DESCRIPTION AND PROGRAMME PURPOSE

Regulation is one of the primary concerns of businesses and is rapidly increasing worldwide. Consequently, it affects many industries, especially the financial services industry, partly as a result of the 2008 global financial crisis, but also in an effort to protect individuals from losing money. In this landscape, risks in organisations need to be managed proficiently, and policies and procedures, laws and regulations need to be
taken seriously.

It is for this reason that companies need to employ individuals who can effectively navigate the compliance environment and operate with a solid understanding of risk management, to ensure that these areas complement the overall strategy of the organisation. Compliance and risk management should be approached in an integrated way so that the organisation can be effectively managed and thereby achieve its goals.

The purpose of the Bachelor of Commerce (BCom) degree is to provide a broad but solid educational foundation to students in the field of commerce, including various key discipline areas such as business management, accounting and law. The qualification has been designed to provide the knowledge base, practical competence and application skills that will enable students to either enter the labour market or to pursue further studies in this field. 

This BCom major is suitable for students who are planning to work in the financial services industry; however, many of the modules are generic, so the qualification is also applicable to other industries.

The BCom degree appears on the Financial Sector Conduct Authority’s (FSCA) list of recognised qualifications for FAIS Fit and Proper purposes.

WHO SHOULD ENROL

The programme would be suitable for: 

• an employed person who wants to enhance his or her knowledge of the core areas of competence related to compliance and risk management.
• a person employed in a junior position in the financial services industry who might want to move into the compliance and risk management area as a career move.
• a person who wants to gain the relevant specialised knowledge in the areas of compliance, law, fraud detection and examination, as well as risk management and related fields required to pursue a career in that field.
• a person wanting to complete a degree which appears on the Financial Sector Conduct Authority’s (FSCA) list of recognised qualifications for FAIS Fit and Proper purposes.

PROGRAMME OUTCOMES

Successful completion of this qualification should enable the student to:

1. Demonstrate awareness of the management and leadership competences necessary to operate in the local or international business environment.
2. Demonstrate awareness of the essential components of an effective operations strategy in a business environment.
3. Demonstrate awareness of essential economic theory and its managerial and business implications.
4. Conduct business research with appropriate supervision in a business environment.

Kindly note that there is an overview factsheet available that provides information on all the different BCom majors offered by Milpark.

PROGRAMME STRUCTURE

MAJOR: COMPLIANCE AND RISK MANAGEMENT: 401 OR 406 CREDITS

In the table below, the "Year 1, Year 2, and Year 3" columns correspond with the complexity of the coursework and progression of the academic levels. These labels align with international BCom standards. The columns do not represent the time it takes for a student to complete the qualification at Milpark. Students have a minimum of four (4) years, and a maximum of nine (9) years, to complete the qualification. This allows for flexibility on the learning journey, at a pace that enables students the best possible opportunity for successful outcomes. 

The admission criteria for the Bachelor in Commerce degree are as follows: 

If the candidate matriculated in 2007 or earlier

Candidates who matriculated in 2007 or earlier require:

1. A Senior Certificate with matriculation endorsement/exemption for degree studies. Candidates who have a
Senior Certificate but who do not meet the matriculation endorsement/exemption requirements stated above, may apply to Universities South Africa (USAF), for mature ageexemption (https://mb.usaf.ac.za/).and

2. A symbol of E or higher for Mathematics on HG, or a symbol of D or higher for Mathematics on SG. Candidates who do not meet the Mathematics requirement may be offered admission on condition that they successfully complete the BCom bridging programme, if they have achieved at least a symbol of E on HG or a C on SG in any two of the following subjects:

• Economics
• Business Economics
• Accounting
• Physical Science or Physics/Chemistry
• Natural Science or Biology.

If the candidate matriculated in 2008 or later

Candidates who matriculated in 2008 or later require:

1. A National Senior Certificate (NSC) with a minimum of 50% in four NSC 20-credit subjects, including English as the language of instruction at Milpark Education, as certified by Umalusi. Candidates who have a National Senior Certificate (NSC) but who do not meet the matriculation endorsement/exemption requirements stated above, may apply to Universities South Africa (USAF), for mature age exemption (https://mb.usaf.ac.za/). and

2. A minimum mark of 50% for Mathematics or 70% for Mathematics Literacy. Candidates who do not meet the Mathematics requirement but who have achieved a minimum mark of 50% or higher in any two of the following subjects may be offered admission on condition that they successfully complete the bridging programme:

• Economics
• Business Economics
• Accounting
• Physical Science or Physics/Chemistry
• Natural Science or Biology.

Candidates who have completed a relevant Higher Certificate (NQF 5) or Diploma (NQF 6) in the field of business or commerce, may also be admitted to the BCom degree.

Other certificates

Any applicant who has a certificate other than a South African National Senior Certificate has to provide:

• a SAQA Certificate of Equivalence, if they want to enrol for a Higher Certificate, Advanced Certificate, Diploma or Postgraduate qualification (www.saqa.org.za)
• or a USAF Exemption Certificate, if they want to enrol for a Bachelor’s degree (https://mb.usaf.ac.za/).

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) applications

Milpark admits a small number of students onto its programme via Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL). Applicants interested in applying via RPL will be considered individually by the relevant Dean.

Downloads 

Information Pack

Undergraduate Prospectus

Fees & Funding

Textbooks

Timetable