Digital literacy	Use technologies to identify, locate, evaluate, synthesise and disseminate and communicate information in the field of commerce.	Use well-developed technical skills, judgement and responsibility to independently locate, analyse, evaluate the merits of, synthesise and disseminate scientific literature, information, data and results.
Critical thinking	Evaluate and critically analyse academic, professional and business information and values.	Locate and evaluate scientific information from multiple sources and use scientific methods and frameworks to structure and plan observations, experimentation or fieldwork investigations. Use critical and analytical thinking and judgement to analyse, synthesise and generate an integrated knowledge, formulate hypotheses and test them against evidence-based scientific concepts and principles.
Problem solving	Identify solutions to a diverse range of authentic problems in commerce.	Use initiative and creativity in planning, identifying and using multiple approaches to recognise, clarify, construct and solve problems taking into account relevant contextual factors. Advocate scientific methodologies, hypotheses, laws, facts and principles to create solutions to authentic real world problems.
Self-management	Take personal responsibility for actions, self-reflect and critique own performance and identify and plan future professional development.	Take personal, professional and social responsibility within changing professional science contexts to develop autonomy as learners and evaluate own performance. Work autonomously, responsibly and safely to solve unstructured problems and actively apply knowledge of regulatory frameworks and scientific methodologies to make informed choices.
Teamwork	Interact and collaborate with others from a range of disciplines and backgrounds.	Work independently and collaboratively as a team to contribute towards achieving team goals and thereby demonstrate interpersonal skills including the ability to brainstorm, negotiate, resolve conflicts, managing difficult and awkward conversations, provide constructive feedback and work in diverse professional, social and cultural contexts.
Global citizenship	Engage effectively in different environments and contexts reflecting social, sustainable, ethical, economic, and global perspectives in the field of commerce.	Apply scientific knowledge and skills with a high level of autonomy, judgement, responsibility and accountability in collaboration with others to articulate the place and importance of science in the local and global community.

Course rules

To complete the Bachelor of Commerce/Bachelor of Science students must pass 32 credit points and meet the following course rules to be eligible to graduate:

DAI001 Academic Integrity and Respect at Deakin (0-credit-point compulsory unit) in their first study period
16 credit points from the Bachelor of Commerce
- 8 credit points of core units
- 1 major (8 credit points)
- a minimum of 4 credit points of Faculty of Business and Law units at level 3
16 credit points from the Bachelor of Science
- SLE010 Laboratory and Fieldwork Safety Induction Program (0-credit-point compulsory unit)
- STP010 Career Tools for Employability (0-credit-point compulsory unit)
- 8 credit points of core units (excluding SLE209)
- 1 major (6 credit points)
- 2 credit points of course elective units
- a minimum of 4 credit points of Bachelor of Science units at level 3
course requirements for both the Bachelor of Commerce (M300) and Bachelor of Science (S320) must be satisfied

Students are required to meet the University's academic progress and conduct requirements. See the enrolment codes and terminology to help make sense of the University’s vocabulary.

Majors

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

Bachelor of Science Majors:

*Enrolment in a Trimester 3 study period is compulsory

Course structure

Compulsory 0-credit point module

DAI001

Academic Integrity and Respect at Deakin ^*

SLE010

Laboratory and Fieldwork Safety Induction Program

STP010

Career Tools for Employability

^*To be completed in first trimester of study.

Core units

Students must complete 8 credit points from the Bachelor of Commerce

MAA103

Accounting for Decision Making

MAE101

Economic Principles

MAF101

Fundamentals of Finance

MIS171

Business Analytics

MLC101

Law for Commerce

MMK101

Marketing Fundamentals

MMM132

Management

MWL101

Professional Insight

Students must complete 5 credit points from the Bachelor of Science

SLE111

Cells and Genes

SLE103

Ecology and the Environment

SLE115

Essential Skills in Science

SLE123

Physics for the Life Sciences

SLE200

Communicating Science Ideas ^#

Students must complete 1 credit point from the below:

SLE352

Community Science Project ^#

SLE301

Professional Practice ^#

^# Must have successfully completed STP010 Career Tools for Employability

Mathematics^*- Students must complete 1 credit point from the below:

SIT190

Introduction to Functions, Relations and Graphs

SIT191

Introduction to Statistics and Data Analysis

^*Note:

It is recommended that students intending to take the Chemistry, Human Biology, Cell Biology and Genomics, Animal Biology, Plant Biology or Environmental Science majors undertake SIT191 Introduction to Statistics and Data Analysis.
students intending to take the Chemistry major and who have not previously completed VCE Maths Methods (units 3 and 4) are advised to alternatively undertake SIT190 Introduction to Functions, Relations and Graphs.
students intending to take the Mathematical Modelling major who have not completed VCE Maths Methods (units 3 and 4) are strongly advised to first complete SIT190 Introduction to Functions, Relations and Graphs.
Students intending to take the Mathematical Modelling major are not required to complete SIT190 Introduction to Functions, Relations and Graphs or SIT191 Introduction to Statistics and Data Analysis, however, they are able to undertake SIT190/ SIT191 as electives.

Chemistry - Students must complete 1 credit point from the below:

SLE133

Chemistry in Our World

SLE155

Chemistry for the Professional Sciences ^{^}

^{^}Assumed knowledge: SLE133 Chemistry in our World or high achievement in VCE Chemistry 3 and 4 (or equivalent).

Please note: SLE155 Chemistry for the Professional Sciences is a required prerequisite when undertaking the Cell Biology and Genomics and Chemistry majors.

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

Course electives

Students must complete 2 credit points of Bachelor of Science course elective units.

Course duration

You may be able to study available units in the optional third trimester to fast-track your degree, however your course duration may be extended if there are delays in meeting course requirements, such as completing a placement.

Further information

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

Contact Student Central

Fees and charges

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

Estimate your fees

For further information regarding tuition fees, other fees and charges, invoice due dates, withdrawal dates, payment methods visit our Current students website.