Postgraduate Certificate in Commerce

Summary

Boost your career by filling gaps in your business knowledge or upskilling in a particular subject area.

Equip yourself with the tools for success

A Postgraduate Certificate in Commerce (PGCertCom) is a flexible qualification that gives you the tools for success—whether in your career or for further study.

Choose from a wide range of postgraduate subjects and quickly build specialised knowledge that you can put to use in your work.

Or perhaps you want to do a PhD, but your Master’s degree was all coursework and no research. In that case, you could take the PGCertCom with a specialisation in Research. This introduces you to postgraduate research and opens a potential pathway to PhD study.

Gain an edge in a specific area

Refine your research, writing, and analytical skills while further developing your knowledge in a specific field within Commerce. Investigate contemporary topics such as:

• the intersection of climate change and accounting
• digital marketing and issues of data privacy
• the future of work
• digital government
• evidence-based policy making
• sustainable tourism management
• reputational risks and uncertainties in organisations
• complexity in the real and virtual world
• the economics of disasters.

Take advantage of Wellington School of Business and Government’s strong links with international academic and professional bodies. Its close ties with Wellington’s public and private sectors also offer you a multitude of opportunities for research and networking.

Staircasing options

While the PGCertCom is a useful qualification in its own right, it can also serve as a stepping stone to a higher qualification. The courses you complete as part of your PGCertCom can count towards the full Master of Commerce programme.

PhD pathway

Alternatively, if you already have a coursework Master’s degree, taking the PGCertCom with a specialisation in Research gives you a grounding in postgraduate research and opens a pathway to PhD study.

International recognition

Wellington School of Business and Government is among a select group of fewer than 130 business schools worldwide that hold the ‘Triple Crown’ of international business education accreditations. By studying here, you can be confident your qualification will be recognised globally for its quality. Find out more about university accreditations and what they mean for you.

Study while you work

Studying the PGCertCom part time means you can continue working while gaining new skills to advance your professional career. As a part-time student, you’ll typically study two courses per trimester, with two days of full-time study per week.

Starting in Trimester 2 or 3

It may be possible to start the Postgraduate Certificate in Commerce in Trimester 2 or Trimester 3, depending on the availability of courses in the subject you’ve chosen. Email [info@vuw.ac.nz](info@vuw.ac.nz?subject=Starting a PGCertCom in Trimester 2 or 3) to find out more.

Workload

Part-time students doing two courses per trimester will need to do around 20 to 23 hours of work a week. Make sure you take this into account if you are working while studying.

Depending on your choice of courses, it may be possible to complete the entire certificate in a single trimester. In that case, you can expect a workload of 40 to 45 hours a week.

The commercial capital

Live and study in New Zealand’s creative, compact, and vibrant capital. As well as being the country’s political and cultural hub, Wellington is a harbour city with easy access to the great outdoors.

Special facilities

Postgraduate students can take advantage of the dedicated postgraduate study room at the Wellington School of Business and Government. You can access these facilities from 7 am to midnight.

Here you’ll find computing and printing facilities, and you’ll have access to specialist software such as Gauss, Matlab, Mathematica, Maple, R, Shazam, and Stata.