Department of Business

Frequently Ask Questions

The following are frequently asked questions by new and prospective students in relation to the content of the degree programs offered by the Department of Business. It mainly contains information to help you choose and get into the right degree. Prospective students should refer to the links in the last Question for information on admission procedures.

         

Question 1. What degrees are offered at the Department of Business?

Question 2. What is the Bachelor of Business Administration? What sort of job will the BBA get me into? Is the BBA too general?

Question 3. When do I have to decide my BBA Elective Modules?

Question 4. What is the Bachelor of Commerce – Marketing?

Question 5. What other marketing degrees are available?

Question 6. What is the Bachelor of International Business?

Question 7. What is the Bachelor of Human Resource Management?

Question 8. What can I do if I do not get a high enough UAI to get into business degree courses?

Question 9. How do I get into the business degree courses as a mature age student?

Question 10. What business double degrees are there and how are they structured?

Question 11. Where can I find more on-line information about the Business Department and the university in general?

 

Question 1. What degrees are offered at the Department of Business, Macquarie University?

Visit the Degrees on Offer page to understand the many choices of degree programs offered by the Department of Business at Macquarie.

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Question 2. What is the Bachelor of Business Administration? What sort of job will the BBA get me into? Is the BBA too general?

The Bachelor of Business Administration is a general management degree. It exposes the student to a range of areas including marketing, management, accounting, statistics, computing, human resource management and finance as well as enabling the student to undertake two Elective Modules which are studied in more depth. The Elective Modules are:

  • Accounting and Finance
  • Business
  • Demography
  • Business Law
  • Economics
  • Finance
  • Human Resource
  • Management
  • Information Systems
  • Languages
  • Law
  • Marketing
  • Organisational
  • Psychology
  • Operations Research

This broad exposure helps graduates to understand what is happening in most parts of an organisation and contribute in many areas. The BBA does not qualify you for a particular profession but gives a grounding in many areas. There are specific degrees which prepare you for individual professions such as accounting, marketing, human resources management and demography.

The BBA prepares students for work in a management role in a range of organisations, in areas such as manufacturing, banking and finance, marketing, international business, service industries and the public sector.

Securing a job is, however, about more than academic performance alone. Those students who have demonstrated their ability to work in a team, shoulder responsibility and gained experience in their field of interest tend to transition more easily into the workforce.

The BBA is designed to be a generalist degree giving students a broad exposure to a range of areas each of which is important in the functioning of an organisation. Further specialisation would mean that some areas would not be addressed. On the other hand, the student can choose two Elective Modules which means that for each of the two chosen Elective Modules (see table above) a student will do four units, i.e. a student will spend one third of their degree addressing the two Elective Modules (i.e. one full-time semester for each Elective Module). The two Elective Modules, therefore, add a significant amount of specialisation to the degree. It is an advantage of the BBA that the student does not have to commence their Elective Modules until the second year of the degree, giving the student time to decide what it is that they wish to study. For more information, refer to the recommended program of study for BBA.

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Question 3. When do I have to decide my BBA Elective Modules?

You will normally need to decide your BBA elective modules before you enrol for your second year.

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Question 4. What is the Bachelor of Commerce – Marketing?

Marketing is about the satisfaction of wants and needs. The study of marketing involves understanding how management personnel in an organisation identify and anticipate customers' needs, then organise resources to ensure that those needs are satisfied in a way that builds a long-term, mutually rewarding relationship between the customer and the organisation.

The Bachelor of Commerce - Marketing is the University's most marketing focussed undergraduate degree. While other marketing degrees are available, and these are discussed in the next Question, it is the BCom-Mktg which has the highest number of marketing subjects, and therefore covers the widest range of marketing issues in the greatest depth. In recognition of this, the word “marketing” is included in the degree name and appears on your testamur upon graduation. The BCom-Mktg is a three year (full time) program suitable for people who wish to pursue a career in marketing or related fields. For more information, refer to the recommended program of study for BCom - Mktg.

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Question 5. What other marketing degrees are available?

In addition to the BCom - Mktg, the University has several other marketing focussed degrees. While these degrees do not have the same amount of marketing subjects, they have other attractive features such as:

  • they address particular additional areas relevant to marketing
  • they have additional room for electives, which allows the student to select some units in areas of their own choosing
  • the UAI entry requirement is generally lower than for the BCom – Mktg.

Each of these Bachelor of Commerce or Bachelor of Economics degrees offers a different emphasis while maintaining a core of economics and marketing. The “majors” listed below are not stated on the graduate's testamur, the degrees being stated as BCom or BEc only.

The major in Economics and Marketing is a program for students interested in exploring economics as well as marketing. These degrees replace some of the marketing content of the specialist marketing degree with further study in economics.

For more information, refer to the:

The major in Marketing and Organisational Behaviour is a program for students interested in gaining a greater understanding of aspects of psychology as well as marketing.

For more information, refer to the:

The major in Marketing and Demographics addresses demography, the study of populations, a central technique used in developing modern marketing campaigns.

For more information, refer to the:

Each of the degree programs listed above takes three years of full-time study or the equivalent part-time study.

Question 6. What is the Bachelor of International Business?

The Bachelor of International Business (BIntBus) degree should be of interest to any student contemplating a career with multinational corporations or large, internationally oriented NGOs (non-governmental organisations). The BIntBus degree allows students the flexibility to significantly tailor their study pattern according to their particular interests. Some may prefer to focus on strictly ‘business relevant’ courses, while others may be interested in courses that relate to the wider political, economic and/or cultural context within which international business activities are embedded. Possession of a BIntBus degree will indicate to employers that a student has a superior knowledge of and interest in the conduct of business across borders as compared to holders of other business degrees.

Compared to the BBA, the Bachelor of International Business focuses more on the institutional side of business which is becoming increasingly important due to the globalisation of the business world. The degree provides students with an academic background in topics that underpin international business activities. It fosters an understanding of why international business is different and how international business opportunities can be exploited.

It requires three years of full-time study. Areas of study available in the Division of Economic and Financial Studies for this degree are Business, Demography, Economics and Marketing. Other areas of study include Anthropology and Sociology in the Division of Society, Culture, Media and Philosophy, Politics in the Division of Humanities and Human Geography in the Division of Environmental and Life Sciences.

In 2006, the BIntB program will be expanded to provide greater flexibility and choices for students. The first year of a full-time program requires the completion of eight compulsory units. The second year consists of two compulsory units (worth 6 credit points), together with at least 15 credit points, comprising a minimum of 6 credit points each in two of the seven elective modules. The third year has three compulsory units (worth 9 credit points) and elective units totaling at least 15 credit points in the elective modules already chosen at 200-level. Obviously, a part-time student will proceed at a slower pace and would normally expect to complete the degree in four to six years. For more information, refer to the recommended program of study for BIntBus.

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Question 7. What is the Bachelor of Human Resource Management?

A new course available since 2005, the Bachelor of Human Resource Management provides a different focus from other HRM degrees. The degree explores the management of people and change in contemporary workplaces. A strong emphasis in this degree is placed on the psychology of learning and the processes and techniques of developing a learning organisation. Students will also gain a strong understanding of the sociology of work and organisational behaviour in the workplace. Contemporary managers need to analyse global work structures and how individual and organisation needs are managed across global boundaries and global cultures.

The degree is also designed to develop change agent skills. The capacity to analyse and interpret different change environments is fundamental to success in this area. Modern HR managers require coaching and consulting skills as the traditional HRM function has shifted in recent years. The program of study has a final work experience unit where students spend time in an organisation practicing and working on an HRM project and refining their skills and competencies. The practical component thus provides students with working experience in HR before completing their degree and is an added bonus of the new structure. The course is run over 3 years of full time study but also has a part time mode of study over 6 years. The first year of the program is a fixed course of study covering fundamental human resource issues coupled with introductory psychology units. Students however can study 4 elective units (12 credit points) during the program.

For more information, refer to the:

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Question 8. What can I do if I do not get a high enough UAI to get into business degree courses?

There are still some ways to get into the business degrees, but they typically involve extra time.

Option 1 – internal transfer

If your UAI will not get you into the business degree you wish to study but will get you into another degree at Macquarie University, then you have the option of transferring at a later stage. To do this, you usually need to enrol in the degree that you are accepted for and then achieve an overall Grade Point Average (GPA) of at least 2.0 and in some cases, up to 2.5 over a minimum 12 credit points. The 12 credit points usually means four units as most units are 3 credit points each. The grade obtained in those units is given a number (F=0, PC=1, P=2, Cr=3, D and HD=4) which is summed and averaged over all the units that you have completed. As most units are 3 credit points, to get 2.5 over 12 credit points you normally need to get two passes and two credits.Visit the Undergraduate Studies section for comprehensive details

The same principle applies for the Bachelor of Commerce/Bachelor of Economics degrees with marketing “majors” (Economics and Marketing, Marketing and Organisational Behaviour, Marketing and Demographics) except that a GPA of 2.0 over 12 credit points is required to transfer into the BCom/BEc. This means that the student must achieve an average of a Pass grade in four units.

Many people attempting this option want to do units that will count toward their future degree. It is normally possible to do the units from the following table without being enrolled in one of the business degrees.

Students should consider the following a brief list of possibilities and select these or other subjects according to their own particular situation:

 

BBA

BCom-Mktg

BIntB

BHRM

BCom/BEc

GPA requirements for internal transfer

2.5 over 12 credit points

2.5 over 12 credit points

2.25 over 12 credit points

2.0 over 12 credit points

2.0 over 12 credit points

MKTG101 Marketing Fundamentals

P

P

P

P

P

STAT170 Introductory Statistics or STAT171 Statistical Data Analysis

P

P

P

P

P

ACST101 Techniques and Elements of Finance

P

P

P *

 

 

ISYS123 or another 100 level COMP or ISYS unit

P

P

P *

 

 

DEM127 Elements of Demography

 

 

P *

 

P #

POL167 Thinking Politically

 

 

P *

 

 

ANTH150 Introduction to Anthropology

 

 

P *

 

 

GEOS111 Society, Space & Environment

 

 

P *

 

 

PHIL137 Critical Thinking

 

 

P *

 

 

SOC175 Australian Society: Foundations of Social Science

 

 

P *

P

 

PSY104 Introduction to Psychology I

 

 

 

P

P #

PSY105 Introduction to Psychology II

 

 

 

P

P #

* A maximum of three of these units can count towards the BIntB.

# Whether or not these units count as core units depends on which coherent study of BCom/BEc is chosen.

It is important to note that the competition at university level is higher than at high school, and if a student achieves four passes for the first four units (GPA=2), then it will take another semester and four credits in another four units to raise the GPA to 2.5, because the GPA is over all units that you have completed. It is usually quite unlikely that a student will achieve four credits after achieving four passes, and so it is generally true that if the GPA of 2.5 is not achieved in the first semester it is unlikely to be achieved at all.

When planning to transfer, students are well advised to enrol in degrees that they would be happy to continue in if they do not achieve the desired GPA. It may be advisable to take units which the student is strong in, and are assessed in a way that the student prefers ( e.g. exams vs essays). It does not matter which subjects you take, provided you achieve the required GPA.

A student may choose to take subjects which will not count directly towards a future degree but maximise their chances of achieving the desired GPA. Units studies, results achieved and credit points gained remain part of the student's record whatever they go on to study. Once the required GPA is achieved it is simply a matter of lodging the Request to Transfer Degree Course Form. There are no quotas or other approval processes.

Option 2 – transfer from another institution

The Sydney Institute of Business & Technology (SIBT) located on the Macquarie campus offers diploma and advanced diploma courses which articulate (i.e. allow direct entry) into Macquarie's degree programs. It normally takes at least one year to obtain the SIBT Diploma. For further enquiries, contact SIBT.

Macquarie University also recognises some units taught by other institutions. The Macquarie University Pathways brochure describes alternative pathways in more detail or contact the Student Enquiry Service.

Option 3 – non-award programs

If your UAI results do not entitle you to enter a Macquarie degree program, you can enrol in units on a Non-Award basis. Successful completion of Non-Award Program units entitle you to articulate into a BA program and from there you can transfer into a program in the business/commerce area as described in Option 1. Information on Non-Award Programs can be obtained from the Centre for Open Education.

It normally takes at least one year (one semester in non-award and one semester in the BA) before students are able to transfer into a commerce-related degree course.

Question 9. How do I get into the business degree courses as a mature age student?

Macquarie University has a scheme particularly for mature age students. It does not facilitate direct entry into any of the business-related degree programs, however it does allow you to enrol in other degree programs which give you access to the internal transfer scheme described in Option 1 of Question 8.

For more information, refer to the Mature Age Entry (Jubilee Scheme) on Macquarie University's website. Alternatively, contact the Student Enquiry Service.

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Question 10. What business double degrees are there and how are they structured?

 For a comprehensive list of double degrees visit the:

Double degrees take longer to complete than single degrees, however they often take less time than it would to do the degrees separately. For example, double degrees with the BBA generally involve one (sometimes two) BBA elective module(s) being surrendered to the second degree, so that while some flexibility is lost, the length of the degree can be reduced. Most double degrees are four years of full-time study. The above double degrees with LLB require five years of full time study.

Transferring into a double degree is the same process as for a single degree. The required GPA is whichever is the higher of the GPAs required for the individual degrees. It is worth noting that some degrees may have other limitations on transferring such as quotas.

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Question 11. Where can I find more on-line information about the Business Department and the university in general?

 
Department: The Business Department website contains latest information on:

Division: The recently re-developed Divisional website contains useful information for all prospective and current students of the five departments within the Division of Economic and Financial Studies (EFS). In particular, the site contains comprehensive details of all degrees on offer across the Division and student support information for undergraduate and research students.

University: In addition to the University website, the following websites will be of particular interest to prospective students:

  • www.futurestudent.mq.edu.au contains information on courses, admission procedures, life at Macquarie and contact details for courses throughout the whole university.
  • www.student.mq.edu.au provides links to services, tools and useful information for current and prospective students. You can find out how to pay your fees online, download various forms and list of textbooks etc from this site.
  • www.handbook.mq.edu.au is the online version of the Macquarie University Handbook. It contains university policies, procedures and rules, information on all courses and units offered.
  • www.international.mq.edu.au provides information primarily relevant to international students; however it also provides information on study abroad for local students.
  • www.careers.mq.edu.au MU Careers Development Office's website not only posts casual and graduate jobs, but also provides information on MU graduates' outcome – helping prospective students to choose the right courses from the start.