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Commerce

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Entry Points (2017)
407

Course Overview

Commerce is a very flexible programme that covers all business areas before a student chooses a specialism in final year in one of the following:

Accounting & Performance Measurement: Students study accounting and accounting-related modules, positioning them for a career in accountancy and related areas. Depending on the modules chosen, exemptions are available to successful students in the professional accountancy bodies’ exams. In addition, students may apply for entry, on a competitive basis, to the Master of Accounting (MAcc) programme at NUI Galway or equivalent postgraduate accounting programmes in other universities.

Economics & Public Policy: Students can apply their economic theory to modules as diverse as the economics of globalisation, the economics of money and finance, and health and environmental economics. Economics specialist students are well placed to undertake either postgraduate research at home or abroad, or to embark on a variety of careers in business and economic policy analysis.

Management of Human Resources: This specialisation focuses on the management of the human factor in organisations, exploring the nature of the employment relationship and the rights and obligations of the parties involved. It also focuses on the theoretical bases for the best utilisation of human resources (HR). It is targeted at students with a particular interest in the human aspect of organisations and those intending to develop a career in the HR management area.

Marketing Management: This specialisation provides an excellent foundation in a range of key and popular marketing topics, such as media and marketing communications, brand management, marketing analytics and research, digital marketing planning, the marketing of services and global marketing. The discipline’s research programme enhances each subject’s content, ensuring it is taught to world-class standards.

Digital Business & Analytics: This specialisation focuses on the implementation, use and management of information systems within business. It contains practice-based modules that teach students how to create IS using database technology, web design technology and computer programming languages. It also provides modules that enable students to investigate how to manage IS within business. Students will be well positioned to secure jobs as management consultants specialising in IS or to work within the IS department of a business.

Finance: This specialisation focuses on a diverse range of important contemporary topics in national and international finance, including international monetary systems, banking, exchange rates, financing and investment decisions, taxation, financial reporting, investments and issues of financial management inherent in managing multinational corporations and institutions. Students will be readily employable in private sector financial services firms as well as both Irish and international public sector financial institutions.

Business Law: This stream focuses on law specifically in a business context. It is targeted at students with a particular interest in the legal aspects of business. Students who successfully complete this stream and wish to further specialise in law will be eligible to apply for the LLB.

International Business: This specialisation focuses on managing people, diversity in culture and how to effectively lead and manage in a global marketplace. The specialisation focuses on developing knowledge and expertise in international business and cross-cultural management and provides students with the knowledge and skills required for a career in international management and multinational corporations as well as other organisations. Using a multidisciplinary approach, students develop their cultural awareness skills and understand how to operate effectively in a dynamic global business environment.

The programme provides students with a mix of large lectures and smaller group tutorials where they can ask further questions and get help with coursework.  Our lecturers’ links with industry ensure that the programme is up-todate, relevant and useful to today’s graduates and employers.  Specially tailored modules such as Skills for Business which is now taken by second year students. This one–semester module is designed to improve student employability and preparation for the workplace by developing a set of practical skills that form the basis for effective working life. The programme allows students to work individually and in groups on different projects which are relevant to the ever-changing and dynamic business environment, thus developing their business and interpersonal skills.

Applications and Selections

Who Teaches this Course

Requirements and Assessment

Key Facts

Entry Requirements

Minimum Grade H5 in two subjects and passes in four other subjects at O6/H7 level in the Leaving Certificate, including Irish, English, another language, Mathematics, and any two other subjects recognised for entry purposes.


Additional Requirements

Duration

3 years

Next start date

September 2018

A Level Grades (2017)

ABB or equivalent combination

Average intake

270

Closing Date

Next start date

September 2018

NFQ level

Mode of study

ECTS weighting

Award

CAO

GY201

PAC code

Course Outline

Course Outline - Year 1

  • Introduction to Managment/Financial Accounting
  • Principles of Microeconomics/Macroeconomics
  • Mathematics and Statistics for Business
  • Contemporary Marketing Thought
  • Contemporary Management Thought
  • Business Information Systems & Information Management for Business
  • Choice between Spanish*, German and the combination of Business Law (semester II)/Skills to Succeed (semester I).

       * A limited number of places are available in Spanish, places will be allocated on previous academic performance.

Course Outline - Year 2

  • Inferential Statistical Methods for Business
  • Marketing Management
  • Organisational Psychology
  • Applied Microeconomics for Business
  • Management Accounting 1
  • Skills for Business
  • Business Finance 1
  • Work and Employment Relations
  • Macroeconomics and the Business Environment
  • Information and Operations Management
  • Plus two optional subjects from the following:
    • International Financial Reporting I
    • Economics of Public Policy
    • Introduction to Financial Economics
    • Business Law II
    • The Psychology of Consumer Behaviour
    • Information Systems & Project Management
    • Advanced Statistical Methods for Business
    • Management of Organisational Change
    • Doing Business in China: Language and Culture I
International Experience - Optional Year
After second year students can apply to spend an additional year on internship/work placement and studing abroad through English in the USA, Europe or Asia.

Course Outline - Final Year
  • Ireland in the Global Economy
  • Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility
  • Business Strategy
  • Innovation: Creativity and Enterprise
  • Develop concentration in one of the following business disciplines: 
    Accounting & Performance Measurement
    Economics & Public Policy
    Management of Human Resources
    Digital Business & Analytics
    Marketing Management
    Finance
    Business Law
    International Business

In addition to the above listed disciplines/streams, students may take optional modules from a list of electives.

Modules are assessed by means of continuous assessment/assignments and/or final/terminal exam. 

Further Education

Graduates can take specialist postgraduate programmes, which are available in all of the core business disciplines.

Accounting graduates may be eligible for admission to the Master of Accounting programme at NUI Galway or elsewhere.  Graduates of the Masters of Accounting programme are eligible for significant exemptions from the professional examinations of Chartered Accountants Ireland, and are required to pass only the Institute's Final Admitting Examination prior to being admitted to Associate membership of the Institute.

Click here for more infomation on our Taught Postgraduate Programmes

Why Choose This Course?

Career Opportunities

Graduates will be very well-positioned to pursue a career in many business related areas such as:

  • Accounting
  • Management Consultancy
  • Taxation
  • Commercial Advisory Services
  • Economic Policy Advisory Services
  • Marketing
  • Human Resource Management
  • Information Systems Management
  • Finance (including Banking & Insurance)
  • Personnel Management
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Event Management
  • Public Relations

Depending on subject choices, exemptions are available to successful students in the examinations of the professional accountancy bodies. Business Information Systems graduates are well-positioned to secure jobs as management consultants specialising in information systems or to work within the IS department of a business.

Graduates can also go on to select from a range of postgraduate programmes in their chosen discipline at the J.E. Cairnes School of Business and Economics.

Innovation: Creativity and Enterprise – ICE A partnership with business to drive innovation with students

Final year students in the J.E. Cairnes School of Business & Economics are provided with the opportunity to put the business knowledge they have gained through their studies into practice through a module in Innovation: Creativity and Enterprise (ICE). Developed in conjunction with entrepreneur Pádraig O’Céidigh, the module involves partnering with local business leaders to provide opportunities for all students to engage in projects, requiring them to innovate in a variety of interesting areas in a business or community setting. More than 30 local business and community leaders get involved each year, mentoring students in group-based projects, requiring them to innovate in a variety of interesting areas.

Who’s Suited to This Course

Is Commerce for me? In attempting to answer this question, you should ask yourself whether you enjoyed business-related subjects or enterprise projects at second level? Are you curious about how firms, markets and economies operate? Might you have a flair for decision-making or sales in organisations? Are you interested in accounting or possibly setting up a business? Are you innovative, entrepreneurial or creative? If your answer to some of these questions is ‘yes’, then Commerce is for you.

Learning Outcomes

 

Work Placement

Students taking the B Comm (GY201) have the opportunity to do work placement in year 3 should they wish to.  To undertake this they should apply to transfer to the B Comm (Global Experience) when they are in second year.

Work Placement partners include: • DHKN • Corrib Oil • Grant Thornton • KPMG • Accenture • Abbott • Wayfair   • ESB Group • Medtronic • Shelbourne Hotel • Boston Scientific • Alkermes • PwC • Aviva • Aerogen • Zurich • Creganna.

Study Abroad

If students transfer to the Global Experience programme they also have the opportunity to do study abroad in year 3 should they wish to. Our current partner universities offer students the opportunity to study through English in the USA, Europe, Asia and Australia. To undertake this they should apply to transfer to the B Comm (Global Experience) when they are in second year. Hear what some of our students thought of this year here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLmDkCF6Tvo

International Study Abroad Partner Universities

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Related Student Organisations

http://www.nuigbizsoc.com/

Course Fees

Fees: EU

€5,822 p.a. 2017/18

Fees: Tuition

€2,598 p.a. 2017/18

Fees: Student Contribution

€3,000 p.a. 2017/18

Fees: Student levy

€224 p.a. 2017/18

Fees: Non EU

€12,750 p.a. 2017/18
EU Fees 2017/18:
- Tuition: may be paid by the Irish Government on your behalf if you qualify for free tuition fees see - free fee initiative.
- Student Contribution: €3,000 - payable by all students but may by paid by SUSI if you apply and are deemed eligible for a means tested SUSI grant.
- Student Levy:  €224 - payable by all students and is not covered by SUSI.

Find out More

The J.E. Cairnes School of Business & Economics
T + 353 (0)91 492 612
F + 353 (0)91 494 546
E business@nuigalway.ie
www.nuigalway.ie/commerce

What Our Students Say

Cara

Cara Hegarty |   Analyst, Accenture

I chose to study Commerce at NUI Galway as the course enabled me to establish a solid foundation in different areas of business whilst also allowing me to specialise in an area of my interest. What I enjoyed most about this course was the fantastic opportunities afforded to students. For example, in second year, students participate in a “Skills to Succeed” module. This gives students an opportunity to contribute to projects in the wider community. My group and I travelled to Club-Napoca in Romania where our panel bid for Galway to become European Youth Capital in 2017. It was an honour to represent the city of Galway as well as NUIG. Another enjoyable experience arose from the Innovation Creativity and Enterprise (ICE) module. My team created "TipToTheTop", an Irish Dancing aid to assist beginners. Our winning prize included funds and an office space to start up our business. I would strongly recommend anyone with a passion for Commerce to participate in this course. I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of my time in Galway – the best three years of my life!
Siobhan

Siobhan McGinty |   Senior Marketing Manager at HubSpot

...I studied Commerce and specialised in Marketing. I really enjoyed it as the class was small and the lecturers got to know you individually, which I feel really aids your learning. I hope to work in advertising, and have recently received the GlaxoSmithKline Prize for Excellence in Marketing. Life at NUI Galway is amazing and I love every minute of it! There are so many social outlets on-campus, the clubs and societies are a great way of developing social skills and getting to know people...

Recognised By:

Chartered-Accountants-IrelandR

Certified Public Accountants

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