• To equip students with the necessary skills that will enable them to meet the requirements of the job market in Accounting and Finance Sectors.
• To provide intellectual guidance and motivation, particularly to those students who wish to pursue graduate studies in Accounting and Finance and those who will seek professional studies after completion of their first degree.

PROGRAMME-STRUCTURE-commerce-accounting-2023.pdf

COURSE-SYNOPSES-commerce-2023.pdf

Proposed-Programme-Structure.pdf

Graduates from the BCom Accounting and Finance, Management and Marketing programme can be employed by firms in both the private and public sector that seek skills in accounting and finance, management and marketing in order for their organisations to operate effectively and efficiently. The following job titles are positions that can be held by graduates who hold the above qualification.

ACCOUNTING & FINANCE               MARKETING                          MANAGEMENT

Accountants (general)                         Marketing Manager                 Information Planner

Auditor                                               Public Relations Officer            Human Resources Manager

Financial Manager                               Purchasing Officer                    Industrial Relations Officer

Management Accountant                    Retail/Wholesale Manager      Training Manager

Tax Accountant                                     Sales Manager                         Salary Administrator

Fraud Risk Officer                                 Brand Manager                       Purchasing Manager   

Compliance Officer                               Brand Ambassador                 Payroll Officer

Treasury Assistant

Loan Officer

Consumer Loan Processor

When the Faculty of Commerce was established in 1990, a strong emphasis was placed on professional education and training. One of the objectives established by the Faculty was to “expose students to practical experiences that would enable them to understand the theoretical approaches to business”. Based on this objective, special attention has been given to equipping students to operate effectively in the modem work environment. In designing the curricula to encompass the above aim, a logical component is the “off campus” work experience. One of the main purposes of this experience is to assist the students to integrate theory and practice.

Special care has been taken to base the internship on cooperative, experiential training where students can attain skills and the application of practical knowledge from a diverse group of companies. The practical experiences will augment classroom learning. Furthermore, the experience gives both the employer and the intern an opportunity to evaluate each other.

The work-experience period entails placing the student with an approved host organisation for a period of eight (8) weeks in their field of specialisation. During this period of placement, students will acquire professional experience that will enable them to broaden their knowledge and understanding of organisations.

Goals of Work Based Learning

The Work Based Learning (internship) Programme has the following goals:

• To supplement the classroom experience by providing real work experience for students that will enable them to gain self-confidence,
• To improve students’ opportunity to secure permanent employment after graduation and to enable them to fit comfortably in the economy;
• To assist students in developing meaningful career plans;
• To build a healthy and cooperative relationship among the Faculty, the business community and the public sector;
• To provide the Federation of Employers, the Chambers of Commerce, and host organisations with a pool of potential employees.

Responsibilities

1. The responsibilities of the host organisations are as follows.

• To provide the intern with a closely supervised, professional experience that will

supplement classroom learning.

• To familiarise the intern with as many relevant areas of the organisation as possible

through job rotation;

• To adequately compensate the intern based on his/her qualifications and responsibilities;
• To submit an assessment report to the Department concerned about the performance of

the intern.

1. The interns must be responsible for completing the training and performing their duties

       efficiently as prescribed by the organisation.

1. The Faculty Coordinator, if requested by the host organisation, will visit the organization to

identify and/or resolve problems if they arise, monitor the programme, and assess the progress of the intern. The Coordinator will give any assistance sought by the host’ organisation in connection with the internship programme.

Remuneration     

Students paid projects/internship allowance but employee may give something in return as a token of appreciation.  All interns are required to negotiate their remuneration from the host organizations at the time of interview. Neither the employer nor the Faculty will be responsible for providing accommodations or transport. Acceptance of the student as intern is not a guarantee for permanent employment by the host organisation.                                                                 

Report/Assessment                                            

Prior to beginning the internship training, students will be given detailed information about the project which they are expected to complete and present to the Faculty when the internship has been completed. The internship assessment by the host organisation and the evaluation of the project report will be described in the documents that students will receive just prior to beginning their training. On completion of their internship they have to prepare a comprehensive report that is assessed on their field attachment and the overall mark given for internship

EMPLOYABILITY

Employability is a notion that describes combination of attributes, competencies and skills needed to increase the likelihood of an individual to secure gainful employment (formal employment, self-employed, and/or entrepreneurs) after completing a programme of study or training; retaining that employment, and being able to move to other jobs (Common Wealth of Learning, 2019).

The Faculty of Commerce has deliberately highlighted employability as integral part to its education, as underscored by UNESWA’s mission and strategy in the Repacked Strategy of 2023. Employability has therefore been explicitly built into the Bachelor of Commerce degree programmes and other support activities of the university to enable graduates to thrive and lead in a competitive world of work and when they further their studies. The Faculty of Commerce has blended academic learning with the attainment of personal and professional development skills. It support students to make informed career choices, secure the type of employment, business start-up or further study they want, and achieve lasting career success as defined by the individual student. 

The faculty uses internship and other forms of work-based learning in a form of Case developments, case analysis, seminars, projects, special organisation visits like Eswatini Stock Exchange, plus other forms of work-based learning through special entrepreneurial activities.

In line with UNESWA’s Strategic Plan (2018-2022) and the Faculty of Commerce’s current Strategic Plan, the faculty through the Department of Business Administration is planning to introduce three new programmes in order to meet the national industry specific needs. The proposal is also informed by the desire to respond to emerging training needs and to effectively train specialists with the requisite competencies to operate and manage organizations in changing business contexts. Changes in business and management contexts have infiltrated every aspect of organizational life and as such it has become imperative that universities are responsive to the 21^st century business challenges.  As a result, the Faculty of Commerce, and specifically the Department of Business Administration seeks to introduce three (3) new Bachelor of Commerce programmes, and a revised marketing one. The new programmes are in;

1. Information Systems and Management
2. Operations and Supply Chain Management
3. Human Resources and Strategy
4. Marketing(revised)

This is in addition to the Accounting and Finance one.

It is the faculty’s conviction that the above proposed programmes will address local and worldwide growing demand for graduates with Information Systems and Management, Operations and Supply Chain and Human Resource and Strategy capable of ensuring that organizational performance is based on effective and efficient execution of task with specialist expertise to satisfy and answer the needs/wants of customers.

Programme Objectives

The Bachelor of Commerce (Information System and Management, Operations and Supply Chain Management, Human Resources and Business Strategy, and Marketing) programme is designed to equip prospective area specialists with the knowledge and skills needed to manage effective functioning of organizations. The key objectives of the programmes majors are:

1. Demonstrate core knowledge of theory, models and concepts relevant to Information Systems and Management, Operations and Supply Chain and Human Resource and Strategy.

2. Utilize technology (such as computers, information databases, and the WorldWideWeb) to facilitate and enhance information management, people management and purchasing processes.
3. Effectively communicate orally and in writing.

1. Critically analyse business and organizational issues in local, national and international contexts.
2. Use research tools to monitor evolving Information Systems and Management, Operations and Supply Chain and Human Resource and Strategy standards and practices and to maintain professional skills in a changing business environment.
3. Demonstrate responsible judgement in decision making in major areas of specialisation.
4. Work effectively with others on shared goals.