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School of Administrative Studies Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies
Home » Bachelor of Commerce » Degree Name Change | BAS to BCom

Degree Name Change | BAS to BCom

As of February 2018, the Bachelor of Administrative Studies (BAS) degree has changed to the Bachelor of Commerce (BCom). It was a change in name only, and in no way impacted any of the rigorous requirements of the existing program. It served to increase respect for the designation.

This name change had been in discussion for many years, but the final momentum was created by students and alumni, in the form of 3,000+ signatures on a petition to rename the program to Bachelor of Commerce. The name change gained full support at all levels at York University, and was welcomed by alumni and employers because of the clarity it provides.

Our program is well respected in the industry; however, the degree name has not had universal recognition as a business degree. For instance, employers’ automated candidate screening searches for keywords on a resume often do not recognize the Bachelor of Administrative Studies (BAS) as a business degree. We wanted to ensure that our graduates would be able to enter or advance in their chosen field from a position of confidence and continue to rise throughout their career. The degree name change to Bachelor of Commerce (BCom) helped accomplish that.

Frequently Asked Questions

It was a change in name only. The number and groupings of credits, courses, and GPA requirements remained the same at the time of the change. The Bachelor of Administrative Studies (BAS) degree merely received a new  title, to the Bachelor of Commerce (BCom).

Students
All students now enrolled, or enrolling in the program, when graduating, will receive a Bachelor of Commerce degree (BCom) from the School of Administrative Studies.

BAS Graduates
Any of our alumni who graduated with a BAS can get the degree changed to a BCom.

BA ADMS Graduates
Alumni who graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Administrative Studies (BA ADMS) are not eligible for this change. No Bachelor of Arts program qualifies for the degree name change.

Students who entered the program from fall 2017 onwards were enrolled in the Bachelor of Commerce (BCom) degree program. The first class to graduate with the new designation was in February 2018.

A fee will be charged to reclassify the BAS degree to a BCom. The fee will cover the cost of adjusting the student record, adding a notation to the transcript and producing a new diploma. Delivery costs may also apply to ship a new diploma. View the options and fees.

Quick Links

Did you graduate with a BAS designation before February 2018?

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Contact

Please email apsas@yorku.ca with any questions you have and we will respond as quickly as possible.