Overview

NFQ Level 8, Major Award

Note: The BComm (Hons) (International) is being replaced by a new degree, the BSc (Hons) (International Business with Languages) on a phased basis, commencing in September 2022.

Students of BComm (Hons) (International) with Chinese Studies will spend a year abroad pursuing an appropriate course of study.

Non-beginner students should present their HSK test results (valid within two years) or their levels of the Chinese language will be assessed by the Asian Studies Department using HSK Chinese Proficiency Test as a benchmark.

The HSK is an international standardised exam that tests and rates Chinese language proficiency. It assesses non-native Chinese speakers' abilities in using the Chinese language in their daily, academic and professional lives. HSK consists of six levels, namely the HSK (level I), HSK (level II), HSK (level III), HSK (level IV), HSK (level V), and HSK (level VI).

First Year - Commerce (International) with Chinese Studies

First Year is only offered to students who did not progress to Second Year in 2022/23 or 2023/24.

To be admitted to the First University Examination in Commerce (International) with Chinese Studies a student must have satisfactorily attended prescribed modules to the value of 60 credits.

Second Year - Commerce (International) with Chinese Studies

Second Year is only offered to students who did not progress to Third Year in 2023/24.

No student may register for the Second Year programme of study until the First University Examination in Commerce (International) with Chinese Studies has been passed. To be admitted to the Second University Examination in Commerce (International) with Chinese Studies, a student must have satisfactorily attended modules to the value of 60 credits.

Third Year - Commerce (International) with Chinese Studies

Due to exceptional circumstances please note that Pathways 2 and 3 below relate to the academic year 2023/24 only. Students may only avail of Pathways 2 or 3 in the event that travel to study abroad is not possible due to travel restrictions.

Students can complete The Third Year of Commerce (International) via one of the following three pathways:

1. Students spending Third Year Abroad.
2. Students spending Third Year in UCC.
3. Students spending One Semester Abroad and the Remainder of the Year in UCC.

1. Students spending Third Year Abroad

This year is spent pursuing approved programmes of study in China. Programmes taken will be validated by the host institution. To fulfil requirements for the successful completion of this year, a student must achieve a pass standard, as applied by the host institution, on a set of courses approved by the School of Business, UCC. Marks shall be submitted to the Autumn Examination Board, UCC with a Supplemental Board in Winter. Modules to the value of 60 credits must be taken.

2. Students spending Third Year in UCC

Third Year consists of modules to the value of 60 credits. Students will be required to complete commerce modules to the value of 40 credits and Chinese Studies modules to the value of 20 credits. In order to be admitted to the Third University Examination in Commerce (International), a student must have satisfactorily attended prescribed modules to the value of 60 credits.

3. Students spending One Semester Abroad and One Semester in UCC

In this instance, students will complete one semester in UCC and one semester abroad.

This option is available to students:

1. who are unable to travel to their host university as a result of Covid-19 or
2. whose host university is no longer able to accept international students as a result of Covid-19.

Study in UCC - Semester 1 only

Where students spend Semester 1 only in UCC they will be required to take modules to the value of 30 credits, completing language modules to a minimum value of 5 credits and a maximum value of 15 credits.

Study in UCC - Semester 2 only

Where students spend Semester 2 only in UCC they will be required to take modules to the value of 30 credits, completing language modules to a minimum value of 5 credits and a maximum value of 15 credits. Students studying in UCC in Semester 2 may not select modules for which they do not have the relevant pre- and co- requisites.

Study Abroad

Programmes taken will be validated by the host institution. To fulfil requirements for the successful completion of this year, a student must achieve a pass standard, as applied by the host institution, on a set of courses approved by the School of Business, UCC. Marks shall be submitted to the Autumn Examination Board, UCC with a Supplemental Board in Winter. Failed elements of continuous assessment must be re-submitted. Where failed elements are re-submitted, a student will continue his or her studies subject to passing the Winter Examination Board.

Fourth Year - Commerce (International) with Chinese Studies

No student may register for the Fourth Year programme of study until the Third University Examination in Commerce (International) with Chinese Studies has been passed. To be admitted to the BComm (Hons) (International) with Chinese Studies Degree Examination, a student must have satisfactorily attended modules to the value of 60 credits.

Programme Requirements

For information about modules, module choice, options and credit weightings, please go to Programme Requirements. 

Programme Requirements

Module List

Code	Title	Credits
Year 1 - for students who did not progress to Second Year in 2022/23 or 2023/24 1
Students take 60 credits as follows:
Core Modules
Select one of the following levels:		10
Beginner
CH1001	Chinese Language (Mandarin) I (10) 2
Non-Beginner 3
CH2103	Modern Chinese Business Language - Level 2 (10) 2
AC1102	Financial Accounting	5
CH1100	Chinese Culture and Society - Level 1	10
EC1202	Economic Reasoning for Business	5
GV1217	Introduction to Political Science	5
LW1108	Introduction to the Legal System	5
LW1109	Introduction to Business Law	5
MG1004	Principles of Management and Organization 4	5
MG1006	Principles of Marketing in International Environments 4	5
ST1023	Introduction to Business Statistics	5
Year 2 - for students who did not progress to Third Year in 2023/24 1
Students take 60 credits as follows – all list core modules for their language level (25 credits) and 35 credits of elective modules:
Core Modules
Select one of the following levels:		10
Beginner
CH2103	Modern Chinese Business Language - Level 2 (10) 5
Non-Beginner 6
CH3021	Chinese Language (Mandarin) Level 2.5 (10) 5
CH2000	An Introduction to Business in China	10
MG2005	International Business	5
Elective Modules
Students take one Asian or Chinese Studies elective module (10 credits) and 25 credits of Commerce elective modules:
Asian and Chinese Studies Elective Modules
Select one of the following:		10
AS2000	What is East Asia?: Past, Present and Future (10)
AS2002	Korea’s Modern History (10)
AS2010	History of Japanese Culture (10)
CH2010	Wars and Revolutions - China in the 19th and 20th Century (10)
Commerce Elective Modules
Students take modules to the value of 25 credits from the following:		25
AC2200	Introduction to Management Accounting (5)
EC1203	Macroeconomic Context and Business (5)
FE2015	Sustainable International Business (5)
GV3212	Global Political Economy - Trade (5)
IS2001	Analytics for International Business (5) 7
IS2200	IS Analysis and Design for Business (5) 7
MG2007	Enterprise Planning and Processes (5)
Year 3
Students take modules to the value of 60 credits from one of the following paths:		60
Students Spending Third Year Abroad
Students take 60 credits at a partner university in China.
Students Spending Third Year in UCC
Students take 60 credits as follows - all listed core modules (10 credits); 10 credits of elective Chinese Studies modules and 40 credits of elective Commerce modules: 8
Core Modules
CH3016	Chinese Language (Mandarin) Level 2.5 Part B (5)
CH3020	Chinese Language (Mandarin) Level 2.5 (5)
Chinese Studies Elective Modules
Students take modules to the value of 10 credits from the following: 8
CH2010	Wars and Revolutions - China in the 19th and 20th Century (10)
CH3107	The Sinosphere: China and “Chineseness” in Transnational Asian Politics, Culture (10)
CH3108	Business and Globalisation in China (10)
CH3304	Ethnicity, Class and Gender in China (10)
Commerce Elective Modules
Students take modules to the value of 40 credits from the following: 8
AC3302	Investment Appraisal (5)
AC3303	Introduction to Asset Pricing and Valuation (5)
EC3208	Economics and Markets after the Crisis (5)
FE3317	Co-operative Business and Sustainable Rural Economies (5)
FE4450	International Food Business (5)
GV2231	Public Management in Practice (5)
IS2218	Data Management Fundamentals (5)
IS3320	Designing and Using Management Information Systems (5) 9
MG2003	Consumer Behaviour and Sustainable Consumption (5)
MG3013	Marketing Communications (5)
MG3014	Social Media Marketing (5)
MG3018	Human Resource Management (5)
Students Spending One Semester Abroad and One Semester in UCC
Students take 60 credits as follows - 30 credits as detailed below during the Semester in UCC and 30 credits at a partner university in China during the other Semester.
Study in UCC - Semester 1 only
Students take 30 credits as follows - all listed core modules (5 credits) and 25 credits of elective modules:
Core Modules
CH3020	Chinese Language (Mandarin) Level 2.5 (5)
Elective Modules
Students take modules to the value of 25 credits from the following: 8
AC3302	Investment Appraisal (5)
CH3108	Business and Globalisation in China (10)
or CH3304	Ethnicity, Class and Gender in China ()
FE3317	Co-operative Business and Sustainable Rural Economies (5)
FE4450	International Food Business (5)
IS3320	Designing and Using Management Information Systems (5) 9
MG3013	Marketing Communications (5)
MG3018	Human Resource Management (5)
Study in UCC - Semester 2 only
Students take 30 credits as follows - all listed core modules (5 credits) and 25 credits of elective modules:
Core Modules
CH3016	Chinese Language (Mandarin) Level 2.5 Part B (5)
Elective Modules
Students take modules to the value of 25 credits from the following: 8
AC3303	Introduction to Asset Pricing and Valuation (5)
CH2010	Wars and Revolutions - China in the 19th and 20th Century (10)
or CH3107	The Sinosphere: China and “Chineseness” in Transnational Asian Politics, Culture ()
EC3208	Economics and Markets after the Crisis (5)
GV2231	Public Management in Practice (5)
IS2218	Data Management Fundamentals (5)
MG2003	Consumer Behaviour and Sustainable Consumption (5)
MG3014	Social Media Marketing (5)
Year 4
Students take 60 credits as follows - all listed core modules (25 credits); 20 credits of elective Chinese Studies modules and 15 credits of elective Commerce modules:
Core Modules
BU4001	International Business Strategy Capstone	10
CH3011	Modern Chinese Business Language Level 3 10	15
Chinese Studies Elective Modules
Students take modules to the value of 20 credits from the following (other than modules already taken):		20
CH3107	The Sinosphere: China and “Chineseness” in Transnational Asian Politics, Culture (10)
CH3108	Business and Globalisation in China (10)
CH3304	Ethnicity, Class and Gender in China (10)
Commerce Elective Modules
Students take modules to the value of 15 credits from the following (other than modules already taken):		15
Accounting, Finance and Information Systems
AC4406	Accounting in Business (5)
AC4407	Financial Reporting 1 (5)
AC4408	Financial Reporting 2 (5)
IS4445	User Experience Design 1 (5) 11
IS4446	User Experience Design 2 (5) 11
Business Economics
EC4211	Economics of the Labour Market (5)
EC4212	Behavioural Economics in Labour Markets (5)
EC4215	Business Econometrics 1 (5)
EC4220	Strategic Economic Consultancy (5)
Food Business and Development
FE4002	Global Food Policy (5)
FE4205	Consumer Behaviour in Food Markets (5)
FE4206	International Food Retail Marketing (5)
FE4207	Global Food Supply Chain Management (5)
FE4405	Food Choice Analysis (5)
FE4414	Co-operative Banking (5)
FE4450	International Food Business (5)
Law
LW2100	Constitutional and Institutional Law of the European Union (5)
LW2102	Economic Law of the European Union (5)
LW3311	Company Law (10)
LW3312	Employment Law: Contracts, Termination, Collective Labour Law (5) 12
Management and Marketing
MG2008	Business Ethics and Governance (5)
MG3013	Marketing Communications (5)
MG4004	Project Management (5)
MG4035	Strategic Marketing (5)
MG4037	Operations Management (5)
MG4042	International Brand Strategy (5)
MG4043	International Marketing Management (5)
MG4048	Digital Marketing (5)
Mathematics and Statistics
ST2200	Methods of Business Statistics (5)
ST3300	Data Analysis I (5)
Total Credits		240

¹

Students are advised that some modules in BComm (Hons) (International) with Chinese Studies I and II may be prerequisites for certain BComm (Hons) (International) with Chinese Studies II and IV modules (and/or certain postgraduate programmes).

²

To progress to Year 2 of the BComm (International) with Chinese Studies, Beginner students must pass CH1001 and Non-Beginner students must pass CH2103, i.e. compensation does not apply.

³

Non-Beginner students must have achieved a minimum HSK Level II or equivalent. Students will be assessed by a language tutor before placing in CH2103.

⁴

MG1004 and MG1006 must be taken by students who wish to take any further Management or Marketing modules in Second, Third and Fourth Years.

⁵

To progress to Year Three of the BComm (International) with Chinese Studies, Beginner students must pass CH2103 and Non-Beginner students must pass CH3021, i.e. compensation does not apply.

⁶

Students must have achieved a minimum HSK Level III or equivalent. Non-beginner students will be assessed by a language tutor before placing in CH3021.

⁷

Students may register for either IS2001 or IS2200 but may not register for both modules.

⁸

Elective modules are offered subject to availability and timetabling constraints. Students may not take more than 15 credits of Chinese Studies modules in a semester. The choice of modules is subject to the approval of the Programme Director. Please note that students will not be allowed to register for modules which they have already completed. If students complete a module in Third Year they will not be able to complete this module again. Students are therefore asked to consider very carefully the modules to be taken in Third Year and the potential impact it may have on module and subject choices subsequently in Fourth Year.

⁹

IS2001 or IS2200 are a pre-requisite for IS3320.

¹⁰

​To pass Fourth Year of the BComm (International) with Chinese Studies, students must pass CH3011, i.e. compensation does not apply.

¹¹

Students taking IS4446 must also register for IS4445. IS4445 can be taken on its own.

¹²

LW3312 is not available to students who have previously passed LW3301.

Examinations

Full details and regulations governing Examinations for each programme will be contained in the Marks and Standards Book and for each module in the Book of Modules.

Programme Learning Outcomes

Programme Learning Outcomes for BComm (Hons) (International) (Chinese Studies) (NFQ Level 8, Major Award)

On successful completion of this programme, students should be able to:

• Communicate and work effectively to a professional standard;
  
• Demonstrate analytical and problem-solving skills associated with effective practice;
  
• Engage in the application of frameworks and techniques in organisational settings;
  
• Communicate effectively in Chinese;
  
• Develop an in-depth appreciation of the culture and the environment for business in China.