The BCom Program (What You Want to Know)

by · March 27, 2023

UVic is known for their Bachelor of Commerce program within the Peter B. Gustavson School of Business. The professors integrate content across different subjects which give students a holistic view into the practice of management.

The BCom program is set up to take students a minimum of 4 years to complete, but students have the flexibility to go at their own pace in order to be as successful as they can!

The first two years of the program give students a lot of freedom to take elective courses so they can discover what interests them most, and also ease into the University level and workload of courses before diving into only Business courses.

Students entering the program in September of 2023 will be required to take six courses in their first two years:

  • MATH 151 Finite Mathematics
  • STAT 252 Statistics for Business
  • COM 200 Strategy and Business Fundamentals 
  • ATWP 250 Genres of Business Communication 
  • ECON 103 Principles of Microeconomics
  • One of:
    • ENSH 146 Contemporary Literature
    • ENSH 147 Literary Traditions
    • ENSH 225 Technical Communications: Written and Verbal
    • ATWP 135 Academic Reading and Writing

These courses provide students with a basic introduction into Business terms and concepts, while they get to take 14 other electives during this time to explore their interests. To learn more about required courses in the first two years of a BCom degree program, it’s best to visit the webpage.

Me and my Gustavson classmates in a fun class activity during the COVID pandemic.

In the third year of the BCom program, students all take the same 10 courses:

  1. Professional Skills Development
  2. Financial Accounting
  3. Leading People and Organizations 1
  4. Operations Management
  5. Marketing Principles & Management   
  6. International Business                                    
  7. Management Accounting
  8. Leading People and Organizations 2
  9. Introduction to Management Information Systems
  10. Business and Sustainability

These foundational courses are key to learning Business at UVic, which is why students get no option to take electives this year. Instead, each semester students are in ONE class of 50 or so students and in small groups/teams within that class.

Through the whole semester (4 months) you complete most projects with your team which gives you the real-world experience of what it can be like in an office. Each semester consists of 5 courses, with the Professional Skills Development course being 8 months long and online only.

Another class activity – this time at the world famous Butchart Gardens.

In the fourth year of the BCom program, students can choose between “specializing” in:

  • International Business
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Service Management
  • Non-specialized option (usually chosen by students pursuing Accounting/Finance to take CPA courses)

I’m a BCom student finishing my fourth and final year at UVic, and I chose to take the Service Management specialization. I’m taking courses like Human Resource & Talent Management, Operations Management, Customer Experience Management, Strategic Management, and Legal Issues in Management.

I really enjoy going to class every day because we are learning such exciting and useful information that I can use in my future business career. I want to be a Project Manager or Operations Manager, so Service Management was the perfect choice for me.

The professors are highly knowledgeable, engaging, fun, respectful, honest, and give the students the best experience possible! We’ve gotten to do field trips, presentations, research in the field, interview business owners, and more. This has been my favourite year of the program!

In addition to all the classes you take, students must do 3 co-op work terms during their 4 years (or more) of the BCom program. These co-op work terms provide students with hands-on experience in the business field so that they can gain skills and experience before graduation. This helps students get hired right after graduation, or even before if the student puts in the effort!

I have no doubts that future Business students will enjoy their time at UVic and be successful!

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