Bachelor of Commerce

Graduates of the BCom programme will have the personal attributes, specialist knowledge and professional skills necessary to make an immediate and valuable contribution in demanding and evolving business environments whether locally, nationally or internationally.

The programme offers grounding in research practice and thinking, and provides for the acquisition of practical research skills enabling students to undertake directed research at an undergraduate level and apply these work ready skills in their professional practice.

The BCom programme aims to provide opportunities for students to further develop their abilities to critically evaluate and analyse data and qualitative information and to identify, implement and promote decision making that is innovative and value adding for their enterprise.

• Three years full time (single major) or three and a half years full time (double major)
• Alternative entry option for students aged 20 and above.
• Choose from 3 major combinations (single and double)
• Receive quality supervision from expert advisors for level 7 research
• Use recognition of prior undergraduate study, or extensive work experience, to skip courses you already hold the necessary skills and knowledge in. (See 'Recognition of Academic Credit’ below)

Study full time over three/three and a half years (six/seven semesters plus study breaks), or part-time. Courses are run on our Nelson/Marlborough campus or online through the eCampus NZ online learning platform (first year only under New Zealand Diploma in Business Level 5).

See 'Classes and study hours' for more information.

The majority of classes will be video linked from our Nelson campus for students studying on our Marlborough campus. Video link students meet and study together on the Marlborough campus then interact with their fellow students, and the lecturer, in Nelson via the video linking software.

Marlborough students have full access to Library Learner Services and one on one tutor sessions as required.

Academic requirements

University Entrance: NCEA Level 3 (60 credits at Level 3 and 20 credits at Level 2 or higher which must include;

• 14 credits at Level 3 in each of three approved* subjects

as well as

• Literacy* - 10 credits at Level 2 or above, made up of 5 credits in reading, 5 credits in writing

and

• Numeracy* - 10 credits at Level 1 or above (specified achievement standards, or unit standards 26623, 26626, 26627)

OR 

• A qualification on the NZQF at Level 4 or above in a related discipline

OR

• A qualification or examination recognised as being equivalent to the achievement of NCEA Level 3 (e.g International Baccalaureate, Cambridge Examination)

*NZQA approved subjects: see https://www.nzqa.govt.nz/qualifications-standards/awards/university-entrance/(external link)

Alternative requirements

Applicants who are unable to evidence that they meet Academic entry requirements, but who can demonstrate acquired skills for tertiary study gained through study, work and/or life experience, may be approved for alternative entry by the Curriculum Manager (or delegate)

English language requirements

If English is not the applicant’s first language, applicants will need to provide a result from a test or qualification on the acceptable alternatives English Proficiency Outcomes Table:(external link)

• IELTS 6.0 Academic (no lower than 5.5 in each band),

Note: Applicants who do not have evidence of English language skills and are a New Zealand citizen or permanent resident, may contact NMIT for an assessment

Applicants who have achieved NCEA Level 3 University Entrance requirements are not required to provide evidence of English language skills

IELTS scores used must be taken from a single IELTS Test Report Form and are valid for two years from the date of the test.

Management

Graduates will be qualified to work in various management disciplines in both the public and private sectors, including production management, general management and contract management.

Potential roles after graduation include:

• Business Consultant
• Project Manager
• Branch Manager
• Event Coordinator
• Training Coordinator
• Employment Consultant
• Key Account Manager
• Assistant Human Resources Advisor

Graduates who wish to continue with the management-based study will be prepared to enter a Postgraduate (level 8) or Masters (level 9) programme at NMIT or elsewhere.

Marketing

Graduates will be qualified to work in various marketing functions, including marketing and sales management, product management, merchandising, services marketing, marketing research, brand management, customer services management and key account management.

Potential roles after graduation include:

• Marketing Manager
• Marketing Assistant
• Customer Operations Specialist
• Customer Support Engineer
• Customer Experience Specialist
• Quality Programme Officer
• Online Communications Officer
• Digital Marketing Specialist

Graduates who wish to continue with the management-based study will be prepared to enter a Postgraduate (level 8) or Masters (level 9) programme at NMIT or elsewhere.

This programme is run on the NMIT Semester model with two 17 week semesters plus an optional 8 week summer school semester in a calendar year. Four courses per semester is considered full-time study.

When will I attend class?

A face to face student can expect to attend two, two hour sessions each week per course.

Therefore a full time student (taking four courses per semester) can expect to attend eight, two hour sessions each week.

These sessions are run between 8am and 7pm on weekdays (Monday to Friday).

How much time do I need to spend studying each semester?

As a general indication, for all level 5-7 (15 credit) courses, you can expect:

• 60 hours of teaching (4 hours per week for 17 weeks) in a classroom environment, face to face or online.
• 90 self-directed learning (averaging 6 hours per week) working through course material and assignments in your own time.

Graduates of the Bachelor of Commerce qualification will be able to:

1. Demonstrate and apply core business competencies, such as but not limited to - critical thinking, decision making, negotiation, presentation, problem-solving, managing self and others.
2. Research, assess and critically evaluate business information relevant to their selected business areas and business environment.
3. Evaluate and adopt different approaches to decision making as required by the environment. 
4. Establish and actively support various methods of collaboration and teamwork in real and virtual environments.
5. Plan and manage their continued learning and career development.
6. Practise business in a legal, sustainable, ethical and culturally appropriate manner.

Depending on the chosen major, graduates will also hold  the following specific skills and knowledge:

• Demonstrate innovative and creative approaches to solving management issues by using knowledge of modern trends and technologies in communication with major stakeholders.
• Apply advanced management principles, concepts and tools to support effective decision making.

• Demonstrate innovative and creative approaches to solving marketing issues by using knowledge of modern trends and technologies in communication with major stakeholders.
• Apply advanced marketing principles, concepts and tools to support effective decision making.

Evidence of previous study or extensive work experience can be used to apply for recognition of academic credit (RAC), also known as Recognition of prior Learning (RPL) or Cross credit (CC) potentially allowing you to skip courses which you can show you hold the required skills and knowledge for already.

If you think you may be eligible for Recognition of Academic Credit (RAC), contact us about making an appointment to discuss this with our Student Learning Advisor. It is useful to bring along documentation such as:

• Previous academic transcripts
• Course Descriptors or Syllabus including Learning Outcomes
• Curriculum vitae and work history

The Student Learning Advisor will help you assess your eligibility for Recognition of Academic Credit, and advise you on what further evidence you may need to provide and fees. It is recommended the RAC processes is started a minimum of eight weeks prior to the course start date to ensure time for assessment and processing.

Find out more about the NMIT Policies and Procedures(external link) around Recognition of Academic Credit.