MCom welcome

Kia ora, Welcome to the University of Auckland Master of Commerce programme! Here are some tips to help you settle into postgraduate study at the Business School

Application and admission

• When applying to any new programme, please submit your application as early as possible.
• Ensure all your documents are up-to-date official versions before submitting your application.
• Once you have accepted an offer of place, and your application has been matriculated, then you may enrol into your courses.
 

Programme requirement and structure – MCom Taught

• All courses must total at least 180 points to complete the degree – i.e. eight 15-point courses and one 60-point course.
• You may not exceed 220 points for your programme enrolment.
• You must achieve a Grade Point Average (GPA) of 5.0 or higher in the first 60 points of taught courses.
• If this GPA is not achieved, enrolment in the Master of Commerce cannot continue.
• The course requirements of your major can be found here: Master of Commerce Regulations
• You must complete the Academic Integrity Course as specified in the Enrolment and Programme Regulations
 

Programme requirement and structure – MCom Thesis

• MCom Thesis students are required to enrol in two 60-point A and B courses.
• You must complete the Academic Integrity Course as specified in the Enrolment and Programme Regulations
 

Time limit for completion

• MCom Thesis:
     o Full time (60 points a semester): 2 semesters
     o Part-time (30 points a semester): 4 semesters
• MCom Taught
    o Full-time (60 points a semester): 3 semesters
    o Part-time (30 points a semester): 6 semesters
 

Research dissertation enrolment

• During the final semester of study, all MCom Taught students are required to enrol into a 60-point dissertation course.
• The dissertation will be around 15,000 to 20,000 words and is supervised by an academic staff member.
• Before you begin, you will outline your dissertation in a research proposal.
• The research proposal must be submitted to the Postgraduate Advisor of your department.
• Once your research proposal and supervisor have been approved, you must submit the Application for Enrolment - Dissertation and Thesis form to finalise enrolment.
 

Finding a supervisor

• Do not wait until your final semester to find a supervisor – you can start this process once you have an idea of general research topic.
• Find a supervisor using the name of your department as a keyword here
• Otherwise, contact the Postgraduate Advisor in your department who will identify potential supervisors with expertise in your research topic.
• For the Postgraduate Advisor contact of each Department, visit Thesis and dissertation enrolment
 

Research submission deadline

• The submission date for a 60-point dissertation is the last day of the final term of your programme enrolment (usually the very last day of semester/exams).
• The submission dates for a 120-point thesis depend on the start date and final semester of enrolment. For example, if your start date is Semester One and final semester of enrolment is Semester Two, the submission date will be 28 February of the following year.
• For further reference, see table 2 of General Regulations – Masters Degrees
 

Submission details

• Instructions will be sent to you before the submission date.
• A digital copy of your research project should be submitted to BE-pgr@auckland.ac.nz
• For further information, refer to Guide to the Presentation and Submission of Research Components in Sub-Doctoral Qualifications
 

Extension

• Enrolment in a 60-point dissertation has a maximum extension period of two months.
• Enrolment in a 120-point thesis has a maximum extension period of four months.
• Tuition fees are charged at the rate of 5 points per each month.
• The AS-503 Application for Extension of Time for Submission of Postgraduate Research Component form needs to be submitted online with the following:
1. Cover letter
2. Supporting evidence such as a medical certificate
3. Written support statement from your supervisor (an email screenshot is fine if it contains a clear statement of support)
4. Project timeline until completion
 

Suspension – exceptional circumstances only

• On the recommendation of your supervisor, a period of suspension from enrolment not exceeding one year can be approved by the Associate Dean Postgraduate Research (ADPGR).
• The AS-502 Application for Suspension from Enrolment form needs to be submitted online with the following:
1. Cover letter
2. Supporting evidence such as a medical certificate
 

Postgraduate research grants

• Research grants up to $1500 are available to assist Honours and Master’s students with funding their primary research.
• Applications can be made any time between 1 March and 31 October.
• Only one application can be made per programme.
• Supervisors will need to submit the application for you.
• Forms can be acquired from your respective department specialization leads.
 

Campus Card access

• To gain OGGB access, complete and upload the BCom(Hons) and MCom Access form
• Access may take up to 7 business days to be activated.
• Enrol into courses for both semesters as access expiry is linked to your enrolment.
• For any access-related issues, contact BE-pgr@auckland.ac.nz
 

Accommodation

• The University of Auckland offers self-catered accommodation situated within a walking distance of 7-15 minutes from campus.
• Options range from studio to three-bedroom family apartments.
• You will need to apply early to ensure you don’t miss out: Accommodation Portal
• A cost-effective alternative is to rent a room in a Central Auckland shared flat/house. See Flatmates wanted | Trade Me Marketplace
 

Sport and recreation

• Enrich your student experience and join one of the many Clubs, societies and associations
• The UoA gym is one of the best and cheapest around and has many Student membership options
• Don’t forget to check out the many outlets for Food and drink on campus
 

Counselling

• Balancing the demands of student life is challenging.
• Talk about any problem you are facing.
Contact University Health and Counselling Service
• Access the free, external, online counselling service, Puāwaitanga
     o Appointments available between 9am-9pm, seven days a week.
     o Input your UoA student ID to book.
 

Health and Safety

• In an emergency, dial 111
• Then let Security know about the incident on: 0800 373 755
• Lodge a Health and Safety incident report: Reporting Health and Safety Incidents and Injuries - The University of Auckland
 

If you have any questions related to your programme, please get in contact with the Business Sub-Doctoral Research Coordinator via BE-pgr@auckland.ac.nz