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Perth Graduate School of Business

Undergraduate Business brochure

Undergraduate Business brochure
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Business

Start your career journey with a Bachelor of Business degree and you'll graduate with the right balance of theoretical knowledge, practical experience and employability skills.

With 13 majors to choose from, experience the freedom to focus in a field you’re passionate about, or pursue a range of subject areas to open doors to a variety of career options.

With many of our Business courses professionally recognised and accredited by industry organisations, you'll graduate with an internationally credible and portable degree.

Get the ECU Business Edge

We’ll teach you all you need to know about business but we’ll also provide you with the critical skills to get ahead in your career. The ECU Business Edge program is focused on building your employability skills alongside your business expertise and practical knowledge. You’ll develop skills such as leadership, teamwork, critical thinking and much more – skills that will give you the edge when you graduate.

Connect to Success

There are a wide range of opportunities on offer for our Business students to improve their skills in a practical setting. Some of the opportunities offered to students in 2011:

  • Finance students participated in a finance work experience program through the National Australia Bank (NAB) called "UniConnect@nab"
  • Marketing students developed their market research skills participating in a research project involving the Perth Fashion Festival
  • Business Edge students worked in teams to create viable business proposals and presented to a panel of industry judges in the Best of the Best competition
  • Planning students experienced "A Day in the Life of a Planner" during a one-day industry placement to assist students in applying theory to the workplace
  • Marketing students won the Google Online Marketing Challenge for the Japan/Asia Pacific Region. The winners were awarded a trip to the Google Australia Headquarters in Sydney.
  • Business Edge students took part in the Deloitte Dream Team Inter-University Competition to solve realistic business challenges

ECU Students Empower Through Enterprise

Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) is one of the largest international university-based student business organisations, with over 48,000 members across 38 countries. Their projects empower people in need by applying business and economic concepts.

Through volunteer projects and group initiatives, SIFE students gain practical experience to complement their studies. They present their projects at national conferences and championships, and have received fantastic feedback from expert judges.

In 2011, the ECU SIFE team received a special commendation at the Vice Chancellor’s Student Awards for their work in engaging with the community.

Business brings out the best of the best

Each semester, our Business Edge students studying the BES1200 Business Knowledge unit, have the chance to make a business pitch to a panel of industry judges in the Best of the Best competition.

Working in teams, students create viable business proposals, with high-achieving teams being nominated to present their proposal in the competition. Students must then create an eight-minute pitch based on the elements of their assignment.

The teams deliver their proposals in a professional setting, gaining hands-on experience in making impressive presentations, and receive feedback from industry judges on their business ideas.

Planning students experience a day in the life of a Planner

Planning students studying the Practice of Planning unit recently experienced "A Day in the Life of a Planner" during a one‑day industry placement.

The aim of this placement was to bridge the gap between theory and practice, providing students with skills for the workplace.

The students spent time with professional planners in the public and private sectors, learning about the day-to-day tasks of the job, and receiving advice from experienced planners.

Besides getting a preview of what their future career might be like, students were given the opportunity to make strong connections with industry.

Business students experience leadership at CHOGM

In 2011, ECU students were offered an exclusive opportunity to become Administrative Support Volunteers for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM). Nine Faculty of Business and Law students were selected to participate in a program by Volunteering WA.

Following their dedication and commitment, all students were successful in securing Team Leader roles for the actual event. Management and Engineering student Dominic Lindsay worked in the transport area for seven days, meeting with members of the CHOGM taskforce, briefing volunteers, allocating positions to volunteers, problem-solving and making on-the-spot decisions in the absence of others.

"A lot of what I’d learned in my Management classes applied – I had to think critically, and use leadership skills to keep everyone happy and things running smoothly. It was a great opportunity, both professionally and personally," he said.

Making a Career, Making a Difference

ECU Human Resource Management / Psychology double degree graduate Rebecca Olsen's career is off to a flying start with the successful launch of her own business, a high school program called "The Becoz Project" that aims to boost confidence in teens.

Rebecca's journey started when she won the 2009 WA Business Icon competition. "One of my lecturers encouraged me to enter the Business Icon competition, and I have never looked back," she said.

ECU Business Students Win 2011 Google Marketing Challenge

Competing against 35,000 students globally, a team of four ECU Marketing students won the 2011 Google Online Marketing Challenge for the Japan/Asia Pacific Region.

The team worked with local business Muddy Creek, an all-natural soap company, to develop an effective online marketing campaign using $200 worth of Google AdWords.

As winners, the students took a trip to the Google Australia Headquarters in Sydney.

"I chose ECU because it has a great community spirit."

"ECU has a modern feel and youthful atmosphere which I really like. Plus, it's close to home, a major shopping centre and classes are easy to find. The course material has been excellent, providing both theoretical and workplace application approaches. There are plenty of case studies and industry guest speakers to learn from, and questions and discussions about course material are encouraged. My best experiences at ECU so far include the networking and friends I have made, the business and personal development opportunities I have been given and the social activities I have participated in, such as the indoor soccer program."

Martyn Hill
International Business Honours student

The Perth Graduate School of Business

Located on our Mount Lawley Campus, the Perth Graduate School of Business offers a range of postgraduate business and law courses in a flexible and supportive learning environment designed to meet the needs of students already in the workforce.

The state-of-the-art facilities are home to postgraduate Business courses, both research and coursework.

A wide range of disciplines will be offered including accounting, finance, management, marketing, human resources, law & justice, electronic commerce, sport management, enterprise integration, leadership and urban & regional planning.

Business students impress at inter-university competition

Four of our Business students competed in the 2011 Deloitte Dream Team competition, which sees students solve realistic business challenges. Michael Fitzgerald, Jessie Johnson, Kirsty Miller and Stephen Peghini were selected to participate by Deloitte from over 300 applications.

The 2011 ECU team worked on a case study about a cyclone disaster, presenting their recovery plan to a panel of Deloitte judges and university representatives. They came fourth in the competition, with two team members securing a paid summer internship with Deloitte.

Bringing industry experience into the classroom

Our Centre for Planning team has over 30 years of world-wide industry experience combined with our students benefiting from their wealth of knowledge and practical experience.

Senior Lecturer Dr Edward Andre is an Architect, Urban Designer, Landscape Architect and Town Planner; Senior Lecturer Tim Perkins has a background in Environmental Management and Planning, and has recently been invited, on behalf of ECU, to join the Australian Deans of Built Environment and Design Group; and Professor Geoff Syme undertakes a wide range of research in Urban and Regional Planning relating to built and natural environments.

"One of the best decisions I made career wise was studying business at ECU.

"Not only has it enabled me to develop my theoretical skills, it has provided me with the opportunity to make some life long friends and contacts who are either in a similar career or have the same aspirations.

"My current role at Unisys West as manager of service delivery and projects is the most exciting I have had since entering the workforce. I truly believe that my postgraduate studies at ECU have helped me get to where I am and will be one of the driving forces of my career."

Mark McLauchlin
Business graduate

ECU MBA student launches website to help rural patients

An ECU Master of Business Administration (MBA) student has developed a website linking patients and carers from rural areas with people offering free accommodation close to treatment centres.

Casey Aburrow created the site Rooms2Recovery.com to address the significant time and expense that those in rural areas face when accessing medical treatment far from home for severe illnesses such as cancer.

Inspiration for the website came from the poplar CouchSurfing site, a hospitality exchange network used by backpackers touring the world, or savvy travellers looking for a taste of local life. Members of the site place and share listings for available accommodation globally. When developing Rooms2Recover, Casey considered how the CouchSurfing concept could be built upon to benefit people in rural communities who are suffering from severe illnesses and the associated costs.

Casey hopes that her website will provide an alternative to renting an apartment or staying in a hotel. Membership is already growing and Casey aims to increase this over the next few months.

ECU alumnus receives Australian Leadership Award

ECU Master of International Business and MBA graduate Mr Brad McManus received an Australian Leadership Award at the 2011 Future Summit in Melbourne.

The Australian Leadership Awards provide the opportunity for outstanding new generation leaders to be recognised for their achievements and to contribute to a vision for Australia's future. The Awards are presented at the Future Summit each year.

The Future Summit series is an initiative of ADC Forum, Australia's pre-eminent not-for-profit leadership organisation, and is the nation's premier platform for the discussion of strategic trends and directions. Over two days, Australia's business, government, academic and community leaders meet to develop actionable options for a sustainable, desirable and prosperous future for Australia.

Mr McManus is an experienced company director, senior executive and management consultant with an 18-year track record of success in Australia, Brazil and South East Asia. His work involves strategically positioning organisations, building their capacity and improving performance in a sustainable way.

Our Planning Lecturer helps students obtain work placements

Through senior lecturer Dr Edward Andre's support and industry links, Graduate Diploma of Planning student, Matt Robinson and Bachelor of Planning student, Daniel Bouwer, have been fortunate in gaining workplace experience to complement their studies.

Matt has recently completed work experience over the summer holidays with the City of Wanneroo and Daniel will complete a 4-week placement with the WA Young Planners in the East Pilbara region during the 2011 semester break.

The WA Young Planners work placement is a new initiative designed to interest young planners in working in regional areas. Dr Andre said, "It's important to encourage our students to assist with creating socially cohesive, liveable and sustainable communities. It helps them take theory out of the classroom and apply it in the real-world. It also provides an opportunity to explore the different aspects of the planning industry and identify their area of interest."

Postgraduate sustainability seminar a hit

The Perth Graduate School of Business (PGSB) launched the Leadership Seminar Series in March 2012 to great success, with the first event drawing a crowd of Postgraduate Business and Law students, staff and industry.

The theme for the first event was sustainability, with special guest speaker Dr Ian Martinus. Dr Martinus has a Doctorate of Business Administration in Information Systems from ECU, and has had an extensive international career. He addressed attendees on the challenges and opportunities faced by organisational leaders in regards to sustainability. He provided examples of the balance and tension between ‘development’ and ‘sustainability’, sharing many of his international experiences from his work in Iraq, Afghanistan, the United States of America and Australia.

Program Director of MBA and Graduate Studies, Associate Professor Maryam Omari, found the event