The Road to an MA: Attending the NUS MBA Roadshow in Manila

Went to the NUS MBA Roadshow at the Makati Shangri-La Hotel earlier today.

The Roadshow started with a demo lecture on Mergers and Acquisitions by Professor Andrew Delios from the Department of Business Policy.

Now, Mergers and Acquisitions or M&As is a really complicated subject (not to mention boring!). So, I wasn't really keen on sitting in this mock class especially on a hot Saturday afternoon. But, I was surprised by Prof. Delios' lecture. He eased you into the subject matter so as to eliminate any feelings of intimidation one might have about M&As. After all, M&As is akin to a high-stakes numbers game -- but with financial statements, stocks analysis, graphs and charts instead. Once you're comfortable with the subject matter, he started presenting the requisite percentages, graphs and charts. But it was presented in such a clear and concise manner that made it easy to follow and understand. Therefore, one can go straight to the heart of M&A issues. It was really interesting stuff...that I had to control the urge to whip out my notebook and take down notes. And, that's a first when it comes to financial subjects and issues because they really bore the hell out of me. And, any guy who can make me interested in such a boring subject matter is definitely topnotch!

After the demo lecture, we had a 10-minute break where light snacks were served (yay!). I ate 1 pc of the Mango-Chicken Salad Croissant, 1 pc of Samosa with 2 dipping sauces, 2 pcs of the Smoked Salmon thingamajig (forgot what its called), an extremely small cup of Creme Brulee, an extremely small square of strawberry cheesecake, and an extremely small Strawberry Tart. I just couldn't resist! After all, one does not get to eat hotel food everyday. I did try to control my portions so I can stay within my diet (and, dinner was still cereal).

After the break, we got back on the road with the NUS MBA Program Orientation. It was delivered by Mr. Edwin Lim, the Marketing and Admissions Manager of NUS Business School. In a nutshell, he discussed why NUS Business School is the way to go, the NUS MBA program and double degree MBA programs, application and admission requirements, and other FAQs.

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Based from what I have gleaned from this seminar as well as from my research, I like NUS Business School (aside from the fact that it is in Singapore) due to the following reasons:

1. It is globally-ranked and globally-recognized 
   
2. It has an international faculty whose members have acquired PhDs from top universities in the world
   
3. It has an excellent Career Services Office, which is devoted to placing their students / graduates in top corporations
   
4. It offers Study Trips, Internships, and Exchange Programs to enhance the students' knowledge and experience
   
5. It has a wide range of double degree MBA programs in different universities in Asia and Europe (particularly Paris, France)
   

Below are additional information about the NUS MBA Program:

Students are required to get a specialization in one of the following fields:

• Strategy and Organization 
• Marketing 
• Finance  
• Healthcare Management 
• Real Estate 

Full-Time students are given 17 months (1 year and 5 months) to finish the program.

Part-Time students are given a maximum of 72 months (6 years) to finish the program.

Entry requirements are:

• a good Bachelors Degree
  
• a good GMAT Score (600s and above)
  
• at least 2 years post-university, full-time work experience
  
• TOEFL / IELTS Score*
  

* Graduates from the Philippines are exempted from taking the TOEFL and IELTS since medium of instruction in the country is in English

Competition to get into the NUS MBA Program is tough. According to Mr. Lim, out of the 5,000 applications, only 700 are shortlisted for interview. Out of the 700, only 100+ will be accepted into the program.

They claim that they try to be fair in the screening process and  get well-rounded students. Hence, they do not just use college grades or GMAT scores as sole basis for acceptance in the program. Work experience is just as important as well.

Tuition fee for the whole program is S$50,000 or approximately P1.5 Million (payable in 3 semesters for full-time students and 5 semesters for part-time students).  

They do realize that the tuition fee is a cause of major concern for students in "developing economies."  Yet,  they recommend that students who have not yet mapped out their finances should still go ahead and apply. Once a student gets in, they are optimistic that the student will find ways and pull through the required tuition fees...  

All that matters is that you take the first step. 

For more information, visit the NUS Business School website.