Are you ready to take that postgraduate degree?

Three distinguished education providers discuss how to choose the right programme and how having a postgraduate degree is crucial to career advancement.

A bachelor’s degree is no longer sufficient to stay ahead in today’s increasingly globalised job market. A postgraduate degree provides an invaluable edge and makes a candidate stand out in a sea of similar resumés. But how does one choose the correct postgraduate programme?

EAIM: Grooming future-ready students through digital learning
East Asia Institute of Management (EAIM) is committed to preparing its students to become leaders in the rapidly changing professional landscape. To keep its students up to par with latest trends, EAIM is working with industry partners to develop a comprehensive curriculum which will equip its pupils with new skills appropriate for future jobs.

“We are using SMART learning & teaching technology to increase the efficiency, effectiveness and relevance of both the skills/competence based curricula students learn and the teaching delivered by our lecturers and trainers,” explains Dr. Andrew Chua, principal & executive chairman of EAIM. “We are working with the industry through their respective ITMs (Industry Transformation Maps) and associated Skills Frameworks (SFW) to produce work-ready graduates who will have the competence, confidence, commitment and creativity to be immediate value contributors to industry and society,” Dr Chua said.

As one of the leading private education institutions, EAIM offers a comprehensive suite of undergraduate an postgraduate programmes that are future-focused and developed in consultation with industry, across major disciplines of Hospitality & Tourism Management, Business Management, Accounting, Banking and Finance, Business Information Systems, Marketing, HR, Allied Health Sciences, Psychology, and many more.

EAIM has a long track record of excellence and competence. It started in Singapore in 1984 as in Informatics Software, which specialised in IT training. In 2001, it transformed into a full academic institution under the name East Asia School of Business. Then, in 2005, it rebranded into the East Asia Institute of Management.

EAIM’s competitiveness stems from marketplace knowledge and the employment-readiness of its graduates. “Our Holistic Education Approach (HEA) ensures that students learn industryrelevant skills and competences. We work with industry to review our curricula on an on-going basis. Our students are taught by a team of well-qualified, experienced and committed teaching faculty. Many possess Masters and above qualifications with many years of industry experience. Further, our new blended learning methodology helps to effectively achieve learning outcomes through combining classroom learning with experiential learning,” Dr Chua noted.

EAIM’s global character is evidenced by its long-established university partners in the United Kingdom, namely, Heriot Watt University -Edinburgh Business School, Aston University, Queen Margaret University, and Cardiff Metropolitan University. “We remain committed to nurture, produce and empower our graduates and students who possess what we regard as the four Cs of professional success -Competence, Confidence, Commitment and Creativity, built around the theme of ‘Creative Learning in the Digital Age,’” Dr Chua said.

SIM Global Education: A tradition of unmatched quality and success
An immersive international education is crucial to the success of business leaders, and SIM Global Education (SIM GE) knows only too well that a quality MBA is indispensable in today’s globalised workforce. As the global education arm of the Singapore Institute of Management, SIM GE offers overseas academic programmes through its partnerships with various established universities, including the University of Birmingham, The University of Manchester and the University of Warwick from the United Kingdom. Founded in 1964 under the initiation of the Economic Development Board, SIM GE has consistently been the top choice of students seeking higher education.

For eight consecutive years, SIM GE has been voted as among the Top 3 Best Private Institute in the annual AsiaOne People’s Choice Awards, and it is also ranked as amongst the top five most preferred private education institutions for postgraduate degrees in the JobsCentral Learning Survey 2015. SIM GE has about 19,000 students
and over 150,000 alumni.

With a track record of over 20 years in Singapore, the Birmingham MBA is amongst SIM GE’s most distinguished courses. “This programme allows students to develop skills to work anywhere in the world with opportunities to learn, do sharings and network with fellow peers to deepen their understanding of modern business practices in various industries and sectors,” says Ho Soon Eng, Director of Higher Education, SIM Global Education. “The Birmingham MBA seeks to provide students with the insight, ambitions and skills to shape advanced and sustainable business strategies. It provides the global and Asian perspectives of business management and practice; as well as opportunities to debate and exchange views on genuine business issues through case studies, presentations, dissertation,”notes Ho.

“It provides a strong student-teaching faculty engagement through conventional teaching and online consultations via WebEx e-platform, and allows high flexibility to cope with work and personal commitments,” she adds. “Birmingham MBA graduates will gain the confidence, skills, tools and good business acumen to manage the different fundamental aspects of business across various industries in the global context, accelerating their careers with existing employers or create potential for change.” The effectiveness of the Birmingham MBA is proven by the success of its graduates. Over 65% of the Birmingham MBA graduates in Singapore graduated with merit or distinction in 2017. The Birmingham Business School boasts a triple-crown accreditation by AACSB International, AMBA and EQUIS for providing high-quality education and outstanding learning.

“The interaction with classmates from various industries and backgrounds helped to widen my perspectives of business management and provided great networking opportunities,” says Ho Howe Tian, business director, Envision Energy.

Kaplan: Reaching new heights through diverse programme choices
Kaplan offers courses in niche areas that are equally vital to the economy and society, such as business law, childhood studies, counselling, health services management, information technology, cyber forensics, and psychology. The Kaplan School of Postgraduate Studies offers one of the most comprehensive range of programmes to cater to different individual’s interests.

The school’s myriad postgraduate programmes include MBA, Executive Master’s, Specialised Master’s Degree and Graduate Certificate programmes. To date, it has over 30 postgraduate programmes for higher learning.

“Anyone thinking about undertaking studies with Kaplan first spends time with a dedicated course consultant who has an extensive knowledge of the programmes we offer and is able to match the potential student with the programme that is right for them,” says associate professor Rhys Johnson, Chief Operating Officer & Provost. “Our courses are available in a variety of learning modes (weekly classes, blockteaching, 100% online) in order to cater to different needs. We partner with a number of highly ranked partners to ensure our graduates receive a quality
education that will be well recognised as they forge their careers. For example, Monash University, our partner for Education is one of the top ranked in the world in that discipline, Griffith is 11th in the world rankings for nursing, UCD and Northumbria hold AACSB accreditation.”

Kaplan prides itself on providing worldclass education through global partnerships and cutting-edge technology. Kaplan has pioneered the Synergy Pod—a one-of-a-kind classroom which were built in mind to encourage teacher student discussions and peer-to-peer collaboration, providing a dynamic and interactive learning experience for students.

Kaplan’s commitment in catering to life-long integrated learning is evident in its three entities: Kaplan Higher Education Academy, Kaplan Higher Education Institute, and Kaplan Learning Institute. Kaplan Higher Education Academy offers full-time diploma, bachelor’s and master’s degree programmes, whilst Kaplan Higher Education Institute offers part-time diploma, bachelor’s and master’s degree programmes. Kaplan Learning Institute offers professional accounting and financial training, and skills development such as WSQ-funded courses. Together, these entities form one of the largest private education institutions in Singapore, spanning more than 140,000 sqft across Kaplan City Campus @ Wilkie Edge and @ PoMo.

“A postgraduate degree will enhance employability as you are equipped with specialist skills and industry expertise to succeed in the future economy. The graduate job market has been increasingly competitive with many Bachelor’s Degree holders therefore getting a postgraduate qualification will give one the added competitive edge to stand out from the crowd,” Johnson says.