EMPLOYERS
and employees alike are looking for continuous improvement in their business
processes and operational standards as modern management concepts evolve.
MBAs have always been valued by corporations and businesses, as they produce excellent managerial candidates who are able to lead and innovate. It used to be driven by North American business schools, which had made a mark for themselves in the field, churning out graduates that were snapped up even before graduation.
MBAs have always been valued by corporations and businesses, as they produce excellent managerial candidates who are able to lead and innovate. It used to be driven by North American business schools, which had made a mark for themselves in the field, churning out graduates that were snapped up even before graduation.
Demand was such that some of the best business schools like INSEAD
and Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University opened campuses and
formed collaborations in Asia to tap into the Eastern market.
Then there
was the flexibility, brought about by the Internet and growing partnerships
with local universities in Asia that revolutionised the industry and fuelled
demand.
On the
not-so-positive side, there has also been a wave of so-called valid
institutions offering MBAs at cut-rate prices that have, to some extent,
saturated the market and made `MBAs' easily obtainable - and less credible.
Against this
backdrop we see the new trend - specialisation and relevancy emerging. Master's
programmes - MBAs included - have moved towards making themselves complementary
and applicable to specific fields of study. This move has enabled these fields
of study to expand in themselves as well as produce a host of individuals who
have a niche and are geared to the challenges their respective industries are
facing.
Still,
individuals looking to improve through professional certification or
postgraduate study should ask themselves some crucial questions on what would
suit them best. Would the course help in the work they are doing or would it
help in the areas they would like to pursue? Would the study hours suit? Would
the price fit? The next step would be to look at institutions that offer the
courses. Are those institutions leaders in particular sectors? Are they
accredited? Is there industry involvement in the university and its curriculum?
With the
advent of the Internet, distance learning has taken on new legs. These days, so
much can be done and earned from credible institutions across the globe,
without having to take time off or spend exorbitant amounts
of money to be physically present at classes. With teleconferencing,
email, web forums and online library access, distance learning is the answer
for many individuals who have the commitment and desire to improve but may lack
the opportunity.
Postgraduate
study was given a big boost by the government recently as one of the responses
to a slowing global economy. Aid in tuition fees and research grants were
mooted as the way to get more Malaysians to pursue master's and doctorate
programmes. For those who are unemployed or are looking to move up the career
ladder, postgraduate study is definitely the best step forward, more so now
with government help.
Professional
certification and postgraduate study are also evolving with the times as
pertinent global issues begin to change how things are done. In light of the
credit crunch, many institutions are offering master's courses that cover
alternatives to the "usual" choice of subjects, incorporating Islamic finance
theories and Eastern values into their programmes.
Even as
areas of science and technology expand, so do the specialisations that can be
ventured into at the level of master's - from the likes of Master In Urban
Design to Executive Diplomas in Drug Abuse. The trick, if there is one, is to
know what would interest the individual the most and to go for it.
If one is
not sure, in terms of employment, if a particular area or subject is skewered
toward individuals with professional certification or postgraduate degrees, the
best thing to do would be to approach employers and ask them or to flip through
the wanted ads. Are there people out there who are better qualified, who are
monopolising all the great jobs? If yes, then it is time to improve your own
standing in the job market.
For
individuals already equipped with master's degrees, the next step would be to
mark themselves as experts in their field. Doctoral dissertations do require
time and much research, but it is through the experimentation and quest of many
that discoveries were made and technologies evolved. Doctorates are the ideal
way to carve a niche and make a stand in the world's knowledge and expertise.
The world is
in a time of knowledge and know-how. It's time to make that choice for
continuous professional development. Flip our pages for some of the best
options in and out of the country.
POSTGRADUATE
TERMS AND WHAT THEY MEAN
Master's -
An academic degree earned after at least one year of study and undertaken upon
completion of an undergraduate degree. A master's qualification symbolises
expertise in an academic discipline or professional area, as well as a higher
order of thinking skills.
Master's
(Coursework) - A postgraduate degree that is taught in a similar way to first
degrees and does not include original research. Some comprise a combination
that includes research, culminates in a dissertation.
Master's
(Research) - A supervised postgraduate research which requires a student to
submit a dissertation based on independent research.
Doctorate
Any research degree which requires a student to master a specific subject and
extend the body of knowledge about that subject. Students must submit a thesis
for assessment by a panel of examiners.
PhD : Doctor
of Philosophy
DPhil :
Doctor of Philosophy (another term for PhD)
DBA : Doctor
of Business Administration
Higher
Doctorate - A degree awarded after a PhD, in recognition of a scholar's
substantial and original contributions to a particular discipline.
Dlitt :
Doctor of Letters
DSc : Doctor
of Science
DEc : Doctor
of Economics
DEng :
Doctor of Engineering
LLD : Doctor
of Laws
Postgraduate
Certificate - A PgCert can be pursued after an undergraduate degree. The number
of course modules taken are fewer than that of a Postgraduate Diploma and
Master's.
Postgraduate
Diploma - A PgDip can be pursued after an undergraduate degree. The number of
course modules taken are more than that of a Postgraduate Certificate and fewer
than a Master's. Both a PgDip and a PgCert are suitable for working
professionals.
No comments :
Post a Comment