This program is designed for students seeking a rigorous, technically based business degree comparable in content to most Bachelor of Commerce degrees in Canada. Courses in all core business areas are required, including marketing, statistics, financial accounting, management accounting, finance, economics, information systems, strategic management, organization behaviour, and commercial law.

All students in the Bachelor of Commerce program will complete a common set of core courses in Years 1, 2, 3, and 4. The core courses are the same for the general Bachelor of Commerce degree and the following three majors.

Majors

The Accounting Major is designed for students wishing to pursue an accounting career, and offers flexibility and generous transfer arrangements to meet professional accounting association requirements. Students will focus on financial, management and taxation accounting, along with auditing and accounting information systems.

The e-Commerce Major is intended for students with a career focus in the areas of e-Commerce and management information systems, and is delivered using online systems.

The Financial Services Major is a contemporary major, integrating finance and economics courses to provide graduates with a broad exposure to this growing services sector. The field of financial services involves the study of financial markets, financial instruments and investment decision making, and analyzes alternative methods to obtain, manage, and use capital by institutions and individuals.

The Bachelor of Commerce degree is offered by Athabasca University's School of Business. For more information, phone 1.800.468.6531 or e-mail.

Second Undergraduate Degree

Students who hold a recognized first degree in a field outside of business or management and who wish to obtain an AU undergraduate degree in a different subject area, must apply under the second undergraduate degree regulations. These students may transfer in up to 50 percent (60 credits) into the four-year degree program, based on course work in the first degree that is applicable. Preparatory (100 level) credits cannot be used to fulfill the requirements of a second undergraduate degree.

Degree Conversion Provision

The degree conversion provision is available to Athabasca University students who have been awarded a three-year AU degree and wish to convert to a four-year degree. Students with the three-year AU Bachelor of Administration degree may convert that degree into the four-year Bachelor of Commerce program. For more information about this regulation, please review the Degree Conversion Provision Policy.

Classroom Setting

In addition to completing this degree through online and distance learning, you have the option of registering in Bachelor of Commerce courses in a classroom setting at Grande Prairie Regional College (Grande Prairie, AB).

Enrolment Restriction

Students who hold a degree in administration, business, commerce or management, or a degree with a major, concentration, or any equivalency programs from Athabasca University or another university, will not be accepted into the Bachelor of Commerce General Program or its three majors.

Students are not permitted to obtain a second undergraduate degree in the same field or related field as their first undergraduate degree. Those students who hold an international undergraduate degree who wish to obtain a Canadian credential, or those students who wish to obtain another Bachelor's degree in a major different that their first undergraduate degree, will be permitted (in consultation with the Program Director and reviewed by the Office of the Registrar).

Regulations Governing all Bachelor of Commerce Students

Students must have a weighted average of at least 1.7 (60 percent) across all courses taken at Athabasca University towards a Bachelor of Commerce degree in order to graduate.

Students must complete the regulations that are in effect at the time they enrol in the program.

Transfer Credit completed more than 10 years ago in the following disciplines at the senior (300/400) level will not receive credit: ACCT, MGSC, LGST, MKTG, FNCE and TAXX. If you are currently working in the field and provide evidence of work being completed, this restriction will be waived.

Program Plans

Our online program plans can assist you in selecting the courses needed to fulfill your program requirements.

Counselling Services offers an assessment website, "Mapping Your Future: Your Career and Athabasca University." Athabasca University has also developed program learning outcomes that describe the career options that may be available to you upon graduating.