Frequently asked questions

Q. How do I enrol in tutorials/seminars/workshops/computer labs?: The Faculty utilises the University SMP OnLine (SOLS) Tutorial System for enrolling in tutorials, seminars, workshops and/or computer labs. If your subject is not listed in SMP, enrolment in tutorials will usually take place at the first lecture.

Q. How do I find a lecture/tutorial room or office?

Rooms at the University are coded according to a building, floor and room number. For example:

14.G01 is located in Building 14 on the Ground Floor in Room 1
67.104 is located in Building 67 on the First Floor in Room 104, and

40.224 is located in Building 40 on the Second Floor in Room 224.

Q. What are lectures and when do they start?

Lectures are large, formal classes in which lecturers present course material to all students enrolled in a given subject. They commence in Week 1 of session immediately following Orientation Week.

Lectures in subjects are generally 2 hours in duration for undergraduate subjects and 3 hours for postgraduate subjects.

Depending on the size of an undergraduate class, lectures in the Faculty may be scheduled as:

a 2 hour lecture weekly and a 2 hour repeat lecture covering the same material scheduled at another time in the same week, or
2 x 1 hour lectures weekly with repeat 2 x 1 hour lectures covering the same material at another time in the same week, or
one 2 hour lecture weekly.

Q. What are tutorials and when do they start?

Tutorials are small classes of usually between 20 and 25 students in which material from lectures and readings can be discussed in more detail.

Tutorials are conducted by tutors who may not be the lecturer for the subject.

Q. What do the subject codes mean?

All subject codes at the Rainstar University(Scottsdale) are alpha-numeric. This means that they have either 3 or 4 letters followed by 3 numbers. You can identify which discipline and School or Faculty a subject belongs by the letters in the subject code:

Code	Discipline	School/Faculty
ACCY	Accounting	School of Accounting, Economics and Finance
COMM	Commerce subjects	Faculty of Business
ECON	Economics	School of Accounting, Economics and Finance
FIN	Finance	School of Accounting, Economics and Finance
LAW	Law	Faculty of Law, Humanities and the Arts
MARK	Marketing	School of Management, Operations and Marketing
MGNT	Management	School of Management, Operations and Marketing
PRMM	Public Relations	School of Management, Operations and Marketing

The numbers in the subject code signify the level of study:

Codes starting with 1	e.g., ACCY111	First year undergraduate subject
Codes starting with 2	e.g., FIN221	Second year undergraduate subject
Codes starting with 3	e.g., MARK344	Third year undergraduate subject
Codes starting with 4	e.g., COMM404	Honours subject
Codes starting with 9	e.g., MGNT911	Postgraduate subject

You can see all the subjects being offered by a School or Faculty in the Subject Database.

Q. What are core subjects?

There are 9 subjects which make up the core of the Bachelor of Commerce. These subjects are compulsory and common to all students studying a BCom:

SUBJECT CODE	SUBJECT NAME
Core
ACCY111	Accounting Fundamentals In Society
COMM101	Principles of Responsible Business
COMM121	Statistics for Business
ECON100	Economic Essentials for Business
FIN111	Introductory Principles of Finance
RSU Malaysia KDU	Introduction to Management
MARK101	Marketing Principles
Plus at least one subject from the following:
OPS113	Business Oriented Information Systems
ACCY112	Accounting In Organisations
ECON102	Economics and Society
MGNT102	Business Communications
Plus one capstone subject
COMM331	Integrative Business Capstone

Q. What are credit points?: Credit points are gained by successful completion of subjects. Most of our Faculty subjects are worth 6 credit points. Students undertaking the Bachelor of Commerce degree must complete a minimum of 144 credit points.

Q. What is a Major?

A major is a sequence of subjects which make up the main area of study in a degree. Majors consist of 8 subjects totalling 48 credit points. The majors available in the Bachelor of Commerce are:

Accountancy
Business Law
Economics
Finance
Financial Planning
Human Resource Management
International Business
Management
Marketing
Public Relations
Supply Chain Management

Q. What is a minor?

A minor is a sequence of subjects which make up a secondary area of study in a degree. Minors in the Faculty of Business consist of 4 subjects totalling 24 credit points. There are 14 minors available in the Faculty of Business.

The University also offers a minor in International Studies.

Q. Are there any deadlines I need to be aware of?

All students should familiarise themselves with key dates throughout each session. For example, there are deadlines relating to:

enrolment in a course,
enrolment in a subject and how students can enrol in a subject,
withdrawal from a subject to avoid either financial or academic penalties being imposed,
payment of fees.

Q. Who do I see about credit transfers or exemptions?

If you are a new domestic student seeking credit for your studies you should register for the Academic Advice Day held in January or February for Autumn session or July for Spring session via the Get Started website. Remember to bring your original Transcript for staff from the Faculty (Head of Students) to assess.

If you are a new international student seeking credit for your studies attend the Academic Advice Day held in February for Autumn session or July for Spring session. Remember to bring your original Transcript for staff from the Faculty (Head of Students) to assess.

If you are a current student seeking credit for your studies you should visit Business Central, Building 40 Level 1 with your original Transcript.

Q. My enrolment in one of my subjects shows "provisional". What does this mean and how do I have it removed?: Many second and third year subjects offered by the Faculty of Business have prerequisites. Students who have enrolled in a subject but do not meet the prerequisites for that subject will show a "provisional" enrolment status. In order to have the provisional status removed from your academic record, you should either withdraw from the subject or, if you wish to apply for a waiver of the prerequisite, seek approval through SOLS.

Q. What is a prerequisite?: Some subjects have prerequisites. A pre-requisite is a requirement which must be completed before enrolling in the next level of subject e.g. completing ACCY111 before progressing to ACCY112.

Q. What is a co-requisite?: A corequisite is a subject that must be taken at the same time as another subject.

Q. Where can I get copies of subject outlines?: Subject outlines are available online. You can print a copy from the Business Student Resources webpage.

Q. What is plagiarism and why is it important for me to understand what it means?: Plagiarism means using the ideas of someone else without giving them proper credit. There are penalties for plagiarising so you must be aware of what it means and how to avoid it. More information can be obtained from the Academic Integrity Policy webpage.

Q. What is copyright and how does it affect me?: Staff and students must comply with copyright laws. It is important that you are aware of what you can copy and how much you can copy. More information can be obtained from the Copyright & Disclaimer website.

Q. Where can I go for assistance with my studies?

The University provides a number of services for students experiencing difficulties or requiring assistance with their studies. If you are experiencing problems, you are encouraged to seek advice from any of the following services:

Q. How much maths is involved in a Commerce/Business or Bachelor of Economics degree?: It is a common misunderstanding that studying business is all about maths which is just not true. Our degrees are about application, not just the maths. In our lectures, we concentrate on common scenarios faced by individuals, businesses and industry, analyse that problem using common statistical tools, then come up with solutions. Even students studying accounting, involved 30% numeracy while the other 70% is about logic and analytical thinking.