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Brooke’s Master of Commerce prepared her for a new challenge

Master of Commerce

Establish your expertise in business with the UNSW Master of Commerce. Develop essential skills in Accounting, Analytics, Finance – or any other of the 18 specialisations available.

  • Overview
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  • How to apply
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The Master of Commerce, UNSW Sydney is a fast-track to achieving your career goals. In as little as a year, you can draw upon a depth and breadth of industry knowledge and launch into a new direction. Identify complex business challenges, opportunities for disruption and innovative solutions - with a global mindset. The knowledge gained will build the expertise required to excel in your career.

UNSW Business School is a leading business school in the Asia-Pacific, with our subjects consistently ranking within the top 50 worldwide. Within Australia we rank 1st for Accounting and Finance, and 2nd for Business and Management studies. Worldwide, these subjects rank within the Top 50 along with Economics and Econometrics, and Computer Science and Information Systems.

As an MCom graduate, you will hit the ground running in a new direction with practical real-world experiences, workplace connections and a comprehensive industry understanding.

Why choose this master degree?

Whether you are investing in your education for professional advantage, change or accreditation, the UNSW Master of Commerce offers a specialisation to achieve your goals. You can choose two specialisations with the Master of Commerce Extension. The 14 specialisations include:

Depending on the chosen major, graduates are accredited towards professional recognition with industry bodies including the Australian Human Resources Institute, Australian Securities and Investment Commission, Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA), CPA Australia, Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand, ACCA and Institute of Public Accountants.

UNSW Business School students have exclusive access to Career Accelerator, a portfolio of professional development opportunities that include:

UNSW Business School degrees are shaped by industry leaders and world-class academics who recognise the future will present career opportunities that don’t exist today. The skills and insights gained from your Master of Commerce (MCom) can have an immediate positive effect on your career. This degree can be completed in as little as one year (with recognition of prior learning). Professional accreditation is available in several specialisations as well as the opportunity for international exposure and experience.


The qualification itself has set me apart from other candidates for job roles, and will continue to do so as my career progresses.

Brooke Shaw
Master of Financial Analysis
Read more about Brooke’s experience of the Master of Commerce

Who is this degree for?

  • You’re a graduate with a non-business degree seeking a postgraduate degree in business
  • You’re a business graduate interested in developing expertise in a specialised area
  • You’re interested in making a successful career change

Job and career prospects

Depending on your specialisation, there is a wide range of career opportunities available, including:

  • Business Analyst
  • Business Development Manager
  • Commercialisation Manager
  • Compliance Manager
  • Consultant
  • Customer Experience Manager
  • Data Analyst
  • Data Scientist
  • Digital Innovation Manager
  • Entrepreneur
  • Financial Advisor
  • Financial Technology Developer
  • Funds Manager
  • Human Resource Consultant
  • Investment Banker
  • Marketing Analyst
  • Management Accountant
  • Management Analyst
  • Marketing or Brand Manager
  • People and Culture Specialist
  • Portfolio Manager
  • Product Manage
  • Regulatory Officer
  • Risk Analyst
  • Social Entrepreneur
  • Stakeholder Engagement Manager
  • Strategist
  • Systems Analyst
  • Venture Capitalist

Find out how we prepare our graduates for career success


Why the Business School?

UNSW Business School is a leading business school in the Asia-Pacific, with our subjects consistently ranking within the top 50 worldwide. Within Australia we rank 1st for Accounting and Finance, and 2nd for Business and Management studies. Worldwide, these subjects rank within the Top 50 along with Economics and Econometrics, and Computer Science and Information Systems.

Our students build professional networks among more than 90,000 Business School alumni worldwide and begin their new career before graduation. This postgraduate degree incorporates a suite of professional development opportunities offered by Career Accelerator, that are exclusive to UNSW’s Business School students. Career Accelerator helps you build industry connections through networking and mentoring, and you can undertake internships and global business practicums for credit towards your degree.


UNSW Business School provided a strong, real-world grounding for my career which I have continually developed in the workplace. The core skills I’ve gained in my Finance degree at UNSW along with my experience working in financial markets – have ensured my rapid development in my current role as a trader at the Commonwealth Bank of Australia.

The quality of the education I’ve received, and the reputation of the UNSW Business School in the investment banking sector, have provided me with pathways to top tier institutions. Recognition of the UNSW Business School’s Master of Commerce (Finance) degree has also allowed me to pursue job opportunities and network with key industry players.

I chose to do a specialisation in finance through the Master of Commerce degree through a combination of high-quality courses offered at UNSW Business School as well as recommendations from professionals in the finance industry.

Timothy Nixon
Master of Commerce (Finance) 2016-2017
Trader in High Grade Bonds, Commonwealth Bank of Australia
 

The Master of Commerce is a 1.5 year degree program consisting of 12 courses (72 units of credit):

Build your degree with:

Two core courses 
(Compulsory foundation courses)
Three gateway core courses 
(Flexible – select the courses that match your career aspirations)
Six courses from your specialisation 
(Your specialisation will focus your studies and establish your expertise)
One capstone course
(The final subject that will tie all your learning together)

Core courses

MGMT5050 Professional Skills and Ethics

To achieve competitive advantage in today’s global business environment, managers require skills in problem anticipation, identification and solving, along with abilities to work with and in teams and engage in ethical decision making. Thus, critical and self-reflective thinking is central to success in both postgraduate study and professional business careers.

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Then choose one from the following*

COMM5005 Quantitative Methods for Business

This course provides an introduction to the mathematical and statistical tools required in a business degree. There is an emphasis on problem solving by both manual and computer methods. The first half of the course focuses on algebra and graphs, financial mathematics and optimisation methods including linear programming and calculus. The second half of the course focuses on developing quantitative data analysis skills through probability, descriptive statistics, inferential statistics and linear regression (simple and multiple regression using cross sectional data).

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COMM5011 Data Analysis for Business

​This course provides an introduction to basic analytical skills. It provides a solid basis from which data analysis techniques and tools can be applied to solve business problems. There is an emphasis on problem solving and business analytics by both manual and digital methods. The first half of the course will focus on the use of quantitative methods and techniques. The second half of the course will focus on the use of qualitative research methods and techniques.

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ECON5248 Business Forecasting

This course covers the practical use of econometric and statistical techniques applied in the business world. Building and evaluating long term forecasting models based on econometric techniques using  time series data will be the focus of this course. Understanding these issues will allow students to formulate and use the reliable forecasting models based on sound economic principles.

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Which data analysis course is right for me? (pdf)

Gateway courses

Choose three from the following*

ACCT5906 Financial Literacy for Business Decisions

This course introduces accounting as the language of business and as a tool to be used by managers within the organisation and by external parties including shareholders and creditors. Making sound business decisions depends on the evaluation and analysis of information. Given the frequent expression of information in monetary terms, financial literacy is a key element in creating value or identifying value opportunities in business.

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ACCT5930 Financial Accounting

This course examines the fundamentals of financial accounting for entities of simple organisational design; financial recording processes, systems design and internal control; preparation of general purpose statements of financial position, operating performance and cash flow statements; responsibilities in financial reporting; financial reporting constraints; recognition and measurement of specific financial statement elements; and analysis and interpretation of financial reports.

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ECON5103 Business Economics

​An introduction to economic analysis and policy, with particular application to decision-making in business. The course provides students with the tools to use economic principles in decision-making and an understanding of the broader economic environment in which business decisions must be made.

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FINS5512 Financial Markets and Institutions

Serves as an introductory course. Focuses on major financial markets, including the equity, money, bond, exchange rate and derivatives markets. The basics of financial instruments in these markets, such as bank bills, treasury bonds, futures and options are taught. Exposure to the tools of analyses and the roles and innovations of major financial institutions, eg the banks and non-banks, such as finance companies, building societies and credit unions, life and insurance companies and funds management companies.

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INFS5885 e-Business

This course aims to develop students' abilities to use, analyse, and evaluate electronic business technologies and to propose a business model and develop business strategies employing these technologies. The course covers intra‐ and inter‐ organisational systems, payment systems, mobile systems, cloud computing, social technologies, smart systems, and other Internet‐based information systems relevant for electronic business. Core elements of the course are the analysis and discussion of current electronic business case studies as well as the entrepreneurial development of actual electronic business models.

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MARK5700 Elements of Marketing

Marketing plays a key role in acquiring and retaining customers that is critical to the success of an organisation. Elements of Marketing examines how to attract and retain customers by understanding their expressed and latent needs, translating these needs into value offerings that customers want, creating brand awareness and communicating benefits of the value offerings, managing the delivery of value offerings to customers, and capturing value back to the organisation. The application of the theories, concepts, techniques and practices of modern marketing will be conducted via case studies, individual and group assessments.

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MGMT5710 Managing and Leading People

Employers are increasingly demanding that graduates commence employment with highly developed skills in management and leadership. This course provides a foundation for the development of these skills for students undertaking the MCom program. The course introduces students to theories of management and leadership, including cultural differences in effectiveness of leadership, leadership in different types of organisations, and their relationships with other departments within the organisation, as well as encouraging students to engage in personal development of skills necessary for effective leadership and management.

The course aims to help students improve their understanding and competences in managing others, exercising leadership in a variety of situations and the ability to effectively work with other people in modern organisations. Students will undertake learning activities that address managerial and general skills.

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RISK5001 Fundamentals of Risk and Risk Management

"This course aims to introduce students to the complex and diverse range of risks that organisations must manage in today's increasingly global environment. The course discusses the complex nature of the words 'uncertainty' and 'risk', and how their many definitions and interpretations impact risk management. Subsequent lectures demonstrate why organisations must manage risks and what is different in the way they approach risk management today, compared to the past. The fundamental role risk culture and communication play in ensuring an organization’s ability to manage risks at Enterprise level is emphasised, and various frameworks for risk management reviewed.

The course aims to enhance students' ability to think 'outside the box' and encourages them to find solutions to complex problems, given limited information. Class debates and case study lectures are used to achieve these student attributes"

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TABL5511 Legal Foundations of Business

Law is an increasingly significant factor in business. In any business decision fundamental legal questions may arise about the potential liabilities of the parties, the rights that the parties have and how the business or transaction should be organised. This subject introduces the Australian legal system; outlines alternative forms of business organisation; discusses the legal framework of business regulation; and examines areas of law particularly relevant to business including the law of contract and torts, the laws relating to specialised commercial transactions, the regulation of restrictive trade practices and sales promotion, and intellectual property.

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Specialisation courses

Choose six courses from one of the following specialisations

Capstone course

Choose one from the following*


ACCT5931 Strategic Management Accounting

This course introduces emergent thinking about the interfaces between financial and business performance with a focus on adding value to the business, rather than emphasising financial control. The link between strategy and resource management is highlighted, in focusing on the effective use of an organisation’s financial and other resources in creating value for customers and shareholders. The course aims to introduce strategic financial management as an integrated way of thinking about the key drivers of value in organisations.

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COMM5010 Strategy, Marketing and Management

​This course is designed as a capstone core course in the Master of Commerce program. The course addresses perspectives from core and disciplinary courses in the MCom. It aims to provide students with broad business competencies and skills in developing strategic objectives for creating, maintaining, developing and capturing value for organisations and enhancing competitive advantage. It draws on knowledge and skills from previously completed courses to address the Program Learning Goals of the Master of Commerce degree.

The course seeks to:

a) draw on key concepts in marketing and organisational capabilities to provide a framework for conceptualising, developing and implementing corporate and business strategy;

b) synthesise knowledge from alternative perspectives and generate critical thinking and problem-solving skills in developing and implementing strategy;

c) engender critical reflection on the practice of business and management in working with people, and ethical decision-making; and

d) provide opportunities for considering global business career.

Students will have the opportunity to apply the above in case-studies and projects with course participants.

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FINS5568 Capstone - Portfolio Management Process

The course presents a continuous and systematic approach to the process of portfolio management. The process begins with the development of a policy statement to suit the needs, constraints and preferences of an investor. A thorough examination of past, current and projected conditions of the economy, markets, industries and companies is then conducted to form risk-return expectations for the implementation of investment strategy and construction of portfolio. The last stage of the process focuses on the continual monitoring of portfolio performance and changes to both market and investor-related factors. This reality check serves as impetus for updating the policy statement and revising the investment strategy.

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INFS5997 Enterprise Systems and Business Design Practicum

The Enterprise Systems and Business Design Practicum course is a capstone option for the Enterprise Systems and Business Design specialisation stream in the MCom program. This course provides an opportunity to integrate academic rigor with industry experience; to apply theory to solve real world problems, to make the learning experiential, to facilitate project-based learning, and to integrate scholarship with practice. This course is a supervised practicum; students must submit project plans and obtain approval from their academic mentor prior to beginning any work on the project.

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COMM5030 Social Entrepreneurship Practicum

This course is designed to provide students with the opportunity to apply their cumulative learning, and build practical business and leadership capabilities within a social entrepreneurship context. Social entrepreneurs use business thinking to develop operating models aimed at creating positive social outcomes to reach people in need. The course is taught through genuine student engagement in a social entrepreneurship project, supported by both online modules and face-to-face strategy workshops. Each practicum experience will be different depending on the particular project on which each student will work. Assessment tasks are designed to provide a consulting style framework to both create value for the social entrepreneurship project, and to enable students to demonstrate their ability to apply and synthesise social entrepreneurship concepts. Assessments include project scope setting, a project presentation, a final project report, and a critical review and reflection.

The course can be taken either as a Master of Commerce and Master of Commerce (Ext) capstone practicum course or as an elective in one of the following Master of Commerce specialisations: Accounting (Management Accounting) or Management and Human Resource Management (Innovation & Entrepreneurship) . If taken as a capstone, it should be studied in the final semester of the program in place of the nominated capstone of the main specialisation. The course is offered during the standard semester periods or as an intensive course during Summer and Winter.

This course is by application only. Criteria for enrolment include: academic merit, genuine interest in social impact, any extra-curricular activities or experience in related fields.


For enquiries please contact CSI Students at: csistudents@unsw.edu.au

 

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*Course selection will depend on chosen specialisation and prior studies.

Program details
View full program details in the UNSW handbookThe official University guide to degree programs and courses offered at UNSW
Class timetable
View more information on the class timetable websiteThe official University class timetable website
To be eligible for the program, you need to have:

The UNSW English Language requirements also apply to this program.

Note: No other requirement (such as GMAT, GRE, personal statement, academic referee) is considered unless otherwise specified.

Alternative entry

Applicants who do not have a credit average within their bachelor degree may be assessed on other performance indicators. For example, an applicant with an above average mark obtained in a Bachelor degree (for Australian qualifications this would be in the range of 60-64%) may result, on a case by case basis, in an offer being made based on the following performance indicators:

  • GMAT score of 600 or above.  The Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) is an exam created to measure the academic abilities needed to succeed in graduate management education. Further information can be obtained from www.gmac.com
  • Completion of other undergraduate, postgraduate or research qualifications
  • Professional qualifications completed through relevant professional bodies, for example the Institute of Chartered Accountants or CPA Australia
  • Relevant work experience is not a requirement but may be taken into consideration as an indicator of performance to support the application

Pathway option

If you don’t have a bachelor degree, the Graduate Certificate in Commerce is a pathway to the Master of Commerce.

Recognition of Prior Learning

Up to 4 courses (24 UOC) may be awarded based on your previous business studies (bachelor or higher). You will be notified of the credits in your official letter of offer.

Students who are not graduates of Australian or NZ universities

For students who have studied at overseas universities, the normal minimum academic requirement is the equivalent of a credit average grade (65%) from an Australian university, as determined by the UNSW Postgraduate Coursework Entry Calculator. Details on assessment will be determined by your grading system so it is important that this is attached with your transcript when you apply.

Note: Applicants from non-211 universities in China wishing to study Postgraduate Coursework in the UNSW Business School, must achieve a minimum overall average of 88 in their current university’s grading system. This is equivalent to an 85% Australian scaled average using the calculator.

We will use the National Office of Overseas Skills Recognition (AEI-NOOSR). They are the government body that provides official information on the comparability of overseas qualifications with Australian qualifications using the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) as our benchmark.

In those countries where an equivalent grade has not been established, the following will be taken into consideration:

  • The standard and content of the undergraduate program completed, and
  • The standard of the institution from which the qualifications were obtained
  • Indian universities award different types of bachelor and master degrees, with different requirements in terms of length of study. At a minimum, applicants would be required to have a 3-year bachelor degree or professional bachelor degree and provide all individual marksheets.
  • Iranian universities award different types of bachelor degrees, with different requirements in terms of length of study. At a minimum, applicants would be required to have a 4-year bachelor degree.

Application checklist

Before you apply, ensure that you:

  1. Choose the right program that matches your interests and career aspirations
  2. Meet the entry requirements of the program
  3. Check if you are eligible to apply for credits or advanced standing based on recognition of prior learning (RPL) for this program

    4. Note: You can apply for credits during the online application process

  4. Have the various supporting documentation for your application. E.g.

   a. Official academic transcripts
   b. Proof of completion of qualification
   c. Proof of identity and citizenship
   d. Proof of relevant work experience (if required)

    You can upload the above documentation during the online application process

How to apply

You can apply for this program online:

There are three intakes per year:

  • Term 1 (February): 30 November
  • Term 2 (June)*: 31 March
  • Term 3 (September): 31 July

*Please note that not all programs have a Term 2 intake.

Late applications may be accepted after the closing dates subject to the availability of places.

Need help?

Still need help finding the right postgraduate business program for you? Contact us now.


UNSW Business School students are Australia’s best and brightest, with a reputation for drive and innovation. Our graduates have exceptional employability rates, performing well above the national average. In the 2018 QILT survey, 93% of our postgraduate students were employed full-time within four months of graduating and were earning a median wage of $120k.

Our degrees include up to two for-credit industry experiences, such as internships or global business practicums. The experiences are part of a suite of opportunities that is exclusive to UNSW’s Business School students and organised through Career Accelerator. The professional development opportunities complement your studies, build connections to industry and give you a clear advantage after graduation.

The opportunities are grouped within the Networking, Mentoring, Internships, and Global sections of Career Accelerator.

Networking

The people you meet during your time at university can play a profound role in positively shaping your career. Connect with like-minded and influential people through:

  • Industry Insights – workshop sessions delivered by industry partners
  • Industry Events – invitation-only events hosted by industry partners
  • Business Case Competitions – impress future employers with your problem-solving skills

Mentoring

Participating in a mentoring program will boost your confidence, help grow your professional network, develop your communication, teamwork and leadership skills as well as building upon your business acumen.

  • Career Mentoring Program – a 10-week program of career mentoring and coaching
  • Australian Business Essentials – mentoring for international students with no previous Australian work experience

Internships

UNSW Business School’s for-credit and not-for-credit opportunities such as traditional internships, consultancy projects, social entrepreneurship practicums, virtual internships and extra-curricular experiences.

  • Internships & Consulting Projects – for-credit projects available in person and online
  • Social Entrepreneurship Practicum – for-credit practicum to develop professional team skills in a real project
  • Business Experience – online and in-person projects for professional development

Global

The personal and professional benefits of living, studying or working in a different culture are immense and recognised by employers.

  • Global Business Practicum - work in small cross-disciplinary student consulting team on a genuine business issue, usually in Asia
  • Social Entrepreneurship Practicum - build entrepreneurial, workplace and leadership capabilities in Bali
  • Student Exchange – live and study overseas at one of our 200 partner universities

View the full suite of Career Accelerator opportunities.


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Quick facts for students

Program code
8404
Award
Masters Degree (Coursework)
Total Units of Credit (UOC)
72
Study Mode
Face to face
Duration
1.5 years full-time, 3 years part-time
Commencing terms
Term 1 - February
Term 2 - June
Term 3 - September
Course fee*
$4,260
Program fee (total)*
$53,400
* Fees are indicative only
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​​​​​​​Area of Study

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