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Monash University

Honours degree of Bachelor of Commerce

Course code: 0181 ~ Course abbreviation: BCom(Hons) ~ Total points required: 48 ~ 1 year full-time, 2 years part-time ~ Managing faculty: Business and Economics

Study mode and course location

On-campus (Clayton)

Course description

This program enables students to build on their undergraduate major and extend their knowledge and skills in one or more specialised areas. All specialised programs contain a mix of advanced theory, research training and research. In some specialised areas, such as economics, the program comprises all coursework and in other areas the program requires students to complete successfully both coursework and a research project.

Entry requirements

Accounting specialisation

(a) Applicants must have completed successfully a bachelor degree, with a major in accounting offered by the Faculty of Business and Economics or an equivalent qualification from another university; and have achieved an average equivalent to at least 70 per cent in relevant second and third year units.

(b) Applicants must be able to demonstrate that they possess the motivation and academic skills required to complete successfully a program that comprises research training; research; and specific discipline units that cover topics in advanced theory. These skills include the ability to understand and discuss articles published in learned journals; to compose a high quality 18,000 word research paper; and a level of achievement in prior mathematical studies appropriate to their discipline.

Econometrics specialisation

(a) Applicants must have completed successfully a bachelor degree offered by the Faculty of Business and Economics or an equivalent qualification from another university; and have achieved an average equivalent to at least 65 per cent in third year units taught by the Department of Econometrics and Business Statistics.

(b) Applicants should normally have completed at least three third year econometrics units including ETC3400 (Principles of econometrics) and ETC3410 (Applied econometrics). Other appropriate third year units are ETC3450 (Time series analysis for business and economics), ETC3460 (Financial econometrics), ETC3500 (Survey data analysis), ETC3510 (Modelling in finance and insurance) and ETC3490 (Business simulation).

(c) Applicants should have completed ETC3470 (Econometrics pre-honours).

Economics specialisation

(a) Applicants must have completed a bachelor degree, with a major in economics, offered by the Faculty of Business and Economics or an equivalent qualification from another university; and have achieved an average equivalent to at least 65 per cent in third year units taught by the Department of Economics.

(b) Applicants should have completed four third year economics units, including ECC3855 (Topics in economics pre-honours).

(c) Applicants should have completed ECC3850 (Economics pre-honours). Applicants who have not completed ECC3850 and who have obtained at least a credit average in relevant third year units may be considered in special circumstances. These applicants will be expected to complete additional work during either the long vacation or concurrently.

Economics and econometrics specialisation

(a) Applicants must have completed a bachelor degree offered by the Faculty of Business and Economics or an equivalent qualification from another university; and achieved an average equivalent to at least 65 per cent in third year units taught by the departments of Economics and Econometrics.

(b) Applicants should have completed at least two third year economics units, including ECC3855 (Topics in economics pre-honours).

(c) Applicants should have completed the unit ECC3850 (Economics pre-honours). Applicants who have not completed ECC3850 and who have obtained at least a credit average in relevant third year units may be considered in special circumstances. These applicants will be expected to complete additional work during either the long vacation or concurrently.

(d) Applicants should have completed at least two third year econometrics units including ETC3410 (Applied econometrics). Other appropriate third year units are: ETC3400 (Principles of econometrics),ETC3450 (Time series analysis for business and economics),ETC3460 (Financial econometrics),ETC3500 (Survey data analysis) and ETC3510 (Modelling in finance and insurance).

Finance specialisation

(a) Applicants must have completed successfully a bachelor degree, with a major in finance offered by the Faculty of Business and Economics or an equivalent qualification from another university; and have achieved an average equivalent to at least 70 per cent in relevant second and third year units.

(b) Applicants must be able to demonstrate that they possess the motivation and academic skills required to complete successfully a program that comprises research training; research; and specific discipline units that cover topics in advanced theory. These skills include the ability to understand and discuss articles published in learned journals; to compose a high quality 18,000 word research paper; and a level of achievement in prior mathematical studies appropriate to their discipline.

Finance and econometrics specialisation

(a) Applicants must have completed successfully a bachelor degree offered by the Faculty of Business and Economics or an equivalent qualification from another university; and have achieved an average equivalent to at least 70 per cent in relevant second and third year units.

(b) Applicants must be able to demonstrate that they possess the motivation and academic skills required to complete successfully a program that comprises research training; research; and specific discipline units that cover topics in advanced theory. These skills include the ability to understand and discuss articles published in learned journals; to compose a high quality 12,000 word research paper; and a level of achievement in prior mathematical studies appropriate to their discipline.

(c) Applicants should have completed at least three third year finance units.

(d) Applicants should normally have completed at least three third year econometrics units including ETC3400 (Principles of econometrics) and ETC3410 (Applied econometrics). Other appropriate third year units are ETC3450 (Time series analysis for business and economics), ETC3460 (Financial econometrics), ETC3500 (Survey data analysis), ETC3510 (Modelling in finance and insurance) and ETC3490 (Business simulation).

(e) Applicants should have completed ETC3470 (Econometrics pre-honours).

Management specialisation

(a) Applicants must have completed successfully a bachelor degree, with a major in management, offered by the Faculty of Business and Economics or an equivalent qualification from another university; and have achieved an average equivalent to at least 65 per cent in third year units taught by the Department of Management.

(b) Applicants should have completed at least three third year units taught by the Department of Management.

Marketing specialisation

(a) Applicants must have completed successfully a bachelor degree, with a major in marketing, offered by the Faculty of Business and Economics or an equivalent qualification from another university; and have achieved an average equivalent to at least 65 per cent in third year units taught by the Department of Marketing.

(b) Applicants should have completed at least three third year units taught by the Department of Marketing.

Course structure

The course structure has three main components:

  • studies in research methods:
  • honours units from your area of specialisation;
  • a research report

Course requirements

The degree requires completion of 48 points as follows:

Accounting specialisation

(a) Semester 1

(i) two compulsory units (12 points):

(ii) any two units (12 points) from the following:

  • AFX4040 Issues in accounting information systems
  • AFX4050 Issues in auditing and assurance
  • AFX4070 Issues in financial accounting
  • AFX4090 Issues in management accounting,

or any one of the above four units and any one of the following three units:

(b) Semester 2

(i) research dissertation (18 points):

(ii) one elective unit (6 points) from any honours unit offered by the Faculty of Business and Economics

Students must have their enrolment approved by the head, or nominee of the Department of Accounting and Finance.

Econometrics specialisation

(a) one core unit (6 points):

(b) at least four units (24 points) from the following list:

(c) three honours units (18 points) subject to the following conditions:

  • a maximum of two special honours units from the Department of Econometrics and Business Statistics (that is, a unit for which the first two digits of the code are '43') provided the third year level version of the unit has not been taken in previous years. It is strongly recommended that ETC4340 (Principles of econometrics) be included if the student has not previously passed ETC3400.
  • a maximum of three units from honours units offered by the departments of Accounting and Finance, Business Law and Taxation, Economics, Management and Marketing..
  • a maximum of two units from honours units offered outside the faculty (apart from the School of Mathematics, from which three honours units can be taken).

Students must have their enrolment approved by the head, or nominee of the Department of Econometrics and Business Statistics.

Economics specialisation

(a) three compulsory units (18 points):

(b) a maximum of five units (30 points) from the following list:

  • ECC4510 Economic history of modern Europe
  • ECC4520 Research essay
  • ECC4530 Economic history
  • ECC4540 History of economy and environment
  • ECC4550 Population and development
  • ECC4670 Economic development theory and policy
  • ECC4690 International trade policy
  • ECC4700 Restrictive trade practices and competition policy
  • ECC4710 Post-Keynesian economics
  • ECC4720 Law and economics
  • ECC4750 Hedging and uncertainty
  • ECC4790 Cost-benefit analysis
  • ECC4800 History of economic doctrine
  • ECC4810 The economics of collective choice
  • ECC4830 Welfare economics
  • ECC4840 Economics of industry, institution and organisation
  • ECC4850 Mathematical economic theory
  • ECC4870 Health economics
  • ECC4990 Economic evaluation of health services
  • ETC4430 Quantitative economic policy

Students can vary this list subject to the following conditions:

  • a maximum of two honours units from the departments of Accounting and Finance, Business Law and Taxation, or Econometrics and Business Statistics. One of these units can be a special honours unit (that is, a unit for which the first two digits of the code are '43') provided the third year level version of the unit has not been taken in previous years.
  • a maximum of one special honours unit from the Department of Economics (that is, a unit for which the first two digits of the code are '43') provided the third-year level version of the unit has not been taken in previous years.
  • a maximum of one honours unit from another faculty where it is complementary to the honours program offered by the Department of Economics.

Students must have their enrolment approved by the head, or nominee of the Department of Economics.

Economics and econometrics specialisation

(a) two core units (12 points):

(b) two units (12 points) from the following list:

(c) three units (18 points) as follows:

(i) one unit from:

(ii) two units from (i) above or from the following list:

  • ECC4690 International trade policy
  • ECC4700 Restrictive trade practices and competition policy
  • ECC4710 Post-Keynesian economics
  • ECC4720 Law and economics
  • ECC4750 Hedging and uncertainty
  • ECC4790 Cost-benefit analysis
  • ECC4800 History of economic doctrine
  • ECC4810 The economics of collective choice
  • ECC4830 Welfare economics
  • ECC4840 Economics of industry, institution and organisation
  • ECC4850 Mathematical economic theory
  • ECC4870 Health economics
  • ECC4990 Economic evaluation of health services

(d) one honours unit (6 points) subject to the following conditions:

  • a special honours unit taught by the Department of Econometrics and Business Statistics or the Department of Economics (that is, a unit for which the first two digits of the code are '43') provided the third year level version of the unit has not been taken in previous years.
  • an honours unit from departments of Accounting and Finance, Business Law and Taxation, Management or Marketing.

Students must have their enrolment approved by the heads, or nominees of the departments of Economics, and Econometrics and Business Statistics.

Finance specialisation

(a) Semester 1

(i) two compulsory units (12 points):

(ii) two of the following units (12 points):

(b) Semester 2

(i) research dissertation (18 points)

(ii) one honours unit (6 points) subject to the following conditions:

  • any honours unit offered by the Faculty of Business and Economics

Students must have their enrolment approved by the head, or nominee of the Department of Accounting and Finance

Finance and econometrics specialisation

(a) Semester 1

(i) two finance units (12 points) from the following:

(ii) two econometric units (12 points) from the following:

(b) Semester 2

(i) research project (12 points)

(ii) one compulsory unit (6 points)

(iii) one honours unit (6 points) subject to the following conditions:

  • any honours unit offered by the Department of Accounting and Finance

Students must have their enrolment approved by the heads, or nominees of the departments of Econometrics and Business Statistics, and Accounting and Finance.

Management specialisation

Five compulsory units (48 points):

  • MGX4000 Introductory management research methods
  • MGX4100 Data analysis for organisational research
  • MGX4200 Perspectives and paradigms in management theory
  • MGX4300 Contemporary issues in management
  • MGX4400 Research thesis (24 points)

Students must have their enrolment approved by the head, or nominees of the Department of Management.

Marketing specialisation

Five compulsory units (48 points):

  • MKX4050 Marketing theory
  • MKX4060 Data marketing research practice
  • MKX4070 Qualitative methods: paradigms and approaches
  • MKX4080 Quantitative research methods in marketing
  • MKX4900 Independent research project (24 points)

Students must have their enrolment approved by the head, or nominees of the Department of Marketing.

Contact details

Telephone +61 3 9905 2327; Email: enquiries.clayton@buseco.monash.edu.au

Course coordinator

Dr Ross Booth