Bachelor of Business

KNOWLEDGE

Graduates of the Bachelor of Business will have a broad and coherent body of knowledge that underpins theory, practice and professionalism within one of the disciplinary areas associated with the degree. In addition they will have specialist technical knowledge in at least one field of business and management studies.

SKILLS

Graduates of the Bachelor of Business will have:

• cognitive and technical skills to investigate, analyse and synthesise theoretical knowledge and to reflect critically on theory and its application to business
• cognitive and technical skills to investigate, analyse and synthesise information, concepts and theories and to apply theories of different bodies of knowledge and practice in business
• cognitive and creative skills to design, evaluate, implement, analyse and theorise the use of techniques, processes, and contemporary practices in business to identify and solve problems, preparing students for the workplace
• communication skills for a variety of modes and media to engage effectively with different audiences

APPLICATION OF KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS

Graduates of the Bachelor of Business will demonstrate the application of knowledge and skills:

• in planning and problem solving and apply appropriate decision making in the main areas of business practice and/or scholarship
•  in applying Australia’s First Peoples’ perspectives to contemporary business contexts
• to make independent judgements in a range of business related problems and situations through problem solving and applying theory to real world scenarios and cases
• to apply inclusive, ethical and sustainable practices in a range of business-related contexts and situations within the global economy
• enhancing employability and career paths in diverse contexts with responsibility and accountability for their own learning and professional practice and in collaboration with others within broad parameters

The world is evolving, with a clear shift away from outdated business practices. Our Bachelor of Business is an alternative to more traditional business degrees, combining new skills, new values and new opportunities relevant for the new economy. It's a whole new way of thinking for a whole new generation of business professionals.

The modern business practices of adaptivity, creativity, diversity and sustainable business are ingrained in this degree, so that you graduate with the skills needed for the rewarding career opportunities that the new economy brings.

This degree offers you a choice of 9 majors and the opportunity to complete elective subjects.

• Human Resource Management
• Management
• Marketing
• Innovation and Entrepreneurship
• Sport Management
• Logistics and Supply Chain Management
• International Business
• Political Science and International Relations
• Contemporary Marketing

This degree includes subjects from Griffith University and other universities through OUA.

Recommended study pattern

Students are recommended to follow this study pattern:

• Complete Level 1 Business core & Elective subjects
• Complete Level 2 Core, Major & Elective subjects
• Complete Level 3 Core, Major & Elective subjects

Award requirements

To be eligible for the award of Bachelor of Business (BBus), an OUA student must acquire 24 subjects as prescribed below:

• 10 Business core subjects

AND

• One Business major comprising 6 subjects and 8 electives

OR

• Two Business majors comprising 12 subjects and 2 electives

AND

• Complete no more than 10 subjects at Year 1 level and
• Complete at least 6 subjects at Year 3 level

Choose your subjects

Majors

Marketing Major

If you’re creative, a good communicator and a quick thinker, marketing is for you. You’ll gain perspective on how a market works; its audiences, drivers, barriers and consumer behaviour. You’ll also learn about data-driven decision making and identifying target markets. Learn to stay ahead of competitors with effective promotion and advertising.

Human Resource Management Major

HR management professionals work with people to help them with their careers. In this major, you’ll learn about selection and recruitment procedures, staff training, development, performance management, and organisational change. You’ll be able to advise organisations on their staffing needs to enable them to deliver their core business. 

Management Major

If you like to plan, organise, lead and direct people to achieve a specific goal, then management is for you. You’ll learn about management’s core functions: communication, planning, teamwork, strategy, human resources and self-development. You’ll also develop analytical, communication and decision-making skills to add value to any organisation in a range of areas.

Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Do you have a creative idea for a new product or service and want to launch your own business or start-up? In this major, you’ll learn how to be an effective, innovative and dynamic manager, and a graduate with the skills, knowledge and confidence needed to develop and manage a successful business.

Sport Management

Are you a sport fan? Imagine turning your passion into a fulfilling and exciting career. In this major, you'll develop specialist knowledge of the sport industry and gain solid business skills to enable you to manage professional and not-for-profit sport organisations and clubs.

Logistics and Supply Chain Management

Logistics and supply chain management plays a crucial role in business. In this major, you'll learn how to source the best materials for the best price, develop good relationships with suppliers and customers, monitor the movement and storage of raw materials, maintain inventories of stock, and track goods.

International Business

Interested in business on an international scale and want to work all over the world? This is the major for you. Griffith is a pioneer in the international business sphere, so you'll graduate with the skills and knowledge to success in the modern global business world.

Political Science and International Relations

Prepare yourself for exciting career opportunities in business-government relations, global trade and politics, and a range of related areas. You'll be taught by staff at the global leading edge of several fields of politics and international relations, from a department ranked in the top tier of all Australian politics departments.

Contemporary Marketing

The world of marketing and business is rapidly changing. The Contemporary Marketing major prepares students for careers in today’s marketing field delivering transferable skills graduates can apply across a range of industries and organisations. The major aligns with growing employer demand for graduates with specialist knowledge of emerging marketing trends and issues. Relative to a generalist marketing major, the Contemporary Marketing major embraces a future perspective ensuring vitality for staying competitive in an evolving landscape. This major prepares future marketers by addressing requirements of critical, emerging aspects of modern marketing practices that are currently shaping, and will continue to shape, contemporary business. Students will learn how to create business customer value and apply to strategic areas of retail strategy innovation, digital and social media marketing, societal wicked problems of behaviour change and sustainability, alongside developing a positive self-brand for professional identity formation. On completion of the major, graduates will be agile, forward thinking, independent and skilled problem solvers.

Electives

Students can complete electives drawn from the majors listed in the program (see below) or from any undergraduate program offered by Open Universities Australia provided you meet the degree requirements. This includes the completion of at least eight second and third year subjects which are part of the Bachelor of Business degree requirements and which have not been credited towards another award.

Degrees are usually made up of core subjects and electives. Some degrees include a choice of majors, so you can focus your studies on a specialisation.

This list is a general overview. Download the full Degree Guide for more information.

• Business Core Subjects

• Major in Marketing

• Major in Human Resource Management

• Major in Management

• Major in Innovation and Entrepreneurship

• Major in Sport Management

• Major in Logistics and Supply Chain Management

• Major in International Business

• Major in Political Science and International Relations

• Major in Contemporary Marketing

• Electives

Students are required to register with Griffith University for this award by completing a registration for a study plan (Griffith OUA - Study Plan) by paying the required fee. The non-refundable $150 registration fee is payable when the registration is submitted.

The $150 fee is not applicable to students who have accepted a Commonwealth supported place.

2025 Changes

This program has undergone a major structure change.

These changes will be effective for students commencing from Study Session 1, 2025. 

Students enrolled prior to this term will follow the old program structure.

2022 and 2023 Changes

For students who commenced in the Bachelor of Business prior to 2022 and/or, commenced the Human Resource Management Major prior to 2023, the following recommended study pattern and transition arrangements will be put in place to ensure students are able to progress their studies through to completion.

To be eligible for the award of Bachelor of Business (BBus), an OUA student must acquire 24 subjects as prescribed below:

• 8 Business core subjects

AND

For those undertaking a major:

• One Business major comprising 6 subject and 10 electives

OR

For those who elect not to undertake a major:

• 2 prescribed subjects at Year 3 level and
• 4 subjects from the Business electives and
• 10 elective subjects

AND

• Complete no more than 10 subjects at Year 1 level and
• Complete at least 6 subjects at Year 3 level

Business Core Subjects

• IBA111 Management Concepts is replaced with GBS104 The Purpose of Business
• Choice of MKT103 Introduction to Marketing OR GBS109 Grand Challenges for Business
• EHR101 Work and Employability is replaced with GBS107 The Future of Work
• Choice of AFE135 Business Data Analysis OR GBS108 Business Decision-Making
• Choice of AFE215 Introduction to Business Law OR LAWS1019 Business Law (University of South Australia)
• AFE133 Economics for Decision Making 1 is replaced with a choice of AFE137 Digital Economy and Analysis OR ECON1010 Principles of Economics (University of South Australia)
• AFE112 Accounting for Decision Making is replaced with a choice of AFE114 Small Business Accounting OR ACC10007 Financial Information for Decision Making (Swinburne University)
• GIR204 Government-Business Relations continues to be offered

Major in Marketing

Students must complete 5 subjects from the following:

• MKT340 Digital and Social Media Marketing
• MKT236 Retail Marketing
• IBA345 Building New Venture
• MKT319 Franchising and Small Business
• MKT355 Green marketing
• MKT204 Consumer Psychology
• MKT203 Marketing Research and Intelligence
• MKT202 Advertising and Integrated Marketing Communications
• MKT306 Service Experience
• MKT308 Sales and Negotiations

AND

1 subject from the following capstone options:

• MKT307 Marketing Behaviour Change
• MKT309 Marketing Strategy and Analytics

Major in Human Resource Management

Students must complete the following:

• EHR202 Strategic Human Resource Management
• EHR205 Organisational Behaviour
• EHR302 Developing Talent
• EHR301 Applied Human Resource Management and Change (capstone course)

AND one of the following combinations:

• EHR309 Global Human Resource Management AND
• EHR304 Managing Staffing and Performance (offered from 2023)

OR

• EHR203 Recruitment and Selection (not offered from 2023) AND
• EHR303 Performance Management (not offered from 2023)

Major in Management

• EHR205 Organisational Behaviour continues to be offered
• IBA218 The Management of Business Process continues to be offered
• IBA306 Creating Ethical and Sustainable Business continues to be offered
• IBA312 Management Strategy and Decision Making is replaced with IBA315 Managing Strategic Change
• IBA311 Management Problem Solving is replaced with IBA313 Decision Making for Innovation
• IBA305 Quality Management is replaced with IBA345 Building the New Venture

Students electing not to undertake a major

• IBA312 Management Strategy and Decision Making is replaced with IBA315 Managing Strategic Change
• IBA306 Creating Ethical and Sustainable Business continues to be offered
• At least 4-subjects of Business electives
• A maximum of 10-subjects of electives

Open Universities Australia is a not-for-profit organisation. You will not pay any fees for using our services.

Indicative total fee $49,500

The amounts shown here are indicative for an Australian citizen studying full-time, which is typically 8 subjects per year.

Fees may vary depending on:

• the subjects you choose
• credit from previous work experience
• your eligibility for government funding loans or subsidies such as HECS-HELP or a Commonwealth supported place.

To learn more, go to Fees or contact a student advisor.

With a network of campuses spanning three cities in South East Queensland, Griffith University is committed to progressive multidisciplinary teaching and research and a valuable online provider with Open Universities Australia. Already attracting students from over one hundred countries, Griffith's dedication to academic excellence is available across Australia through OUA.

Learn more about Griffith University.

Explore Griffith courses.

QS Ranking 2024:

18

Times Higher Education Ranking 2024:

20

To be eligible for an offer of admission made through Open Universities Australia (OUA) for a Commonwealth Supported Place at Griffith University, an applicant must:

• meet the criteria for a domestic Australian student; AND
• have completed at least two Bachelor of Business core subjects with a minimum GPA of 4.0 completed within the last 12 months at the time of application for admission

To be eligible for an offer of admission made through Open Universities Australia (OUA) for a Commonwealth Supported Place at Griffith University, an applicant applying based on secondary education must:

• meet the criteria for a domestic Australian student; AND
• Achieved a minimum ATAR/Rank of 65.00

* These scores/rankings apply to this program for 2024. Until this information is updated, applications will continue to be assessed using the requirements listed above as a guide. The minimum ATAR/Ranks for admission will be updated each cycle.

More in depth information regarding Griffith entry requirements can be found at: Griffith University - QTAC.

Students may be able to receive credit for previous studies conducted at other institutions.

Credit applications will be assessed according to Griffith University policy. For more information, please contact Griffith Student Connect via oua.programsupport@griffith.edu.au

A prospective student who has previously completed or partially completed a degree, may be eligible for a CSP and may also be eligible for credit transfer. For more information, please visit the following website:

• Credit Transfer