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(4.5) |
Background:
I worked in the construction industry in USA as an engineer for about four years before joining the MBA program. I decided to go for the MBA program to transition to a more non-technical and managerial role and chose Nanyang MBA program.
Nanyang MBA/Double-MBA program:
In addition to full time MBA program , NTU also offers a double MBA program in collaboration with Waseda university in Japan. As a part of this program, students can take the last term in Japan and the MBA program will be for 14 months instead of 12 months. I decided to opt for the double MBA program as it provides more exposure in a very conservative work environment.
Experience in Nanyang MBA program:
The MBA program is divided into three terms. T1 offers only core courses and the electives can be chosen from T2 onwards. Students can choose from various specialization tracks like Finance, marketing, strategy and innovation, HR and general management. Students pursing full time MBA program will have a chance to undertake BSM (business study mission), where they get to travel to different countries to understand the working culture in that region ( this year the choice was between Japan and China), and SPAN which is a strategy planning oriented project which runs from T1 through T3. All these programs provide exposure to real world scenarios and are beneficial in acquiring industry insights.
Admin team:
The admin team are quite helpful with any issues right from the accommodations to any issues regarding assimilating to Singapore for international students. However, information regarding courses or Japan courses,particularly for me, takes a long time to be answered which is one of the major drawbacks I faced.
Class and curriculum:
As expected with an one year program, the course schedule is very intense. There are various interesting courses in the first term taught by exemplary professors. I particularly enjoyed the Tech & E-business course which was highly interactive and encourages broader thinking. Electives are offered from T2 term . One of my favorite courses in T2 was Strategy management where we had to work with real cases and develop solutions as a consultant.
Career opportunities:
In terms of career opportunities, the GSCDO organizes various networking events and alumni event to encourage communication with prospective employers. In addition, they conduct internship fairs where we can network with companies from various industries. In terms of companies visiting campus to recruit, the opportunities are limited. Companies visiting on campus are more focused towards undergraduates.
Overall BSchool experience (4.0)
Schools contribution (4.0)
Classmates rating (4.0)
Curriculum, Classes, Professors
Culture & Student Support
Specialization in a particular area (e.g. Finance, Consulting, Healthcare, etc)
Finance, Healthcare, Tech
Finance
Marketing
Investment Banking
Tech
Student body, diversity
Career opportunities provided by school
Facilities
My background is in hospitality industry with specialization in marketing. I chose to do MBA full time at Nanyang, opting for Marketing Management track. The two reasons why I chose to complete my degree at Nanyang is firstly the duration of the course which is 10 months and secondly the reputation of the school.
For MBA level, I believe Nanyang is strong in Finance and Strategic & Innovation track as in the career path after graduation. The school offers a lot of career opportunities such as internships and job postings, career events from start up to major corporations in these fields. However, there is very little career support for marketing jobs. You are pretty much on your own to make connections and find opportunities. On another side, the majority of the courses offered was useful and necessary. You get to learn a lot from the professors and your peers and get to view things differently.
For future applicants, first term may be overwhelmed with heavy course load but you will get used to it. Term 2 & 3 will come more peacefully as you have overcome term 1. Time at Nanyang flies so dont forget to enjoy yourself at school. Make friends as these connections are precious.
Overall BSchool experience (4.0)
Schools contribution (3.0)
Classmates rating (4.0)
Curriculum, Classes, Professors
Brand/Ranking
Consulting
Finance
Investment Banking
Entrepreneurship
Student body, diversity
Alumni Network
Career opportunities provided by school
Specialization in a particular area (e.g. Finance, Consulting, Healthcare, etc)
Brief Introduction about myself
I worked in a Chinese joint-stock commercial bank and acted fixed income supporting staff before I came to Nanyang MBA program. I have decided to select FICC as my future career motivated by my first internship in HSBC. I chose my SPDB fixed income group as my starting point of career path to accumulate practical experience.
Motivation about Nanyang MBA program
After accumulating three working experience in bond supporting works. I find that only achieving professional knowledge is not qualified with an excellent FICC banker. I am still not good at communication and coordination skills. In order to change my career position from trading support to sales & trading and improve my soft skills I decided to join in NTU MBA program.
Experience in Nanyang MBA program
Except for Nanyang MBA offer, I also received finance master offer from HKUST. Many friends are very surprised about my determination as Nanyang MBA offer. Many of them think that considering my previous working background and limited working experience I should choose master program instead of MBA program. Even for myself, I am also not confident about my choice. However, after several months study life, I am satisfied and enjoy a lot from MBA program. As an NTU MBA cohort, you can not only learn some class knowledge but also learn some insights from your classmates. Since many cohorts have rich working experience you can get some inspiration about problem solution and coordination skills. Nanyang MBA program give me a good platform to improve my soft skills which is more important for my future career.
Class and curriculum
Compared with other master program, MBA program courses seem to be more diversified and broad but don’t underestimate faculty capability and teaching level. All of our professors have rich teaching experience and most of them have related career in world famous companies before. All of course material more focus on practical application instead of book knowledge. We not only have compulsory courses such as e-business, strategic management, accounting, negotiation but also some professional courses like fixed income, international fiancé. What should be noted is that although I have certain financial background I can still gain some insights from financial elective courses because professors will use introduce more real cases and teach us methodology instead of boring concept.
Career Assistance and Opportunities
Except for daily class and curriculum, there are plenty of avenues to network and get attend career talks and job fairs in the university. Every cohort will be allocated one career coach. My career coach is Eric Sim, who has rich management and business experience in leading financial institutions such as UBS and Citi. He gives me a lot of useful suggestions about my future track and how to build network efficiently. Besides, MBA program will also offer us many career workshop and job fair to help us get some interview skills or even position opportunity. My current internship as a quantitative credit analyst is also comes from MBA job fair.
Overall BSchool experience (5.0)
Schools contribution (5.0)
Classmates rating (4.0)
Career opportunities provided by school
Facilities
Admissions Team
Consulting
Finance
Tech
Curriculum, Classes, Professors
Student body, diversity
Brand/Ranking
Background: I have about 4 years experience in Risk Assurance (Internal audits and operational reviews) with PwC, India. I was mostly engaged in a lot of business process audits and was exposed to industries such as manufacturing, retail and IT.
Application process: I mostly applied for schools in Asia, as it was I knew the returns on my investment would be easier to recover. It was also closer to home. I applied for the first round at NTU. The application process was very smooth. The Admissions team was very prompt with responses and also willing to accommodate any specific requests. I decided to be present for a one-on-one interview, but an option for a Skype interview was available for my convenience. The results were out within the deadlines specified on the website.
Typically, post confirmation, a person from the Admissions team will liaise with admitted candidates, and are available on call/ Whatsapp for any questions. Webinars are scheduled with current students at least twice during the applications cycle, for any questions from admitted candidates.
The Program: NTU is very well-reputed and has a diverse program, as well as a diverse cohort. Electives available are very specialised. I have taken the General Management specialisation, where I have the freedom to pick electives across specializations such as Finance, or Strategy and Innovation. Classes involve a lot of case study analysis, and professors make it a point to push you beyond your comfort zone. The curriculum also include a Business Study Mission (I traveled to Tokyo for company visits this year) and a SPAN (real-time consulting project) that goes on for about 6 months. Overall, the program brings about an experiential learning curve, and is value for money.
Faculty and Staff: The professors are very experienced in their fields. They are also very approachable and willing to entertain student's concerns and questions via email/ meetings. The Admin team is also very helpful, and they essentially become your friends. They will go over and above to ensure that all students' interests are catered to, whether schedule-related or other administrative issues. We also have mid-year reviews for every professor/ elective, where the batch gets to voice concerns/ appreciation. There is an online review as well.
The Career Office at NTU is helpful when it comes to networking with alumni and companies. However, you are responsible for your own job applications. The Career Office also allocates a consultant to guide you with your resume and other job application issues. There is also an external career coach who is available for on-on-one coaching sessions.
Overall BSchool experience (4.0)
Schools contribution (3.0)
Classmates rating (4.0)
Curriculum, Classes, Professors
Culture & Student Support
Admissions Team
Finance
Marketing
Investment Banking
Tech
Entrepreneurship
Management
Alumni Network
Career opportunities provided by school
Brand/Ranking
Experience during the program
Background about myself
After 4 years’ working experience as HR for various functions mostly in Tech industry in Shanghai and Singapore, I have been thinking about pursuing my MBA last year to explore other business functions and other industries. My experience of HR operations at GE, recruiting at Uber and people analytics at Grab has challenged me to think bigger and be a bigger person. MBA will be a solid catalyst to equip myself with business acumen, analytics skills, and a strategic thinking mindset. That’s why I am here at Nanyang Business School now. Generally, I prefer a shorter program and push myself to utilize study time to learn as much as possible and then get back to work. I’ve also received NUS MBA offer and after considering many key factors, I’d say I’m really enjoying my decision here at Nanyang MBA. This is also a tip for future applicants that you can consider several key criteria to help with your decisions later if you receive multiple offers, so you won’t be too puzzled which one to choose and be clear what’s most important for you realistically.
Fantastic application process
I have to say the whole super fast and friendly application process is also one of the reasons I decided to join Nanyang MBA as well. I really appreciate how the whole admissions team value each candidate and I felt very warm and welcome to join the big family. I believe you all will have a great experience as well. But the prerequisite of a fantastic application journey is for sure “Be ready” and “Reflect on yourselves”. I believe all of you will try to do as much research as you can from alumni, current students, GMATclub reviews, etc. These are all great channels but I would say the key to knowing yourself better and it’s not very essential to look at what others are doing and compare with others’ backgrounds. Among tons of applicants, only the real “You” will stand out.
Amazing support from our admin and career offices
We are really lucky to have very supportive admin and career offices and they have provided super support to our cohort. As current Student Exco VP of Carer Development, I have to say we have amazing support for our classmates together with our career office’s help. Each of us also has a career coach and sector mentor.
Diverse and comprehensive curriculum and professors
I enjoy all the courses so far and we get to know how business leaders think and it has been a fantastic journey to learn lots of interesting knowledge. All the professors are great and easy to approach. They have been super supportive to clear our confusion and coach us to think as a global leader.
Study hard and have fun
The one-year full-time program is no doubt very intense as you can imagine so be prepared:) Thanks to our lovely cohort and our admins office, we had quite a lot of fun together and many more events are awaiting us.
Welcome to join our big family very soon:)
Overall BSchool experience (5.0)
Schools contribution (4.0)
Classmates rating (4.0)
Curriculum, Classes, Professors
Career opportunities provided by school
Culture & Student Support
Finance
Tech
Brand/Ranking
Specialization in a particular area (e.g. Finance, Consulting, Healthcare, etc)
Consulting
1. The Application Process
After working for 5 years, I decided to apply to business schools in Singapore to improve my leadership skills as I plan to shift from my current industry to another. I ultimately choose Nanyang MBA, aside from its high global rankings and strong alumni network, because of the high-touch application process. The admission team from the start was very accommodating and understanding of my needs which is a great representation of the MBA culture within the institution.
2. The Academic Journey So Far
The modules are conducted by amazing experts of respective fields. Most of the subjects are highly interactive which allows us to learn not only through course materials but through sharing of experiences and knowledge with our classmates. One thing I would like to note is the Leading People Globally modules that greatly develops my soft skills.
3. The Cohort
First of all, the cohort's professional experience is very diverse and competitive and it allows for really healthy and insightful discussion in and outside of class. Secondly, the cohort was relatively small which allows us to have a more close-knit relationship with each other. Lastly, the culture that is being promoted in the program is very friendly and warm which makes the experience very easy to adjust to especially for someone like me who has never been away from my home country for extended period of time before this program.
4. The Extra-Curricula Matters
I can truly say that the MBA experience has met my expectations so far in terms of the program honing my leadership and communication skills beyond the classroom learning. The MBA team spends a lot of effort in ensuring that we have multiple avenues to get involved in development activities such as the executive committees and social/business clubs, marketing events, networking sessions, and social nights. It also provides a very good balance between academics and non-academic matters.
5. Career Assistance and Opportunities
There are plenty of avenues to network and get attend career talks and job fairs in the university. Although as someone who is planning to pursue the MBA, one must understand that securing a job is most likely gonna depend on our own individual efforts and how we utilize all the opportunities available to the students.
Overall BSchool experience (5.0)
Schools contribution (4.0)
Classmates rating (5.0)
Curriculum, Classes, Professors
Alumni Network
Culture & Student Support
Finance
Investment Banking
Management
Student body, diversity
Career opportunities provided by school
Background: I came into the program with 8 years of experience in finance, specifically in front office FX Sales and Structuring. Prior to joining the Nanyang MBA, I was based in Canada, while travelling much of the world. Additionally, I attained my CFA and ERP designations before joining the program (my final CFA charter was awarded in the 2nd month of the MBA program). Currently, I am serving as the President of the MBA Executive Committee.
Application Process: Once I had decided that I wanted to do an MBA to further my career prospects, it came down to deciding which geographical location I wanted to end up in. With Asia expected to be the main growth driver for the global economy in the next few decades, it only made sense to look at Singapore as a base. Once I started reaching out to the schools here, it became evident that NTU was going to be a great fit. During the application process, the admissions team was prompt on answering any questions I had and the application process was very smooth. I decided to do my interview in person, as I was attending a wedding in SE Asia at the time, but teleconferencing options are available. In the end, I received offers from NTU and the closest rival NUS, but decided to pursue the Nanyang MBA due to the strong alumni network in my target field (commodities trading).
The University & Program: Currently, NTU is the top ranked university in Asia, tied with NUS, so Singapore has outdone itself in the quality of education here. The Nanyang MBA program tends to fluctuate in the global rankings, but overall it has had a positive trend over the past few years. Currently, it is part of the top 10 schools in Asia and has strong brand recognition throughout. With its diverse program and a focus on experiential learning, the MBA program at NTU definitely pushes you outside of your comfort zone and gives the opportunity to apply new perspectives from the class on real world situations. Top example of this is the SPAN (Strategic Projects at Nanyang) program which gives you a year long live consulting project with a real company in SE Asia. Then there is the BSM or Business Study Mission, which this year was a choice between a week in Shanghai or Tokyo. Personally, I chose Shanghai as I believed it would be more relevant to my future in Asia, and I was definitely impressed by the company visits and networking I was exposed to.
The Cohort Experience: The cohort every year is a small batch compared to traditional MBA programs, this year being around 80 participants. But do not think that this indicates a lack of diversity or breadth of exposure. The class this year composed of 16 nationalities from around the world, and the diversity of experiences made for lively discussions in the classrooms. Additionally, the class cohesion was phenomenal this year with all the different cultures actively looking to integrate with others. Lastly, everyone is very involved in the MBA experience and with the help of the wonderful admin team we have been able to put together many unique activities.
Faculty and Staff: The faculty at Nanyang can only be described with one word, Exceptional. All of our professors have brought new insights into fields that some of us never expected. Ofcourse, new subjects such as Tech & E-Biz will yield new learnings, but I was more surprised by new insights provided in Finance class considering my background. The Admin team at Nanyang is phenomenal, they essentially become your family in the time you spend here. They take care of the nitty gritty of class schedules and other administrative issues, but they truly shine in the fact that they continue to go above and beyond in regards to building the total MBA experience. The social events and actively supporting the Exco's efforts show their true passion for the program.
The career placement services in the Nanyang MBA program are great assets, but you have to be responsible for your outcomes. What I mean by this is that many people come into an MBA program expecting that the careers services will do all of the work for them to have a job upon graduation. This simply does not happen anymore in the world, and definitely not in Singapore where networking is key. What the careers services does provide is guidance on resumes and careers, a dedicated career coach from industry as a mentor (this is a stand out feature that I was truly surprised by) and lastly the facilitation of company visits and networking events. Beyond this, they can be a great tool to tap into alumni networks in your target industry but the student has to be proactive! Of course there is still MBA recruiting that happens, but some of these opportunities may go unnoticed if you are not prepared and proactive.
Overall BSchool experience (5.0)
Schools contribution (5.0)
Classmates rating (5.0)
Curriculum, Classes, Professors
Student body, diversity
Alumni Network
Finance
Marketing
Tech
Entrepreneurship
Brand/Ranking
Specialization in a particular area (e.g. Finance, Consulting, Healthcare, etc)
I previously worked in Japan in Energy Industry and the reputation of Nanyang Business School convinced me to the full time MBA course, and I am pleased by the decision.
Through this review, I would like to bring four points to the fore:
1. Pedagogy: This aspect surprised me about Nanyang. As per expectations, the coursework of one year program is enervating yet intellectually stimulating. The basics of Finance, Accounting, Analytics and so on are covered during the first Trimester. After that students venture into their own specialisations- Strategy, Marketing, Human Resource, Banking, General Management.
The professors are truly commendable and try to ignite interest among the students through vivid discussions, Q&A, so much so that even a 3 hour class does not feel tiring. In particular, I really enjoyed Accounting and Tech & E-Business classes where one feels enriched after stepping out of the classroom.
2. Admission & Marketing Team: One of the reasons I chose Nanyang over other Singaporean university was the amicable and prompt nature of the admissions team. It was a delight engaging with them. These gestures did not cease after my admission, in fact the school does try very hard to make the foreigners feel comfortable ad provide guidance. These teams design curriculum, manage events and guide students about regular affairs. On the other hand, the marketing team, even though small packs a punch above its weight and epitomises commitment to their work. These traits eventually brush upon the students.
3. Career Cell/ opportunities: This is probably the Achilles heel of the program. The Career team is rather passive. One could say that Singapore is a small market and opportunities are few, however, a strong alumni network should have compensated for that.
The Career team is comprised of veterans and that's why I would love to see that translate into action as well. I feel let down on this aspect.
The silver lining is that there are job fairs and career talks which they organise, however, apart from that, actively informing students about the networking tips, events and even connecting with alumni are lacklustre activities.
4. Facilities and others: The university is technologically equipped and has numerous food zones. The campus has buses running for free so students can avail that facility. Also, NBS grants access to Bloomberg, Financial Times and other reputed journals for free. The cohort comprises of 15-25 nationalities and range of gender/racial diversity accentuates the experience.
Overall, I find the MBA program a great value for time and money.
If you belong to Finance industry or want to move into that, come right away, else the options are in dearth. Also, please understand that the issue of Employment pass quota being reduced is manifesting in the drying job scene as well. Therefore, please come with a concrete plan and a back up as well.
Overall BSchool experience (3.0)
Schools contribution (2.0)
Classmates rating (4.0)
Curriculum, Classes, Professors
Location
Brand/Ranking
Culture & Student Support
Facilities
Admissions Team
Specialization in a particular area (e.g. Finance, Consulting, Healthcare, etc)
Finance
Investment Banking
Tech
Management
Alumni Network
Career opportunities provided by school
I joined the NTU MBA program after 4 years of work experience in Market research.
My intention behind joining this program was to get rid of some stagnation with respect to work. I believed that an MBA program would lead to new experiences and greater career opportunities.
The academic aspect of the program is fairly hectic, given that it is a one-year course. Juggling career development with classes and events requires a high level of time management.
The cohort is active and not overly competitive. It is indeed a great experience to listen to multiple viewpoints during class discussions.
NTU is a really big campus with multiple schools spread across. Hence if you want to interact and build connections with the Tech or Engineering schools you need to be proactive.
The Career Development office helps students with resumes, networking events and coaching.
For future applicants: One advice would be to be realistic about the extent of future track changes. There are some radical function and industry shifts that might not be possible with a one year program. It is important to assess the scale of your shift before fixating on it.
Overall BSchool experience (4.0)
Schools contribution (4.0)
Classmates rating (5.0)
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Location
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I am a part of the double degree Nanyang-Waseda programme - one of the 12 who are part of the programme. This means the first two trimesters are spent in Singapore and the final trimester in Japan.
The biggest draw for me was the availability of this programme because I wanted exposure to two different countries. The length of the programme was also a draw since it was less than two years.
Hands-down the best part are my classmates with whom I'm all friends with. They are some of the brightest, hardworking, kindest and most open-hearted people I've ever met. Its amazing being privy to the perspective of students from 25 different nationalities.
The competition for future career opportunities is very external rather than internal. Everyone is helping each other out by sharing job postings and other resources. This culture was a pleasant surprise to me personally, having experienced cutthroat competition during my undergrad.
I am staying in the newest residential hall and as expected it is clean and well-maintained, in spite of the fact that my room is small. I love the convenience of having a canteen and a computer lab as part of your hall.
The weather in Singapore is a real shock and it takes time adjusting to if you are not used to hotter climates.
Overall, the schedule has been hectic, more so than I expected but it keeps you on your toes and prepares you for future business challenges.
Overall BSchool experience (3.0)
Schools contribution (3.0)
Classmates rating (5.0)
Student body, diversity
Culture & Student Support
Facilities
Marketing
Tech
Curriculum, Classes, Professors
Brand/Ranking
Specialization in a particular area (e.g. Finance, Consulting, Healthcare, etc)