The Master of Project Management (MPM) programme from Asia Pacific University (APU) has recently been given international accreditation by the Project Management Institute (PMI), making it among the 5 universities in Malaysia and one of 17 institutions in Asia to earn this accreditation.

The news was announced by PMI’s Global Accreditation Centre (GAC) after an exhaustive review and accreditation process. GAC is the accrediting branch of the PMI, a U.S.-based not-for-profit professional organisation for project management with over 650,000 members worldwide.

With companies now realising the importance of project managers, it is now more crucial than ever to ensure project managers are proficient in a variety of methods, tools and techniques to plan, manage and deliver projects that meet the company’s goals, schedules and budgets.

A Master of Project Management can help aspiring project managers do just that.

APU Master of Project Management (MPM)

The MPM programme offered at APU combines the concept of Business Administration, Marketing and Economics. It also emphasises on providing students with good communication skills so graduates can coordinate tasks and delegate efficiently to team members.

According to Ts. Jerry Chong Chean Fuh, Senior Lecturer of Technology Management, School of Technology at APU, APU’s MPM programme has been carefully assessed and that its scale, scope, and quality meet comprehensive, global standards for accreditation. With this accreditation, APU can access certain PMI works for use in related course materials, thus providing graduates with up-to-date information and knowledge.

To boot, APU’s MPM covers a wide knowledge area in project management including practical application of knowledge to any industry. This sets APU’s MPM graduates apart from others.

In addition, students who opt to study their MPM at APU will benefit from fewer certification requirements. This means graduates of the GAC accredited MPM programme will be granted substantial credit toward the experience requirement when they apply for all PMI certifications. That’s because the core project modules are pre-approved for PMI Contact Hours or Professional Development Units (PDUs).

“Contact Hours” is the measuring unit used to quantify approved learning before sitting for a PMI credential. Any applicant will need to comply with certain contact hours before applying for PMI certification. Similarly, “PDUs” are a measurement used to quantify approved learning and professional service activities before sitting for a PMI credential.

“The Accreditation further strengthens the recognition of the APU’s MPM Programme and its commitment to foster excellence and continuous improvement in project management principles and practice, leading towards the delivery of successful projects,” said Ts. Jerry Chong Chean Fuh.

Other benefits of enrolling in the accredited MPM programme at APU includes permission to submit completed modules as PDUs, being exempted from attending workshops for the Project Management Professional (PMP) examinations, reduced number of hours required for working experience, and the flexibility to sit for the PMI’s Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) exams any time.

Producing in-demand graduates

APU’s MPM student, Nur Hazwany Syafiqa binti Husri, aims to augment her core qualification of a bachelor degree in architecture with project management skills and knowledge.

“I want to broaden my architectural knowledge and expertise. The MPM offered at APU matches my requirements. The modules in this programme offer a broad range of knowledge from various fields,” said Nur Hazwany Syafiqa.

She continued, “It is certainly a wise decision to further my studies in this Master’s programme as it provides me with all that I need to strengthen my industry knowledge and skills. What I like most about studying at APU is that I gain a lot of knowledge from the lecturers through the experience sharing session which makes this journey easier for me.”

Another MPM student, Reem Abdelrahman Sidahmed Mohammed who is also an Architecture graduate, finds that there is a growing need for specialists in architectural project management. The reason he chose this programme is to ensure that he’s acquired the necessary knowledge and skills to deal with the technical challenges in the building industry.

“The architectural management I seek to explore is about creating a culture — the awareness of sustainability by taking care of the environment and ensuring the basic needs of the world can be satisfied. Studying for a Master’s Degree in Project Management will aid in achieving this goal, as it will be the solid ground and the foundation I will stand on to make my goal come true,” he explained.

Besides developing and strengthening critical analysis, independent scholarship, and intellectual empowerment through a structured research-informed programme and research-informed teaching in the MPM programme, students will have the option to also opt in for a Chartered Management Institute (CMI) L7 Diploma in Strategic Management and Leadership Practice.

That’s not all. MPM students will have the option to opt in for the APU-DMU Dual Degree Scheme. Under this scheme, students will receive two sets of degree certificates and transcripts upon graduation — one from Asia Pacific University (APU), Malaysia and another from De Montfort University (DMU), UK.

Setting the stage for excellence

The faculty lineup for APU’s MPM programme is made up of experienced lecturers, including academicians who have more than 15 years of experience in managing information technology projects and multiple projects in various industries like banking, healthcare, oil and gas and others.

With vast real-world experiences, these academicians are transforming their expertise into transmittable knowledge to groom upcoming project managers, project engineers, IT project managers, business project managers, technical project managers, Project Management Office (PMO) managers and other related professionals.

“PMI-GAC accreditation will certainly enhance career and employment prospects as our programme is accredited and recognised by PMI,” assured Dr. S Mohanarajah, APU’s Senior Lecturer of Project Development and Scope Management.

According to the latest Annual Graduate Tracer Study by the Higher Education Ministry, 100% of APU graduates were employed upon graduation. This is a significant symbol of APU’s success and pride in nurturing professionals for global careers.

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