Master of Commerce

2024 Deakin University Handbook

Year

2025 course information

Award granted Master of Commerce
Deakin course codeM755
Faculty

Faculty of Business and Law

CampusOffered at Burwood (Melbourne)
OnlineYes
Duration

Depending on your professional experience and previous qualifications, the Master of Commerce is typically 1, 1.5 or 2 years duration:

  • 1 year full-time (2 years part-time) - 8 credit points
  • 1.5 year full-time (3 years part-time) - 12 credit points
  • 2 year full-time (4 years part-time) - 16 credit points

Deakin courses can also be studied part-time over a longer period.

Course Map - enrolment planning tool

This course map is for new students commencing from Trimester 1 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 course code027129E Burwood (Melbourne)
Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) recognition

The award conferred upon completion is recognised in the Australian Qualifications Framework at Level 9

For students commencing before T1 2022, please see the 2021 handbook for the Master of Commerce course structure.

Course sub-headings

Course overview

Make a smart business decision – advance your career with Deakin's Master of Commerce. You will develop a comprehensive understanding of the concepts and principles integral to accounting, finance, economics, marketing and management.

Designed to accommodate any educational background, this course provides choice and flexibility so you can tailor the course to your career aspirations. Explore a broad range of business concepts or choose from a variety of specialisations. You will learn contemporary business practices, including cutting-edge tools and techniques, to navigate the dynamic business industry.

Ready to shift your job prospects into the next gear with specialised commerce expertise?

Whether you're embarking on a career change or looking to deepen your current skill set, our Master of Commerce will enable you to build advanced-level knowledge to apply in real-world business scenarios. You will sharpen your critical thinking skills and become an expert at evaluating complex business problems, giving you the insight to make informed decisions based on sound financial and ethical considerations.

With options to study at our Melbourne Burwood Campus or online, you can tailor your learning to fit your commitments. Plus, by undertaking one of our work-integrated learning units you can weave practical experience into your degree and significantly enhance your job prospects.

Deakin's Master of Commerce has achieved accreditation from multiple prestigious professional bodies. By choosing relevant units from the program, you gain the opportunity to fulfil the recognition requirements set by professional bodies such as CPA Australia, Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CA ANZ), the Institute of Public Accountants (IPA), the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) or the Institute of Certified Management Accountants (ICMA). Such recognition opens doors to a wide range of career opportunities and establishes a solid foundation for professional advancement.

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 both AACSB and EQUIS accreditations. These prestigious accreditations are awarded to business schools that meet strict standards of quality, academic and professional excellence, and demonstrate a commitment to ongoing improvement and innovation in their courses, ensuring our graduates are employable worldwide.

By choosing relevant units within the Master of Commerce, you may be eligible for entry to professional bodies including CPA Australia, Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CA ANZ), the Institute of Public Accountants (IPA), the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) or the Institute of Certified Management Accountants (ICMA).

Career opportunities

The specialisations in commerce studies lead to careers in virtually every area of business and government in Australia and internationally.

As a Deakin graduate, you will have the business mindset and practical experience needed to succeed in a variety of roles including:

  • economist
  • human resources manager
  • international trade officer
  • IT and systems professional
  • marketing assistant/manager
  • professional accountant
  • social and economic policy developer.

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.

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

Graduate Certificate of Commerce (M516)
Graduate Diploma of Commerce (M616)

Course Learning Outcomes

Deakin Graduate Learning Outcomes Course Learning Outcomes
Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities

Synthesise a broad base of critical commerce knowledge with specialised discipline knowledge and apply this in contemporary business contexts, drawing from this to explore advanced concepts through conducting independent research on a chosen commerce-related issue

Communication

Demonstrate business communication techniques to convey complex commerce concepts and proposals to both specialists and non-specialists

Digital literacy

Apply appropriate digital technologies to find, use, manage and disseminate complex commerce knowledge and ideas, and to make evidence-based business decisions.

Critical thinking

Critically analyse a range of complex business-related information to make and evaluate informed business decisions in regard to investment, ethical, economic, and business management issues.

Problem solving

Conceptualise and construct informed recommendations and solutions to real-world and ill-defined problem faced by decision-makers in a business environment.

Self-management

Demonstrate initiative and independence in learning and research in both a broad and a specialised field of commerce

Teamwork

Work and learn with others from different business disciplines and backgrounds

Global citizenship

Interpret and reflect on the impact of ethics, culture and internationalisation on contemporary business issues

Course rules

To complete the Master of Commerce students must pass 16 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
  • 3 credit points of core units
  • 1 specialisation (4 credit points)
  • 5 credit points of course elective units
  • 4 credit points of open elective units

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.

Specialisations

All students must complete one 4 credit point specialisation chosen from the following list of Faculty-wide specialisations.

Note: It is important that students use their course elective choices (or general elective unit choices) to satisfy prerequisite requirements of their chosen specialisation.

Refer to the details of each specialisation for availability.

*Offered to students who commenced in 2023 or prior.

Course structure

Compulsory 0-credit point module

To be completed in the first trimester of study:-

DAI001 Academic Integrity and Respect at Deakin

Course electives

Students complete 5 credit points of course electives, which must include at least one from each of the following groups:

Group 1- Capital Markets

MAF702Financial Markets and Digital Innovations

MAF752Principles of Finance

MAA701Accounting

MAA702Financial Interpretation

Group 2- Business and Technology

MIS770Foundation Skills in Data Analysis

MIS782Value of Information

MIS712Managing Digital Transformation

MIS713Digital Transformation of Supply Chains

MIS716Artificial Intelligence Strategies and Enterprise Applications

Group 3- Business and Society

MPT781/MPE781Economics for Managers ^

MMT732/MMK732Marketing Management ^

MLC707Business Law

MPM722Human Resource Management

Group 4- Business and Ethics

MIS741Ethics of Digital Transformation

MMH733Ethical Decision Making in Organisations

^ MMT/MPT code denotes Study Tour version of the unit

Core units

complete 3 credit points of core Master of Commerce units:

MWL716Consultancy Experience

MPM703Business Strategy and Analysis

MPM755Applied Consultancy Project (Capstone)

Open elective units

Students are able to select 4 credit points of open electives which can be chosen from:

  • any units listed in the Postgraduate Faculty-wide specialisations
  • Work Integrated Learning (WIL) units
  • other postgraduate units offered by the University (subject to eligibility)
  • Deakin stackable short courses (0.5cp microcredentials)

Note: Students may use their elective unit choices to complete a second specialisation.

Additional Notes:

Students seeking professional recognition by CPA Australia and CA ANZ should complete the following units within their course:

MAA701 Accounting (Group 1 unit) MAF752 Finance (Group 1 unit)

MPE781 Economics for Managers (Group 3 unit)

MLC707 Business Law (Group 3 unit) MLC703 Principles of Income Tax Law (Accounting specialisation or elective) MAA703 Accounting for Managers (Accounting specialisation)

MAA705 Corporate Auditing (Accounting specialisation or elective)

MAA716 Financial Accounting (Accounting specialisation or elective)

MAA725 Advanced Accounting Principles and Practice (elective)

MAA789 Accounting Systems and Analytics (Accounting specialisation or elective)

Stackable short courses

Mix and match Deakin stackable short courses (0.5 credit point microcredentials) to earn up to 1 credit point of open electives, subject to eligibility. Any stacking must add up to a whole number to be used for credit. For more information, visit the Deakin stackable short course options.

Work experience

This course provides students the opportunity to complete one or more elective work integrated learning units.

Explore Business and Law WIL opportunities.


Course duration

Course duration may be affected by delays in completing course requirements, such as failing of units or accessing or completing placements.

Other course information

Recognition of prior learning

Recognition of prior learning into the Master of Commerce may be granted to students who have successfully completed appropriate postgraduate studies. There are negotiated Recognition of prior learning arrangements in place for CPA members.

Study overseas and earn a dual degree

The Deakin Business School offers the opportunity to study a dual degree with an overseas partner university in Sweden. You’ll learn at world-class business schools and have the chance to explore another country and culture. Learn more about the Master of Commerce/ Master in International Strategic Management

Further information

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

Other learning experiences

This course includes the option of other learning experiences including residential and study tour units.

Research and research-related study

Students undertake the equivalent of a credit point of research training and a further credit point of research-based project(s). Components of research and research related-study are embedded across other units of this course and student achievement is demonstrated in specific assessment tasks.

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.