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.
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