Bachelor of Business
Undergraduate | CSU-BUS-DEG | 2024
A business degree with built-in employability skills
Start with an exploration of the key areas of business including accounting and economics. Then zoom in with a specialisation including marketing and HR management. Build your skills and your connections. Get ready to do business in the real world.
- Study method
- 100% online study with practicum placement
- Assessments
- 100% online
- Credit available
- Yes
- Duration
- 3 years full time or part time equivalent
- Total subjects
- 24
- Price from
- $48,960
- Available loans
- Australian Higher Education Loan Program (HELP)
- CSP available
- Yes
Bachelor of Business
About this degree
Real-world impact
The world of business has never been more dynamic. Global markets. Integrated tech. The need for sustainability. This business course puts you right at the cutting edge. You’ll undertake real-world assignments – for example, how would you devise a strategy to expand manufacturing into Japan, or market the reduction of single use plastics? You’ll study alongside researchers addressing today’s business challenges, from workplace wellness for paramedics to implementing the NDIS in regional Australia. And you’ll learn all about the role of big data in business.
Focus on your future
You’ll start by gaining a broad understanding of all major areas of business – everything from accounting to analytics, and that’s just the a’s – then in year two, you’ll choose a specialisation to suit your future career goals.
Connection to industry
Your connection with industry starts from your very first lecture. The course has been designed in consultation with industry representatives from across business sectors, from finance and health, to tourism and management. And you’ll get guest lectures from industry leaders, like Jane Hillsdon, manager of the award-winning Dragonfly marketing agency. You will have opportunities to make professional connections and build your résumé as you progress through your course via work placements in an industry area you’re interested in – anywhere across Australia or the world.
The business world needs innovators. People who can tackle tomorrow’s challenges, today. People like you. And with the Bachelor of Business from Charles Sturt University, you get the very best start to your business career. Broad, applied knowledge. Industry-aligned specialisations: Finance, HR Management, Management and Leadership, Marketing, Strategic Planning. Experience with employers. It’s all here.
You’re totally in control of your degree. Study full-time or part-time. Learn online or combine online and on-campus study (we call it blended learning). Choose to exit after year one or two – with a qualification – and return to complete your bachelor’s later, with credit. Plus, you’ll have the opportunity to gain real work experience through our paid internship program with IBM Australia.
Recommended study pattern
The course consist of 24 standard subjects (192 points). Each of the employability and work placement subjects consists of a 6-point subject and is complemented with a 2-point transferable subject which forms a standard 8-point subject.
Students must ensure that there are no more than 12 level one eight-point subjects in their degree (note: the combination of a BUS 6-point subject with an EMP 2-point subject equals one 8-point subject). The level of a subject is designated by the first digit in the subject code, eg ACC127 is a level one subject.
Students enrolled through the Charles Sturt University Study Centres may only have a limited selection of specialisations and minors to choose from.
Core Subjects
ACC127 Accounting and Financial Literacy
BUS114 Contemporary Employability and Learning (and one (1) Restricted Elective from Set A)
BUS223 Work Placement 1* (and one (1) Restricted Elective from Set B)
BUS385 Work Placement 2* (and one (1) Restricted Elective from Set C)
ECO130 Business Economics
HRM210 Human Resource Management
IKC101 Indigenous Australian Cultures, Histories and Contemporary Realities
LAW110 Business Law
MGT100 Organisations and Management
MKT110 Marketing Fundamentals
QBM100 Data Analytics for Business
Restricted Electives
One (1) Restricted Elective Set A (first year) from:
EMP103 Workplace Communication
OR
EMP105 Technology for the Connected Workplace
One (1) Restricted Elective Set B (second year) from:
EMP100 Building Resilience for the Workplace
OR
EMP109 Solving Problems with Critical Thinking
One (1) Restricted Elective Set C (third year) from:
EMP101 Building Emotional Intelligence
OR
EMP104 Design Thinking and Creativity
* Study Centre students complete the following subjects in place of BUS223 Work Placement 1 and BUS385 Work Placement 2:
BUS224 Employability and Professional Practice 1
BUS386 Employability and Professional Practice 2
* In very limited situations, Charles Sturt University's students who are unable to undertake a work placement may seek the Course Director's and the Sub Dean Workplace Learning's approval to substitute one or more of these subjects with an equivalent Employability and Professional Practice subject.
(Note: Students who wish to extend their work experience have the option to complete BUS387 Work Placement 3 as an Unrestricted Elective Subject.)
Specialisations
Finance
ECO220 Macroeconomic Analysis
FIN211 Financial Management
FIN221 Investments
FIN230 Financial Institutions and Markets
FIN331 Financial Planning
FIN350 Strategic Financial Management (Capstone**)
FIN370 Funds Management
LAW220 Business Organisations Law
Human Resource Management
HRM201 Workplace Relations in Australia
HRM310 Developing Human Resources
HRM320 Issues in Human Resource Management
HRM330 Strategic Human Resource Management (Capstone**)
MGT210 Organisational Behaviour
MGT320 Managing and Leading Change
MGT340 International Management
MGT367 Leadership Issues
Management and Leadership
MGT210 Organisational Behaviour
MGT245 Leading Yourself and Teams
MGT290 Project Management
MGT307 Applied Entrepreneurial Projects
MGT310 Operations Management
MGT320 Managing and Leading Change
MGT330 Business Strategy (Capstone**)
MGT340 International Management
Marketing
MKT211 Applied Social Media and Digital Marketing
MKT220 Consumer Behaviour
MKT230 Market Research
MKT241 Marketing in Action
MKT303 Social and Sustainability Marketing
MKT310 Integrated Marketing Communication
MKT340 Strategic Marketing Management (Capstone**)
MKT390 Managing Brands and Product Innovation
Strategic Planning
ACC201 Budgeting and Financing for Project Managers
BUS306 Business Scenario Solutions
MGT206 Fundamentals of Strategic Planning
MGT245 Leading Yourself and Teams
MGT290 Project Management
MGT310 Operations Management
MGT330 Business Strategy (Capstone**)
MGT360 Risk Management
**Capstone subject: recommended for completion in the final year of study or towards the end of the degree.
Unrestricted Elective Subjects
An unrestricted elective is any undergraduate (8-point) subject offered by Charles Sturt University provided prerequisites and enrolment restrictions have been met.
Students must choose five (5) unrestricted electives by completing:
• a minor (four [4] subjects) in another discipline area and one (1) unrestricted elective,
• five (5) unrestricted electives.
Minor
A minor is a prescribed set of subjects taken from a discipline other than the chosen specialisation.
For a minor – comprised of subjects either from within the Faculty of Business, Justice and Behavioural Sciences, or from another Faculty – students must take an established sequence of a set of four (4) subjects. A minor must include no more than two level 1 subjects and must include at least one level 3 subject. Students must ensure that they take the necessary prerequisites.
If a minor is chosen from those offered within the Faculty of Business, Justice and Behavioural Sciences, it must be in an area other than that of the specialisation studied. No more than one (1) subject can be counted towards a minor if it has already been undertaken as part of the core and/or the specialisation. A student cannot claim more than one (1) minor.
Minor Sequences from within the Faculty of Business, Justice and Behavioural Sciences
Accounting and Financial Management
ACC128 Financial Accounting and Reporting
ACC293 Management Accounting for Sustainable Decision Making
ACC393 Strategic Accounting for Enterprise Management
PLUS one (1) subject from the list below
ACC201 Budgeting and Financing for Project Managers
ACC240 Financial Management of Small Business
FIN211 Financial Management
Entrepreneurship
ACC201 Budgeting and Financing for Project Managers
MGT307 Applied Entrepreneurial Projects
PLUS two (2) subjects from the list below
ITC105 Communication and Information Management
MGT245 Leading Yourself and Teams
MGT290 Project Management
MKT211 Applied Social Media and Digital Marketing
BUS306 Business Scenario Solutions
MKT390 Managing Brands and Product Innovation
Finance
FIN211 Financial Management
FIN221 Investments
FIN230 Financial Institutions and Markets
FIN350 Strategic Financial Management
Human Resource Management
HRM330 Strategic Human Resource Management
PLUS three (3) subjects from the list below
HRM201 Workplace Relations in Australia
MGT210 Organisational Behaviour
HRM310 Developing Human Resources
HRM320 Issues in Human Resource Management
MGT320 Managing and Leading Change
MGT340 International Management
MGT367 Leadership Issues
Legal and Industrial Relations
LAW240 Industrial Law
PLUS three (3) subjects from the list below (at least one at level 3)
HRM201 Workplace Relations in Australia
LAW220 Business Organisations Law
LAW260 Administrative Law
LAW316 Dispute Resolution
LAW317 Mediation
LAW370 Law of Employment
IT Management
ITC114 Database Management Systems
ITC211 Systems Analysis and Design
ITC212 Internet Technologies
ITC314 Virtualisation Technologies
Management and Leadership
MGT245 Leading Yourself and Teams
MGT330 Business Strategy
PLUS two (2) subjects from the list below
MGT210 Organisational Behaviour
MGT220 eCommerce
MGT290 Project Management
MGT307 Applied Entrepreneurial Projects
MGT310 Operations Management
MGT320 Managing and Leading Change
MGT340 International Management
Marketing
MKT220 Consumer Behaviour
MKT340 Strategic Marketing Management
PLUS two (2) subjects from the list below
MGT220 eCommerce
MKT211 Applied Social Media and Digital Marketing
MKT230 Market Research
MKT241 Marketing in Action
MKT303 Social and Sustainability Marketing
MKT310 Integrated Marketing Communication
MKT390 Managing Brands and Product Innovation
Project Management
ACC201 Budgeting and Financing for Project Managers
MGT290 Project Management
OR
ITC218 ICT Project Management
PLUS two (2) subjects from the list below
MGT245 Leading Yourself and Teams
BUS306 Business Scenario Solutions
LAW316 Dispute Resolution
MGT320 Managing and Leading Change
MGT330 Business Strategy
MGT360 Risk Management
Psychology
PSY101 Foundations of Psychology 1
PSY102 Foundations of Psychology 2
PSY201 Research Methods in Psychology
PLUS one (1) subject from the list below:
PSY305 Psychology of Personality
PSY307 Cognition
Note: Students who have completed QBM100 Data Analytics for Business and MKT230 Marketing Research should not complete PSY201 Research Methods in Psychology but should select an alternative subject from PSY203 Social Psychology OR
PSY204 Psychological Testing OR the other level 3 subject.
Strategic Planning
MGT206 Fundamentals of Strategic Planning
PLUS three (3) subjects from the list below (at least one at level 3)
ACC201 Budgeting and Financing for Project Managers
MGT245 Leading Yourself and Teams
MGT290 Project Management
BUS306 Business Scenario Solutions
MGT310 Operations Management
MGT330 Business Strategy
MGT360 Risk Management
Minor Sequences from outside the Faculty of Business, Justice and Behavioural Sciences
Agribusiness
AGB165 Agribusiness Systems
AHT231 Agricultural Finance and Business Management
PLUS two (2) subjects from the list below (at least one at level 3)
AGB110 Agricultural Economics
AGR220 Extension
AGB310 Agricultural Marketing
AGB351 Commodity Trade and Pricing (AGB110 is assumed knowledge)
Design and Content Creation
COM135 Spotlight on Design and Design Content
DCC200 Design and Content Creation Perspectives 1
DCC201 Design and Content Creation Perspectives 2
COM330 Managing Business Relationships
Ethics and Social Responsibility
PHL202 Ethics
PHL302 Morals, Minds and Decision-Making
PLUS two (2) subjects from the list below:
PHL103 Human Nature and the Good Life
SOC102 Social Inequality
PHL209 Justice and Punishment
SOC308 Community Analysis
News and Media
COM134 Spotlight on News and Media
NAM200 News and Media Perspectives 1
NAM201 News and Media Perspectives 2
COM330 Managing Business Relationships
Strategic Communication
COM133 Spotlight on Strategic Communication
STC200 Strategic Communication Perspectives 1
STC201 Strategic Communication Perspectives 2
COM330 Managing Business Relationships
Sustainability
ENM163 Natural Resource Management
ENM308 Global Sustainable Development
PLUS two (2) subjects from the list below (no more than one at level 1):
ENM101 People in the Environment
GEO164 Earth System Processes
GEO204 Ecological Soils
GEO303 Climatology
MKT303 Social and Sustainability Marketing
Students enrolled at the Study Centres may have a restricted choice of specialisations and elective subjects
Award requirements
Bachelor of Business
To graduate students must satisfactorily complete 192 points.
Choose your subjects
Majors
After you have completed your first year, you'll choose the major that best suits your future career goals.
Finance
When you study finance as a major, you'll develop a broad range of skills that will enable you to make your mark in local, national or global companies. You will be work-ready in roles within business development, banking, finance, insurance and all levels of government.
Human Resource Management
From the strategic level to application in the workplace, this major builds your knowledge across all human resource management functions. You’ll master organisational behaviour, learn how to manage change effectively, and discover how to build resilience in your staff. The good news is, when you study human resource management in this degree, the major is accredited with the Australian Human Resource Institute (AHRI).
Management and Leadership
Study business management and leadership as a major and build the right skills to successfully lead and manage organisational units and whole organisations, as well as organisational change. You'll develop crucial soft skills for successfully working with and leading people, as well as hard skills to apply to strategy, international business, project and operations management, and entrepreneurial approaches that will stand you in good stead if you want to start your own business.
Marketing
You’ll learn essential marketing content – from understanding consumers and conducting market research, through launching product and service innovations, to formulating communication strategies to build long-term customer relationships and create value for customers, stakeholders and businesses. When you study marketing at Charles Sturt, you'll integrate contemporary topics such as digital and social media marketing, as well as social and sustainable marketing, into your learning.
Strategic Planning
Help define the direction of an organisation and make decisions to enable it to reach its goals. From planning and budgeting and operations management, to leading both people and processes, this major gives you the skills to create and deliver a business strategy to drive results, boost performance, and provide far-reaching benefits to any type of organisation.
Exit points
Associate Degree in Business [Exit point only]
To graduate students must satisfactorily complete 128 points.
Diploma of Business [Exit point only]
To graduate students must satisfactorily complete 64 points.
Charles Sturt University is Australia’s most experienced online uni, and has the country’s highest graduate employment rate. From agriculture, arts, healthcare and IT, to business, law, social work and teaching—you’ll get the latest skills in your field, and learn from academics who are connected to industry. Add in 24/7 IT support, scholarships and a vibrant student community, and you can take your next, or first, career step with confidence.
Learn more about CSU.
Explore CSU courses.
- QS Ranking 2024:
- 31
- Times Higher Education Ranking 2024:
- 37
How to apply
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Entry requirements
Successful completion of at least two Bachelor degree level subjects (or Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) equivalent) or higher in any discipline.
A completed High School Certificate (or equivalent) with an ATAR of at least 60 (including adjustment factors).
- A completed Vocational Education and Training (VET) Certificate III or higher, studied at a TAFE or Registered Training Organisation (RTO), or equivalent ; OR
- A completed Tertiary Preparation Certificate (TPC) or bridging program studied at a TAFE, Registered Training Organisation (RTO) or University, or equivalent ; OR
- Partial completion of a Vocational Education and Training (VET) Diploma, of at least 50% from a TAFE or Registered Training Organisation (RTO), or equivalent.
Work experience of at least two years full time equivalence duration with some elements of management or supervision demonstrated by a detailed resume.
OR
Special Tertiary Admissions Test (STAT) with an equivalent ranking to the currently listed ATAR.
Recognition of prior learning (RPL) and credit for current competencies may be granted to eligible applicants.
Study method requirements
Please note that the following subjects have a Workplace Learning component:
- BUS223 Work Placement 1
- BUS385 Work Placement 2
Career opportunities
When you graduate from your bachelor’s in business, you’re going to make your mark. Armed with the theory, practical skills and industry experience that employers need, you'll be ready to make businesses more successful. More sustainable. More innovative.
Help grow an organisation
With your well-honed decision-making, problem-solving and communication skills, you could add value across any professional area, from operations and analysis, to sales and finance.
Influence the market
Specialise in marketing and you could shape brand identities, redefine how consumers feel about a product, develop innovative digital marketing campaigns and build mutually beneficial customer relationships.
Help people flourish in their work
Combine leadership, people, technical and organisational skills to support and advise businesses on human resource management and/or industrial relations.
Career outlook
- Advertising, Public Relations and Sales Managers:
- Over $120K
- Finance Managers:
- Over $120K
- Human Resource Professionals:
- $75K to $93K
- Management Consultants:
- $93K to $120K