Queries about Commerce double degree structure at Monash

[vashappenin]

Hi guys,
I got into BCom/LLB at Monash and was just looking at details about the course on Monash's website but I'm so confused with the structure of the commerce degree! I don't get what exactly the course requirements are to graduate;  We major in something and have to do the 5 compulsory subjects but is that all? Don't you have to minor in something too? I'm confused :S

Thanks!

[Reckoner]

You have to do 16 commerce units. This includes the 5 "core" (compulsory) units of accounting, microeconomics, stats, marketing and management. So you now have 11 units left to complete the commerce part of your degree. Now, leave that at the door for the moment.

To get a major, you need to do 8 units that are relevant to that field of study. Eg 8 economics subject. The units that count for a particular major usually have the same code - ECC is for economics, ACC is accounting etc. You should get a handout during enrollment that tells you the possible majors, and the units that you do to complete that major. You'll find that most majors have a few units that you must do to complete that particular major, but you will also have some choice as to what units make up a major. Take economics for example.

You have to do:

first year micro
first year macro
second year macro
second year micro

Then, you have to pick 2 units out of a selection of 4. This means you've done 6 units. You still have to do 2 more eco units for the major. For these there are about 15 that you can choose from.

Now, say you want to major in economics (who wouldn't  ) you could do the 8 units outlines above. But, you'll find that first year micro is one of those 5 core subjects that you have to do. This can still count towards your economics major.

So, now you're sitting at 5 core units, plus 7 eco units to complete the major, so you still have 4 units to take to bring you up to the 16. These can be any subject from the bus/eco faculty (eg a marketing unit, finance etc.), as long as you meet some criteria, such as don't do more than 8 first year subject, and do at least 4 third year subjects.

You don't have a minor, only a major.

This'll all get explained to you if you go to enrollment, so if it all seems confusing at this stage don't fret.
 
   

[alondouek]

The handbook states it best, imo, but I'll summarise it here to see if I can make it a bit clearer:

For the commerce component, you need:

• The 5 compulsory units
• 8 units in a specific area (this is your major sequence)
• 16 more non-major commerce units (you can think of this as being minor sequences if you like)

The above is subject to some change based on your major, but the handbook goes into more detail than I can regarding that matter.

Good luck!

Edit: Beaten by Reckoner

[vashappenin]

Thanks guys, that cleared it up a bit better for me! I was just always under the presumption that all degrees require you to pick a major and a minor, but I guess that's single degrees.. Makes a bit more sense now though!

So wait, do you have to do all 5 compulsory units first before doing any other subjects or can you do the relevant ones and push the other ones off to the end?

[alondouek]

Nah, not all degrees have minors. Keep in mind that minors and majors are nothing more than a series of units that the university thinks go well together. The only difference between the two is that majors consist of more credit point required to complete that major (i.e. More units). I myself will be completing two majors and no minors!

As for the compulsory units, they're all level 1 units so you can take them at first year - they're also introductory stuff so is recommend you get them done ASAP. However along with the law component for first year, you'd need to overload in one semester to get 5 comm + 4 law units done in one year - so you might like to leave one of those compulsory comm units until second year

[Reckoner]

Its perfectly fine to leave some of those 5 core units for the end of your degree, just make sure that you fulfill the pre-requisites for the units that you want to do later. First year com units are typically of much lighter workload too, so saving some towards the end can help to spread the workload out. That being said, if you're not too sure on what you want to major in, the core units can be a nice taste of whats to come to give you a better idea. So its up to you, there's no concrete course map. I've saving 2 of the core units till my last semester, simply because I don't particularly want to do them and will keep putting them off

Just to clarify something to, when I've said "first year unit", I'm really referring to a level 1 unit. It doesn't have to be done in first year, just as a "second year" unit is basically a level 2 unit, that doesn't have to be done in second year.