Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Business with Financial Management (Top-up)

I was driven to pursue an MBA as I felt stagnant in terms of my level of knowledge and desired a breakthrough in terms of my professional network. The in-depth and stringent MBA programme broadened my knowledge in managing the business with a practical approach, allowing us to apply knowledge learned through the assignments.

Networking is the best part about taking up an MBA. In my cohort, there was a surgeon from a public hospital and there were many students in senior positions in large companies from various fields. This helped me to grow my connections.

My advice to those who are thinking of taking up an MBA is: Don’t think, just do. Taking up an MBA is not just a career-propelling act, but has taught me to prioritise the things I do daily while advancing my knowledge and challenging what I thought I knew, having managed a business for a decade. Furthermore, have an open mind and practice good time management while learning, re-learning and challenging yourself to greater heights.

With a growing percentage of the population holding at least a Bachelor’s Degree, it is imperative to have an MBA to stand out among your peers. From middle management executives to busy business owners like myself, taking the time and effort to achieve an MBA qualification will bring you a new skill set and mindset. Because Kaplan offers a manageable timetable for the programme, it is not difficult, speaking as a married man with three kids, similar to many peers in my class.

What drove me to pursue my MBA was the desire to gain new knowledge and learnings that are relevant to what I do in my current job.

The modules covered were very relevant and were the most beneficial part of the programme to me, and they helped me gain the knowledge necessary to lead my business. The programme allowed me to apply what I had learned in real work situations, such as in managing people, financial management and strategy planning.

For example, in the Strategic Marketing module, the various theories and models related to branding helped me to review and apply my internal and external brand positioning in my business. In the module, Managing in the Digital Economy, I learned to relate strategic issues such as technology adoption, digital marketing platforms and more, and consider how these could be broadly applied across business lines.

Furthermore, there was the opportunity to learn through group discussions and research work. As part of my assignment in the Leader Identity and Leadership module, I had the opportunity to interview a leader to understand his challenges and analyse his leadership style. Through this, I could reflect on my own leadership style.

My advice to those thinking of pursuing an MBA is to be mentally prepared that the end goal is not just the certificate, but the opportunity to expand one’s learnings and business knowledge through classes, study groups and research. Networking is certainly the best part about taking up an MBA programme. I had a regular study group where we met up regularly to catch up about work, apart from discussing assignments.

In my opinion, those who aspire to grow into a leadership role should take up this MBA programme.

Attaining a Degree has always been a personal goal of mine and achieving it has proven my capabilities. It has served as a ticket to job interviews and opportunities for career advancement. As my Diploma was in Legal Studies, it meant that I had no business-related background. Knowing that attaining a Bachelor of Arts in Business Management would add value to my portfolio, I chose a University with modules with real-world practicality.

Northumbria University was my choice as it is well-established and recognised worldwide, holds the Dual AACSB Accreditation and offers a Direct Honours Business Degree.

Through this journey, I learnt the important life skill of time management, as I had to manage my full-time job while attending classes at night and on the weekends.

I stand by the belief that the decisions I make today will determine the direction of my life tomorrow. Even though the journey was not smooth sailing, the support given by the University was immense and I am proud to have completed my programme with First Class Honours.

I had worked full-time at the Thye Hua Kwan Moral Charities Senior Activity Centre for three years and recently started working as a Programmes Executive at YWCA. Here, I aim to equip young women and mothers from marginalised backgrounds with work skills to improve their lives through employability.

I find it meaningful to work with the elderly and devise interventions to help with their gradual memory impairment and physical limitations. I am also passionate about reaching out to people in difficult situations and making a difference in their lives.

These reasons motivated me to pursue my education with Kaplan, first with a Foundation Diploma, followed by the Diploma in Psychology. This then gave me exemptions to pursue my Bachelor’s Degree with Northumbria University, where I chose to study the Bachelor of Arts in Guidance and Counselling.

The Degree is well-suited to my goal of becoming an asset to organisations that strive to improve the welfare of those in need. Northumbria University is well-recognised for its outstanding teaching, so I feel confident about achieving my Degree here. The lecturers, who are experts in their respective professional fields, also share their experiences and knowledge with us.

The programme may serve as a stepping-stone for those who aspire to expand their career opportunities in the sector and work with people from diverse backgrounds. All the modules covered have been comprehensive and applicable to my job scope.

After I have completed the programme, I plan to further my education with a Master’s Degree in order to be empowered to care for and understand how to work with people from diverse backgrounds.

I decided on Northumbria University because I liked the University’s approach to my programme, even within each module; and I chose my major because it perfectly complemented my career aspirations.

The programme has helped enhance my job performance. I now take steps towards self-improvement in my problem areas and continuously learn by setting personal benchmarks and reviewing them regularly. Learning leads to a better quality of life, boosts confidence and aids in personal development.

I would recommend my University to others as my overall experience was fantastic! I made a great group of friends as my class was big, and we always had laughs with the tutors.

Thanks to my tutors’ help and the content delivered, I exceeded my own expectations by achieving excellent grades. The lessons are completely related to the job you want to do, and the programme has made me rethink what career I want to pursue because it has opened the door to so many higher-paying jobs!

I decided to study with Northumbria University at Kaplan in Singapore as it is among the top 1% of elite institutions worldwide*. I was also attracted to the largely assignment-based learning, which allowed me to better plan my time around my work schedule to complete and submit assignments. As for my choice of major, I chose it as it is related to my current job and I wanted to enhance my knowledge in the field.

The programme has helped to strengthen my job performance. With its assignment-based curriculum, it gave us a more practical education, allowing students to apply the knowledge learned in classes through the assignments given, which were similar to projects assigned at work. In addition, all the research done based on real companies or situations gave me much exposure to current market sentiments and trends, to learn and improve on some “outdated” practices.

Given the good reputation of Kaplan and its collaboration with reputable universities, taught by very knowledgeable lecturers, I would recommend Kaplan.

*Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business

My first choice was Northumbria University as it is one of the largest universities in the UK, and its programme structure was suitable for me as a working professional. The subjects offered in the Business with Logistics and Supply Chain Management Degree programme were diverse in scope and relevant to my current job in the Service industry.

While pursing my Degree, I had just started a completely new job after working for more than twenty years in the military. However, I succeeded in balancing the challenges of my new job and coping with lectures and assignments at the same time, which eventually led to me graduating with First Class Honours.

I would recommend my University to others as it is a widely recognised University with a good track record and the curriculum offered is relevant to today’s industry context. The lecturers are specialists in their own fields and are always willing to share their wisdom.

Northumbria University was my top choice because of the Degree programme’s industry relevance – learning the essentials of business strategy and management, as well as understanding how supply chain processes can be optimised, adds value to my current role as a continuous improvement lead.

As a leader, I can deliver better results for my organisation through the Japanese concept of kaizen, or continuous improvement, and the application of lean management. The effectiveness of my training programme has also improved with my new wealth of knowledge.

Another reason for my choice is due to its location – the University is in central Singapore, which made it optimal for my part-time study efforts. The overall travel time was not excessive.