Undergraduate study in Commercial Law

What can you study in Commercial Law?

You can major in Commercial Law in the Bachelor of Commerce (BCom), where you will take courses such as:

  • Law in a Business Environment
  • Commercial Contracts
  • Company Law
  • Taxation
  • Insolvency Law
  • Financial Markets Law
  • Employment Law

You can also study Commercial Law in the Bachelor of Laws (LLB), which includes courses in:

  • Commercial Law
  • Commercial Arbitration
  • Contract Law
  • Intellectual Property
  • Land Law
  • Law of Torts
  • Equity

How does the Commercial Law Major in the BCom work?

Stage I: In your first year of the BCom, you’ll complete six core Stage I courses. Five of these include essential introductions to Commercial Law, providing a solid foundation in the legal principles that underpin business.

Stage II: You’ll take two key Commercial Law courses: COMLAW 201: Commercial Contracts and COMLAW 203: Company Law. These interactive and practical courses explore how contracts are created and enforced, and how companies are structured and governed - critical knowledge for any aspiring business professional.

Stage III: In your final year, you’ll take COMLAW 316: Commercial Law in Context, a new anchor course launching in 2026. This course brings together everything you’ve learned so far and applies it to real-world business scenarios. You’ll also develop highly sought-after skills such as negotiation, presentation, debating, and managing challenging workplace conversations – all within a legal framework.

To complete your Commercial Law major, you’ll also choose two elective Stage III courses that align with your interests and career goals. Options include:

  • COMLAW 301 – Taxation 
  • COMLAW 303 – Insolvency Law 
  • COMLAW 305 – Financial Markets Law 
  • COMLAW 306 – Marketing Law 
  • COMLAW 314 – Employment Law 
  • COMLAW 320 – Innovation, Technology & the Law

This flexible structure allows you to shape your Commercial Law major in a way that’s both personally meaningful and professionally valuable.

Courses and electives

Which electives should I choose?

You can combine Commercial Law electives in ways that align with your interests and career goals, as shown in the examples below:

  • Interested in innovation and marketing? Take Marketing Law (COMLAW 306) and Innovation, Technology & the Law (COMLAW 320).
  • Focused on financial management? Choose Financial Markets Law (COMLAW 305) and Insolvency Law (COMLAW 303).
  • Want a versatile option? Employment Law (COMLAW 314) complements any elective, as managing people and workplace relationships is essential in every business.

If you need help choosing, email the Commercial Law Major Lead, Anna Hales, at for personalised advice.

Double-major options
The Commercial Law major is highly flexible and works well as part of a double-major with other BCom disciplines like:

  • Accounting
  • Finance
  • Marketing
  • Management
  • International Business
  • Information Systems
  • Economics

If you're not majoring in Commercial Law

You can still take Stage III Commercial Law courses (subject to prerequisites) as electives to enhance your main major as shown in the examples below:

  • Marketing majors could take Marketing Law (COMLAW 306) 
  • Management majors could take Employment Law (COMLAW 314) 
  • Accounting majors could take Taxation (COMLAW 301)

These electives add valuable legal insight to your degree without needing to complete a full additional major.

Explore the undergraduate courses you can take in Commercial Law

Where can undergraduate study in Commercial Law take you?

Foundation for legal studies

While a BCom in Commercial Law is not a qualifying law degree, it provides an excellent foundation for legal studies. At the University of Auckland Law School, you can undertake a Juris Doctor (JD) postgraduate degree, which is an approved pathway to legal admission in New Zealand. Your background in Commercial Law will give you a strong advantage in Law School, particularly in legal reasoning and commercial legislation.

Further study options

There are two postgraduate pathways available for those who would like to study further in the field of Commercial Law.

Explore careers in Commercial Law

Undergraduate programmes

Related subjects