Commerce (BComm (Hons))

Participating in the Erasmus program at Oregon State University was by far the best decision of my life. By making a conscious decision to be active within the college I made great friends within college town which revolves around the happenings on campus Read more

Participating in the Erasmus program at Oregon State University was by far the best decision of my life. By making a conscious decision to be active within the college I made great friends within college town which revolves around the happenings on campus. The Rugby team gave me the opportunity to travel up and down the West coast playing games in cities such as LA and Berkley. By joining a Fraternity, I was exposed to the true American College experience and still currently stay in touch with the friends I made on a daily basis. Highlights include home football games in the 55,000- seater stadium (although we lost most games), Spring break road trip where we travelled from Oregon to Lake Tahoe to San Diego and many places in between, A spontaneous weekend trip to Las Vegas. Overall I wanted to experience your typical American College and I certainly got this in Oregon State University

By Sean Scully Studied at Oregon State University

I studied in Pace University in New York City for a semester and it was definitely the best decision I have ever made! Read more

I would highly recommend taking advantage of the opportunity to study abroad. It is a once in a lifetime experience and you will gain so much valuable knowledge that will stand to you for years to come. I also made some lifelong friends from all around the world!"

By Alison Bourke Studied at Pace University

My year studying at North Carolina State University was the best of my life. It gave me a new outlook on the world we live in and I met some of the best people and made some friends for life. Read more

My year studying at North Carolina State University was the best of my life. It gave me a new outlook on the world we live in and I met some of the best people and made some friends for life. The experience of studying abroad has stood to me in terms of my career and was pivotal in securing a graduate programme with Glanbia. From campus life to sports to travelling, I am indebted to UCC for granting me the opportunity to live my dream. For anyone even considering the year abroad option, I would suggest grabbing it and just going for it. You will not regret it."

By David Neligan Studied at North Carolina State University

I thoroughly enjoyed my work placement as part of the BComm course. I believe it is a great opportunity to become more comfortable in a work environment and develop skills that you would not initially expect. Read more

I made great connections on my work placement and have been in contact with many colleagues since leaving in August, who have since given great advice regarding my CV and future career prospects. Overall I think that by providing this work placement as a part of the Bcomm course it allows students to become more confident and skilled for future career paths.

By Laura O'Donnovan BComm Student

I worked for six months in the strategy consulting department in Deloitte as a Human capital intern. Read more

During my time at Deloitte I was gifted numerous opportunities to use the creative and analytical problem solving skills I had developed over my Bcomm degree. I was challenged and mentored everyday to bring my own initiative and fresh perspective to Deloitte clients.

My favorite aspect of my placement was when the project manager I worked under trusted me to design, develop and implement an online training portal for a large ERP project. The part I enjoyed the most on the project was working with clients with limited ICT skills and no previous experience with SAP systems. I used my skills to develop effective training materials built around their specific needs to ease the integration process. I feel so honored to have worked as a part of a diverse team with the chance to learn from consultants with more than twenty years experience. It was a particularly testing project environment, working under tight deadlines and hostile stakeholders. As a result, I had to become more adaptable and resilient when managing difficult situations.

Overall, I feel during my time in Deloitte I developed personally and professionally to become a more approachable, confident and with an increased ability to assess business issues and develop solutions.

By Aishling O'Driscoll Work Placement at Deloitte

The opportunity to complete a six month placement during the BComm course was one I thoroughly enjoyed. Read more

During my time at ABP Ireland I was able to develop various skills I had learned through commerce course and gain valuable hands on experience that will stand to me in whatever career I choose

By Chloe Mahon Work Placement at ABP Ireland

Placement was an exhilarating eye opening experience. I thoroughly enjoyed my time in KPMG's Risk Consulting department where I worked on the Tracker Mortgage Project in the Irish Banking Sector.  Read more

It was a fast paced, highly confidential project that required problem solving skills and observation and analysis skills to identify where a default on a mortgage loan rate had occurred. The assumption that a placement student would be doing the photocopying and basic administration work was not true in my case, I was treated as an equal to any graduate in training and got to meet individuals of every rank in both KPMG and our client. I would definitely recommend placement to anyone, the Commerce Facility in UCC works very closely with employers such as KPMG so that each student can attain an in depth learning of an industry and put what we learn in lectures into practice.

By Emma Murphy Work Placement at KPMG

I undertook my work placement at Janssen Biologics, Johnson & Johnson. Throughout the six months I had two roles; Procurement Associate and Global Planning Co-ordinator. Read more

I thoroughly enjoyed my busy schedule of daily interaction with suppliers and hosting global teleconferences with 17 senior managers in 17 various locations such as Europe, USA and APAC. The welcoming and supportive environment of Janssen Biologics was a key factor to both my personal and professional development along with exceptional coaching and guidance from my mentors

By Aisling Crowley Work Placement at Johnson & Johnson

My time at Boston College was absolutely incredible. Academically, Boston College focused on experiential learning with a business simulation centre including board rooms and offices as well as classroom discussions through case studies Read more

Socially, there is always something exciting happening; from American football and ice hockey games to acapella shows and concerts, there is always something fun to do. Everyone is allocated a ‘buddy’ upon arrival to Boston College to help you settle in and find your way around campus as well as the college providing a full semester of fun activities with the other international students which builds up an international student community ensuring you have the best time you could ever imagine!

By Aisling Crowley Studied at Boston College

Watch video

By Joanne O'Sullivan BComm (Hons) Commerce

Watch video

By Frank Ryan BComm (Hons) Commerce

Watch video

By David Cummins BComm (Hons) Commerce

Watch video

By Julie Mulchinock BComm (Hons) Commerce

Watch video

By Laoise Cotter BComm (Hons) Commerce

Aislinn received the prestigious 2011 Intern of the Year Award from her work placement employer, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Read more

in recognition of her outstanding performance during her six-month work placement in their Dublin City Centre branch, which she completed as part of her UCC Bachelor of Commerce degree.

Aislinn's prize includes a coveted place on Enterprise Rent-A-Car's Graduate Programme, based at the company's San Francisco office.

This is the second year in a row that a UCC B Commerce placement student has received this high profile industry award, recognizing excellence in work performance. Aislinn will follow in the footsteps of last year's recipient, Kerrie O' Mahony, who is now building her junior management career with Enterprise Rent A-Car in San Francisco.

By Aislinn O'Mahony UCC Commerce student

"It is so important to choose your internships carefully". Kerrie completed her work placement internship with Enterprise Rent-A-Car. Read more

Watch video

Kerrie O’Mahony, a BComm student from  UCC, was the winner of Ireland’s Intern of the Year competition that saw her win sponsorship to work in Enterprise Rent-A-Car management training programme in San Francisco, CA. Congratulations Kerrie!

By Kerrie O'Mahony Enterprise Rent-A-Car

The first time I thought of the Year Abroad was at the UCC Open Day. I knew I wanted to study Commerce but knowing I could get the chance to study abroad for my third year really sealed the deal. Read more

 A series of information lectures, thankfully high enough grades to qualify, and an application form later, I was off to Babson College, Massachusetts!

By Marie Farrell Studied at Babson College, Massachusetts in 2011

I chose the BComm Degree as it gave me the opportunity to study a diverse range of disciplines before specialising, and ultimately providing a broad range of career opportunities. Read more

The big attraction for me was the option to study abroad, not just in Europe, but UCC has university partnerships in the USA and Canada too.

By Maeve McSweeney Studied at Babson College, Massachusetts in 2013

Before undertaking the Research Project I did some preliminary research into a few food business issues and concepts and I found genetically modified foods and the psychology of consumer attitude towards the food technology of major interest to me. Read more

Carrying out research can be perceived as dull but it is up to you to make it as interesting as you would like it to be. I used the Google Alert system which provided the most up to date news and articles on the topic which made the research cutting edge.

I would recommend reading from all angles of the topic, all of the arguments and all of the debates so that your discussion demonstrates an educated and informed perspective.  It is important to utilise the fantastic academic resources provided by University College Cork.  My supervisor was Dr. Alan Collins, a very prominent figurehead in food business circles, who guided me in my research and dissertation.  All in all, I enjoyed doing the Research Project.  Don’t be put off by the work load, as research is very rewarding.   The selection of topics enables you to pick something for which you have a real passion.  Good luck!

By Michael McCarthy Business Research Project

I spent the third year of my Commerce degree studying at Pace University (Lubin School of Management) in New York. It was undoubtedly one of the best experiences of my life. Read more

The university was located just two blocks from Wall Street so there was a real emphasis on the financial markets which I thoroughly enjoyed. I now hope to pursue a career in that area of business. The smaller class size made it easier to participate in class discussions and I found the professors and staff extremely helpful. It differed from the Irish system in many ways. In New York there was high emphasis placed on discussions and in-class learning.

Although I was anxious at first, it was easy to make friends once I started college and I quickly settled in. New York is one of the most culturally diverse cities in the world and I made lots of friends from different backgrounds. Throughout the year I found there was plenty of time to travel and I went on weekend trips to Boston, Niagara Falls and Washington D.C., to mention but a few.

New York is an amazing city; every day I got to experience first-hand all the iconic sights and sounds, from Macy’s and Central Park to the World Trade Centre and the Brooklyn Bridge. From my dorm, I could look out and see the Statue of Liberty and the Empire State Building. It definitely beat looking at the rain in Cork!

I would recommend a study year abroad to anyone. It is a once in a lifetime experience and you may even come back a more confident independent person with stories that will bore your friends for months.

By Ciara O’Leary Pace University, New York City

I spent the third year of my degree at North Carolina State University (NC State) and I had an amazing time. NC State University is located in the heart of North Carolina, in the State’s capital, Raleigh. Read more

It is within two hours of the Atlantic Ocean and within three hours of the stunning Blue Ridge Mountains.

I lived in Alexander Hall, the international dorm located on central campus. This was conveniently located near my classes, the gym, library, shops and pubs. All international students reside there and share a room with an American student. There were many different countries represented in the dorm including Ecuador, China, Australia, India and the Ukraine to name but a few. This is an excellent opportunity to meet people from all different backgrounds and cultures from all over the world. The community’s focus is one of global awareness, understanding, and experience and through this you make life-long friends from everywhere.

Alexander Hall made it easy for me to settle into American life and I made many friends quickly in the first few days of orientation. The dorm became my home for the year and with over 150 people living in the same building I was never short of something to do or someone to talk to. Living away from home, thousands of miles away, I never once got lonely.

NC State is a well known university and is regarded as one of the top research universities in the United States. The education system is very different there. Students can select whichever classes they wish to take in a given semester and choose which available time they want to attend. I was lucky enough to choose classes which left me with no Friday classes. This left me plenty of time for travel or visits to historic downtown Raleigh. The 24 hours a day, seven floor library, leaves plenty of space to get some study done when exam time comes around.

The sporting programmes at the university are amazing. During American football season, the 60,000 seated university-owned stadium is full to capacity for every game with fans cheering on the college team. I have never been to a sporting event like this before and it is spectacular. The 20,000 capacity basketball arena is also always a sell-out for the university basketball games during the spring. These events, free to students, cannot be missed.

NC State is an amazing place to study for a year and I would thoroughly recommend it. You get a great mix of learning about American culture and its people, as well as making friends from all over the world. You can experience a different type of education system and learn about things from an American perspective. You will also love learning about American sports and culture. I also travelled a lot while I was there visiting New York, Washington D.C., Las Vegas and The Bahamas for Spring Break. You will definitely learn more about the world, about yourself and about America through this experience, but most importantly, you will have a lot of good times, fun and great memories. It will be one of the best years of your life

By Rory Heffernan North Carolina State University, Raleigh

My advice... DO THE YEAR ABROAD!!!! The decision to study in Boston College was easily one of the best decisions I have ever made. Read more

Everything from the football games to the classes to the parties was amazing. A lot of what you see in movies is almost exactly replicated. The home American football games are no exception. There are thousands of people tailgating and pre-gaming on campus (the stadium holds 40,000 and every game is a sell out), the place is buzzing with the big band playing, students chanting and cheerleaders dancing and the whole experience is uniquely American.

The classes were great also. Everything at BC is to do with class participation and discussion which is different to back home but it definitely makes for interesting classes. There are less hours and more continuous assessment than UCC, but you get the chance to meet and listen to some pretty amazing people. While studying at BC I met CEO’s of US companies including the Director for Marketing at Puma and the President of Motorola.

One of the good things about Boston College is the IA/IS program where you are paired with an International Assistant. This programme is hugely helpful as you pretty much know hundreds of fellow international students after your orientation in August. This was especially helpful as I didn’t know anyone going to BC.

Going to Boston was unbelievable. Amongst the highlights - I had the chance to experience New York, Boston Red Sox games, Jay-Z/Coldplay/ Kings of Leon concerts, Ice hockey games, Las Vegas, Cape Cod, Connecticut for Thanksgiving and Skiing.

My advice... DO THE YEAR ABROAD!!!!

By Eoin Cotter Carroll School of Management, Boston College

I always wanted to travel and chose to spend year three studying in the Telfer School of Management, in Ottawa, Canada. There, I got to experience a new culture, I got to study new modules and join a range of different societies. Read more

During to my year abroad I obtained new skills, such as presenting and communication.   The skills developed on my year abroad were significant in my being chosen to be part of the UCC BComm Team that competed in the John Molson Undergraduate Case Competition (JMUCC), held in Montreal in February 2012. As member of the team, I got presentation training from KMPG and the UCC Faculty and I took part in a range of invaluable workshops such as team building and Creative Thinking. Finally, through the BComm I got the amazing opportunity in the summer of 2013 to study in the world’s number one university for entrepreneurship; Babson College. The College of Business and Law at UCC awarded me a scholarship to partake in the Global Leadership Development Experience which was truly a life changing experience. Both the JMUCC and Babson experience were hugely beneficial when it came to interviews in my final year and without a doubt helped me secure my dream job as Recruitment Consultant – Financial Services at Michael Page, Ireland.  In October I graduate with a First Class Honours BComm Degree and I could not be happier with the decision I made four years ago. The great opportunities I have experienced over the four years, and continue to benefit from, are in no small part due the UCC BComm.

By Maeve McSweeney Babson College, Massachusetts

I originally selected the UCC BComm degree, knowing that I wished to study business but remaining unsure which field to specialize in. Read more

The BComm  degree allowed the flexibility to explore all business disciplines, before committing to my preferred field in my final year. The BComm experience was complimented by a brilliant range of social activities organized by Commerce Society, the largest and oldest society in UCC. The BComm was excellently managed by the Programme Director who was the first point of contact to deal with student academic issues, and to provide support for social elements. The first two years I studied modules ranging from Law to Management and Marketing immersing myself in many different fields. During year three of the BComm I gained the incredible opportunity to study abroad in the University of San Diego (USD) Business School.  In USD I was able to gain an entirely new perspective on the material I had been learning for the previous two years. I embraced the different classroom culture that placed heavy emphasis on student interaction and creative thinking.

Additionally I gained the once in a lifetime ‘American College’ experience. I was there for everything from 4th of July Celebrations to Spring Break. I was even able to get an internship in San Diego and remained there for the summer gaining invaluable experience – as well as exploiting the fact that I liked the beach!!

The year abroad ignited my ambition to challenge myself and push myself outside my comfort zone. In my final year, I was a member of the Commerce team that competed abroad at the prestigious John Molson Undergraduate Case Competition (JMUCC), hosted in Montreal, Canada. This competition entailed solving real, practical problems facing firms, within 3 hours before presenting solutions to the company’s management – in a Dragons Den kind of format. We competed against the top Business Schools from across the globe and although this sounds intimidating with the help of KPMG and the UCC Commerce Faculty, coupled with the expertise of the UCC Careers Service, the UCC team was well equipped for the competition, and placed in the top 8. The JMUCC experience stoked my passion to pursue further case presentation competitions, and later that same year I travelled to Johannesburg as part of the Irish Consulting team to compete as the CIMA Global Business Challenge World Final. It was incredible to experience a Country as different as South Africa and to meet a host of other regional winners from around the world, striking up enduring friendships and business contacts over the weeklong contest.

The participation in Case Study competitions is a hugely attractive element in the BComm, exposing students to international competition and the training provided is extremely beneficial in terms of personal development and in preparation for the transition from academia to the real world of business. 

Upon graduating I decided that I would like to pursue a career in solving business problems and am due to start my career as a Management consultant with Deloitte this coming September. I look back on my experiences studying commerce both at home and abroad as some of the best of my life and certainly feel very well equipped enter the working world after the degree.

By Richard Quirke University of San Diego, California (BComm Class of 2013)

BComm at UCC : A Student's Perspective with Rochelle Williams

Watch video

By