MBA and Me

Assalamu'alaikum...

Hello Oktober! 2 weeks ago, on Sep 22, saya terima surat yg paling dinantikan sejak bergelar student Master USM - Surat Pengesahan Konvokesyen. Alhamdulillah, I have officially GRADUATED! 

Alhamdulillah, penat lelah selama 4 tahun akhirnya membuahkan hasil. Yes, you read it right, it took me 4 years to complete my Master. Dah sama macam buat degree dulu. 😅

Semuanya bermula pada tahun 2019. Umur saya 35 masa tu. Saya buat keputusan utk sambung study, specifically in MBA sebab saya rasa ada sesuatu yg perlu saya achieve sebelum berumur 40 tahun. I told myself, 

"I will be 40, if panjang umur. Why can't I be 40 and have a Master degree?"

Dan penting utk saya tekankan di sini, masa saya decided utk buat Master tu, both me and my husband were thinking that we should take a break from going through all the hospital appointments, fertility treatments, etc like we had in 2018. So, saya perlu sesuatu utk isi masa lapang dan jugak take my mind away from all this TTC thing. 

Dan Alhamdulillah, Allah bukakan hati saya utk buat MBA. So, post kali ni, saya akan cerita sedikit sebanyak about my MBA journey, subjects, specialisations yg saya buat di USM, Penang. Dan since USM is in Penang, so it is very, very convenient for me.

Alhamdulillah, on Sep 5, 2019, I started my journey in the USM MBA program. Ini ialah "Study Plan" saya. At first saya plan nak habiskan dalam masa 3 tahun, tapi because of unforeseen circumstances, saya postponed 2 semesters (bukan tahun yg sama).

Duration program MBA ni ialah minimum 4 semesters atau 2 tahun dan maksimum 10 semesters atau 5 tahun. Ada beberapa specialisations yg USM offers for MBA program:

1. International Business
2. Service Science Management and Engineering
3. Sustainable Development
4. Governance and Control
5. Business Analytics
6. Digital Leadership

As for me, I decided to go for Service Science Management and Engineering (SSME) since my work involves management and engineering. Specialisation #5 and 6 were the latest additions memandangkan dunia skrg menuju digitalization. Kalau bukan sebab kerja saya sekarang yg lebih kpd management and engineering, I will surely go for one of the new specialisations. So, for every specialisation, there are 4 electives. USM allows the students utk amek any elective subjects without specialisation ataupun ambil lebih drp 4 electives. Tapi, utk saya, cukuplah 4 electives ni. 😄

Sedikit nasihat drp seorang yg dah lalui MBA ni. Firstly, ingat, MBA or other postgraduate programs is not a sprint, it's a marathon. One's mental must be prepared all the time. For me who completed my Bachelor's in 2007, it was a real struggle. To juggle between work, family and study, especially on my third year when I was pregnant with Nuh. Tak terkira berapa kali saya burnout. Assignments, presentations, quizzes, mid-term exams and final exams. Week-by-week. That's why, I felt a sense of fulfilment, a relief, lepas habis saja viva-voce dan final exams. No words can describe how I felt at that time. All I know is, it is finally over. Sep 2019 to Sep 2023. Alhamdulillah. Secondly, please make sure you have a very strong support system - your closest inner circle. You will be challenged mentally. And you need all the help you can get.

Anyway, despite all the emotional rollercoaster that I experienced in the last 4 years, I am grateful for meeting all those people in the program - lecturers and students. So, at the end of my MBA journey, now at 39, I got my MBA, I made new friends and I had a story to tell. What a journey! 😉

Ok, some additional info if you are interested about this program. On Aug 1, 2023, USM Graduate School of Business (GSB), my school, received Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) accreditation. As quoted from The Star and USM, https://www.thestar.com.my/news/education/2023/09/03/usm-business-school-gets-global-nod, 

"Founded in 1916, the AACSB is the longest-serving global accrediting body for business schools, and the largest business education network connecting learners, educators and businesses worldwide.

The AACSB accreditation recognises institutions that have demonstrated a focus on excellence in all areas, including teaching, research, curriculum development, and student learning.

Less than 6% of schools offering business degree programmes globally is accredited.

Based on the ratification for 2023, a total of only 988 institutions across 62 countries and territories have earned the AACSB accreditation in business.

The accreditation is a testament to the GSB’s commitment to delivering excellence and high standards in business education, and is in line with its mission to nurture business leaders with the knowledge and skills needed to drive business sustainability."

So, kalau ada yg berminat utk buat MBA atau any postgraduate programs, saya encourage utk buat di USM. For MBA, feel free to visit USM Graduate School of Business (GSB) at https://gsb.usm.my/programme/master/ for further info. Best of luck! 💋

p/s: Tuntutlah ilmu hingga ke liang lahad.