If you're interested in studying for an online business degree in Australia, here's the information you need.
Australian universities offer many types of business degrees, including Bachelor of Business and MBA. High-salary jobs are available in analytics, finance, management, marketing, and more. Here's a guide to the best business degrees.
Index of Degrees
Accounting
Accounting skills are always in demand, offering high returns on your education investment. You can train to be an accountant or accounting specialist with a Bachelor of Accounting or Master of Professional Accounting.
Because accounting is fundamental to business, any good business course of a general nature will contain one or more accounting subjects.
To specialise in accounting and gain professional accreditation, you should do a bachelor or master's degree that conforms with the requirements of CPA Australia… READ MORE
Bachelor of Business
Online Bachelor of Business and Bachelor of Commerce degrees are flexible and can be combined with other disciplines, such as mathematics, technology and law.
To major in a given field, you need to take enough relevant electives. Content that is specific to your business major may ramp up from 25% in Year 1 to 50% during Year 3.
In a business or commerce course, you learn concepts and analytical skills that are useful in professional roles and everyday life. Business skills are versatile since almost every organisation relies on business disciplines such as administration, finance and marketing… READ MORE
Business Analytics
With burgeoning volumes of data available to Australian companies, demand for business analysts is strong. You can learn business analytics with a degree such as a Bachelor of Business Analytics or Master of Analytics.
Postgraduate business analytics courses are popular among university graduates with backgrounds in fields such as business, technology, science, engineering and mathematics.
Students learn to apply data analytics to inform business management decisions. A good analyst understands business strategy and how to leverage data to produce useful insights… READ MORE
Economics
Economics is a niche profession but the study of economics is not. Students gain skills in mathematics, analysis and writing. They learn how income and wealth are generated.
Graduates may work as economists but usually apply their skills in a different field. Economics is useful in business professions, government and management. Graduates have demonstrated an ability to do maths, solve complex problems, and write analytical reports.
Economics can be studied in a business or commerce program. You can also combine an economics degree with disciplines such as mathematics or law... READ MORE
Entrepreneurship
There are some fantastic courses for developing skills to be an entrepreneur. Graduates are equipped to start businesses but also for jobs in accounting, financial analysis, public relations, marketing, and team management.
Being an entrepreneur requires many different qualities and skills. A business program with strong industry connections will accelerate your development.
Entrepreneurship courses may focus on innovation, product development, capital raising and growth strategies. Applied projects help students develop venture and job ready skills… READ MORE
Finance
Finance professionals know accounting but focus more on investment strategy, trading, capital raising and other commercial deals. They're widely employed in banking, corporate finance and financial advising.
To become a financial expert, you should probably start with a business or commerce degree with a major in accounting and/or finance. Competition for jobs is high in Australia, so a Master of Finance may be needed to get a top position.
Finance and applied finance programs are offered by many business schools, reflecting the subject's popularity and value in the labour market... READ MORE
Graduate Certificate in Business
If you're interested in business studies and you're not a recent school-leaver, a Graduate Certificate in Business is worth considering. The course is essentially open to anyone with a degree as well as experienced professionals.
At just four subjects long, this is a relatively short course. Graduate certificate courses are typically embedded in longer master's programs of 12 or more subjects. Numerous specialisations are available.
A grad cert may have more relaxed entry standards than a business masters and allows you to qualify for the longer program. Any completed subjects count… READ MORE
Graduate Certificate in Business Administration
The online Graduate Certificate in Business Administration may be the most popular postgraduate course in Australia. Students take the course either as a stand-alone qualification or as part of their journey towards an MBA.
Being admitted to the course is easier than gaining direct entry into an MBA program. Typically, the need to have a university degree is waived.
Students prove themselves by doing four business administration subjects. Receiving a Graduate Certificate in Business Administration means you're a third of the way towards completing an MBA degree… READ MORE
Health Administration
Health administrators plan, manage, monitor and coordinate systems of health care delivery. Postgraduate courses in health administration are available to give health and social care professionals business management training.
Studying business management builds the knowledge and skills you need for senior management, administration and planning positions in hospitals and health or social welfare service facilities.
Australian universities offer fully online masters degrees in health administration and management. Graduates are well prepared to compete for executive jobs… READ MORE
Human Resource Management
Studying Human Resource Management sets you up for a career as an HR manager. You can major in the field as part of a Bachelor of Business. Master of HR Management programs are open to graduates from any discipline.
Students build skills across the spectrum of HR management duties, including in employee relations, talent acquisition and retention, rewarding performance, healthy workplaces, employee development, and managing change.
With HR jobs to be found in almost every medium and large organisation in Australia, an HR management degree represents a solid career investment... READ MORE
Leadership
Leadership is an area of study that's best left until after you gain significant professional experience. That way, you can relate what you're learning to your own experiences and the work you do on a daily basis.
Masters in leadership and management are available from Australian universities. They may be called a Master of Leadership, an MBA with a leadership major, or similar.
Leadership programs are lighter in terms of technical content that typical MBA degrees, replacing standard business training with extra instruction on leadership principles and practices... READ MORE
Logistics and Supply Chain Management
Logistics and Supply Chain Management is a useful specialisation because of its relevance to all businesses. Students learn a scientific / engineering approach to managing business interactions and flows.
A good logistician or supply chain manager boosts productivity by supporting business continuity while lowering costs. International business roles are widely available.
A limited number of online universities offer Logistics and SCM as a major in a Bachelor of Business. A few also run postgraduate courses. If the major is unavailable, you can still choose relevant electives... READ MORE
Management
Management is a business specialisation for people interested in administration, managing teams and leading organisations. Students build knowledge and skills in decision making, handling diversity, strategic planning, organisational behaviour, and commercial law.
A Bachelor of Business (Management) prepares you to manage and lead. You learn how to approach organisational tasks in a structured, purposeful way.
Your management education can be balanced with other business and non-business subjects. Becoming a manager straight out of university may be unrealistic… READ MORE
Marketing
Marketing features in almost all business degree programs. You can also do specialist courses. Bachelor of Business programs offer marketing as a major while university graduates can go for a Masters in Marketing.
Marketing courses train students to take an analytical approach to driving sales. Marketing is a key business function on which business growth relies.
Lerna Australia presents the best online marketing degrees. Accelerated online programs are available where you study marketing principles as well as technology subjects such as digital marketing and social media... READ MORE
Master of Commerce
Popular majors for a Master of Commerce degree include marketing, finance, human resources management and logistics. You usually graduate with a degree title such as Master of Marketing or Master of Finance.
This type of degree is useful for expanding your business knowledge and skills in a broad way. Commerce masters are also flexible, allowing you to choose a program to your career aspirations.
If you have a non-business degree, a 12-subject MCom is a better option for studying business for the first time than a 3-year undergraduate degree... READ MORE
MBA
A Master of Business Administration is a valuable qualification offering sustained salary benefits. An MBA can propel your career into executive roles in business strategy, management and leadership.
Most MBA candidates in Australia study remotely. Typically, students work full-time while studying. Sequential study, where you focus on one subject at a time, is the most common style. Each subject can be completed as part of a virtual class over 6-8 weeks.
Studying for an MBA online gives you maximum flexibility with managing time. You also save money... READ MORE
Project Management
Project management is a postgraduate study field. A Masters in Project Management takes you through each of the key steps involved in managing a successful project.
Because every project is different, project management degrees are principles based. But a good program will connect theory to examples to make the lessons tangible.
A Master of Project Management may cover business topics, such as finance and contract management, but is open to professionals from all industries. Engineering, healthcare and software development are examples of sectors with high demand for project managers... READ MORE
What Business Degree is the Most Useful?
Many people want a business degree, whether it's a bachelor or master's degree, that will essentially guarantee them a job. Here is our selection of the most useful business degrees online for generating career opportunities.
- Accounting. Qualified accountants can find jobs with little trouble. The ABS projects there will be 213,000 jobs for accountants by 2027.
- Business analytics. Potentially valuable data is all around us in great abundance. Business analytics skills make you highly employable.
- Human resource management. Every medium to large business needs an HR team. Combined employment of HR managers and HR professionals is forecast to top 237,000 by 2027.
- Digital marketing. Effective marketing is essential for business success. A marketing degree plus digital marketing skills are a winning combination.
- Business administration. The MBA is practical and a salary-booster for experienced professionals who are motivated to improve their management skills.
But you can argue that essentially any degree in business is useful. In general business courses, you'll cover all of the above disciplines. By their nature, business skills are transferable abilities that companies and other organisations value.
Study Business Online
Right now, close to 50,000 online students are doing business and commerce degrees with Australian universities (Source: UCube). Online business schools represent a strong and growing engine for professional development in Australia.
For first-time university students, you can study for a 3-year Bachelor of Business or Bachelor of Commerce degree. Generally, you don't have to settle on a business major until the 2nd or 3rd year of the course.
For university graduates, an assortment of postgraduate business degrees and qualifications are available. These vary in length and can be specialist or general online degrees. Many postgraduate students are working professionals who study business part-time.
Online business courses are a convenient way to gain professional qualifications in fields such as analytics, business management, finance and marketing. Distance education is the most cost-effective and time-conserving way to get a business qualification.
FAQs
A Bachelor of Business in Australia costs around A$40K to A$45K if you are an Australian or New Zealand citizen. For an international student, the cost is upwards of A$85K.
The table shows tuition fees at Australia's three largest undergraduate business schools.
Bachelor of Business 3-year tuition fees (indicative only)*
| Business School | Aust. or NZ student | Other student |
|---|---|---|
| RMIT University | A$43,890 | A$120,960 |
| Monash University | A$40,500 | A$141,900 |
| Curtin University | A$43,800 | A$87,600 |
* Sources: University websites. Indicative fees for 3 years based on 2022 pricing.
Australian and New Zealand students benefit from Government-subsidised fees, known as Commonwealth supported places. Eligible students pay only a fraction of the true amount. You can also pay for your fees with a HECS-HELP loan.
For business master's degrees, the cost is generally upwards of A$40K for both Australian and international students. A business master's degree is typically 12 subjects (or 1.5 years), which is half the size of a bachelor degree.
The shorter length of a business masters such as an MBA limits the cost of the online degree. But, without Commonwealth supported places, Australian and New Zealand students pay the same as international students or close to it.
In contrast with undergraduate degrees, postgraduate business courses are full fee-paying for Australians. FEE-HELP loans are, however, available to minimise out-of-pocket expenses.
Bachelor degree
A bachelor degree – Bachelor of Business or Bachelor of Commerce – consists of 24 subjects and takes 3 years of full-time study.
Bachelor degree with honours
An honours degree takes 4 years. Just add an extra year and the equivalent of 8 subjects to your bachelor degree. You need to earn good enough grades to be accepted into the honours program.
MBA or other business masters
A Master of Business Administration or other business master's degree typically consists of 12 subjects and takes 1.5 years of full-time study. Note that business masters may be anywhere from 8-16 subjects depending on the program and your business education and experience.
Online MBA
With accelerated online learning, you can complete an MBA in 2 years of part-time study.
You may think that an online business degree may take quite a while to do. But, in a like-for-like comparison, studying online can be as much as 50% faster.
Online business degrees take the same amount of time as or are quicker than on-campus degrees. Online study has the advantage that subjects are often offered over the summer months. That allows for year-round accelerated study.
An online business bachelor degree can be completed in two years instead of three years. An MBA or similar generally takes two years of part-time online learning, compared to three years for part-time on-campus study.
Business degrees for full-time students
A full-time business student at an Australian university will typically complete eight subjects each year. That's by doing four subjects (which is a full-time study load) in each of two semesters. However, if they study in a third semester over the summer, they can potentially do an extra four subjects annually. That could mean completing a three-year business degree in just two years.
Studying over the summer is an option for many Australian university students but often only if you study online. Virtual classes and online learning tend to be favoured over the December to February months because students are often travelling and on-campus classes may be difficult to organise.
Part-time postgraduate business degrees
A part-time MBA, masters in business or similar degree will typically take two years of accelerated online study. The same program may take three years if the student went on-campus and took a half study load.
Online postgraduate business courses are often available in the accelerated study mode. While potentially working full-time, business students study online part-time. They complete a single subject every two months during study blocks of 6 to 8 weeks, meaning a completion rate of 6 subjects per year. A 12-subject postgraduate business degree would take two years online.
If a student attends a campus instead, a reasonably heavy study load would be to take two subjects in each of two semesters. That would mean that the student would complete four subjects annually and a business masters degree would take three years.
Holding a degree in business makes you potentially employable by small businesses and almost any medium or large organisation. Based on employment projections for Australia, job opportunities are plentiful for accountants, financial experts, business analysts, marketing professionals, and human resource professionals.
| Group | Jobs in 2027 |
|---|---|
| Accountants | 213,000 |
| Financial Brokers and Dealers, and Investment Advisers | 135,000 |
| Management and Organisation Analysts | 115,000 |
| Advertising and Marketing Professionals | 89,000 |
| Human Resource Professionals | 89,000 |
Source: National Skills Commission (NSC) Employment Projections. Refer here.
Also consider that specialist management roles have a combined projected employment of more than a million jobs. Some management jobs, such as HR, marketing or financial management, often depend on having a business education.
Postgraduate business management qualifications are also highly advantageous in industries such as construction, information technology and education.
Business degrees also qualify you to work abroad. Business majors are often taught with an international business or global business context. You're trained and prepared to work for organisations with strong international connections.
Four business careers made Monarch Institute's list of the top 15 highest paying careers in Australia.
- Financial dealer. Average salary: $275,984. Qualifications: A degree in commerce, accounting, finance or economics.
- CEO or Managing Director. Average salary: $164,896. Qualifications: A business-related bachelor’s degree (master’s optional).
- Quantitative Analyst. Average salary: $153,539. Qualifications: A bachelor’s degree in a finance-related field (a master’s degree in mathematical finance is advantageous).
- Vice President. Average salary: $151,358. Qualifications: A business-related bachelor’s degree (master’s optional).
Being good with numbers helps you to command a high salary as a business professional. But any career can pay well if you have a talent for the discipline, are motivated and eventually make it to senior management and executive roles