Going beyond the books

WHEN Mr Eugene Ng Guangwei (right) was looking for a postgraduate programme, he had two main criteria: a sound reputation and quality curriculum. 

The 31-year-old former banker finally decided on the Master of Science in Finance awarded by Grenoble Graduate School of Business, France (GGSB). Mr Ng was attracted to the programme that is offered through MDIS because of its comprehensive curriculum and its quality, having received accreditations from various MBA boards and education rankings.

GGSB is regarded as one of Europe’s top business schools. It is currently ranked 29th in the Financial Times European Business Schools Ranking, and is one of the few business schools worldwide to possess the triple accreditations — EQUIS (European Quality Improvement System), AMBA (the Association of MBAs) and The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). 

These triple accreditations are international recognition of the quality of the organisation, its programmes and the degrees it delivers. They provide an independent assessment of the quality of the organisational process, ensuring that the content and quality of the programmes delivered satisfy established international standards. 

GGSB’s Master of Science in Finance is ranked Top 10 best pre-experience Master in Finance programme in the world by the Financial Times in 2011/2012. The programme is also ranked fourth in international course experience and seventh in international mobility in the same Financial Times Ranking. 

“The comprehensive curriculum which is based on the Chartered Financial Analysts (CFA) programme, impressed me a lot and at the same time, there is a focus on the dissertation and the potential to apply and research on this through the internship opportunity.

Hence, I can either take the academic or corporate route with this degree,” explains Mr Ng. Apart from the coursework curriculum, a dissertation and an internship component, Mr Ng also appreciates the relatively small class size from a good mix of nationalities. 

The majority of them hail from France while the rest include students from Russia, Malaysia, India and Singapore. The coursework is taught jointly by GGSB’s faculty as well as from MDIS. The lecturers focus mainly on various components of Finance, such as statistics, corporate finance, accounting and modules with direct application and relevance to a corporate context. 

Many of the lecturers are university faculty who fly to Singapore to teach locally. The coursework stretches over seven to eight months, and project work, dissertation and internship take up the remaining part of the two-year full time programme.

Mr Ng, who started on the course for almost three months ago, has assimilated well into the programme and is looking forward to the forthcoming course work. “Learning is tough and for someone without a full finance academic background, it has been a steep learning curve the last couple of months,” he says. 

The school staff has been helpful and professional in handling the administrative details of the programme while the tutors offer different perspectives and coupled with the diverse and international student community, it has been an enriching experience, adds Mr Ng.

For instance, when the school found out that he would be missing out on his lessons due to a National Service call up, it arranged for the lesson to be recorded and viewed online.

“I think this is a nice gesture on their part to accommodate the circumstances,” says Mr Ng. “I would recommend this programme if you are comfortable with studying full time for an alternative learning experience.

This programme is best suited for those who want to go beyond textbook curriculum and into the intellectual foundations of daily applications of finance,” says Mr Ng. 

The programme is also suitable for those looking to upgrade their skill sets or understand the evolving business landscapes.

 “One should always aspire to embark on a continuous learning journey given that it is always better to know more, regardless of what life stage you are in,” he adds.

Quality MBA programmes by MDIS

MDIS offers a wide range of Master’s programmes in collaboration with highly acclaimed universities in Australia, France and the United Kingdom. 

These include the Master of Business Administration awarded by the University of Bradford, UK, and Master in International Business and Master of Science in Finance awarded by Grenoble Graduate School of Business, France (GGSB).

Both the Bradford University School of Management and GGSB received the ‘triple crown’ accreditations –– EQUIS (European Quality Improvement System), AMBA (the Association of MBAs) and The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).

As of April this year, only 57 business schools across the world had achieved the triple top standards.

- By Teo Kuan Yee

Source:[The Sunday Times 06012013] © Singapore Press Holdings Limited.
Reproduced with permission".