Social:Master of Commerce

Short description: Postgraduate master's degree focusing on commerce, accounts and economics-related subjects

Master of Commerce (MCom or MComm; sometimes Magister Commercii as (MagComm or Mag. comm.); or Master of Science in Commerce (MS-Comm, MS-Com, MS-MComm, or MS-MCom) is a postgraduate master's degree focusing on commerce-, accounting-, business administration-, management- and economics-related subjects. Like the undergraduate Bachelor of Commerce, the degree is mainly offered in Commonwealth nations; it is also offered in Spain and some states in Latin America. It is also offered by some universities in the United States where it is much more related to the Master of Management and Master of Science in Management.

Structure

Common specializations

Accounting Actuarial science Business management Corporate governance Economics E-commerce External economic and commercial relations policy Finance / financial management Human resource management Information technology International commercial arbitration Trade law / International trade law Marketing Risk management Statistics Supply chain management

The Master of Commerce typically requires one or two years of full-time study. The curriculum is generally concentrated on one subject area, see aside, and emphasizes underlying theory. Relatedly, programs usually include a thesis component, and may be exclusively research based.

Given this structure, the MCom differs from other business and management degrees:

• Its concentration on one area distinguishes it from generalist degrees, such as the MBA. Some universities offer the MCom in general management, although this is more similar to the Master of Management than to the MBA; see also Master of Business.
• As compared to specialised degrees - such as the Master of Science in Finance or Master of Accounting - the MCom places more emphasis on theory; see also Master of Science in Management.
• The Master of Science in Commerce is offered by some universities in the United States, much more so related to the Master of Management and Master of Science in Management.

Admission to the MCom usually requires completion of a Bachelor of Commerce, or similar compatible degree; often, an Honours degree will be required. Depending on the degree focus, a related undergraduate major and / or a fairly strong quantitative background may also be a prerequisite. Some MCom programs admit students from science or engineering backgrounds - these programs usually require that students complete a bridging course, or undertake an extended program.

Post graduation

Based on specialisation, MCom graduates are typically employed in fields related to their degree foci, such as international commerce, financial services, marketing and project management; graduates also often work in general management and business consulting

In some cases, the institutional qualification program itself may, in fact, be offered as an MCom degree (e.g. the Australian Institute of Public Accountants formerly offered its IPA program as an MCom in Public Accounting prior to July, 2017.)

The MCom includes a research component and thus provides access to a doctorate; progressing from the MCom, a student can pursue a Doctor of Commerce (DCom), Doctor of Business Administration (DBA), or a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D) degree program.

See also

• Bachelor of Commerce
• Doctor of Commerce
• Master of Management
• Master of Science in Management
• Master of Business
• Business school
• Business education § Postgraduate education