Build specialised skills
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. Most people study the PGCertCom part time, balancing it with their work.
Choose from a wide range of postgraduate subjects and quickly build specialised knowledge that you can put to use in your work.
If you want to do a PhD, but your Master’s degree was all coursework and no research, you could take the PGCertCom with a specialisation in Research. This introduces you to postgraduate research and opens a potential pathway to PhD study.
Who can study for this qualification
You need a Bachelor of Commerce to apply for a PGCertCom.
If you’re working, you can study part time and specialise in a specific area of commerce related to your work. If you’re interested in further study, you can take research as a specialisation.
While the PGCertCom is a useful qualification in its own right, it can also serve as a step to a higher qualification. The courses you complete as part of your PGCertCom can count towards a Bachelor of Commerce with Honours or a Master of Commerce.
What you’ll learn
Refine your research, writing, and analytical skills while further developing your knowledge in a specific field within Commerce.
Investigate contemporary topics such as:
- the future of work
- sustainable accounting
- digital marketing and data privacy
- digital government
- evidence-based policy making
- sustainable tourism management
- reputational risks in organisations
- the economics of disasters.
How you’ll study
Study while you work
Most people study part time for the PGCertCom. This allows you to keep 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 your studies in Trimester 2 or Trimester 3, depending on the availability of courses in the subject you’ve chosen. Email info@vuw.ac.nz to find out more.
Workload
Part-time domestic 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.
Postgraduate study 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.
Why Wellington
Study at the Wellington School of Business and Government and you’re studying at the centre of the action. Our campuses sit minutes from Parliament, the Supreme Court, and the CBD, giving you direct access to the people and institutions shaping New Zealand’s business and policy landscape.
Wellington is also home to a thriving innovation and tech sector, with strong links to government. So whether your interest is data science, policy, or enterprise, you’re plugged into the industry from day one.
Qualification support and advice
We can help you match your interests and career goals with the right course of study.
If you’re a new student, talk to a Future Student Adviser through our enquiry form.
If you’re already studying with us, talk to Tītoko—Student Success.
For the research portion of your study, you’ll need a supervisor to help guide your research. Your programme coordinator will work with you to find the right person.
Entry requirements
Entry requirements for domestic students
- Requirements for students who completed university in:
If you live in New Zealand and are a citizen or permanent resident of New Zealand or Australia, you're considered a domestic student.
Some citizens of the Cook Islands, Niue, and Tokelau may automatically hold New Zealand citizenship.
Diplomatic residents living in New Zealand are also regarded as domestic students.
To be accepted into this qualification, you need:
1. (a) Before enrolment, a candidate for the PGCertCom
(i) completed a BCom degree, or at the discretion of the Associate Dean (Students) of the Wellington School of Business and Government, another degree; and
(ii) satisfied the prerequisites listed in section 2 of the BCom(Hons) regulations for the subject to be presented, or been granted exemption from those prerequisites by the associate dean; and
(iii) been accepted by the relevant head of school or programme director as capable of completing the proposed course of study.
(b) Requirement (a)(i) may be waived by the associate dean for a candidate who has had extensive practical, professional, or scholarly experience of an appropriate kind.
Qualification requirements
Excerpt from the regulations for the PGCertCom
2. The course of study for the PGCertCom shall consist of courses worth 60 points from the BCom(Hons) Schedule.
3. (a) A candidate for the PGCertCom shall normally be enrolled for at least one trimester and shall complete the certificate within two years of first enrolling in it. The associate dean may extend the maximum period in special cases.
(b) A candidate who has been awarded a PGCertCom with a particular specialisation is required to abandon that qualification upon being awarded a PGDipCom with the same specialisation.
Specialisations
A specialisation is the subject you focus on in your qualification—similar to a major in an undergraduate degree. Each specialisation has specific courses and requirements.
Specialisation requirements
Explore your subject options below.
PGCertCom subjects
Accounting
Economics
Human Resource Management and Employment Relations
Information Systems
International Business
Management
Marketing
Tourism Management
No matching subjects found.
Our postgraduate Commerce qualifications
We offer a family of related Commerce qualifications at postgraduate level.
- The Postgraduate Certificate in Commerce (60 points) is an opportunity for professional development and provides a pathway into Master’s study.
- The Postgraduate Diploma in Commerce (120 points) is a flexible route to broadly upskilling in one or more areas.
- The Bachelor of Commerce with Honours (120 points) focuses on a single subject and involves a research component.
- The Master of Commerce (180 points) provides the most comprehensive study. It includes the most coursework, along with optional research.
Choose the qualification that matches your study goals.
International recognition
Wellington School of Business and Government is among the top 1% of 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.
Future careers
Depending on your goals and focus of study, you could get into a variety of careers such as:
- accountant or auditor
- actuary
- business or management consultant
- marketing or communications specialist
- financial or investment analyst
- human resources adviser or recruiter
- operations or supply chain coordinator
- policy or advisory analyst
- data or business analyst.
More career information
Find out more about careers in commerce.
The government careers website, Tahatū, offers more information about jobs, salaries, and current opportunities.
Scholarships
You may be able to get a scholarship to help fund your studies.
We have postgraduate and doctoral scholarships available, as well as specialised scholarships for different groups and subject areas. If nothing fits right now, something may suit you later.
We encourage you to apply. It's a straightforward process, and it could make a real difference.
Scholarships for Commerce
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Applicants must be of Māori descent, identify as female, enrolled or intending to enrol full-time or part-time in an undergraduate or postgraduate programme at Wellington School of Business and Government. Grade point average (GPA) or grade point equivalent (GPE) of at least 6.00 is required.
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In honour of Jonathan Nicholls (ACC's Head of Actuarial Services who passed away in early 2015), ACC wishes to promote the actuarial profession in much the same way that Jonathan did. ACC is dedicated to supporting Actuarial Science students and others looking to pursue a career in the actuarial profession.
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The fund, which was established at the time of the renovation of the C3 lecture theatre, is to assist a second-year student from any faculty in their studies at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington
Scholarships for international students
We're currently offering a NZ$10,000 VUW Postgraduate International Scholarship to all eligible international students enrolling in a Master’s degree or Postgraduate Diploma programme.
Your scholarship will be processed automatically when your programme application is accepted, and the amount will be deducted from your tuition fees.
Other scholarships
We also have postgraduate and doctoral scholarships available, as well as specialised scholarships for different groups and subject areas. If nothing fits right now, something may suit you later.
We encourage you to apply. It's a straightforward process, and it could make a real difference.
Scholarships for Commerce
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In honour of Jonathan Nicholls (ACC's Head of Actuarial Services who passed away in early 2015), ACC wishes to promote the actuarial profession in much the same way that Jonathan did. ACC is dedicated to supporting Actuarial Science students and others looking to pursue a career in the actuarial profession.
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This scholarship is to assist students in the last year of their first Bachelors degree at Victoria University of Wellington. The scholarship fund will be awarded equally between male and female students.
Join our postgraduate community
The Postgraduate Students’ Association provides a voice for you on campus and information on studying at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington.
Postgraduate Students’ Association
MAI ki Pōneke
MAI ki Pōneke are part of an international network of Māori and Indigenous postgraduate students. They provide advice, support, and information to Indigenous postgraduate students of all levels, as well as those thinking about enrolling.
Further research or study
After completing the PGCertCom, you could continue your studies with a Master of Commerce (MCom). The MCom involves a research project and a dissertation or thesis.
With enough research experience in your PGCertCom, you could continue directly to more advanced research at PhD level.
Get help to manage your finances
We can help you:
- budget your money
- manage your student loan or allowance
- work out your accommodation payment schedule.
If you’re facing financial difficulties, we can help you apply for the Hardship Fund.
You may be eligible for government or community support, too.
Apply for a New Zealand study visa
You’ll need to apply for a study visa if you plan to study with us as an international student.
You should apply for your visa after you’ve received your Offer of Place, and before you come to New Zealand.