BCom (General)

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 Majors in Business. 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.

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.

Courses in the Faculty of Business

Courses in the Faculty of Business fall into six categories:

1. Preprofessional Requirements: ECON 101 , ECON 102 , MATH 114  or equivalent, STAT 151 , ★6 in junior level English which includes any 100-level ENGL and a maximum of ★3 in WRS. Completion of these courses or their equivalents is normally a prerequisite to admission to any of the BCom programs. Where a student is deficient in any of these requirements, probationary admission may be granted if the deficient course(s) is/are made up in the first year the student is registered in the Faculty of Business.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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 Policy on Elective Courses (4) below.
5. Electives Outside Business: Any course offered by the University of Alberta in any Faculty except Business.
6. Free Electives: Any course offered by the University of Alberta in any Faculty including Business.

Policy on Elective Courses

1. Students may receive credit in no more than ★21 of junior-level electives whether taken at the University of Alberta or presented for transfer credit. This total does not include the preprofessional courses or junior courses taken to fulfil specific program or major requirements.
2. All students in the BCom programs must take ★6 in electives outside Business in Year Two. Some programs and majors have specific requirements for electives outside Business including requirements for the preprofessional year. Students should consult the detailed course requirements under each program and each major.
3. 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.
4. 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 , ECON 385 , ECON 386 , ECON 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.

Minors for Business Students

• Minors for Business Students
   

Majors in Business

• Major in Accounting
    
• Major in Business Economics and Law
    
• Major in Business Studies
    
• Major in Decision and Information Systems
    
• Major in Distribution Management
    
• Major in East Asian Business Studies
     
• Major in Entrepreneurship and Innovation
     
• Major in European Business Studies
     
• Major in Finance
    
• Major in Human Resource Management
    
• Major in International Business
    
• Major in Latin American Business Studies
     
• Major in Management Information Systems
    
• Major in Strategic Management and Organization
    
• Major in Marketing
    
• Major in Natural Resources, Energy and the Environment
    
• Major in Operations Management
    
• Major in Retailing and Services