Bachelor of Commerce

Learn from highly regarded experts and gain the skills and knowledge you need for a successful career in commerce.

Kickstart your career by gaining skills that are in demand in top companies and the public sector. The Bachelor of Commerce is your pathway to a successful career in the worlds of business, finance, and government.

The Bachelor of Commerce (BCom) is a three-year degree that will teach you the skills and knowledge you need to excel in the job market.

During your study, you’ll:

• connect with organisations through real-world projects and guest lectures
• develop communication, teamwork, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills
• gain insights into the interplay between business, technology, policy, and society in Aotearoa New Zealand and beyond.

Flexible by design

Our BCom offers a wide range of majors in business and government, giving you the flexibility to customise your study to match your goals.

You’ll start your study with two foundational courses, BCOM 101 and BCOM 102, that give you a solid grounding in commerce. You’ll complement those core courses with a [major] subject that adds the specialised knowledge you need for your chosen career path.

If you want to take a second major, you can choose from over 90 options offered across the University. You could combine business with psychology, or marketing with computer science, or public policy with space science—the choice is yours.

Bachelor of Commerce quiz

Take a fun quiz to explore our majors and minors and what might interest you.

International recognition

Wellington School of Business and Government is among a select group of fewer than 130 business schools worldwide that hold the ‘Triple Crown’ of international business education accreditations. By studying here, you can be confident your qualification will be recognised globally for its quality. Find out more about university accreditations and what they mean for you.

Get a taste for university

Watch this short taster lecture to help you decide which degree is right for you. If you're curious to explore more, check out our full library of taster lectures.

Scholarships for international students

We are currently offering a NZ$15,000 VUW Undergraduate International Scholarship to all eligible international students enrolling in a Bachelor’s degree. Your scholarship will be processed automatically when your programme application is accepted, and the amount will be deducted from your tuition fees.

First year

In your first year of the BCom, you’ll take two compulsory core courses along with your choice of three 100-level elective courses. Depending on your major, you may also need to take further 100-level courses.

Core courses

BCOM 101—Identifying Grand Challenges in Business and Government Each of the six schools within the Wellington School of Business and Government will show you how their subjects help address grand challenges such as climate change, impact of AI, and deglobalisation. You will get to see the disciplines in context. This will give you the opportunity to assess your chosen major early in your studies. BCOM 102—Introducing Essential Tools for Study and Work in Business and Government This course will support your transition into tertiary study by helping you develop the academic and professional skills you need to succeed. You’ll develop these skills while learning about business and government.

Elective courses

You’ll choose three of the following:

• ACCY 130—Accounting for Accountability and Decision Making
• COML 111—Law for Business
• ECON 130—Microeconomic Principles
• INFO 101—Me and My Digital Life
• MARK 101—Principles of Marketing
• MGMT 101—Introduction to Management
• PUBL 113—Social and Public Policy: Values and Change
• QUAN 102—Introductory Applied Statistics for Business
• TOUR 101—Tourism in Aotearoa New Zealand.

It’s possible to do two majors in your BCom, but be careful to take courses that meet the requirements of both majors.

First-year courses are normally taught at our Kelburn campus.

Second year

You’ll be encouraged to take the core course, BCOM 201—Analysing Grand Challenges in Business and Government. In this course, you’ll gain consultancy and advisory skills and learn how to work in multi-disciplinary teams to analyse a contemporary ‘grand challenge’ case.

This is the year you start to delve into the detail of your chosen major. You’ll take a number of 200-level courses that investigate issues relevant to your area, and you’ll gain skills through research and real-world projects.

Third year

The final core course in the BCom is BCOM 301—Addressing Grand Challenges in Business, Government, and Society. In this course, you’ll work alongside members of the Wellington business community to identify a real-world grand challenge. You’ll then collaborate with peers studying different BCom majors to present a cross-disciplinary report addressing the challenge.

By the end of your third year, you’ll have completed 300-level courses in your major subject, and you’ll be taking your final steps towards graduating university. You’ll be ready to launch your career, equipped with a workplace-ready skill set.

Get a Master’s degree

At the end of your BCom, you can choose to continue your learning with postgraduate studies. Boost your career options and earning potential by choosing from a range of postgraduate programmes offered by Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington.

International scholarships

Many scholarships are available for international students at Victoria University of Wellington. They can help with tuition fees and with accommodation costs.

Scholarships

Scholarships are awarded to hundreds of first-year students each year. They help with living costs and accommodation costs at the University's halls of residence.

Our Tangiwai, Totoweka, and Kahotea scholarships are available to school leavers, and there are several other first-year scholarships on offer in our scholarships database.

You can also apply for a TeachNZ Scholarship. These scholarships are awarded based on specific areas where teachers are needed.

We strongly recommend applying for our scholarships, as they often don’t receive enough applications.