The Business Navigators programme provides an enhanced Bachelor of Commerce experience for high-achieving students who want to combine their studies with valuable extracurricular activities. The programme enables those students to build skills, expand networks, and boost employability – all of which will help enhance their future career success.

Are you ready to navigate your way to business success? Your enhanced Bachelor of Commerce journey starts here - find out more below!

You are enrolled in three customised courses (BUSINESS 113, BUSINESS 203, and your chosen Capstone), you choose from three prestigious pathways that align with your ambitions (Leadership, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and Scholarship), and you participate in a range of  extracurricular activities.

• Enhanced learning experience – The three customised core courses have cutting-edge content and real-world applications.
• Shape your future – Choose from three prestigious pathways that align with your ambitions:

Leadership – Develop the skills to inspire and lead others.

Innovation and Entrepreneurship – Turn ideas into reality and drive change.

Scholarship – Excel in research and prepare for postgraduate success.

• Seamless integration – The three customised core courses fit within your Bachelor of Commerce - no additional courses required.
  
  
• Beyond the classroom – Complete a minimum of 60 hours of extracurricular activities in each calendar year that you are enrolled in Bachelor of Commerce courses, submit a log of the activities at the end of each semester, and submit a reflection on the activities near the end of your Bachelor of Commerce degree. This is to demonstrate skills that employers value.

• Unparalleled access – Learn directly from New Zealand's top business leaders through the three customised core courses.
  
  For example, in 2025 Jamie Beaton and Fangzhou (FZ) Jiang, co-founders of Crimson Education, joined the teaching team in BUSINESS 113 and over a 5-week period took students through case studies of major New Zealand growth companies Xero, Halter, PushPay, Crimson Education, and Zuru/Zeil. Leaders from these companies attended as guest speakers, giving the students unprecedented exposure to business leaders.

• Career advantage – Build skills, expand networks, and boost employability through extracurricular activities.
• Recognition that matters – Transcript notation, certificate, and digital badge that employers recognise as a mark of excellence.
• Lifelong connections – Join a tight-knit community of like-minded, high-achieving students.

• You need to be enrolled in a Bachelor of Commerce or a Bachelor of Commerce conjoint to be considered for admission to the Business Navigators programme.
• If you are a school leaver, you must have a Rank Score over 210 (NCEA), 230 (CIE), or 28 (IB). If you are already a university student, you need to have comfortably passed your university courses with a cumulative GPA of 5.0 or better. 
  
• If you are a school leaver, you need to achieve a B or higher in BUSINESS 111, and comfortable passes across your other Bachelor of Commerce courses (i.e. a B average or higher) by the end of Semester One 2026 to be able to be enrolled in BUSINESS 113 in Semester Two 2026.
• If you are already a university student, you need to achieve a B or higher in BUSINESS 111 by the end of Semester One 2026 and you must not have completed BUSINESS 112 (because BUSINESS 113 substitutes for BUSINESS 112).
• To remain in the programme you must comfortably pass your courses with a cumulative GPA of 5.0 or better (this equates to a B average).

• Applications for the 2026 intake open on 1 December 2025 and close 27 March 2026.
• The application process comprises several stages: 

1. Start your application by completing and submitting a simple online form. 
2. Your academic capability will be assessed and if you meet the Rank Score or GPA eligibility criteria you will be invited to undertake a timed video interview. Invitations to undertake the timed video interview will be sent out from early February 2026 onwards.

• After the closing date a Selection Committee will have a detailed look at your academic performance, your answers in the online application form, and your video interview, and will determine if you are suitable for the programme.
• Places are limited to 70 students per year. 
• Applicants will be informed if they have been accepted the programme during Mid-Semester break (which is in the first half of April 2026).  
  

• The Business Navigators programme commences in the second half of Semester One, directly following the Mid-Semester break. You will participate in a selection of extracurricular activities during the remainder of Semester One, including a welcome event. 
• Your first formal course as part of the Business Navigators programme is BUSINESS 113, which is taught in Semester Two. You will be automatically enrolled into BUSINESS 113 following satisfactory performance in Semester One. Entry into BUSINESS 113 requires B or higher in BUSINESS 111, and comfortable passes across your other Bachelor of Commerce courses (i.e. a B average or higher). So you need to have completed BUSINESS 111 by the end of Semester One 2026. Note that BUSINESS 113 substitutes for BUSINESS 112, therefore you must not have completed BUSINESS 112.
  
• Entry into BUSINESS 203 requires B or higher in BUSINESS 113. You must also meet the prerequisites for BUSINESS 203 (45 points from BUSINESS 113, 114, 115 or ECON 152).
• You must comfortably pass your courses with a cumulative GPA of 5.0 or better (this equates to a B average) to remain in the Business Navigators programme.
•  Note that you must complete a minimum of 60 hours of extracurricular activities in each calendar year that you are enrolled in Bachelor of Commerce courses, submit a log of the activities at the end of each semester, and submit a reflection on the activities near the end of your Bachelor of Commerce degree. You can see some examples of extracurricular activities if you click on the Leadership, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and Scholarship pathways links above.

If you have questions about the Business Navigators programme, please send an email to businessnavigators@auckland.ac.nz.