64
Programs of Study
64.1
BCom (General)
64 Programs of Study
64.1 BCom (General)
64.1.1 General Information
The Degree of Bachelor of Commerce (General) is a three-year degree program following one year of preprofessional studies at an approved postsecondary institution.
Year Two is important for Business students. In this year, students take the six primary core courses, two electives outside the Faculty and two additional electives. The primary core courses are designed to develop a foundation in business knowledge and to develop personal abilities regarding communication, interpersonal skills and computer skills. Learning is enhanced through interaction with peers. The majority of students will take each course with a common cohort of peers. The primary core also provides a basis for selecting a major.
The Faculty allows students many free electives during the three years of the program. During Year Two, students must take two external electives. Some majors require specific external electives as part of the prescribed sequence of courses. In choosing external electives, students must consult the specific major and keep these requirement in mind. Students should also consider exploring disciplines that are of interest and are offered outside the Faculty of Business. Basic course work in Year Two may be built on in Years Three and Four to deepen understanding of chosen elective areas. Students should design informal minors in disciplines outside Business, or sample a variety of perspectives by taking courses from different disciplines.
The choice of a major area of concentration must be made by the commencement of Year Three, but in practice students may make the choice earlier. Students should carefully examine the course requirements in §64.2. Some majors require coursework outside Business that should be commenced in Year Two or as early as the preprofessional year. Several majors rely on introductory courses that are not part of the primary core. (See, for example, the majors in Management Information Systems, Business Economics and Law, or Operations Management.) Students considering one of these majors may facilitate their progress by taking the required introductory prerequisite courses during term two of Year Two. This will give the student an understanding of the proposed field and permit better sequencing of the other required courses in Years Three and Four. A major area of concentration gives a student a degree of expertise within a particular field and is, in particular, an excellent preparation for various professional designations. Students seeking broader knowledge of all basic functional areas can select a Business Studies major to obtain exposure to senior courses in all areas.
64.1.2 Program Information
To obtain the Degree of Bachelor of Commerce (General), students must receive credit in 
120 including a minimum of 24 (taken in the preprofessional year) and a maximum of 60 in transfer credit. Students entering with less than 30 in transfer credit must complete the missing credits in courses outside the Faculty of Business. At least 60 in University of Alberta courses must be successfully completed while the student is registered in the Faculty of Business.
Students may not normally take coursework extra to the 120 needed to meet the Bachelor of Commerce degree requirements.
The BCom (General) contains a second year core of requirements that are normally taken in a cohort structure. Transfer students with credit in all of the second year core may elect a major area of specialization on admission. Transfer students with credit in some but not all of the second year core should consult the Undergraduate Office for information concerning the completion of second year requirements.
The BCom (After Degree) allows students with a degree from an approved postsecondary institution to obtain a Bachelor of Commerce Degree on completion of between 45 to 60 depending on the number of course exemptions and the specific requirements of the chosen Major.
The BCom (Cooperative Education) follows the same course of studies as the BCom (General) with the additional requirement of three work terms of four months each which are taken at any time in Year Three or Year Four.
The BCom Language Studies Programs (East Asian Studies, European Studies, Latin-American Studies) combine the BCom (General) program with intensive training in language which is ideally begun in the Preprofessional Year. The programs also require extensive course work outside the Faculty of Business.
Students should be aware that the BCom programs requirements are designed to most easily be fulfilled by students entering Year Two with 30 in transfer credit, and taking standard full course loads in each subsequent year. Students granted provisional admission, and part-time students should consult the Undergraduate Office to ensure that they complete required coursework in Year Two.
64.1.3 Courses in the Faculty of Business
Courses in the Faculty of Business fall into six categories:
Preprofessional Requirements: ECON 101, ECON 102, MATH 113, STAT 151, | |
Primary Core: BUS 201, ACCTG 311, SMO 310, MARK 301, FIN 301, MGTSC 312. These courses or their equivalents are required for all BCom students and are normally taken as a cohort in Year Two. | |
Secondary Core: ACCTG 322, MIS 311, B LAW 301, OM 352, BUEC 311, BUEC 479, SMO 441. These courses are required by most but not all of the major areas of specialization in the BCom (General) and in the other BCom programs. Students should consult the detailed course requirements under each program and each major. | |
Senior Business Electives: All courses at the 400-level offered by the Faculty of Business, and courses at the 300-level where these are not part of the Primary core. Secondary core courses not required to fulfil major or program requirements are also acceptable as Senior Business electives. Individual departments may deem other courses acceptable as substitutes for Senior Business courses. ECON 281 is permitted as a substitute for BUEC 311 in many majors. See §64.1.4(4) below. | |
Electives Outside Business: Any course offered by the University of Alberta in any Faculty except Business. | |
Free Electives: Any course offered by the University of Alberta in any Faculty including Business. |
64.1.4 Policy on Elective Courses
Students may receive credit in no more than | |
All students in the BCom programs must take | |
The Faculty of Business strongly urges students in the BCom programs to choose electives outside Business to complement their major areas of specialization. Courses in the Faculty of Arts, Science and Engineering are particularly recommended. Suggested elective courses and course sequences are available from Department Offices, the Undergraduate Office, and this Calendar. | |
Students in many majors are permitted a choice between BUEC 311 and ECON 281 to satisfy major requirements. Students intending to proceed to senior-level work in Economics should take ECON 281, as BUEC 311 is not accepted as a prerequisite for ECON 384, 385, 386, 399 or for any 400-level work by the Department of Economics. Students who have already received credit for ECON 281 may not take BUEC 311 for credit. |
64.1.5 Minors for Business Students
All students must select a major area of concentration at the beginning of Year Three. Most students are not required to but may select a minor area of concentration at any time thereafter. Minors are available for most students in most major areas. Students in International Business must choose a minor.
I.Minors in Business
A minor area of concentration in Business is created in the following way:
Any area of Business may be chosen if it meets the conditions below. | |||||||
A minimum of | |||||||
Courses eligible are any in the Faculty of Business at the 300- or 400-level beyond the primary core. | |||||||
An area is defined as
| |||||||
Individual study courses, special projects courses, internships, competitions, and special topics courses in the Faculty of Business may be acceptable as coursework toward the relevant minor. Students should consult the Undergraduate Office in Business for information. | |||||||
Courses required to be taken by a student to fulfill major requirements will not normally be permitted to be used to satisfy requirements of a minor. Exceptions exist where explicitly permitted in the descriptions of the major. |
II.Minors outside Business
Students are strongly urged to consider coursework outside the Faculty of Business as complementary to their Business studies. A considerable advantage may be obtained by the disciplined study of advanced material in other Faculties. Students should be aware that many majors require coursework outside the Faculty of Business and all programs strongly recommend students investigate courses available in other Faculties for complementary courses.
Students in all majors may complete minors in other Faculties by completing the requirements of that minor as listed in the relevant section of the Calendar. | |
Students in the Management Information Systems Major may pursue a Minor in Computing Science [see §64.2.13(3)]. |
Students may not take courses extra to their degree for the sole purpose of satisfying requirements for a minor area of concentration.
