A Master of Commerce (MCom or M Com) is a postgraduate degree designed to provide knowledge in

commerce Commerce is the organized Complex system, system of activities, functions, procedures and institutions that directly or indirectly contribute to the smooth, unhindered large-scale exchange (distribution through Financial transaction, transactiona ...

accounting Accounting, also known as accountancy, is the process of recording and processing information about economic entity, economic entities, such as businesses and corporations. Accounting measures the results of an organization's economic activit ...

mathematics Mathematics is a field of study that discovers and organizes methods, Mathematical theory, theories and theorems that are developed and Mathematical proof, proved for the needs of empirical sciences and mathematics itself. There are many ar ...

economics Economics () is a behavioral science that studies the Production (economics), production, distribution (economics), distribution, and Consumption (economics), consumption of goods and services. Economics focuses on the behaviour and interac ...

, and

management Management (or managing) is the administration of organizations, whether businesses, nonprofit organizations, or a Government agency, government bodies through business administration, Nonprofit studies, nonprofit management, or the political s ...

-related subjects. Like the undergraduate

Bachelor of Commerce A Bachelor of Commerce (BCom or B Com) is an undergraduate degree in commerce, accounting, mathematics, economics, and management-related subjects. The degree is mainly offered in Commonwealth nations. Structure Bachelor of Commerce The Bac ...

, the degree is mainly offered in

Commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the 15th century. Originally a phrase (the common-wealth ...

nations, as well as

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

and several

Latin America Latin America is the cultural region of the Americas where Romance languages are predominantly spoken, primarily Spanish language, Spanish and Portuguese language, Portuguese. Latin America is defined according to cultural identity, not geogr ...

n states.

Structure

The Master of Commerce typically requires one or two years of full-time study. The

curriculum In education, a curriculum (; : curriculums or curricula ) is the totality of student experiences that occur in an educational process. The term often refers specifically to a planned sequence of instruction, or to a view of the student's experi ...

is generally concentrated on one subject area, see aside, and emphasizes underlying

theory A theory is a systematic and rational form of abstract thinking about a phenomenon, or the conclusions derived from such thinking. It involves contemplative and logical reasoning, often supported by processes such as observation, experimentation, ...

. Relatedly, programs usually include a

thesis A thesis (: theses), or dissertation (abbreviated diss.), is a document submitted in support of candidature for an academic degree or professional qualification presenting the author's research and findings.International Standard ISO 7144: D ...

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 A Master of Business Administration (MBA) is a professional degree focused on business administration. The core courses in an MBA program cover various areas of business administration; elective courses may allow further study in a particular a ...

. Some universities offer the MCom in

general management A general manager (GM) is an executive who has overall responsibility for managing both the revenue and cost elements of a company's income statement, known as profit & loss (P&L) responsibility. A general manager usually oversees most or all of t ...

, although this is more similar to the

Master of Management The Master of Management (MM, MiM, MMgt) is a master's degree comprising one or two years graduate level coursework in business management. In terms of content, it is similar to the Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree as it contain ...

than to the MBA; see also

Master of Business A Master of Business (MBus), Master of Business Science (MBSc), or Master of Business Studies (MBS) is a postgraduate academic degree. It refers to a qualification in the degree of master that can be obtained by students of recognized universitie ...

. *As compared to specialised degrees - such as the

Master of Science in Finance Master, master's or masters may refer to: Ranks or titles In education: *Master (college), head of a college *Master's degree, a postgraduate or sometimes undergraduate degree in the specified discipline * Schoolmaster or master, presiding offic ...

Master of Accounting The Master of Accountancy (MAcc, MAcy, or MAccy), alternatively Master of Science in Accounting (MSA or MSAcy) or Master of Professional Accountancy (MPAcy, MPAcc, MPA or MPAc), is a graduate professional degree designed to prepare students for pu ...

- the MCom places more emphasis on theory; see also

Master of Science in Management A Master of Science in Management (abbreviated as MS Management or MSM) is a professional degree with a focus on management. In terms of content, it is similar to the Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree as it contains identical managem ...

. Admission to the MCom usually requires completion of a

, or similar compatible degree; often, an

Honours degree Honours degree has various meanings in the context of different degrees and education systems. Most commonly it refers to a variant of the undergraduate bachelor's degree containing a larger volume of material or a higher standard of study, ...

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 Engineering is the practice of using natural science, mathematics, and the engineering design process to Problem solving#Engineering, solve problems within technology, increase efficiency and productivity, and improve Systems engineering, s ...

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, project management, general management and

business consulting A business consultant (from Latin ''consultare'', "to discuss") is a professional who provides professional or expert advice or service in a particular area such as security ( electronic or physical), management, accountancy, law, human resource ...

. Programs are sometimes structured such that graduates are eligible for membership of various

professional bodies A professional association (also called a professional body, professional organization, or professional society) is a group that usually seeks to further a particular profession, the interests of individuals and organisations engaged in that prof ...

institutes An institute is an organizational body created for a certain purpose. They are often research organisations ( research institutes) created to do research on specific topics, or can also be a professional body. In some countries, institutes ...

. 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 The Institute of Public Accountants (IPA) is one of the three legally recognised professional association, professional bodies for accountants in Australia. The IPA represents more than 25,000 voting members working in industry, commerce, gove ...

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 A doctorate (from Latin ''doctor'', meaning "teacher") or doctoral degree is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism '' licentia docendi'' ("licence to teach ...

; progressing from the MCom, a student can pursue a

Doctor of Commerce Doctor, Doctors, The Doctor or The Doctors may refer to: Titles and occupations * Physician, a medical practitioner * Doctor (title), an academic title for the holder of a doctoral-level degree ** Doctorate ** List of doctoral degrees awarded b ...

(DCom),

Doctor of Business Administration The Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) is a terminal degree in business administration. The DBA is classified as a research doctorate or professional doctorate depending on the granting university and country where the degree was awarded. ...

(DBA), or a

Doctor of Philosophy A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, DPhil; or ) is a terminal degree that usually denotes the highest level of academic achievement in a given discipline and is awarded following a course of Postgraduate education, graduate study and original resear ...

(Ph.D.) degree program.

References

{{Academic degrees Commerce, Master Business qualifications Management education

Structure

Post graduation

See also

References