As much as you would love to meet with your fellow university classmates and catch up on what’s going on in their lives, it’s really hard to avoid having this mini benchmarking exercise going through the back of your head. In recent years, the topic of getting a Master of Business Administration (MBA) has been popping up more than ever.
Many of my peers have either obtained their MBA or getting themselves enrolled into a MBA programme. In today’s competitive corporate environment, getting a recognised MBA is a path that I have to eventually embark on. However, the painful part is going through the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) – a computer adaptive test (CAT) which assesses a person’s analytical, writing, quantitative, verbal and reading skills in standard written English. I absolutely loathed the GMAT. Given that I am a 2nd Upper Honours Graduate from a well-known local university, I personally feel that I need not be made to go through such additional tests to access my skill sets.
When my younger brother shared with me his intent to take on a business degree after his business diploma in PSB Academy, I chanced upon the Part Time MBA Programme (General) Awarded by The University of Nottingham while surfing on PSB Academy website.
Apparently, The University of Nottingham is ranked 9th in the United Kingdom in Shanghai Jiao Tong University ‘Academic Ranking of World Universities 2012’ and is placed amongst World Top 100 MBA (The Economist 2011). The Master Programme is fully taught by the university faculty at PSB Academy which provides an international flavour and perspectives to broaden and refine personal leadership skills. Last but not least, the programme is accredited by both by the European Quality Improvement System (EQUIS) and the Association of MBAs (AMBA). And the best part, GMAT is not applicable for holders of GCSE/GCE English Grade C or better, or degrees from the UK, USA and Australia!
When I went over to PSB Academy for more information on the course structure, there was a sample of the programme timetable for my reference. The entire programme duration is about 18 – 24 months depending on the time of completion for the dissertation. Students are allowed to start their dissertation after completing 8 modules with a 6 months completion time frame. However, students may also choose to start their dissertation after completing all 12 modules.
Looking at the timetable, I did have my reservations with regards to the required time commitments.
Understanding my concerns, the helpful staff at PSB Academy introduced one of their MBA student Mr Neo Jin Kiat, Benjamin to me and he shed some lights on his study experience. He chose the MBA Programme from The University Of Nottingham because he wanted a high quality education that is internationally recognised. Furthermore, the programme met his company’s requirements in terms of module selection and accreditation. He is fortunate to be working for a company that is actively supportive of employees who wish to seek continuous self-improvement.
He explains that the modules in this MBA programme provide a comprehensive view of business management of today. Each module is taught within an intensive period of 6 days so that students can focus on one module at a time. Lecturers are flown into Singapore campus from the University of Nottingham, United Kingdom hence giving students an international exposure when it comes to module delivery. A typical class size would consist of about 20 to 30 students from diverse backgrounds and the requirement for group course work offers ample opportunities for fellow students to learn from one another’s experience.
When asked about his favourite modules, he was quick to highlight Entrepreneurship & Creativity as well as Sustainable Decisions & Organisations. For Entrepreneurship & Creativity, he appreciates how it encourages students to think out-of-the-box and challenges logical mindsets. He fondly recollected how he and his classmates were put in a real life crisis situation and are supposed to come up with solutions to these problems during Sustainable Decisions & Organisations module. These solutions were subsequently presented to the board of directors and the media which compromises of real business managers /directors from various industries and journalists. The learning experience breaks away from the traditional classroom teaching and presents real life situation for us to experience the practicality of the teachings.
Of course, he openly admits that the biggest challenge he faced was to balance the time and commitment needed for work, study and family. To overcome this challenge, he planned a timetable to divide my time between work, study and family and followed it strictly. He also set realistic deadlines for the completion of work, coursework and allocate time to study for exams to ensure that he is on track.
Upon graduation, Benjamin appreciate PSB Academy efforts with organizing networking sessions for alumni and new students. There is also a strong student – teacher mentoring support and lecturers are always encouraging students to email them should there be any questions and replies can be expected not longer than 3 working days.
I really thankful to Benjamin for sharing his insights, it is assuring to learn from MBA alumni who have been there and done that.
If you are interested to enrol in The Nottingham University Master Of Business Administration Programme, here are some of the information that you should take note of:
Minimum Entry Requirements
Applicants must normally be graduates of an approved University holding a good Honours degree or a relevant professional qualification considered equivalent to a first degree; and candidates are expected to have three or more years of full-time work experience, the majority of which would normally have been gained since graduating from their degree.
Interested parties can visit PSB Academy website now to find out more.
