UniSIM’s School of Business: Setting you on a pathway to a brighter future
Ms Christine Ong is a UniSIM Scholar and a student from the Bachelor of Accountancy degree programme.
For Ms Christine Ong, enrolling in a degree programme that reflects the realities of working life was one of the key factors influencing her choice of a tertiary institution. The 26-year-old currently works as an auditor at a local accounting firm, where her responsibilities include inspecting clients’ accounting records and helping ensure that clients’ financial statements comply with accounting standards.
Ms Ong chose to study in UniSIM’s School of Business as she firmly believes that the university’s approach of bringing business realities into the classroom will equip her with crucial skills to be relevant and competitive in the workplace.
Confidence to compete
The school’s approach has boosted Ms Ong’s confidence in her ability to compete with other graduates in the workforce. She feels that UniSIM has built up a reputation for offering quality education to its students and this has helped employers form a good perception of UniSIM graduates.
UniSIM’s Bachelor of Accountancy programme is an accredited accountancy degree with the Singapore Accountancy Commission that satisfies the requirements of the Academic Base of the Singapore Qualification Programme. This, according to Ms Ong, is “the same as what graduates from the other local universities are eligible for”.
Ms Ong cites UniSIM’s focus on keeping abreast of regulatory developments as being especially helpful. “Since tax regulations are constantly changing, UniSIM incorporated such changes in its curriculum to allow students to stay up-to-date with the latest tax rules. It has allowed me to understand the different tax rules better and develop a stable foundation for the tax principles. This allows us to better relate real-life scenarios to what was learnt in class,” she said.
UniSIM’s approach is intended to prepare today’s graduates to become tomorrow’s business leaders. Said Assoc Prof Lee Pui Mun, dean of the School of Business: “As Singapore further expands the sophistication of its economy, the need for managers with the right management skills to sustain productivity and innovation will be greater than ever.”
A flexible approach
Flexibility is also the order of the day, as the school’s curriculum and course structure help Ms Ong balance academic, work and family commitments.
Most of her courses only require her to attend classes once a week, which helps minimise any clashes with work and family commitments. Most classes are scheduled on weekday evenings, which means Ms Ong is usually able to attend family gatherings held on the weekends.
It also helps that the lecturers are able to ensure that students grasp key concepts in the shortest time possible. Said Ms Ong: “They are experienced professionals in their field of work, and thus are able to handle students’ enquiries effectively.”
Enhanced learning opportunities
UniSIM is also offering students enhanced opportunities to further their education. From this July, several current programmes (BSc in Business, BSc in Finance, BSc in Marketing, BSc in Business Analytics & BSc in Logistics & Supply Chain Management) will offer students an honours option by invitation. Students will then need to complete another 40 credit units to satisfy university requirements to graduate with honours. To find out more, visit unisim.edu.sg.
The UniSIM MBA
The university has also launched the Master of Business Administration (MBA), which aims to impart students with the skills to function as business leaders who can achieve business objectives and promote sustainable development.
The three-semester, 18-month programme encourages team work, interactive discussions, critical thinking and hands-on problem-solving. It is tailored to give full-time working students the opportunity to develop their soft skills and social awareness while helping them meet their career goals.
To find out more about the UniSIM MBA, visit www.unisim.edu.sg/unisim_mba.
SCHOOL OF BUSINESS PROGRAMMES
Undergraduate Programmes
• Business
• Finance
• Logistics & Supply Chain Management
• Management & Security Studies
• Visual Communication with Business
Graduate programmes
• Master of Business Administration
• Master in Management (Urban Transportation)
Produced by the TODAY Special Projects Team
