Why study Commercial Law?

Commercial law study is crucial to all business careers, whether in accounting, finance, management, HR, marketing, property, or entrepreneurship. Commercial Law complements other business majors. Students can also choose undergraduate courses focused on specific areas of commercial law to complement their other major. For example:

• Accounting and Finance students can find it useful to study the law governing financial markets and investments.
• Management and International Business students can find it useful to learn about the law governing different types of business structures, employment, intellectual property and innovation, and international trade.
• Information Systems and Operations Management students can find it useful to learn about the law governing intellectual property and innovation.
• Marketing students can find it useful to learn about marketing law and intellectual property law.
• Property students can find it useful to learn about the law governing real and personal property and financial instruments.
• Economics students can find it useful to see how economic concepts shape law and regulation.

Commercial Law can also work well in a conjoint degrees combination or an elective with a Science or Engineering degree.

Studying commercial law will give you an array of skills that are valued highly in business. It will develop your analytical and critical thinking skills, improve your written communication skills, and help you to think strategically about business opportunities and business risks. If you want to meet some of our students and hear what they have to say about studying Commercial Law, visit our YouTube channel.

Commercial law study focuses on real-life, business-orientated problems. As law impacts on a vast range of business decisions, a wide range of courses are offered by the Department of Commercial Law. Areas that students can choose to explore include finance and property law, corporate law, employment law, marketing law, international trade law, intellectual property law, investment law, and taxation law.

Commercial law is useful for just about every business career. Our graduates have gone on to careers including:

• Partners in accounting firms.
• Financial, audit and management accountants.
• Chief executives and chief financial officers.
• Company directors.
• Company secretaries.
• Disputes resolution practitioners.
• Business and investment analysts and consultants.
• Policy advisers.
• IT and online consultants
• and HR, project and general managers.

You can study Commercial Law in the following programmes:

Bachelor of Commerce
The BCom offers Commercial Law as a single major or as a double major alongside one of the other majors offered within the BCom, although it is recommended that it is taken as a double major. You can also study the Bachelor of Commerce in Commercial Law as part of a conjoint degree programme where you study for two degrees at once. Note however that a conjoint BCom/LLB is not possible with this major.

Postgraduate Diploma in Commerce (PGDipCom)
This postgraduate diploma consists of one fulltime year of postgraduate coursework following the Bachelor of Commerce degree.

Bachelor of Commerce (Hons)
The BCom(Hons) in Commercial Law is one year of fulltime postgraduate study following the Bachelor of Commerce degree. Entry is based on superior grades in the subject area.

Master of Commerce (MCom)
The MCom degree is a two-year programme. The first year is coursework, which may also be taken as a bachelor honours, while the second year comprises a research thesis.

Master of Taxation Studies (MTaxS)
The MTaxS programme is designed for both law and commerce graduates who intend to make tax advocacy or tax consulting their career. The MTaxS can be completed in one year (fulltime) or up to four years (part-time).

Master of Legal Studies (MLS)
The PGDipCom and BCom(Hons) in Commercial Law are also pathways to the MLS. The MLS is a postgraduate legal qualification for non law graduates. Further information is available at the Faculty of Law web page.

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
The MCom and BCom(Hons) in Commercial Law, the MTaxS and MLS are all pathways to a PhD in Commercial Law.