at Otago - School of Business, University of Otago, New Zealand ...

Building
on your BCom
There is a whole range of postgraduate
programmes for BCom graduates from
Otago and other institutions, both in research
and practical applications. There are also
many opportunities for those already in the
workforce to enhance their career prospects
with further study at the Business School.
Here’s a look at the academic approach. If
you’re considering returning to University for
professional advancement, read on to Moving
up in the world on page 45.
Postgraduate
programmes
Your BCom could open up a whole new world
of study at the Business School. You can take
honours, diplomas for graduates, postgraduate
diplomas, master’s, and doctorates. Here’s what
they mean.
Honours
From 2013 the Bachelor of Commerce
with Honours (BCom (Hons)) programme
will require you to complete one year of
postgraduate study. It is a full-year, full-time
course, consisting of 400-level papers and a
dissertation (approximately 15,000 words). If
you wish to complete a BCom (Hons) degree
you are required to firstly complete a threeyear
BCom, and then complete the one year
postgraduate honours degree. Honours is an
excellent stepping stone into other research
based postgraduate degrees.
Admission to the programme is subject to
majoring in the subject or subjects of study
proposed with an average grade of at least
B+ for the best four 300-level papers in the
proposed subject of study.
Postgraduate diplomas
You need to have an undergraduate major in
the area you want to do your Post-Graduate
Diploma in Commerce (PGDipCom). You also
need to meet certain entrance criteria including
a B or B+ average in your 300-level papers (this
varies from department to department).
The PGDipCom can be completed full-time
over one year or part-time over a maximum of
three years. It is similar to honours but doesn’t
require a dissertation.
It may be awarded with distinction (80–100%)
or credit (70–79%).
Another diploma option is the Postgraduate
Diploma in Health Informatics
(PGDipHealInf). This diploma is intended
for health care professionals who may want to
focus on clinical care delivery, management,
education, quality assurance, information
systems, or research.
Master’s Programmes
The Business School offers a range of different
master’s programmes – Master of Business
(MBus), Master of Commerce (MCom),
Master of Entrepreneurship (MEntr), and
Master of Tourism (MTour).
In simple terms, the MBus tends towards
practical applications, the MCom is more
about pure research, the MEntr suits the
entrepreneurially minded, and the MTour is
specifically focused on tourism issues.
Master of Business (MBus)
If you are looking to impress prospective
employers, and you are a pretty good student,
then the MBus is a good choice. Applied
research skills are becoming essential attributes
for an employee.
Special requirements:
Research Topic (590) and Project Report (591)
These vary from department to department
but are each about 10,000–12,000 words,
and should be finished over one semester
(on completion of the 400-level paper
requirements).
Master of Commerce (MCom)
The MCom leads naturally to PhD study so if
you thrive on research — perhaps you could
become a lecturer or professor — then this is
for you.
The MCom is solely assessed by written thesis.
This can be completed full-time or part-time
(minimum one year of enrolment but must be
completed within four years of admission to
the programme).
Master of Entpreneurship
(MEntr)
This qualification is for budding entrepreneurs
with ideas to develop. The 15-month
programme for recent graduates and
professionals is taught in intensive threeday
modules every six weeks in Dunedin.
Participants also complete a five-month
practical project based on their new ventures.
Master of Tourism (MTour)
If tourism is your forte the MTour is your
next step after your BCom. The MTour is an
interdisciplinary programme that examines
the phenomena of tourism, leisure, sport,
recreation, events, and hospitality from social,
commercial, and environmental perspectives
both within New Zealand and across the globe.
This programme is a combination of taught
papers and concludes with the completion of a
research project.
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