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Bachelor of Law and Commerce (Hons)
Introduction:
The Bachelor of Law and Commerce (Honours) (BLC) is an undergraduate academic programme that leverages on a unique learning opportunity in the combined disciplines of law, commerce and management. Students pursuing the programme will be exposed both to the rich tradition and rigour of the legal training, as well as to the state-of-the-art technologies used in the fields of economics, management, marketing, finance, insurance and accounting. As such, graduates of the programme are expected to be competent to handle not only the common legal transactional matters but as well to provide advice on complex strategic issues in business decision making process.
The BLC is conducted over the period of three-years on a semester basis (six long and three short semesters), where students will major in law and minor in anyone of the following commercial and management areas - E-commerce; Accounting; Human Resource and Management; Management; Marketing; Islamic Banking and Finance. Given such academic exposure, graduates of the BLC, therefore, would be in a vantage position to find career opportunities not only in the traditional legal practice and the government sector, but more importantly, in the private and corporate sector. As for the latter career opportunities, graduates are most encouraged to further acquire internationally recognized qualifications in the fields of accounting (ACCA; ICMA, CA, CFA), marketing (IM), insurance (CII), transport and logistic (CILM) or corporate administration (ICSA).
Academic Requirement:
| Total Credit |
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| Compulsory / Core |
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122 |
| Electives |
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None |
Course Duration:
| Total Semester |
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3 Full Semesters and 3 Short Semesters |
| Duration |
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3 years |
Intakes:
| Major Intake |
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March, May, November |
Core Subject Description:
o Malaysian Legal System - This subject introduces the students to the historical background, the framework, institutions, functionaries, practices and processes of the Malaysian legal system. It essentially forms the foundation, and provides the students with the background, knowledge in their further studies of other aspects of the law within the legal system. The course comprises three parts, namely, the historical background to the development of the Malaysian legal system, the major sources of the law, and the court system and the legal profession. The coverage of the course will give sufficient breath and depth to the students to develop their understanding of the essential aspects of the legal system in Malaysia.
o Law of Contract 1/ Law of Contract 2 - This course exposes students to the importance of the institution of contract in modern commercial societies, and, accordingly, the essential legal requirements that must be met toward making valid contractual agreements, their contents, performance and remedies for breach. Through the teaching of this subject, therefore, students will be able to grasp those basic rules, principles, doctrines and maxims that are applicable with regard to the definition, classifications, and formation of a valid contract.
o Alternative Disputes Resolution (ADR) - The subject provides the students with an understanding of the basic concepts, theory, principles and practices of alternative dispute resolution processes available to any disputing party. The course also seeks to explore the different methods of resolving disputes, highlighting the advantages and disadvantages of each of these methods. The application of alternative dispute resolution principles will be thoroughly analysed.
o Law of Sales, Credit and Agency - This subject provides a further development of the students knowledge acquired earlier in the Law of Contract. Accordingly the course will focus on the nature of specific contractual relations that are commonly encountered in the business community, viz. sale of goods, credit transactions and agency.
o Law of Torts 1/ Law of Torts 2 - This subject introduces the students to the concepts, rules and principles of civil liability that the law imposes upon an individual, legally categorized as 'Torts'.
o Constitutional Law 1/ Constitutional Law 2 - Students will study the fundamental constitutional concepts, theories and principles that constitute the broad structure within which the country is governed, as well as the various features of the Federal Constitution and the working of a democratic government. To this end the course will make a special emphasis on the guarantee of the fundamental liberties.
o Criminal Law 1/ Criminal Law 2 - This subject deals with those concepts and theories relating to criminal behaviours generally, and then proceed to discover and analyze the essential factors and principles that underlie the constitution of the criminal liability under the Malaysian Penal Code. Principally these elements are mens rea and actus reus. Additionally areas closely related to these elements will be examined - inchoate offence, joint liability, preliminary offences. The subject also explores the various situations where criminal liabilities are exempted or limited despite the presence of those elements.
o Equity and Trust 1/ Equity and Trust 2 - This subject essentially involves two areas of study - Equity and Trusts. The study of Equity, that forms the initial part of the course, would focus on that body of rules which originated from the Courts of Equity in England and developed by it to mitigate the harshness of common law practices. As part of the colonial legacy this body of rules has been incorporated into, and forms an important component of the general sources of law in, the Malaysian legal system. Intertwined with the concept of Equity is the institution of Trust. This is an institution created under Equity designed to provide a method for transferring property and wealth for the welfare of one or more beneficiaries. It is becoming more prominent in Malaysia today as much of the wealth in the society is privately owned. The course will, therefore, examine the different types of trusts and the laws governing them.
o Jurisprudence - This subject aims to invite students to critically reflect and understand the very subject-matter of their study by exploring the various speculations of philosophers and theories advanced by social and political thinkers, in the past as well as the present, regarding "Law". Legal theory to the students of law is essentially what the philosophy of science is to the students of natural sciences. The subject will, therefore, guide students to conceive the major ideas of law that had developed in the early human civilizations and then examine how they later developed and supplemented by other theories. By its very nature this subject is open ended without privileging any particular theory to be "adopted" by the students. It offers them with various competing conceptions of law in the belief that they will be enlightened by diversity and choice.
o Land Law 1/ Land Law 2 - This subject seeks to expose the students to the essential concepts, principles, structure, procedure and processes involved in land matters and land holdings and ownerships under the law. In this regard the course will trace the evolution of the concepts, principles, etc. and how they became entrenched into the legal system. Some of the important concepts highlighted would include the concepts of 'property' and acquisition of property interest, 'land' and how land is dealt with and regulated constitutionally and administratively in the system. The subject will give emphasis on the process of land registration and its important ramifications under the National Land Code.
o Corporate and Partnership Law - This course deals with the technical rules and concepts relating to "partnership" and "company", the two major forms of business entities in modern commercial economies. To this end emphases will be placed on the aspects of their formation, management, financing and dissolution. Where appropriate comparisons will be made between the two entities in relation to those aspects. The subject also examines the working of these two entities in the context of the current development in communication technology and financial practices, and in turn critically assesses the continued relevance of the existing concepts, rules and principles to which they are subject.
o Succession Law - The subject is concerned with the devolution of assets upon death, often representing the culmination of a person's lifetime works and savings. The course considers both wills and intestate succession - the rules that apply if one dies without making a will. Essentially the subject throws focus on rules found under the civil system, which are applicable to non-Muslims. Nonetheless, they will be compared with the Islamic succession laws (which apply to Muslims) as they have significantly differing legal as well as social consequences.
o Cyber Law - This subject t analyzes the legal problems that result from the exploitation of the cyberspace and the use of the Internet as a communication and commercial transaction tool, as well as the legal provisions introduced in the attempt to regulate them. As the field is relatively new in Malaysia, the course will, therefore, examine the developments that are occurring in the more developed and advanced countries (the USA, the European Union and Japan) particularly the way in the legal systems in those countries have responded to such developments.
o Research Project (Legal) - This subject introduces students to the importance, relevance, practice, ethics, discipline, nature, methods, techniques, process and procedures of legal research and writing. By undertaking a research project students will have the opportunity to integrate their learning and thinking abilities, on the one hand, and research and writing skills, on the other.
o Consumer Law - The subject deals with the legal rules and principles (both statutory and cases) that provide protection to consumers of goods and services. Principally it focuses on various types of contracts generally entered into by consumers - especially sales and credits - and the problems that bear upon those transactions that invite legal interference - product liability, misleading information, product safety, defective products, deceptive and unfair trade practices.
o Intellectual Property Law - This subject provides an overview of the major topics in the constantly developing field of intellectual property law. The course covers the various specific forms of intellectual property protection vital to the manufacturing, marketing, advertising, entertainment, and communication industries, i.e. patents, copyright, confidential information, registered designs, registered trade marks and passing off. Other new forms of intellectual property rights will also be examined.
o Islamic Banking and Insurance Law - This subject examines the concepts and modus operandi of Islamic banking, financing and insurance as presently practiced by both bank Islam and SPTF banks. This will include such sectors as deposits, banking services, finance and investments. The principles of Islamic law of contract and commercial transactions that undergird Islamic banking and insurance systems will be examined. Additionally, the requirements of legal documentation for the purposes of Islamic banking and insurance transactions will be looked into and compared with those used in the conventional systems.
o Employment and Industrial Relations Law - The subject is made up of three interconnected areas of law pertaining to employment - employment law, industrial relations law and social security law. Employment law is concerned with the contract of employment, its identification, terms and conditions of employment, termination of the contract and the available remedies. Industrial relations law focuses on the formation, registration, recognition of trade unions, collective bargaining, collective agreements and dispute resolution by the Industrial Courts. Social security law examines employee protection as provided by OSHA 1994, ESSA 1969 and the EPF Act 1991.
o Taxation Law - This subject exposes students to the practical application of the basic principles of taxation as they relate to accounting practice. The emphasis is on the application of the theory and principles in solving tax problems. Essentially it deals with tax laws on individual income tax, business tax, estate tax as well as public rulings, guidelines and regulations issued by the Inland Revenue Board and court decisions, tax administration, income and capital gains, deductions and capital allowances, tax accounting, computation of tax, international aspects, special tax rules for different entities, tax planning, goods and services tax (GST).
o Introduction to E-Commerce - This subject deals with the most current topics of EC, such as e-government, e-strategy, Web-based supply chain systems and collaborative commerce. and management. It also explains the development of information technology such as internet development and the usage of E-Commerce both from the theoretical and applied points of view.
o Money and Capital Market - This subject looks at the roles of the security industry and banks in the Malaysian financial system. Topics discussed include inflation, interest rate, fiscal and monetary policies and their effects on financial markets.
o Consumer Behaviour - This subject looks at the different theories and basic concepts with regard to consumer behavior, and the variety of methods and strategies applied to examine it.
o Human Resource Management Strategies - This subject examines the theories and practices in managing human resources, which include the main functions of human resource management (HRM) and its relationship with organizational development and management.
o Financial Accounting and Reporting 1 - This subject covers areas related to accounting for partnership, accounting for clubs and non-profit organization, hire purchase, leasing, disposal of assets, incomplete records and accounting for manufacturing companies.
o Organizational Behaviour - This subject deals with three main areas -individual, group and organizational development process.
o Investment Analysis - This subject gives a comprehensive introduction to the concept and theory of investment as well as useful investment techniques to the investors. Topics discussed include basic investment, investment theory, analysis and money market investment.
o Managerial and Cost Accounting - This subject deals with the aspects of planning and controlling using accounting information. Special emphasis will be given on the concepts of production costing, cost profit volume relations, budgeting and budget controlling, standard costing and responsibility accounting. Additionally this subject will introduce the students to basic concepts of corporate control system.
o Marketing Research - This subject provides students with the basic scientific techniques to conduct marketing research by giving them exposure to various marketing research tools and their applications. It also focuses on the skill of writing the research report in the field of marketing.
o Service Marketing - This subject deals with service marketing. It teaches students rational strategic planning which takes into consideration as well as analyses firm situation and environment in managing services.
o Financial Accounting and Reporting 2 - This subject deals with formation of companies, the types of companies and the issues of shares and debentures. It will also concentrate on the redemption of preference shares and debentures. Other areas covered include cash flow statements, accounting for branch and employee benefits.
o Cost Accounting - This subject emphasizes on aspects of planning and controlling using accounting information. Discussions will cover concepts of production cost, cost profit volume relations, job and process costing, variable and absorption costing and operational service costing.
o Principles and Practice of International Management - This subject aims at providing students with the basic knowledge of International Management by giving them an exposure on various country clusters and multinational company's operations. It also explains the way of doing business in different countries.
o E-Commerce for Global Market - This subject is an introductory course to e-commerce. Students will be thought various types of technologies that apply in marketing in order to help the business and consumers. E-commerce is now considered as one of the alternative methods of doing business. Students, therefore, will be thought the pros and cons of using modern communication technologies in marketing.
o Management of Banking and Financial Institutions - Topics discussed in this subject include structure of banking system, organization and management of a bank, bank asset and liability management, funds management and bank safety, credit analysis, loan policy and practice, problematic loans and Islamic financing.
o International Financial Analysis and Reports - The subject deals with both the principles of accounting and the interpretation of company reports and accounts. It provides students with an appreciation of the underlying assumptions, and limitations of accounting information. Measurement and reporting problems involved in financial accounting and "solutions" adopted by regulators are discussed. Methods available for interpretation of reported accounting information are explored and applied to "live" data.
o Advertising and Promotion - Marketing has always been a dynamic area of study, but recent changes in the social and economic system provide new challenges. Hence, this subject seeks to provide a comprehensive understanding of the framework within which the market operates and how it fully integrates those changes with special reference to advertising and promotion
o Taxation - This subject examines income taxation, income from employment, basic of assessments, taxation of dividends, interest, rent and royalties, pension and annuities, business taxation and capital allowance, tax administration, and indirect tax.
o Audit - This subject exposes students to the basic principles of auditing. It accordingly covers such areas as the concept of auditing, professional ethics of auditors, the concepts of audit evidence, audit planning and audit programme, and internal control system. Apart from the theoretical aspect, this subject also assists students to understand the practical side of auditing, which includes audit procedures to audit various accounting cycles (sales, purchases, fixed assets, etc.)
o Global-Strategic Management - This subject exposes students to the importance of meeting the need to penetrate global market and the strategy involved, international financial environment, the relationship between international businesses and governments, corporate strategy and functional management, operation and consideration.
o Cross-Cultural Management - This subject introduces students to the existence of various cultures within which management activities are carried out and the importance of adapting the various management styles to the cultural practices and values of workers. Topics covered in this subject give emphasis on management techniques which can be adopted to ensure success in managing workers from various cultural background and experience.
Entrance Requirement:
The minimum entry requirements for this programme are:
(a) STPM/'A' Level /Matriculation/ Foundation Programme/Recognized Diploma and
(b) A pass in SPM with credit Bahasa Malaysia/Melayu.
However, to successfully complete the Bachelor of Law and Commerce (Honours) programme, it is essential that students should possess a high standard of literacy and numeracy, as well as sufficient analytical and cognitive skills. It is recommended that students should have achieved a credit in English and Mathematics at SPM.
Professional Recognition:
Malaysia Qualification Agency (MQA).
Course Enquiries / Contact Person:
| (Dean, Faculty of Business Management and Professional Studies) |
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03-55108668 ext 610 |
| (Head of Law Department, Faculty of Business Management and Professional Studies, MSU) |
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03-55106868 ext 613 |
Career Opportunities:
Graduates will find ample opportunity in not only availing themselves to the traditional careers in legal practice, government services, administrative and diplomatic services, academia, and industry, commerce and finance, but as well careers as an internationally recognized professional in company secretaryship, accounting, marketing, insurance and transport. Organizationally, graduates will be absorbed into:
o Government ministries and departments;
o Local authorities;
o Government enforcement agencies (income tax; immigration; custom; etc.)
o Legal firms;
o Corporations and companies
o Accounting firms
o Banks
o Securities firms
o Insurance companies
o Multimedia telecommunication companies
o Marketing agencies
Career as Advocate & Solicitor
The programme does not make graduates eligible to enter the legal profession as Advocate and Solicitor (i.e. practising lawyer). To be so eligible, graduates would have to sit for Certificate in Legal Practice (CLP) examination, conducted under the aegis of Legal Profession Qualifying Board of Malaysia, upon payment of a certain amount of registration and examination fees. Graduates may sit for the examination at any time after graduating, either by following a full time study or self-tuition.
At the present the BLC has not yet been recognized as a qualification that would make its graduates eligible to sit for CLP examination. However, the Faculty is in the process of making all the necessary preparations to gain the recognition and the prognosis looks positive and encouraging.
Expected Salary
Public Sector: Basic starting monthly salary is around RM1,650; plus allowances (such as housing and entertainment) the total can amount to around RM2,300.
Private Sector: The amount of basic starting monthly salary can vary from the above amount. However, the total amount of monthly salary earned (inclusive of allowances) is subject to negotiation and which can be higher than that earned in the public sector.
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