Faculty of Economics and Commerce : Guide to courses
22. Postgraduate courses

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Prev 21. Bachelor of Commerce (Honours)

22. Postgraduate courses

The Faculty of Economics and Commerce offers a wide range of postgraduate courses, many of which are available to graduates of any discipline. For information regarding entry requirements, course fees and course duration, please visit our web site http://www.ecom.unimelb.edu.au/prospective/pgrad.html or contact the Postgraduate Office directly (see Contacting the Faculty).

22.1. Graduate Diploma in Actuarial Studies

The aim of the Graduate Diploma in Actuarial Studies is to provide non-actuarial graduates with their initial education in Actuarial Studies and thus the skills necessary for their immediate transition into the actuarial workplace as a trainee actuary. Successful graduates from this course may be exempt from various professional actuarial examinations, subject to their examination performance.

22.2. Graduate Diploma in Management Studies

This program allows students from any discipline to enhance their career prospects by obtaining an understanding of key areas, practices and concepts in management. Students will further develop their understanding by studying specialised subjects in one or more of five management areas. Specialised subjects are available in the following fields: human resource management, international management, marketing management, operations management and organisation studies.

22.3. Postgraduate Diploma in Economics

The Postgraduate Diploma in Economics enables Bachelor of Commerce or equivalent candidates to undertake a broader and deeper range of training in economics or econometrics than is typically feasible within an undergraduate degree. The program informs students of some of the major research and theoretical preoccupations current in the discpline and provides an appropriate preliminary program for students who do not have an honours degree but who are intending to proceed to a masters program in economics.

22.4. Postgraduate Diploma in Finance

The Postgraduate Diploma in Finance enables Bachelor of Commerce or equivalent candidates to undertake a broader and deeper range of training in finance than is typically feasible within an undergraduate degree. The program provides students with an enhanced understanding of applications of finance theory and increased knowledge of the operations and activities of financial markets. The Postgraduate Diploma in Finance is also the first year of a two-year degree course, the Master of Financial Management.

22.5. Master of Commerce (by coursework)

The Master of Commerce by coursework is available with specialisations in accounting and business information systems, economics and finance. The Master of Commerce is designed to give students a rigorous training and a broad range of expertise in the chosen field. Students will have the capacity to pursue independent research through training in research methods and appropriate techniques and to read and critically evaluate the literature in the chosen field. The Master of Commerce also provides an appropriate foundation program for students intending to proceed to a PhD program in the chosen field.

22.6. Master of Commerce (by thesis)

The Master of Commerce (thesis) provides students with the opportunity to acquire an in-depth knowledge about a particular topic undertaken through the Departments of Accounting and Business Information Systems, Finance or Management, the Centre for Actuarial Studies or the Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research. The Master of Commerce (thesis) aims to provide students with an opportunity to contribute original research and the capacity to critically evaluate scholarly literature in the chosen field as well as an approriate foundation for students intending to proceed to a PhD program.

22.7. Master of Commerce in Employment Relations and Human Resource Management (by advanced seminar and shorter thesis)

The Master of Commerce in Employment Relations and Human Resource Management (by advanced seminar and shorter thesis) is a research-oriented program and is offered to meet the demands of practitioners wishing to move into research based careers. The program is designed to bridge the gap between practical and academic research experience in the areas of Employment Relations and Human Resource Management and comprises two semester long coursework subjects and a shorter thesis of between 20 000 and 22 000 words. It is also seen as ideal preparation for the PhD program.

22.8. Master of Accounting

The Master of Accounting builds competencies in leading edge accounting and business systems thinking and developments. The program develops students' skills in business analysis, critical and strategic thinking, problem solving and oral and written communication. Upon completion of the Master of Accounting, students should have a broad understanding of the key contemporary issues in accounting and specific competencies in the areas of external financial reporting, cost management, performance management, auditing and business systems. In their choice of electives, students may emphasise any one of these areas or broaden their understanding of financial management and business management.

22.9. Master of Applied Commerce

The Master of Applied Commerce has been designed to provide generalist business training for graduates from any discipline through study in economics, accounting, finance, management, marketing, information systems and e-commerce. Graduates of the Master of Applied Commerce have the opportunity to integrate and understand the application of knowledge from across these areas. The program is ideal for professionals requiring generalist business preparation who are in the early stages of their career.

22.10. Master of Applied Commerce (Accounting)

The Master of Applied Commerce (Accounting) has been designed to assist young professionals with a non-accounting degree to obtain an accounting qualification. Successful completion of this degree prepares students for entry to the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Australia (ICAA) or Certified Practising Accountant (CPA) professional studies program. The program provides foundation training in the key areas of accounting, economics, management, auditing and information systems.

22.11. Master of Applied Commerce (Business Analysis and Systems)

The Master of Applied Commerce (Business Analysis and Systems) is designed to assist graduates to obtain skills in the important areas of business analysis and information systems. As well as providing a core grounding in business analysis and information systems, the program provides foundation training in accounting, microeconomics, business finance and strategy.

22.12. Master of Applied Commerce (Human Resource Management)

The Master of Applied Commerce (Human Resource Management) has been designed to provide foundation training in business and economics, and specialist training in the management of human resources. The focus of the program is the understanding of human resource management within the wider enterprise and business context. The program is ideal for graduates looking to gain employment in HRM or for HR professionals who are in the early stages of their career.

22.13. Master of Applied Commerce (International)#

The Master of Applied Commerce (International) provides foundation education in business and economics and specialist training in aspects of managing across borders. The subjects offered provide students with an appreciation of how functional roles are altered by involvement in international activities and provide skills needed in their execution. The areas covered in this specialisation include international finance, international accounting, international marketing management, international management, business-to-business marketing and managing e-business supply chains.

# Note: at the time of printing the Faculty of Economics and Commerce is awaiting the University's approval for the MAC (International)

22.14. Master of Applied Commerce (Marketing)

The Master of Applied Commerce (Marketing) has been designed to assist young professionals to develop, implement and control integrated marketing programs, work closely with managers in other functional areas, and pursue a career in marketing management. The program provides foundation training in business and economics, including accounting, human resource management, microeconomics, macroeconomics, marketing management, business finance or management information systems and in-depth specialist training in the areas of marketing and management.

22.15. Master of Applied Commerce (Operations Management)

The Master of Applied Commerce (Operations Management) provides business education for those who wish to work in the 'engine room' of their organisation, namely the central part where the goods and services are designed and produced. Operations management is concerned with organising key resources, including assets of all types, equipment and people, in order to drive the external competitiveness of the organisation forward and deliver the business strategy. This means managing cost, quality, delivery, service, flexibility and innovation. Studies include innovation and technology management, quality management, supply chain management, project management and decision making.

22.16. Master of Applied Commerce (Organisational Change)

The Master of Applied Commerce (Organisational Change) provides foundation training in business and economics and in-depth specialist training in various areas of change management. These areas include an understanding of how organisations work and engage with their environment, dealing with issues of change in the new 'information society', managing organisational learning, managing new organisational forms, understanding the role of management ideas and knowledge in organisational change and exploring different perspectives on managing organisational change.

22.17. Master of Applied Finance

The Master of Applied Finance is designed for practitioners with a degree, and two or more years' experience in financial management and financial markets. Students will gain an insight into financial management principles and their application to corporate financial policy and will develop an understanding of derivatives and the operation of the markets in these assets. This is a practical and career-orientated program at the cutting edge of theory and practice. It is ideal for the professional working in finance or finance-related industry seeking to expand his or her ability and knowledge in the area.

22.18. Master of Business and Information Technology

The Master of Business and Information Technology is designed to provide a combination of business knowledge and skills together with an understanding of, as well as skills and capabilities in the business applications of information technology for graduates seeking managerial or commercial roles in the information and communications technology industry. On successful completion of this program, graduates should be able to analyse, apply and explain the role of information and communications technology in enabling innovation in accounting and financial management, marketing, people management and product choice, pricing and promotion. Exit points allow those unable to complete the Master of Business and Information Technology to exit the program after completing the first four specified subjects (graduate certificate) or after completing eight specified subjects (graduate diploma).

22.19. Master of e-Commerce

The Master of e-Commerce has been designed to enhance the skills, competencies and capabilities of students across the range of business disciplines with a focus on the emerging e-business models. The course provides students with a foundation training in business and in-depth specialist training in various areas of e-commerce, including managing e-business supply chains, electronic marketing, electronic commerce and managing the e-organisation. Graduates of the program will have the business systems knowledge and capabilities necessary to manage in an electronic environment.

22.20. Master of Financial Management

The Master of Financial Management is designed to provide students with an understanding of financial management principles and their application to corporate financial policy. Graduates of the program will have the opportunity to develop an understanding of Australian and international financial markets, knowledge of derivative assets and the operation of the markets in these assets, applied knowledge of various specialised aspects of the finance industry and the appropriate skills for analysing and interpreting developments in finance practice.

22.21. Master of Human Resource Management

The Master of Human Resource Management is designed to provide students with high-level knowledge and comprehension of the main approaches to managing people at work. Students will learn about the range of factors that influence human resource management practices and will study the integration of HRM with the management and strategy of the whole organisation. The program is based around five themes: the fundamentals of HRM, human resources and the competitive organisation, managing human resources, strategic outcomes and evaluation of HRM programs, and HRM in a changing world. On successful completion of this program, students should be able to analyse human resource policies and practices as used in a range of organisations. They should also be capable of developing and implementing human resource management systems integrated with any organisation's strategic aims.

22.22. Master of International Business

The Master of International Business is designed to develop the capabilities and resources of managers in the global economy. The program is open all graduates who want to accelerate their international business careers, building on two or more years professional experience in the field. Emphasising the practical application of specialised knowledge, the program aims to develop management skills tailored for the international business environment. The Master of International Business focuses on strategic planning for international operations and provides an in-depth understanding of the organisational capabilities required for international operations including specialised functions such international marketing, finance, accounting and HRM.

22.23. Doctor of Philosophy

The degree of Doctor of Philosophy signifies that the holder has undertaken a substantial piece of original research that has been conducted and reported by the holder under proper academic supervision and in a research environment for a prescribed period. The PhD degree may be undertaken through the Departments of Accounting and Business Information Systems, Economics, Finance or Management, the Centre for Actuarial Studies or the Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research. Intending applicants should approach the relevant Head of Department for further details and seek advice from the University's Office for Research.

22.24. Doctor of Commerce

The DCom degree may be taken by a graduate of the University of Melbourne, or any other tertiary educational institution, of not less than seven years standing after first qualifying for a degree. The candidate must satisfy the Faculty of adequate training and experience in a discipline recognised by the Faculty.

Candidates submit for examination published or unpublished original work which in subject, scope and character is deemed appropriate by the Faculty.