Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Science

Science majors available in this course

A science major is defined as 50 points at third year level in an approved science discipline.

• The psychology major is the clear exception to this rule as the psychology major requires completion of nine compulsory subjects and at least one elective (a minimum of 125 points in total). This major also only specifies 37.5 points at third year level. Although the major study in psychology only requires 37.5 points at third year level, all undergraduate science students must complete a minimum of 50 points of third year level science subjects to satisfy their degree requirements.
• The biotechnology major is also comprised of less than 50 points at third year level, but it can only be undertaken in conjunction with another life sciences major.
• The environmental science major can only be undertaken in conjunction with a second science major (which cannot be biotechnology or history and philosophy of science).
• The history and philosophy of science major can only be undertaken in conjunction with a second science major (which cannot be biotechnology or environmental science).

The descriptions of science majors may vary from year to year. Students may complete a major as defined by the current structure or structure detailed in a previous year's handbook applicable to any year the student was enrolled in the course.

The following science majors are available to Bachelor of Commerce/Bachelor of Science students:

Students enrolled in the BCom/BSc combined course must accumulate a minimum (and maximum) of 500 points. Within the 500 points students must satisfy the minimum requirements stated below for both the BSc component and the BCom component.

A minimum of 200 commerce points is required, which must include:
50-125 points at the 100-level;
at least 50 points at the 300-level (these must be completed at the University of Melbourne);
the following compulsory subjects:
316-101 Introductory Macroeconomics
316-102 Introductory Microeconomics
316-130 Quantitative Methods 1
325-201 Organisational Behaviour (not required for students who commenced prior to 2005)
and one of:
316-205 Introductory Econometrics
316-206 Quantitative Methods 2
325-210 Managerial Decision Analysis
325-212 Principles of Market Research
The 200 commerce points must be chosen from subjects taught by departments in the Faculty of Economics and Commerce, or subjects with a 732 prefix taught by the Faculty of Law.

Science component

• between 75 and 125 science points at the first year subject level;
• completion of 50 points of a prescribed science major at the third year subject level.

All subjects attracting science points are indicated as such within the individual subject description.

There is no new student intake into this course after 2007.

Honours and Masters level studies are available as indicated at

http://www.science.unimelb.edu.au

In commerce/science at the University of Melbourne, we expect to educate our students in the fundamental skills of transforming information into knowledge and being able to integrate this knowledge into a business environment. These outcomes are fully consistent with the University's general ambition for our graduates, and emphasise the transferability of the skills practised in commerce and in science.
Throughout their course, students will find that many of the abilities that they develop are shared by, and so are valued by and are applicable to, activities in all walks of life. In particular, these are the skills that are essential to providing leadership to the science-technology base and business community of the Australian economy and culture.
The Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Science degrees aim to educate and train students in both science and commercial areas of study. The combined course enables students to access a major (specialisation) stream in both the commercial and science components of the course. In addition, the length of the course allows students to pursue minor studies in other discipline areas beyond their majors. Graduates are, therefore, aware of and educated in a broad variety of knowledge areas.

From their exposure to a range of quantitative and qualitative disciplines, Bachelor of Commerce/Bachelor of Science graduates have strong cognitive skills with an awareness of the business environment. In particular, they are able to:

• synthesise information from a range of sources, evaluate this, and add new ideas to their existing knowledge;
• observe, record and evaluate data or evidence appropriately;
• make effective use of information to identify and solve problems;
• synthesise and integrate disparate elements into a meaningful whole;
• work independently or in teams;
• understand and fit into a work organisation's culture;
• view and understand an organisation's wider business picture and position; and
• understand the commercial environment and recognise and define issues or problems within it.

Graduates in commerce/science are able to be creative in their approach to scientific or business issues. They are used to formulating hypotheses that can be tested for validity. They can extrapolate from the known to the unknown and are comfortable working with analogues rather than needing to deal with literal situations.
Their studies in commercial disciplines enable graduates to accept and deal with a level of uncertainty in problem solving and decision making, particularly when access to information is limited.
The science disciplines also value clear reporting. Consequently, the commerce/science graduate has developed skills of efficient and effective communication of ideas and results, whether in the accepted modes of scientific and business report writing or through more informal oral presentations. Graduates recognise the need to present information and ideas in an effective written form that is appropriate to the purpose and the reader.
Having undertaken laboratory and tutorial classes, commerce/science graduates are adept at activity planning as well as the application of theory to practice. Some students will have found collaborative learning an efficient tool, while others will find their practical work enhanced by effective teamwork.
The need to manage the multiplicity of tasks (lectures, laboratory and assignment work), means that commerce/science graduates are aware of the need to structure and manage time effectively and efficiently, to retain balance and to prioritise their activities. They are able to juggle several tasks simultaneously, take responsibility for their own work, independently or within a group, and to plan their schedule appropriately.
The breadth of the Science @ Melbourne program means that commerce/science graduates will have been exposed, directly or indirectly, to thoughts and ideas from a number of bodies of knowledge. These graduates are aware of the breadth and depth of knowledge in areas beyond their specific areas of specialisation.