Bachelor of Commerce
at The University of Adelaide, South Australia.
A professional business degree covering accounting, finance, economics, marketing and management. Most providers offer CPA-accredited majors and a placement year.
ATAR cutoff history
Published cutoff data for the The University of Adelaide Bachelor of Commerce. We never invent figures; entries marked "not published" mean the university or admissions centre has not released a verified cutoff for that intake.
| Intake year | ATAR cutoff | Admissions centre |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | ATAR cutoff not published | SATAC |
| 2023 | ATAR cutoff not published | SATAC |
| 2022 | ATAR cutoff not published | SATAC |
No verified cutoffs are available. Confirm the latest figure on the official SATAC cutoff release.
Prerequisite Year 12 subjects
Brush up on each prerequisite with our state-syllabus explainers and dot points.
What you will study
First year covers the commerce core: financial accounting, microeconomics, macroeconomics, business finance, business statistics and an introductory management or marketing course. The math-advanced prerequisite reflects the quantitative load in finance and accounting. Second year specialises into a major such as accounting, corporate finance, economics, management or marketing. Quantitative content steps up, especially in finance, with spreadsheet modelling, valuation and management-accounting courses. Adelaide builds in case work tied to professional accreditation so graduates can claim recognition toward CPA Australia and Chartered Accountants ANZ. Third year is the capstone year on the North Terrace campus, with advanced major courses, an applied finance or consulting project and accounting integration. Students target graduate programs at the Big Four (Deloitte, PwC, EY, KPMG), the major banks and SA corporate finance teams, often completing a CPA-accredited accounting major.
Example first-year subjects
- Financial Accounting
- Principles of Microeconomics
- Principles of Macroeconomics
- Business Finance
- Quantitative Methods for Business
- Marketing Principles
How you will be assessed
- Final exams worth 50 to 70 per cent in foundation accounting and economics courses
- Individual problem sets and quantitative assignments
- Group case-study reports and presentations
- Capstone applied finance or consulting project
- Mid-semester tests every three to six weeks
- Spreadsheet modelling and valuation exercises in finance majors
Career outcomes
- Graduates enter chartered accounting, audit and tax roles at the Big Four firms and mid-tier accounting practices.
- Common destinations include commercial banking, investment banking analyst programmes and financial planning practices.
- Many alumni move into corporate strategy, management consulting and finance functions within ASX-listed companies.
Professional accreditation
- CPA Australia
- Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand
Typical first jobs
- Big Four graduate auditor or tax consultant
- Commercial or investment banking analyst
- Financial planner or wealth-management analyst
- Management or strategy consultant
- Corporate finance or treasury analyst
- Management accountant in an SA corporate or government body
- Business or data analyst
Graduate starting salary
$58,000 - $70,000 per year
Source: https://www.qilt.edu.au/surveys/graduate-outcomes-survey-(gos). Last reviewed 2026-05-24.
After graduation
Most graduates enter graduate programs at chartered accounting firms, banks or consultancies and complete CPA, CA or CFA qualifications on the job. Postgraduate options include the Master of Finance, the Master of Professional Accounting (for those changing majors), the MBA after some work experience and the Juris Doctor for a finance-law track. Honours is available for top students aiming at research, central banks or strategy consulting.
Is this the right degree for you?
You probably thrive here if
- Students who did well in advanced or methods maths and economics
- People targeting Big Four accounting or banking graduate roles
- Numerate students comfortable with spreadsheets and modelling
- Strong communicators who can present numbers to non-finance audiences
- Self-starters who network at case competitions and industry events
It is probably not for you if
- Students who dislike maths and final exams
- People wanting purely creative or studio-based study
- Those who prefer humanities-style essay writing
- Students seeking a broad, non-quantitative business degree (consider Business)
Related courses at Adelaide
Sources
Course details are summarised by ExamExplained, not copied from the university. Confirm course content and ATAR cutoffs on the The University of Adelaide handbook and on SATAC before applying. Page generated at https://examexplained.com.au/uni/adelaide/bachelor-of-commerce.