Bachelor of Commerce
at Swinburne University of Technology, Victoria.
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 Swinburne University of Technology 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 | VTAC |
| 2023 | ATAR cutoff not published | VTAC |
| 2022 | ATAR cutoff not published | VTAC |
No verified cutoffs are available. Confirm the latest figure on the official VTAC 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 subject. Most students also take an arts or science breadth subject. Second year specialises into major streams such as accounting, finance, economics, actuarial studies, management, marketing, business analytics or international business. Quantitative content steps up, especially in finance and actuarial subjects. Swinburne runs case studies with the Big Four accounting firms and major investment banks. Third year is the capstone year with advanced major subjects, an industry consulting project and a research or applied finance project. Students target graduate programmes at the Big Four (Deloitte, PwC, EY, KPMG), the big four banks and ASX-listed companies. Many complete CPA-accredited accounting majors or CFA-aligned finance majors.
Example first-year subjects
- Financial Accounting
- Microeconomics 1
- Macroeconomics 1
- Business Finance
- Quantitative Methods for Business
- Marketing Fundamentals
How you will be assessed
- Final exams worth 50 to 70 per cent in foundation accounting and economics subjects
- Individual problem sets and quantitative assignments
- Group case-study reports and presentations
- Capstone consulting or applied finance project
- Mid-semester tests every three to six weeks
- CFA-style mock investment reports in finance majors
Placement and industry experience
Swinburne offers the Professional Degree option in commerce which adds a 12-month paid industry placement to the standard three-year programme. Placements are commonly with mid-tier accounting firms, banking back office, fintech start-ups and the finance functions of large employers. Students complete a workplace project, a reflective report and an industry-supervisor assessment. The Swinburne Professional Degree in Commerce embeds a paid 12-month placement; at RMIT and Deakin placements are mostly unpaid.
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
- Investment banking or commercial banking analyst
- Financial planner or wealth-management analyst
- Management or strategy consultant
- Corporate finance or treasury analyst
- Actuarial analyst (with actuarial major)
- Data or business analyst in ASX-listed companies
Graduate starting salary
$65,000 - $85,000 per year
Source: https://www.qilt.edu.au/surveys/graduate-outcomes-survey-(gos). Last reviewed 2026-05-21.
After graduation
Most graduates head directly into graduate programmes at chartered accounting firms, banks or consultancies and complete CPA, CA or CFA qualifications on the job. Postgrad options include the Master of Finance, Master of Applied Econometrics, MBA (after a few years' work), Master of Actuarial Studies and the JD for those who want a finance-law track. Honours is available for top students aiming at research, central banks or top-tier strategy consulting.
Is this the right degree for you?
You probably thrive here if
- Students who liked methods or specialist maths and economics in VCE
- People targeting Big Four accounting or investment banking graduate roles
- Numerate students comfortable with spreadsheets and modelling
- Strong communicators who can pitch numbers to non-finance audiences
- Self-starters who network at industry events and case competitions
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 who want a fully online learning experience
Related courses at Swinburne
Sources
Course details are summarised by ExamExplained, not copied from the university. Confirm course content and ATAR cutoffs on the Swinburne University of Technology handbook and on VTAC before applying. Page generated at https://examexplained.com.au/uni/swinburne/bachelor-of-commerce.