Program structure
The Peter B. Gustavson School of Business offers Year 1 admission to high school students and Year 2 and Year 3 admission to UVic students and college/university transfer students who demonstrate a high level of academic achievement and other qualitative considerations such as leadership, school and community involvement, participation in extra-curricular activities, and work experience and career aspirations.
All students admitted to the Gustavson Bachelor of Commerce (BCom) program must complete two years or pre-commerce required and elective courses prior to commencing the BCom program core.
Year 1 & 2 Students
You must complete the pre-commerce required courses as well as a variety of elective courses prior to commencing the BCom program core. For most students, this means that the first time you will encounter a commerce course is in your third year.
It's a good idea to take an Introduction to Business course (Com 100) as part of your pre-commerce studies. Your program of study should also include 15 non-business courses from a variety of disciplines, such as humanities, science, social science, etc.
These courses provide the foundation from which you will build and develop your business knowledge. Your courses can include economics, politics, history, geography, biology, math, sociology, language, theatre, music, philosophy and English courses. If you are considering specializing in international business you must complete 3.0 units of a language during your pre-commerce studies.
For additional admissions and course information visit the Admissions page.
Year 3 & 4
Once you are registered in the BCom program core, generally in your third year, you will complete one year of core courses (marketing, financial accounting, managerial accounting, management finance, organizational behaviour and design, management of employee relations, management of information systems, operations management, business and sustainability and career skills).
These courses are delivered in a cohort format, giving you not only a solid business education, but also an opportunity to work closely with your classmates and develop strong teamwork skills.
In fourth year, you complete an area of specialization along with a term of commerce elective course work. Specializations:
If you are interested in participating in the International Exchange program, you have the opportunity to study abroad for up to four or eight months (academic term + co-op work term) during your fourth year.
BCom has a mandatory co-op program in which you complete three semesters of paid work experience to satisfy the BCom degree requirements.
Attend a BCom information session for more information.
