Bachelor of Commerce

The purpose of the Bachelor of Commerce qualification is to equip learners with conceptual understanding, knowledge, theory, skills, methodology and capacity to function effectively in a broad range of commercial, management and research activities.

The qualification aims to provide learners with values, knowledge, and skills in the core areas of accounting, economics, and management.

The qualification further aims to equip learners with abilities to respond to constantly emerging economic, social, and political trends; adapt to change in physical, temporal, technological and procedural spaces; incorporate sustainable development in decision-making; display knowledge and appreciation of the values and principles enshrined in the relevant legislation; demonstrate the capacity to take responsibility, to be accountable and to act ethically in all contexts, enhance lifelong learning and employability in business, government or not-for-profit sectors, or to engage in entrepreneurial activities.

The qualification will produce critical thinkers and enlightened citizens with an awareness of social justice as it applies to society, the economy, and business (including public and private organisations).

Upon completion of the qualification, learners will be able to

• Demonstrate ability to manage finance-related processes and systems and take accountability for financial decisions.
• Demonstrate the ability to solve and manage the business of an organisation by ethically using a variety of sources, methods, and tools to analyse, produce and communicate information.
• Apply knowledge of economics to support ethical business strategy, and arguments for internal business discourse and decision-making.
• Demonstrate the ability to identify, analyse, evaluate, reflect on and solve common and unusual problems by implementing projects internal and external to the organisation.
• Demonstrate the ability to access and process known information of different fields of business to support ethical communication and decision-making, and to develop marketing.

Rationale

The field of Commerce includes a wide range of highly needed skills, which are essential to support the country's economic and social development. This qualification aims to provide learners with the requisite core and fundamentals in the broader field of commerce, with a range of core competencies, but also the opportunity to choose an area of specialisation, where learners can focus part of their programme on a specific vocational disciplinary area. The areas of specialisation included in this qualification are Accounting Science, Economics, Project Management, Business Management, Human Resource Management and Marketing Management. These specialisations will allow learners to direct their studies and develop skills related to more focused job areas in the industry.

The institution aims at providing suitable qualified graduates to industry, that are equipped with a broad range of core skills, as well as a set of focused skills for a specific job area. While the qualification is designed to provide learners with routes to further study at other institutions, the future developments envisaged by the institution would allow learners to articulate to further degree studies in the areas of Commerce and the listed specialisations.

The world of commerce and business today requires managers who are not only experts in their roles and occupations but there is also a requirement for incumbents to attain a professional status indicative of their level of expertise.

This qualification consists of the following compulsory and elective modules at NQF Level 5, 6, and 7 totalling 360 Credits.

Compulsory Modules, NQF Level 5, totalling 120 Credits.

• Management Theory, 12 Credits.
• Financial Management, 12 Credits.
• Information Technology, 12 Credits.
• Introduction to Marketing, 12 Credits.
• Organisation and Production, 12 Credits.
• Mathematics and Statistics (Quantitative Modelling), 12 Credits.
• Introduction to Human Resources, 12 Credits.
• Purchasing and Logistics, 12 Credits.
• Economic Systems, 12 Credits.
• Marketing & Decision making, 12 Credits.

Compulsory Modules, NQF Level 6, totalling 108 Credits.

• Financial Accounting, 12 Credits.
• Commercial Law, 12 Credits.
• Management, Leadership and Supervision, 12 Credits.
• Economics: Macro Economics, 12 Credits.
• Marketing and the Business Environment, 12 Credits.
• Taxation, 12 Credits.
• Project Management philosophy and context, 12 Credits.
• Human Resources: A Contemporary Approach, 12 Credits.
• Economics: Micro-economics, 12 Credits.

Elective Modules, NQF Level 6, totalling 12 Credits (Select one module).

• Project Management: Body of knowledge and standards, 12 Credits.
• Accounting Sciences: Management Accounting, 12 Credits.
• Economics: Econometrics 1, 12 Credits.
• Marketing: Consumer Behaviour, 12 Credits.
• Human Resources: Employee Relations and Wellness, 12 Credits.
• Management: Management in Business, 12 Credits.

Compulsory Modules, NQF Level 7, totalling 60 Credits.

• Accounting Sciences: Reporting, 12 Credits.
• Economics: Market Mechanisms, 12 Credits.
• Project Management: Project Management in a corporate context, 12 Credits.
• Management: Equity and Employment Equity in Business, 12 Credits.
• Research Methodology, 12 Credits.

Elective Modules, NQF Level 7, totalling 60 Credits (Select five modules).

• Project Management: Systems development and project life cycle, 12 Credits.
• Accounting Sciences: Auditing, 12 Credits.
• Economics: Econometrics 2, 12 Credits.
• Marketing: Business-to-Business Marketing, 12 Credits.
• Human Resources: Learning and Organisational Development, 12 Credits.
• Management: People Management, 12 Credits.
• Project Management: Systems and procedures 1 - Planning and control, 12 Credits.
• Accounting Sciences: Commercial Law 2, 12 Credits.
• Economics: Financial Economics 1, 12 Credits.
• Marketing: Digital Marketing, 12 Credits.
• Human Resources: HR Value, Delivery, and Informatics, 12 Credits.
• Management: Business Development, 12 Credits.
• Project Management: Systems and procedures 2 - Planning and control, 12 Credits.
• Accounting Sciences: Business Law, 12 Credits.
• Economics: International Trade, 12 Credits.
• Marketing: Marketing Planning Implementation and Control, 12 Credits.
• Human Resources: Performance Management and Rewards, 12 Credits.
• Management: Managing Project, 12 Credits.
• Project Management: Organisational Behaviour, 12 Credits.
• Accounting Sciences: Governance, Ethics and Compliance, 12 Credits.
• Economics: Ethical Aspects of Economics, 12 Credits.
• Marketing: Marketing Communication Management, 12 Credits.
• Human Resources: Talent Management, 12 Credits.
• Management: Balanced scorecards, 12 Credits.
• Project Management: International Projects, 12 Credits.
• Accounting Sciences: Process and Policy Review, 12 Credits.
• Economics: International Political Economy, 12 Credits.
• Human Resources: Risk and Strategy Planning, 12 Credits.
• Management: Integrated Strategic Planning, 12 Credits.
• Marketing: Branding, 12 Credits.

1. Demonstrate ability to manage finance-related processes and systems and take accountability for financial decisions.
2. Solve and manage the business of an organisation by using a variety of sources, methods, and tools to analyse, produce and communicate information.
3. Apply knowledge of economics to support ethical business strategy and arguments for internal business discourse and decision-making.
4. Demonstrate the ability to identify, analyse, evaluate, reflect on, and solve common and unusual problems by implementing projects internal and external to the organisation.
5. Access and process known information of different fields of business to support ethical communication and decision-making, to develop marketing.
6. Apply qualitative procedures in fulfilling Human Resource functions in an organisation.

Associated Assessment Criteria

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcomes 1.

• Analyse financial, management and accounting processes to continuously improve on quality standards.
• Apply knowledge of legal principles to evaluate and improve contracts in use in an organisation.
• Prepare company financial reports to reflect principles of professional practice, underscored by company values, with contents that can be ethically justified when under scrutiny.
• Create a financial environment in the organisation that supports integrated thinking reflected in global standards, driven integrated reporting. > Apply knowledge of hermeneutics and develop an understanding of business ethics, and how such understanding can aid good governance.
• Act responsibly, professionally, and ethically as a manager by managing teams and business units according to labour law statutes and guidelines.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcomes 2.

• Apply knowledge of the law to create a business environment that is free from discrimination and supports the concept of equality, thereby creating an inclusionary work environment.
• Create business strategies and goals that incorporate known methods and tools, thereby contributing to positive change.
• Develop solutions that will allow teams in the organisations to optimise strategies to maximise efficiency and effectiveness, by processing and managing diagnostic data.
• Apply labour law statutes and guidelines professionally and ethically as a manager by managing teams and businesses.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcomes 3.

• Plan and control projects by implementing known standards and applying the project management body of knowledge.
• Create formal structures for projects using integrated and advanced knowledge of project management.
• Manage diversity on international projects through sound communication practices, solid relationships, and recognition of local practices.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcomes 4.

• Plan, implement and control strategic marketing campaigns.
• Apply knowledge of marketing methods to know when it is appropriate for an organisation to create a business-to-business marketing strategy.
• Develop a brand for a business and continuously evaluate to understand the importance of digital marketing and of including digital marketing in a marketing strategy.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcomes 5.

• Illustrate sound knowledge of Human Resource practice that is current, contemporary and standards-based.
• Develop organisation-specific and appropriate processes in collaboration with businesses to gather, validate, manage, and evaluate information for value creation.
• Illustrate a deep knowledge of Human Resource concepts, principles, standards, and regulatory practices to contribute to strategic planning and optimisation of service delivery.
• Facilitate collaborative learning in the organisation by managing own professional development and fostering accountability for life-long learning.

Learning and assessment are integrated throughout the qualification. The exit level outcomes are assessed in various ways. Both summative and formative assessment methods are employed in measuring learner performance. In addition, this qualification places emphasis on learning through the inclusion of various assessment tasks, for each semester.

A variety of assessment instruments will be used that will be suitable and appropriate to the work context of the learner. This combination of assessment forms affords learners the opportunity to monitor their progress on a regular basis and address problems as they occur.

Formative assessments contribute 40% towards the final mark and summative assessments contribute 60% towards the final mark of each module. All modules are assessed with a pass requirement of 50%.

Depending on the module, a minimum of two formative assessments and one summative assessment will take place.

Formative Assessments

There is continuous formative assessment to ensure that learners receive feedback on their progress towards the achievement of specific learning outcomes.

Formative assessments are conducted on a regular basis using tests, observation, portfolio reviews and presentations to monitor learner progress. Integrated continuous and formative assessment allowing demonstration of achieved competencies (knowledge, skill and a professional attitude) as required by the outcomes of the Qualification by means of:

Formative assessment can be applied through various approaches

• Written assignments
• Practical assignments
• Projects
• Presentations
• Written class tests
• Practical class tests
• Portfolios

Summative Assessments

Summative assessment is concerned with the evaluation of learning achievements relative to exit levels of the qualification including overall integrated assessment, which evaluates the learners' ability to combine the various components and modules of the broader scope of knowledge skills and competencies represented by the exit level outcomes leading to the Qualification.

Summative assessment can be applied through the following approaches

• Written examinations
• Practical examinations
• Project portfolios
• Project presentations

The primary indicator of competence is the achievement of 50% in the summative assessment and an overall 50% for each module (this includes the assessment of all relevant learning outcomes). It is therefore evident that learners must hand in all assignments, projects, formal class tests, as well as the final portfolio for the project-based modules taking place each semester.