Bachelor of Business
This course has been discontinued - the information is provided for continuing students.
- This information is for local students.
- This course is not available to international students.
Am I a You are a local student if:
you are an Australian citizen, or
you are a New Zealand citizen (excluding TAFE courses), or
you are an Australian permanent resident.
You are an international student if:
you are not an Australian citizen, and
you are not a New Zealand citizen (excluding TAFE courses), and
you are not an Australian permanent resident.local or an international student?
Overview
This course has been replaced by the Bachelor of Commerce at Hawthorn from 2010. Current students have the option of either completing their existing Business degree or transferring to the new Commerce degree course.
The study of business is to discover the means, methods, processes, tricks of the trade and the skills to contribute to the success of an organisation or start up your own business.
The Bachelor of Business is a flexible, vocationally oriented course designed to help students discover the discipline of business that interests and excites them. It is also designed to assist in the intellectual, social and personal development of the student as preparation for entry to a range of specialist and generalist business professions. The degree course prepares students for a career in business, whether domestic or international, recognising that business in the 21st century is global.
Students of the Bachelor of Business are introduced to key fundamental concepts behind certain business disciplines. They specialise through the selection of a major and can then transfer into one of the other business courses offered by the Faculty of Business and Enterprise at Swinburne’s Hawthorn campus.
A key feature of this degree is the ability to integrate a range of business, arts, information technology and social science units through the selection of a co-major or minors and electives. In addition, Swinburne offers students the unique opportunity to undertake the Industry-Based Learning (IBL) program and/or take part in one of the many varied and exciting overseas student exchanges or study tours. Please note that Industry-Based Learning is not available to international students.
Note: Those intending to complete a major in Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Finance, Human Resource Management, International Business, Management or Marketing will also initially be selected for the Bachelor of Business. They will transfer to their preferred stream at time of enrolment.
| Duration | Three years full-time or six years part-time. An optional and additional year of Industry-Based Learning (IBL) is also available. Students holding an international student visa are required to study full-time. The optional year of Industry-Based Learning (IBL) is not available to international students. |
| Study mode | Full-time Part-time (day) Part-time (evening) |
| Course code | BBUS140 |
| Fees | Swinburne offers domestic undergraduate students Commonwealth Supported Places (CSP). Australian citizens, New Zealand citizens or holders of an Australian permanent resident visa are classified as domestic students. All other students are considered international students. HELP The Higher Education Loan Program (HELP) is a suite of income contingent loans for Australian citizens and holders of Australian permanent humanitarian visas. HELP consists of:
Note: New Zealand citizens and holders of other Australian permanent resident visas do not have access to HELP loans. These students must pay their student contributions or tuition fees up front without a discount. For further information on your support and study options visit the 'Going to Uni' website at: For information about Swinburne's fees visit: |
Career opportunities
Accountancy, business management, computer programming, financial management, human resources, marketing and sales management, systems analysis, international trade, manufacturing management.
For specific career opportunities, refer to the individual business major entries.
Course in detail
On this page: course description, course structure, major specialisations and units of study.
Course description
This course has been replaced by the Bachelor of Commerce at Hawthorn from 2010. Current students have the option of either completing their existing Business degree or transferring to the new Commerce degree course.
The study of business is to discover the means, methods, processes, tricks of the trade and the skills to contribute to the success of an organisation or start up your own business.
The Bachelor of Business is a flexible, vocationally oriented course designed to help students discover the discipline of business that interests and excites them. It is also designed to assist in the intellectual, social and personal development of the student as preparation for entry to a range of specialist and generalist business professions. The degree course prepares students for a career in business, whether domestic or international, recognising that business in the 21st century is global.
Students of the Bachelor of Business are introduced to key fundamental concepts behind certain business disciplines. They specialise through the selection of a major and can then transfer into one of the other business courses offered by the Faculty of Business and Enterprise at Swinburne’s Hawthorn campus.
A key feature of this degree is the ability to integrate a range of business, arts, information technology and social science units through the selection of a co-major or minors and electives. In addition, Swinburne offers students the unique opportunity to undertake the Industry-Based Learning (IBL) program and/or take part in one of the many varied and exciting overseas student exchanges or study tours. Please note that Industry-Based Learning is not available to international students.
Note: Those intending to complete a major in Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Finance, Human Resource Management, International Business, Management or Marketing will also initially be selected for the Bachelor of Business. They will transfer to their preferred stream at time of enrolment.
Course structure
Students undertake a total of 24 units of study (300 credit points), consisting of the business foundation of six units, a major of 10 units (eight specilisation units and two capstone units) and eight additional units that can be undertaken either as a co-major, two minors or pathways credit. Units which are not part of a major, co-major or minor may be taken with approval from the Program Co-ordinator. A mandatory unit HBG0004 Careers in the Curriculum (zero credit points) must also be completed.
Units normally carry 12.5 credit points. In each year, four units per teaching period (eight per year) normally constitute a full-time load of 100 credit points and two units per teaching period (four per year) normally constitute a part-time load of 50 credit points.
A co-major consists of eight pre-determined units of study from one specialisation. A minor consists of four pre-determined units of study from one specialisation. An elective is a unit of study that is not part of the major, co-major or minor.
The above formula for majors and minors in the Bachelor of Business applies to all business specific streams except where specific requirements are specified under individual majors. See the Business specialisation section below.
Students may complete a combination of majors, minors and pathway credit to fulfil the degree requirements however, at least one major from the business specific major specialisations listed below must be completed.
The combinations of majors, co-majors and minors possible are:
Option 1 - a major and a co-major
Option 2 - a major and two minors
Option 3 - a major and pathway credit of up to eight units (if less then eight units, a minor or electives are available)
Option 2 - a major and two minors
Option 3 - a major and pathway credit of up to eight units (if less then eight units, a minor or electives are available)
Course restrictions
The following program restrictions apply:
A minimum of 100 credit points must be completed at Swinburne University. This regulation must be observed in Program plans that include unit exemptions; studies completed through international exchange, cross-institutional study or study abroad.
Students will not be allowed to study more than 26 units (325 credit points) as part of the Bachelor of Business.
A unit can only be counted once as part of a major or minor. Where there is an overlap of units a substitute unit has been identified in the relevant cognate area.
Students are not permitted to enrol in units where they have completed other units that are deemed to be equivalent. Equivalent units cannot both be used for credit.
Careers in the Curriculum (CIC)
In addition to the above, students must complete a compulsory unit of study HBG0004 Careers in the Curriculum to be awarded the degree. Careers in the Curriculum (CIC) is an innovative unit designed to assist Swinburne students to enhance their employability and career prospects. It is usually undertaken in the second year of your course and is compulsory for all undergraduate students who commence their course from 2007 onwards. Students studying CIC will not incur a HECS or fee debt for the unit as the cost will be met by the university as part of an initiative to enhance students' career skills.
In addition to the above, students must complete a compulsory unit of study HBG0004 Careers in the Curriculum to be awarded the degree. Careers in the Curriculum (CIC) is an innovative unit designed to assist Swinburne students to enhance their employability and career prospects. It is usually undertaken in the second year of your course and is compulsory for all undergraduate students who commence their course from 2007 onwards. Students studying CIC will not incur a HECS or fee debt for the unit as the cost will be met by the university as part of an initiative to enhance students' career skills.
Prerequisites/Corequisites
Students must have passed prerequisites/corequisites listed for each unit of study and must check that they have fulfilled these requirements before enrolling. Unit of study convenors must be consulted if students wish to enrol in a unit of study for which they do not have the stated requisite.
Students must have passed prerequisites/corequisites listed for each unit of study and must check that they have fulfilled these requirements before enrolling. Unit of study convenors must be consulted if students wish to enrol in a unit of study for which they do not have the stated requisite.
Final Year Experience – Major Projects
As part of the Swinburne Model for Professional Learning, we would expect that all incoming undergraduates will undertake 25 credit points of professionally focused final year major projects within their programs of study. Entry with advanced standing may require alternate study sequences to be undertaken.
As part of the Swinburne Model for Professional Learning, we would expect that all incoming undergraduates will undertake 25 credit points of professionally focused final year major projects within their programs of study. Entry with advanced standing may require alternate study sequences to be undertaken.
Major specialisations
The Bachelor of Business includes a co-major or minors. The following Business-specific co-majors/minors discipline areas are available:
- Accounting Co-Major and Minors - 2009
- Chinese - 2009 #
- #
- Entrepreneurship and Innovation Co-Major and Minors - 2009
- Finance Minor - 2009 #
- Human Resource Management Co-Major and Minors - 2009
- International Business Co-Majors and Minors - 2009
- Italian Co-Major and Minors - 2009
- Japanese Co-Major and Minors - 2009
- Law Minor - 2009 #
- Management Co-Major and Minors - 2009
- Marketing Co-Major and Minors - 2009
#Available only as a minor
Note: Not all minors will be available in 2009. Please refer to each discipline area above for more information.
Note: Not all minors will be available in 2009. Please refer to each discipline area above for more information.
Students also have the option to select their co-major or minors from another faculty.
Electives Plus Sequences
Electives Plus sequences provide Swinburne degree students with options to broaden their career skills and strengthen their employability by selecting from units of study outside their degree discipline.
Students undertaking this course can choose to study Electives Plus sequences of up to four units from one of the following themes:
- Effective Communication
- Establishing and Running a Business - pre 2009
- Italian Language Practice and Culture - pre 2009
- Enterprising Marketing - pre 2009
- Multimedia: Web Development
- Information Orientation and Knowledge Management
- Undergraduate Research Skills
- Design: Process and Strategy Electives Plus sequence
- The Networked Economy
Electives Plus sequences are available in all Swinburne degree programs subject to timetabling constraints, with the exception of double degree programs, specialist double major degrees, and where entry has been approved with advanced standing.
Units of study
The foundation units available to Bachelor of Business students are: HBC110N Accounting for Managers
HBM110N Fundamentals of Marketing
HMB110 Quantitative Analysis A or HMB111 Quantitative Analysis B
HBE110N Microeconomics
HBL111N Introduction to Business Law
HBH110N Organisation and Management
HBM110N Fundamentals of Marketing
HMB110 Quantitative Analysis A or HMB111 Quantitative Analysis B
HBE110N Microeconomics
HBL111N Introduction to Business Law
HBH110N Organisation and Management
Graduate outcomes
On this page: aims and objectives, career opportunities and graduate attributes.
Aims and objectives
Bachelor of Business graduates will be:
- capable of undertaking entry-level activities in general management and business and enterprise
- knowledgeable about basic principles of market-focused business
- able to communicate with a variety of organisational stakeholders
- able to identify and evaluate business problems and present alternative solutions
Students may undertake the Bachelor of Business by completing one of the following majors:
- Accounting
- Accounting and Finance
- Finance
- Entrepreneurship and Innovation
- Human Resource Management
- International Business
- Management
- Marketing
In doing so, they will transfer into the associated Bachelor of Business course. The more specific goals for each major are listed under the course details for that major, linked under Course Structure.
Career opportunities
Accountancy, business management, computer programming, financial management, human resources, marketing and sales management, systems analysis, international trade, manufacturing management.
For specific career opportunities, refer to the individual business major entries.
Graduate attributes
The intent of the course is for graduates to have well-developed attributes, which will equip them for their early career and life. Specifically graduates will potentially be:
- capable in their chosen professional, vocational or study areas
- entrepreneurial in contributing to innovation and development within their business, workplace, or community
- effective and ethical in work and community situations
- adaptable and able to manage change
- aware of the local and international environments in which they will be contributing (eg. socio-cultural, economic, natural)
In order to build all of the graduate attributes, the Bachelor of Business aims to:
- ensure that the body of knowledge and technology imparted in the program will be relevant to immediate and potential employment opportunities
- develop self-confidence through learning experiences aimed at an understanding of the unit areas and including the development of life-long learning skills
- offer Industry-Based Learning (IBL) and experiential learning opportunities that link theoretical learning with applied practical work experience*
- develop creativtiy and analytical skills
- provide an understanding of the conventional ways of seeking answers to particular problems, including use of library and other reference sources such as internet and other electronic information sources
- develop multi-disciplinary applied research skills through the honours year option
- develop both written and oral communication skills, and teamwork capacities
- develop perspective and general knowledge by a study of a variety of disciplines and of their relationship to one another, forming an integrated, holistic business understanding
- develop an ability and willingness to adapt to change, given the turbulent, competitive and volatile nature of many businesses
- develop a broad understanding of the business and social environment, and especially its global and complex nature
- develop skills and attitudes conducive to life-long learning
* Please note that IBL is not available to international students who hold a student visa.
Course experience
On this page: IBL (industry based learning), honours and Swinburne Abroad.
Industry learning
An optional Industry-Based Learning (IBL) unit may be undertaken by local students who have entered university after completing Year 12 at the completion of 100 credit points at Swinburne. Pathway students who have entered with exemptions may register with the IBL office once completing one semester of their degree. The IBL program is available to students who have a pass result. Due to government regulation, the IBL program is not available to international students who hold a student visa.
An academic staff member is assigned to each student who has an IBL placement. The role of the staff member is to act as a mentor to the student by means of visits and email and phone contact. After each visit with the student, the academic mentor completes a ‘mentor visit report form’ detailing the student’s progress and job satisfaction, with a copy being forwarded to the IBL office. All visits are logged as per the IBL policy of the University.
The Faculty of Business and Enterprise has a full-time IBL manager to liaise with undergraduate students and employers. The IBL program also has an academic convenor who ensures that the program is academically rigorous and meets the student's learning needs.
Honours
An honours degree at Swinburne provides students, who have a demonstrated academic ability, with an opportunity to pursue their undergraduate studies to an advanced level: to deepen their intellectual understanding in their major area of study; and to develop their research skills. Honours students work independently but in close consultation with a supervisor on a substantial project of their choice. Students are required to collect and analyse data and produce a substantial written thesis (15,000 to 20,000 words) on their findings. The honours program is a recognised point of entry into postgraduate research studies. For further information contact the Faculty of Business and Enterprise.Swinburne Abroad
Swinburne offers International Exchange Programs as well as other Education Abroad Programs to help internationalise your degree. International Exchange is an academic program allowing you to study at a Swinburne Partner Institution for one or two semesters during your degree. Swinburne's Partner Institutions offer many relevant subjects as well as a secure base to explore a different culture. Your studies whilst on exchange can be credited towards your Swinburne degree, provided they are relevant and approved by Swinburne. For further information visit the Swinburne Abroad website.On this page: entry requirements, pathways, credit transfer and recognition of prior learning
Entry requirements
Entry requirements
Successful completion of an appropriate Victorian Year 12 or its equivalent, such as an interstate or international Year 12 qualification. 2009 VCE Prerequisites: Units 3 and 4 - a study score of at least 20 in English (any).
Non-Year 12
For Australian TAFE qualifications undertaken in Australia, the following criteria will be used:
Non-Year 12
For Australian TAFE qualifications undertaken in Australia, the following criteria will be used:
- Associate degree holders - Minimum requirement - credit grade average (at least 65% or above) with no fail grades in their business units in the final year
- Advanced Diploma holders - Minimum requirement - credit grade average (at least 65% or above) with no fail grades in their business units in the final year
- Diploma holders - Minimum requirement - 50 percent of grades achieved are Distinctions (75% or above) with no fails in their business units
- Certificate IV - Minimum requirement - 75 percent of grades achieved are Distinctions (75% or above) with no fails in their business units.
Where Australian TAFE qualifications are delivered offshore, equivalent grades will be adopted.
Partially completed tertiary qualifications
Applicants must also have completed a minimum of one year (100 credit points) of equivalent full-time study - Minimum requirement - Credit grade average (65% or above) with no fails in their business units.
Special Entry
Applicants who do not satisfy any of the above requirements (including applicants with a non-competitive Year 12 completed a minimum of two years prior to the time of application) are required to sit a STAT Multiple Choice test run by VTAC.
Partially completed tertiary qualifications
Applicants must also have completed a minimum of one year (100 credit points) of equivalent full-time study - Minimum requirement - Credit grade average (65% or above) with no fails in their business units.
Special Entry
Applicants who do not satisfy any of the above requirements (including applicants with a non-competitive Year 12 completed a minimum of two years prior to the time of application) are required to sit a STAT Multiple Choice test run by VTAC.
For further information about the STAT Multiple Choice Test see www.swinburne.edu.au/stat
Not all eligible applicants can be offered a place as quotas do apply.
Pathways
An advanced credit transfer system, known as the Pathways program, is in place at Swinburne. Through Pathways, students with one or more of a wide range of post-secondary qualifications (both local and international) can gain entry into a course with advanced standing. Certain subject requirements must be met and an acceptable standard of results achieved in order to gain admission and for maximum credit to be granted. For most degrees Students will be granted matched exemptions for foundation units or some Stage 2 units only. For further information refer to 'Swinburne Pathways: Credit Transfer Guide at: http://www.swinburne.edu.au/corporate/marketing/pathways//
Note: Eligibility for credit does not guarantee a place in the course: acceptance depends on the number of applicants and available places.
Note: Eligibility for credit does not guarantee a place in the course: acceptance depends on the number of applicants and available places.
Credit transfer
Applicants with prior tertiary studies that satisfy part of the academic requirements of this course may be granted ‘credit’ and/or entry into the course with ‘advanced standing’. University policies apply and applicants are assessed on a case-by-case basis. For most degrees students will be granted matched exemptions for foundation units or some Stage 2 units only. For further information refer to ‘Swinburne Pathways: Credit Transfer Guide’ at: http://www.swinburne.edu.au/corporate/marketing/pathways//Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)
Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) is a process where a student may be granted credit or partial credit towards a qualification in recognition of skills and knowledge gained through work experience, life experience and/or formal training. However it must be noted that RPL is not normally recognised for Undergraduate qualifications. Students may not obtain RPL for the Professional Practice units.Further details for students considering Higher Education courses: http://www.swin.edu.au/corporate/registrar/ppd/files/stuinf.htm
Apply
On this page: course fees, scholarships and find out more.
Course fees
Swinburne offers domestic undergraduate students Commonwealth Supported Places (CSP). Australian citizens, New Zealand citizens or holders of an Australian permanent resident visa are classified as domestic students. All other students are considered international students.
HELP
The Higher Education Loan Program (HELP) is a suite of income contingent loans for Australian citizens and holders of Australian permanent humanitarian visas. HELP consists of:
The Higher Education Loan Program (HELP) is a suite of income contingent loans for Australian citizens and holders of Australian permanent humanitarian visas. HELP consists of:
- HECS-HELP (previously HECS) – is available to eligible Commonwealth supported students. It provides students with a loan to cover their student contribution amount. Students are eligible for a 20% discount if they choose to pay all, or at least $500, of their student contribution up-front.
- FEE-HELP (previously PELS) – is available to eligible fee paying undergraduate and postgraduate students. It provides students with a loan to cover their tuition fees (lifetime maximum $81,600 from 1 January 2008). The FEE-HELP limit is indexed on 1 January each year.
- OS-HELP – is available to eligible Commonwealth supported students, who wish to study overseas, with a loan to cover expenses such as accommodation and travel.
Note: New Zealand citizens and holders of other Australian permanent resident visas do not have access to HELP loans. These students must pay their student contributions or tuition fees up front without a discount.
For further information on your support and study options visit the 'Going to Uni' website at: http://www.goingtouni.gov.au
For information about Swinburne's fees visit: http://www.swinburne.edu.au/fees