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Combine the Bachelor of Arts with a Bachelor of Commerce or a Bachelor of Science  and expand your future career opportunities.

  • Four years of full-time study
  • Personalise your degree to suit your interests, strengths and career plans as you choose from hundreds of subject combinations

Today's workplaces demand a different kind of graduate. The ability to think critically, solve problems and work as a team could prove advantageous in your future career. Studying for a multidisciplinary degree demonstrates adaptability and resourcefulness – skills that many employers are seeking.

The Bachelor of Arts and Commerce (BACom)

The Bachelor of Arts and Commerce (BACom) is an exciting new degree that will enable you to combine your passion for arts and business in one degree.

What will the BACom give you?

The BACom will give you both a creative and a business background to work in arts and business professions, or related areas, such as consumer behaviour, ethics, international relations, leadership, and communication.

How long will the degree take?

  • It will normally take four years, although if you choose a higher workload you could complete in three and a half years
  • It takes less time than a double degree, so you'll be able to launch your career or go on to further study sooner

What your degree might look like

Choose two different majors from two study areas, one from Arts and one from Business. There are over 400 combinations of majors available. Here are some examples:

  • Communication Studies and Marketing
  • Geography and Economics
  • English and Human Resources Management
  • History and Tourism
  • Music and Management
  • Politics and Management
  • Philosophy, Politics and Economics and Finance

How is the degree structured?

Majors and papers

Each major usually consists of between nine and eleven papers.

The BACom requires papers worth 486 points (normally 27 x 18-point papers). This must include at least 216 points (normally 12 x 18-point papers) for papers from Arts and Music and at least 216 points (normally 12 x 18-point papers) for papers from Business.

Get course advice so you're on the right track from the start

If you're considering studying for a BACom talk to a Schools' Liaison Officer first. They can help you personalise your degree to suit your interests and goals and will ensure you're taking the correct number of papers to complete your qualification. Once you get to Otago course advice and planning is available as many times as you need throughout your time with us.

Find your Schools' Liaison Officer

Are you already at university?

If you are already at university, contact the course advisers on campus.

Talk to an adviser

Programme requirements and applying for a Bachelor of Arts and Commerce (BACom)

Read the programme requirements and apply for the degree

The Bachelor of Arts and Science (BASc)

The Bachelor of Arts and Science (BASc) is an exciting degree that will enable you to combine your passion for arts and science in one degree.

What will the BASc give you?

The BASc will give you scientific capabilities as well as knowledge of human history, how people think, and how societies function so that you are better able to engage in areas such as global health, security, food production and climate change.

How long will the degree take?

  • It will normally take four years, although if you choose a higher workload you could complete in three and a half years
  • It takes less time than a double degree, so you'll be able to launch your career or go on to further study sooner

What your degree might look like

Choose two different majors from two study areas, one from Arts and one from Science or Applied Sci. There are about 1500 combinations of major subjects available. Here are some examples:

  • History and Genetics
  • Music and Zoology
  • Communication Studies and Data Science
  • French and Energy Management
  • Linguistics and Neuroscience
  • Sociology and Consumer Food Science

How is the degree structured?

Majors and papers

Each major usually consists of between nine and eleven papers.

The BASc requires papers worth 486 points (usually 27 x 18-point papers). This must include at least 216 points (normally 12 x 18-point papers) for papers from Arts and Music and at least 216 points (normally 12 x 18-point papers) for papers from Science or Applied Science.

Get course advice so you're on the right track from the start

If you're considering studying for a BASc talk to a Schools' Liaison Officer first. They can help you personalise your degree to suit your interests and goals and will ensure you're taking the correct number of papers to complete your qualification. Once you get to Otago course advice and planning is available as many times as you need throughout your time with us.

Find your Schools' Liaison Officer

Are you already at university?

If you are already at university, contact the course advisers on campus.

Talk to an adviser

Programme requirements and applying for a Bachelor of Arts and Science (BASc)

Read the programme requirements and apply for the degree

What our students say

“I've enjoyed all my majors but especially love how interactive my Politics paper has been [...] and my Finance lecturers have made all the papers fascinating.”


Jett Groshinski

Studying for a Bachelor of Commerce (Economics) and a Bachelor of Arts (Chinese)

“I enjoy approaching questions about humanity from the different perspectives of science and biology and society and culture.”


Annie Leen

Studying for a Bachelor of Arts and Science (History and Neuroscience)

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