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.

Course structure

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.

Intakes by location

The availability of a course varies across locations and intakes. This means that a course offered in Trimester 1 may not be offered in the same location for Trimester 2 or 3. Check each intake for up-to-date information on when and where you can commence your studies.

Additional course information

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

Recognition of prior learning

If you have completed previous studies which you believe may reduce the number of units you have to complete at Deakin, indicate in the appropriate section on your application that you wish to be considered for Recognition of Prior Learning. You will need to provide a certified copy of your previous course details so your credit can be determined. If you are eligible, your offer letter will then contain information about your Recognition of Prior Learning.
Your Recognition of Prior Learning is formally approved prior to your enrolment at Deakin during the Enrolment and Orientation Program. You must bring original documents relating to your previous study so that this approval can occur.

Career outcomes

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

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:

• CA Program of the Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CA ANZ)
• Associate membership for the CPA Program
• IPA Program of the Institute of Public Accountants (IPA)
• Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA).

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:

• Australian HR Institute (AHRI)
• Institute of Managers and Leaders (IML)
• Institute of Public Accountants (IPA).

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.