Better Career Advancement With Internationally Accredited Master Programme

To acquire masters-level knowledge and skills in project management based on international standards, one could opt to elevate their professional skills by obtaining a GAC-PMI accredited Master of Project Management (MPM) degree at APU.

The field of project management has been steadily growing over the last two decades and has developed significantly as well.

According to the consultancy firm Bain and Company, most work will be project-based by 2027, as more industries are aware of the impact and significance of a well-managed project in a business.

Therefore, this has upped the ante on a project managers’ role.

Concurring with this sentiment, the Project Management Institute (PMI) – a United States-based not-for-profit professional organisation for project management – has also reported that the demand for project managers has been growing more rapidly.

Since Aug 1, 2021, the Asia Pacific University of Technology & Innovation (APU) is officially an internationally accredited Master of Project Management (MPM) programme provider, after an exhaustive review and accreditation process by the Global Accreditation Center (GAC), which is the accrediting branch of the PMI.

APU combines the concept of business administration, marketing and economics within its MPM degree programme, with emphasis on providing students with good communication skills, so that graduates can expertly coordinate work and effectively delegate tasks to fellow team members.

“The accreditation body highlights the deep commitment of APU and our faculty to ongoing evaluation and continuous quality improvement,” said APU Technology Management, School of Technology senior lecturer Jerry Chong Chean Fuh.

“Students who opt to study their MPM at APU will benefit from fewer certification requirements. The reason being, core project management modules are pre-approved for PMI contact hours or professional development units,” he added.

He said that this makes APU among only five universities in Malaysia and one of the 17 institutions in Asia to earn this accreditation. With GAC-PMI accreditation, APU can access certain PMI works for use in related course materials, thus providing graduates with up-to-date information and knowledge.

The MPM programme at APU comprises 13 coursework modules, including research methodology and a project with 11 compulsory core modules like project quality management, project planning and scheduling, project cost estimation and budgeting, where students will have to choose another two electives available.

The PMI-GAC accredited Master of Project Management (MPM) programme grooms up the upcoming project managers.

Nur Hazwany Syafiqa Husri, 26, who is currently pursuing a Master of Project Management at APU, aims to augment her core qualification of a bachelor degree in architecture with project management skills and knowledge.

“I want to broaden my architectural knowledge and expertise. The modules in this programme offer a broad range of knowledge from various fields. What I like most about studying at APU is that I gain a lot of knowledge from the lecturers through the experience sharing session which makes this journey easier for me,” said Nur Hazwany Syafiqa.

‘I want to broaden my architectural knowledge and expertise,’ said Nur Hazwany Syafiqa Husri.

Meanwhile, Reem Abdelrahman Sidahmed Mohammed, 23, who is also an architecture graduate, finds that there is a growing need for specialists in architectural project management.

“I chose to study this Master’s programme at APU as it will ensure that I acquire the necessary knowledge and skills to deal with the technological challenges in the building industry. Most importantly, it will fuel me with relevant experience to embark on a fulfilling career,” said Reem.

Students will be privy to developing and strengthening critical analysis, independent scholarship and intellectual empowerment through a structured research-informed programme and research-informed teaching as well as opt-in for a Chartered Management Institute (CMI) L7 Diploma in Strategic Management and Leadership Practice.

MPM students will have the option to opt-in for the APU-DMU Dual Degree Scheme, where they will receive two sets of degree certificates and transcripts upon graduation: One from Asia Pacific University (APU), Malaysia and another from De Montfort University (DMU), United Kingdom.

What’s more, according to the latest Annual Graduate Tracer Study by the Higher Education Ministry, 100% of APU graduates were employed upon graduation. This is a significant symbol of APU’s success and pride in nurturing professionals for global careers.

For more information on APU's Master of Project Management degree programme, visit the Postgraduate Open Day on May 27-28 2022, from 10am-5pm. Alternatively, visit www.apu.edu.my.

This article is published in The Star Online, please click here.