University of Cape Town Faculty of Commerce

The Commerce Faculty is the largest of all the faculties in the University of Cape Town and continues to expand the programmes it offers its students. Commerce degree programmes prepare students for the personnel needs of the fast-growing world of financial service industries and prepare them for participation in the global economy. The Commerce Faculty receives strong support from international agencies, and remains committed to engagement with the African continent.

The Faculty offers two undergraduate degrees: a four-year Bachelor of Business Science (BBusSc) and a three-year Bachelor of Commerce (BCom). Both of these degree programmes are divided into a variety of streams to cater both for the interests of our students, and the employment needs of the country.

Undergraduate Studies

Undergraduate Degrees Offered

Bachelor of Business Science (BBusSc)
Bachelor of Commerce (BCom)

Both degrees are divided into a variety of programmes to cater both for the interests of our students and the employment needs of the country. The first year in both degrees is more or less common, for two main reasons:

All commerce graduates should have a solid academic foundation in a range of core subject areas: Accounting, Information Systems, Economics, Business Law, Mathematics, Statistics and Thinking About Business.
We do not expect students new to university to finalise their degree or programme choices before being exposed to the disciplines at a tertiary level, so the more similar the programmes, the more flexibility students have to move around as they discover where their strengths and interests lie.
Both degrees are offered in the standard format or as extended programmes to students who may have experienced gaps or disparities in their educational or life experience. The BBusSc is traditionally offered over four years, but is also available as an extended programme over five years (called the Education Development Unit or EDU). Similarly, the BCom is traditionally offered over three years, but is available as a four year programme (called the Education Development Unit or EDU). It is important to note that, whether you spend three, four or five years doing your degree, your Commerce degree certificate will be the same, except to stipulate whether you have graduated with a BCom or BBusSc degree and the area of specialisation of the degree.

The UCT Application Form will require you to select:

Actuarial Science: BCom or BBusSc
- Mainstream
- Educational Development Unit
All other Commerce UG degrees
- Mainstream
- Educational Development Unit

Please note: You will need to indicate your area of specialisation when you register. This should be an informed decision, so please make use of all resources available to you in order for you to make the best choice for you. Read the 2019Guide to Undergraduate Studies in Commerce and the Undergraduate Prospectus carefully, contact the Faculty Office and talk to the staff there, or make an appointment to chat to a Student Advisor in one of the Academic Departments in the Faculty. There will also be academic and administrative staff available during registration and orientation to assist you if you still need assistance or reassurance then, and remember that the flexibility built in to the degrees offers you scope to change your mind.

Flexibility between Undergraduate Degree/Programmes

The Faculty of Commerce philosophy is to build flexibility between undergraduate degrees, programmes particularly in the early years. Although you have not met the early offer criteria for BBusSc Actuarial Science/BBusSc Management Studies and you do meet the early offer criteria for BBusSc Management Studies/BCom.

The Faculty guarantees that, at registration any student who has been accepted into the Commerce Faculty may register for any Commerce Faculty mainstream undergraduate programme for which they meet the subject and points criteria irrespective of the programme for which they applied and were offered a place. The registration process is at the conclusion of the Orientation programme where the flexibility between, and common core of, the various programmes is explained to assist you in making your preliminary registration decision.

Should you wish to take up the early offer mentioned above, please contact the Admissions office to change your Commerce Faculty preference. We can only make you an offer in this programme if you have applied for it.

Postgraduate Studies

Postgraduate Studies

The Faculty offers a variety of postgraduate options designed for students with a vocational/professional focus, or for those wishing to pursue the academic discipline of their undergraduate commerce degree.

Honours/Masters/Doctoral degrees

The Faculty offers a range of degrees for students wishingto study further in a particular commerce discipline. Some of the degrees are offered on a part-time basis whilst others require full time study. Certain Masters degrees require coursework and/or internships in addition to the dissertation.

Areas of Specialisation

Accounting
Actuarial Science
Computer Science
Economics
Finance
Human Resource Management (see Organisational Psychology)
Information Systems
Economics & Law
Marketing
Organisational Psychology
Statistical Sciences

Short Courses

Business and Management

UCT Business Writing and Legal Documents
UCT Advanced Project Management
UCT Applied Economics for Smart Decision Making
UCT Business Risk Management
UCT Business Systems Analysis
UCT IT Management
UCT NPO Management
UCT Office Computing
UCT Operations Management
UCT Professional Communication and Office Management
UCT Project Management Foundations
UCT Supply Chain Management
UCT Social Enterprise Development

Finance

UCT Accounting
UCT Basics of Financial Management
UCT Bookkeeping
UCT Payroll & Tax Administration

Marketing

UCT Advertising
UCT Content Marketing
UCT Copywriting for Online Marketing
UCT Internet Marketing
UCT Marketing
UCT Mobile Marketing
UCT Public Relations
UCT Sales Management
UCT Social Media

Talent Management (HR)

UCT Foundations of Executive Coaching
UCT Human Resource Management
UCT Training and Development Management

Hospitality and Events

UCT Events Management

Systems and Technology

UCT Web Development
ES Fundamentals Announcement Feb 2018
TERP10 SAP Certification

Microdata Management and Usage in Africa

DataFirst and SALDRU will be jointly running a number of short training courses. Please note that as from 2016 all our short courses (except the Introduction to Stata course) will run over two weeks.

The Commerce Faculty Office is the administrative heart of the Commerce Faculty and is responsible for dealing with all administrative processes found within the faculty. All student and staff queries get directed and dealt with here.

Postal Address:
Faculty of Commerce
University of Cape Town
Private Bag
Rondebosch
7701

Physical Address
Leslie Commerce Building
Engineering Mall
Upper Campus
University of Cape Town
Rondebosch
7701

Phone: +27 (0)21 650 4375

Fax: +27 (0)21 650-4369

Email: Faculty Officer: [email protected]

Website: http://www.commerce.uct.ac.za

Education Development Unit (EDU)

For information about the EDU, contact:

EDU Coordinator

Dr J Pym (021 650-3866):

EDU Administrative Assistant

Ms S Solomons (021 650-3720):

Tel: (021) 650 3720

Email: [email protected] or [email protected]

Website: http://www.educommerce.uct.ac.za/

Applying to UCT

For general information about applying to UCT, including financial aid, scholarships, student housing, contact the Student Recruitment Office: Tel: (021) 650 4399 Email: [email protected]

University of Cape Town Faculty of Commerce