Bachelor of Entrepreneurship

The Bachelor of Entrepreneurship at the Russo Institute of Higher Education is a three-year degree built around one idea: you learn to start things by starting them. Core study covers opportunity recognition, business model design, financial literacy for founders, marketing, and the legal basics every new venture needs. You'll look at how small businesses actually run in Australia, from sole traders to companies limited by shares, and what that means for tax, contracts and compliance.

How the degree is structured

Like most Australian bachelor degrees, it runs over three years of full-time study, usually split into two semesters a year. You complete units of study, each worth a set number of credit points, and you need to pass the required total to graduate. Expect a mix of core entrepreneurship units and electives, so you can lean towards marketing, finance, or management depending on what your venture needs. There is normally a capstone unit in your final year where you pull everything together into a real business plan or project.

Work-integrated learning

Entrepreneurship degrees in Australia often include work-integrated learning because the field is practical. That might be an internship with a startup, a placement with a small business, or an industry project where you work with a real client. RIHE's approach is to put you in contact with founders and business owners, so you see how decisions get made when the money is your own. If you're an international student, you can work up to 48 hours per fortnight while your course is in session, which is a useful way to get local experience alongside your studies.

Skills you build

You'll learn to test an idea before spending money on it, read a profit and loss statement without flinching, pitch to investors or lenders, and manage a small team. You'll also practise the less glamorous parts: keeping records, meeting obligations, and knowing when to change direction. By the end, you should be able to take a concept from a notebook to a registered business.

Who it suits

This degree suits people who want to run their own business, join a family enterprise, or work in a startup where everyone does a bit of everything. It also works if you're not sure yet what you want to build but know you'd rather create something than follow a set career path. If you're an international student, you'll need to meet the English requirement, IELTS Academic 6.0–6.5 overall is the common undergraduate standard, with TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic, Cambridge C1 Advanced and RIHE's own English programmes accepted as equivalents. The Department of Home Affairs sets a separate English threshold for the Student visa itself. After graduating, the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) post-study work stream may let you stay and work in Australia, depending on your circumstances.

Tuition is published on the CRICOS register. Check the official course page for current unit details, intake dates and entry requirements.

• Founder or co-founder, start your own business in retail, services, tech or trades, across any Australian city or region.
• Small business owner or operator, take over or grow an existing enterprise, from cafés to consultancies.
• Startup team member, work in product, operations, marketing or growth at an early-stage Australian company.
• Business development officer, find partners and customers for a small or medium business.
• Innovation or venture analyst, assess new ideas inside larger organisations, banks, or accelerators.
• Family business manager, bring professional management to a family-run operation.
• Consultant or advisor, help small businesses with planning, finance or digital tools.