Career Advice 進修新知

Part-time mode gives its working students a break

MBA (Part-time)
University of Hong Kong

To help busy workers find time to boost their knowledge, the University of Hong Kong offers its part-time MBA in a modular mode to allow students to focus on one area of study at a time.

“Each module lasts about five weeks. This offers tremendous benefit to the students as they might have intensive work commitments in a particular period and, hence, can choose to study for five weeks only,” says executive director Sachin Tipnis.

The programme is designed to help students manage and capitalise on the region’s dynamic and fast-evolving business environment. “As the Asian economy continues to grow, it is vital that business leaders from the region are exposed to cutting-edge business education which is tailor-made for achieving success in a dynamic arena,” says Tipnis

The programme adopts an experiential-learning approach, with a strong focus on the mainland and Asia. “Students will be taught how to apply business principles and models to real-world business problems. The assignments are based on business proposal-writing and there is plenty of presentation work to relate the learning experience to real-life situations. There are also case studies and group discussions,” says Tipnis

The programme features four themes that are related to the success of multinational and regional firms in today’s Asia – namely, entrepreneurship innovation and operation management, managing in China and Asia, financial management, and marketing and services management.

“These four themes identify the various challenges faced by firms in Asia. By acquiring up-to-date knowledge, analytical tools and management skills related to these themes, students will be well prepared for their careers as senior executives in Asia,” says Tipnis.

To widen students’ horizons and enhance their leadership abilities, the programme features enrichment workshops for them to learn from top business executives, as well as overseas field trips that take them to look at the operation of corporates in other places.

“There is a 10-day European field trip, including visits to universities for academic input, as well as visits to companies and institutions such as the European Union Parliament and Coutts Bank, to see how different business practices and norms operating in those countries might be adopted and how they could benefit the companies. Another advantage of the field trips is the opportunity for the students to engage in discussion and learning in a dynamic environment,” says Tipnis

Generally, students on the programme have around 12 years’ work experience and hold middle to top management positions. “Many of our students are in the financial sector, which is no surprise as this is the core business in Hong Kong. There are also lawyers and doctors who are preparing to move up to management roles. The course teaches soft skills such as methods to communicate with staff, and leadership training is important regardless of industry,” says Tipnis.

To accommodate those who are working, applicants can choose the weekday study mode and attend lectures at the university’s town centre in Admiralty during weekday evenings. Students can also take the weekend mode with full-day lectures on Saturday. The course can be completed within a minimum of two years and a maximum of four.

Applicants should have a recognised bachelor’s degree, a satisfactory GMAT score and at least three years’ working experience.

The programme is accredited by the European Quality Information System (EQUIS) and the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools Business (AACSB International).