Master of Commerce (MComm or MCom; sometimes Magister Commercii) is a postgraduate Masters Degree focusing on commerce-, management- and economics-related subjects. Like the undergraduate Bachelor of Commerce, the degree is offered in Commonwealth nations.
Structure
The Master of Commerce typically requires one year of full-time study. The curriculum is usually concentrated on one subject area — such as accounting, economics, statistics, finance or marketing — and emphasises underlying theory. Relatedly, programs usually include a thesis component, or may even be exclusively research based.
Given this structure, the MComm differs from other business and management degrees:
Its concentration on one area distinguishes it from generalist degrees, such as the MBA; Some universities offer the MComm in general management, although this is more similar to the Master of Management than to the MBA.
As compared to specialised Professional degrees - such as the Master of Science in Finance or Master of Accounting - the MComm places more emphasis on theory, although sometimes less on practice; generally, though, there is a close correspondence between these degrees and the related MComm; see also Master of Science in Management.
Admission is usually on the basis of an existing Bachelor's, or similar compatible, degree, generally the Bachelor of Commerce; often, an "Honours degree" 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 programs admit students from non-business backgrounds such as liberal arts, engineering, or the sciences - these programs usually require that students complete a bridging course.
Post Graduation
Based on specialisation, graduates are typically employed in fields related to their degree focus, such as financial services, marketing and project management; graduates also often work in general management and business consulting.
The Master of Commerce includes a research component and thus provides access to a doctorate; progressing from the Master of Commerce, a student can pursue a Doctor of Commerce (D.Comm), Doctor of Business Administration (DBA), or a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D) degree program.