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Bachelor of Commerce (Commercial Law) 

BCBL140     


Study Mode Study Level Duration Campus and Intake Show intake calendar
Full-time
Part-time (day & evening) 		Undergraduate 3 years full-time or 6 years part-time. An optional and additional year of Industry-Based Learning (IBL) is also available.
Students holding an international student visa are required to study full-time and are unable to undertake IBL. 		Hawthorn (Semester 1, Semester 2)

There is increasing demand for business graduates with an expertise in commercial law. In this course you will gain legal problem-solving skills and the ability to assess the impact of law and regulation on an organisation. You will delve into the legal aspects of contracts, marketing, intellectual property, taxation and finance, and company law.

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This new course will be available from 2010.
 
The Bachelor of Commerce (Commercial Law) is a vocationally oriented degree designed to equip students with the knowledge, problem-solving and critical-thinking skills to help them meet growing industry demand for non-lawyers who can provide paralegal duties or other basic legal services. Students will gain sound legal problem-solving skills and the ability to assess the impact of law and regulation on a business organisation and its activities.

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In addition to the university’s graduate attributes, graduates of the Bachelor of Commerce (Commercial Law) will be knowledgeable about the importance of law and government regulation in a business or commercial environment.

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For completion of the Bachelor of Commerce (Commercial Law) students are required to complete a total of 24 units of study (300 credit points) consisting of; 
  • A Commercial Law professional major consisting of 16 units (200 credit points); and
  • Eight (8) additional units that can be undertaken either as a co-major (8 units), two minors (4 units each), or pathways credit; and
  • The not-for-credit unit, HBG0004 Careers in the Curriculum
This program has a Flexible Degree Structure providing students with a wider and more flexible choice in combing studies from different disciplines to add either depth or breadth to the degree.

Students may select co-majors or minors subject to timetable availability. Follow this link for more information. Students may also undertake Electives Plus Minors, Student Exchange or other approved options.

Prior to enrolment, students will be required to attend degree planning information sessions.

Units normally carry 12.5 credit points. In each year, four units per semester (eight per year) normally constitutes a full-time load of 100 credit points and two units per semester (four per year) normally constitutes a part-time load of 50 credit points. Students holding an international student visa are required to study full-time.

Students wishing to enrol in units of study that are not a formal part of this course will be required to seek approval from the Faculty Administration Manager prior to enrolment.

Course restrictions
  • A minimum of 100 credit points must be completed at Swinburne University of Technology. This regulation must be observed in program plans that include unit exemptions; studies completed through international exchange, cross-institutional study or study abroad.
  • Students will not be allowed to study more than 26 units (325 credit points) as part of the Bachelor of Commerce.
  • A unit can only be counted once as part of a major or minor. Where there is an overlap of units a substitute unit has been identified in the relevant cognate area.
  • Students are not permitted to enrol in units where they have completed other units that are deemed to be equivalent. Equivalent units cannot both be used for credit.
Careers in the Curriculum (CIC)
Students must complete a compulsory unit of study HBG0004 Careers in the Curriculum to be awarded the degree. Careers in the Curriculum (CIC) is an innovative unit designed to assist Swinburne students to enhance their employability and career prospects. It is usually undertaken in the second year of your course and is compulsory for all undergraduate students who commence their course from 2007 onwards. Students studying CIC will not incur a HECS or fee debt for the unit as the cost will be met by the university as part of an initiative to enhance students' career skills.

Prerequisites/Corequisites
Students must have passed prerequisites/corequisites listed for each unit of study and must check that they have fulfilled these requirements before enrolling. Unit of study convenors must be consulted if students wish to enrol in a unit of study for which they do not have the stated requisites.

Final Year Experience – Major Projects
As part of the Swinburne Model for Professional Learning, we would expect that all incoming undergraduates from 2009 will undertake 25 credit points of professionally focused final year major projects within their programs of study. Entry with advanced standing may require alternate study sequences to be undertaken.

Winter and Summer Terms
The Faculty of Business and Enterprise is offering optional six-week Winter and Summer terms allowing you to complete extra study between the standard semesters. These terms are not mandatory. However, if you wish to vary your study load you may want to consider this option. Follow this link for more information on units offered.

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To qualify for the award of Bachelor of Commerce (Commercial Law) students must complete the required units within the Commercial Law Professional Major listed below.

Commerce (Commercial Law) Professional Major
Commercial Law Major - 2010
Or refer to Units of Study below.

Co-Majors
The following commerce specific co-majors are available from the Faculty of Business and Enterprise: 
Minors
The following commerce specific minors are available from the Faculty of Business and Enterprise:
Note: Not all minors will be available in 2010. Please refer to each discipline area above for more information.
Students also have the option to select their co-major or minors from another faculty.

Electives Plus Minors
Electives Plus minors provide Swinburne degree students with options to broaden their career skills and strengthen their employability by selecting from units of study outside their degree discipline.
Students undertaking this course can choose to study Electives Plus minors of up to four units from one of the following themes:
Electives Plus minors are available in all Swinburne degree programs subject to timetabling constraints, with the exception of double degree programs, specialist double major degrees, and where entry has been approved with advanced standing.

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Professional Major Units
 
Plus one not-for-credit unit, HBG0004 Careers in the Curriculum

Eight additional units of study must be completed. These units of study may be taken as a co-major, two minors, or pathway units.

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An optional Industry-Based Learning (IBL) unit may be undertaken by local students who have entered university after completing Year 12 at the completion of 100 credit points at Swinburne. Pathway students who have entered with exemptions may register with the IBL office once completing one semester of their degree. The IBL program is available to students who have a Pass result. Due to government regulation, the IBL program is not available to international students who hold a student visa.

An academic staff member is assigned to each student who has an IBL placement. The role of the staff member is to act as a mentor to the student by means of visits and email and phone contact. After each visit with the student, the academic mentor completes a ‘mentor visit report form’ detailing the student’s progress and job satisfaction, with a copy being forwarded to the IBL office. All visits are logged as per the IBL policy of the University.

The Faculty of Business and Enterprise has a full-time IBL manager to liaise with undergraduate students and employers. The IBL program also has an academic convenor who ensures that the program is academically rigorous and meets the student's learning needs.

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An honours degree at Swinburne provides an opportunity for students with a demonstrated academic ability to pursue their undergraduate studies to an advanced level - to deepen their intellectual understanding in their major area of study and to develop their research skills. Honours students work independently but in close consultation with a supervisor on a substantial project of their choice. Students are required to collect and analyse data and produce a substantial written thesis (15,000 to 20,000 words) on their findings. The honours program is a recognised point of entry into postgraduate research studies. For further information contact the Faculty of Business and Enterprise.

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Swinburne offers International Exchange Programs as well as other Education Abroad Programs to help you gain international experience while studying your degree. International Exchange is an academic program allowing you to study at a Swinburne Partner Institution for one or two semesters during your degree. Swinburne's Partner Institutions offer many relevant subjects as well as a secure base to explore a different culture. Your studies whilst on exchange can be credited towards your Swinburne degree, provided they are relevant and approved by Swinburne. For further information visit the Swinburne Abroad website.

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The Bachelor of Commerce (Commercial Law) degree has strong vocational outcomes for a commerce student. The growing demand for non-lawyers who can provide paralegal duties or other basic legal services means that graduates in this degree can enjoy career opportunities in government departments or private entities such as accounting firms, banks, conveyance companies, financial institutions and insolvency practitioners.

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Students who undertake the Bachelor of Commerce (Commercial Law) together with an Accounting co-major may be eligible to apply for membership with these professional bodies: CPA Australia (CPA), the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Australia (ICAA), the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) and the Institute of Public Accountants (IPA) (replaced NIA May 2011).

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The intent of the course is for graduates to have well-developed attributes that will equip them for their early career and life. Specifically graduates will potentially be:  
  • capable in their chosen professional, vocational or study areas
  • entrepreneurial in contributing to innovation and development within their business, workplace, or community
  • effective and ethical in work and community situations
  • adaptable and able to manage change
  • aware of the local and international environments in which they will be contributing to (e.g. socio-cultural, economic, natural)
In order to build all of the graduate attributes, the Bachelor of Commerce (Commercial Law) aims to:
  • ensure that the body of knowledge and technology imparted in the program will be relevant to immediate and potential employment opportunities
  • develop self-confidence through learning experiences aimed at an understanding of the unit areas, including the development of life-long learning skills
  • offer Industry-Based Learning (IBL)* and experiential learning opportunities that link theoretical learning with applied practical work experience
  • develop creativity and analytical skills
  • provide an understanding of the conventional ways of seeking answers to particular problems, including the use of library and other reference sources such as the internet and electronic information sources
  • develop multi-disciplinary, applied research skills through the honours year option
  • develop both written and oral communication skills, and teamwork capacities
  • develop perspective and general knowledge through the study of a variety of disciplines and of their relationship to one another, forming an integrated, holistic business understanding
  • develop an ability and willingness to adapt to change, given the turbulent, competitive and volatile nature of many businesses
  • develop a broad understanding of the business and social environment, especially its global and complex nature
  • develop skills and attitudes conducive to life-long learning
* Please note that IBL is not available to international students who hold a student visa.

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Successful completion of an appropriate Victorian Year 12 or its equivalent, such as an interstate or international Year 12 qualification. 

2010 VCE Prerequisites: Units 3 and 4 - a study score of at least 20 in English (any).

Non-Year 12
For Australian TAFE qualifications undertaken in Australia, the following criteria will be used:
  • Associate degree holders - Minimum requirement - credit grade average (at least 65% or above) with no fail grades in their business units in the final year.
  • Advanced diploma holders - Minimum requirement - credit grade average (at least 65% or above) with no fail grades in their business units in the final year.
  • Diploma holders - Minimum requirement - 50 percent of grades achieved are Distinctions (75% or above) with no fails in their business units.
  • Certificate IV - Minimum requirement - 75 percent of grades achieved are Distinctions (75% or above) with no fails in their business units.
Where Australian TAFE qualifications are delivered offshore, equivalent grades will be adopted.

Partially completed tertiary qualifications
Applicants must also have completed a minimum of one year (100 credit points) of equivalent full-time study - Minimum requirement - Credit grade average (65% or above) with no fails in their business units.

Special Entry
Applicants who do not satisfy any of the above requirements (including applicants with a non-competitive Year 12 completed a minimum of two years prior to the time of application) are required to sit a STAT Multiple Choice test run by VTAC.

Not all eligible applicants can be offered a place as quotas do apply.

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72.55

2011 Round 1 Clearly-In ATAR (CSP)

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Applicants with prior tertiary studies that satisfy part of the academic requirements of this course may be granted ‘credit’ and/or entry into the course with ‘advanced standing’. University policies apply and applicants are assessed on a case-by-case basis. For most degrees students will be granted matched exemptions for foundation units or some Stage 2 units only. For further information refer to ‘Swinburne Pathways: Credit Transfer Guide’ at: http://www.swinburne.edu.au/corporate/marketing/pathways//

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An advanced credit transfer system, known as the Pathways program, is in place at Swinburne. Through Pathways, students with one or more of a wide range of post-secondary qualifications (both local and international) can gain entry into a course with advanced standing. Certain subject requirements must be met and an acceptable standard of results achieved in order to gain admission and for maximum credit to be granted. For most degrees students will be granted matched exemptions for foundation units or some Stage 2 units only. For further information refer to 'Swinburne Pathways: Credit Transfer Guide at: http://www.swinburne.edu.au/corporate/marketing/pathways//

Note: Eligibility for credit does not guarantee a place in the course - acceptance depends on the number of applicants and available places.

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Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) is a process where a student may be granted credit or partial credit towards a qualification in recognition of skills and knowledge gained through work experience, life experience and/or formal training. However it must be noted that RPL is not normally recognised for undergraduate qualifications. Students may not obtain RPL for the Professional Practice units.

Further details for students considering Higher Education courses: http://www.swin.edu.au/corporate/registrar/ppd/files/stuinf.htm

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For information about Swinburne's fees visit: www.swinburne.edu.au/fees
 

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For information about scholarships at Swinburne visit: www.swinburne.edu.au/scholarships

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Applications for Semester One must be made through the Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre (VTAC).

VTAC code: 34161 (CSP), 34163 (Int. Fee)

For further information, visit the VTAC website at: www.vtac.edu.au
 
Applicants who have not already applied through VTAC can apply direct to the university by following the step-by-step process on our How to Apply page.

This course is available for mid-year intake. Applications are made directly to Swinburne and will be taken on a case-by-case basis. Application forms can be downloaded from our How to Apply website.

 
Note: Application is to the BCOM140 Bachelor of Commerce. Successful applicants will be requested to advise of their preferred course at the time of enrolment.

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