SMU EMBA and MBA: Grooming global citizens

Digital-readiness and global citizenship qualities exist in every EMBA and MBA graduate of SMU.

When SMU revamped its MBA programme in 2018, the changes reflected some of the most important trends in the workplace of today and tomorrow. With the speed of digitalisation driving globalisation, new management philosophies and escalating demands from consumers, MBA and EMBA graduates need to be upskilled more than ever. Data analytics is now the name of the game, and SMU took on the challenge by offering data science as a foundation course, in addition to a myriad of new offerings.

“We believe that leaders in modern day organisations should develop an astute sense of digitalisation, including how it can transform the organisation, and how organisations can benefit from digital transformation,” said Dr. Ser-Keng Ang, Academic Director of the SMU MBA programme.

“The individual’s job scope is constantly in flux today, the relevant knowledge that candidates need 3 months after they graduate may be different compared to what they learned when they were in the programme,” said Professor Shantanu Bhattacharya, Academic Director of the SMU EMBA programme.

Hence, SMU has committed to providing ‘lifelong ROI’ to its EMBA and MBA candidates by offering the opportunity to continue taking courses even after graduation. “This allows us to engage and provide our graduates with opportunities for continuous learning, rather than the short-term relationship we see in other EMBA and MBA programmes offered today.”

Future-ready MBA graduates

As part of the curriculum revamp, SMU developed a core course on “Leading Digital Transformation” to help candidates understand the impact of digitalisation and how they can effect transformation within their organisation. The MBA programme also offers a suite of analytics courses, from marketing to operations to finance, to provide candidates with the technical skills to handle big data.

Coupled with SMU’s drive for digital-readiness, SMU MBA candidates are also exposed to a broad range of business and management topics. The opportunity to explore a broad spectrum of content equips the candidate with the knowledge to move up the career ladder or to pursue an alternative career if he or she chooses.

“To me, the very DNA of an MBA is generalisation. The key benefit of generalisation is the exposure you get to different areas and subject matter. This journey of exploration is not only key to gaining a holistic perspective of business and management, it also trains the MBA candidate to explore the unknown. This helps them to discover career options they might not have previously considered if not for the MBA programme, particularly with an internship,” Dr. Ang concludes.

Globalised EMBA graduates

For senior executives with more than 10 years of working experience, they can look to the highly successful SMU EMBA programme for further education. Ranked 22nd globally and 5th in alumni salary increase in the 2018 Financial Times Executive MBA rankings, the SMU EMBA draws the cream of the corporate crop, with over 60% of its candidates being director-level and C-suite executives across Asia, US, Europe and the Middle East.

With a curriculum co-designed with inputs from 100 senior business leaders and senior executives in Asia, the SMU EMBA offers executives the opportunity to interact with a very senior cohort of business leaders who are shaping business and society not only in Singapore but across the globe.

“As there is no one-size-fits-all approach to managing global business, leaders today need to know the different strategies that work in different environments,” said Bhattacharya.