Business students assured of best courses and qualifications at Curtin Malaysia

Miri – 14 February 2018 – Students taking business undergraduate degrees at Curtin University Malaysia (Curtin Malaysia), including the Bachelor of Business Administration and Bachelor of Commerce single and double majors, are assured of the highest quality in courses and qualifications due to course recognition and accreditation by professional bodies and the quality of its academics.

And, as the courses are Curtin courses from the Curtin Business School (CBS), which is accredited by the prestigious Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), both students and alumni are assured that they will benefit from holding qualifications from an institution that is internationally accredited.

Accreditation by the AACSB, the leading international accreditation body for business schools, is the global standard in quality for academic and professional excellence. It places the CBS among the world’s elite business institutions as only the top five per cent of business schools in the world are AACSB-accredited. The Curtin Malaysia Faculty of Business underwent the same peer review for accreditation as Curtin’s other campuses in Perth and Singapore, and thus was a key contributor to the achievement in 2016.

Associate Professor Pauline Ho, acting dean of the Faculty of Business, said that through the AACSB and other accreditation, the Faculty of Business has shown that it meets the strict standards of academic quality, including mechanisms that guarantee assurance of learning (quality of programmes and teaching) and faculty sufficiency (proportion of academics who are active researchers, evidenced by having doctoral qualifications and high quality publications).

“Currently, 67 per cent of academic staff in our Faculty are PhD holders and this is expected to rise to 74 per cent at the end of the year and 93 per cent by 2019,” she said.

Curtin Malaysia is the only institution in East Malaysia offering AACSB-accredited courses. Three universities in West Malaysia are AACSB accredited and two other foreign branch campuses, also in West Malaysia, are also part of AACSB accredited institutions.

Associate Professor Ho said Curtin University is committed to providing courses that combine business knowledge and professional skill development to ensure graduates are highly trained and industry ready for rewarding careers all over the world. With around 70 business leaders who use their knowledge and experience to shaping course content, CBS has one of the most extensive industry advisory group networks of any Australian business school.

She said studying business at Curtin Malaysia’s Faculty of Business entails the application of classroom learning to real situations and world environments. The Faculty is committed to engaging and connecting with industry and enriching the student learning experience through Work Integrated Learning (WIL) and collaborative alliances with professional bodies.

Collaboration is fostered through the Faculty’s Industry Advisory Board and ongoing strategic alliances have been established with bodies such as the Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA), Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), Certified Practicing Accountants Australia (CPA Aust), Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CAANZ), Malaysian Association of Certified Public Accountants (MICPA), and Asian Institute of Chartered Bankers (AICB). Further alliances with other professional bodies such as the Institute of Marketing Malaysia (IMM) and The Malaysian Institute of Management (MIM) are on the cards this year.

Students can thus look forward to a myriad of benefits upon attaining a professional qualification or joining a professional body. They need not wait until they graduate to become members as they can start reaping the benefits of membership as student members.

“Being a student member of a professional body sets them apart from other students and graduates. Not only will it look good on their CVs, but also conveys to prospective employers that they are involved and demonstrates their early commitment to a career path or area, particularly if they get involved in the professional body’s activities,” said Chan Kwok Mow, the Faculty of Business’ Industry Collaboration Advisor.

According to Chan, membership in professional bodies can offer students a wealth of information, resources and knowledge through news updates or publications and journals, online services and events. Digital technology allows them to keep abreast of issues, trends and developments in their fields and they can access information on internships and job opportunities on the bodies’ websites.

Another benefit is the numerous avenues for networking. Students can connect with like-minded students and industry professionals at conferences, regional activities or via the various websites.

The Faculty of Business offers Curtin’s Bachelor of Business Administration, which a broad-based degree is offering students a variety of opportunities for careers in business and management. Meanwhile, the Bachelor of Commerce allows students the option of choosing to study one area of specialisation (a single major) in Accounting or Finance, or two (double major combinations) in Accounting and Banking, Accounting and Entrepreneurship, Accounting and Finance, Banking and Finance, Finance and Management, Finance and Marketing, Entrepreneurship and Marketing, Management and Marketing, Marketing and Public Relations, Public Relations and Management, or Tourism, Hospitality and Marketing.

In the final semester of the Bachelor of Commerce, students must complete the Business Capstone unit. This is an opportunity for final-year students to apply their knowledge and skills in a simulated business scenario. The knowledge, skills and challenges offered by the course are designed to prepare students for whatever career path they choose, anywhere in the world.

Students pursuing the Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting) and Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting and Finance) can start taking the ACCA papers in their third year under the ACCA Accelerate Scheme, a privilege accorded only to students of top-performing universities and colleges. As the courses are ACCA-accredited and given the maximum possible exemptions of nine papers, students and graduates of Curtin Malaysia need only complete five papers to become professionally qualified. CPA Australia and AICB also offer exemptions and flexibility for Curtin Malaysia business students to undertake their professional papers before graduating.

“Having a professional qualification is an excellent supplement to a student’s resume. It demonstrates that the student’s expertise extends beyond academia and includes knowledge in the field. A professional membership on a resume indicates a desire to learn and convey dedication to his or her professional goals,” Associate Professor Ho concluded.

Curtin Malaysia’s intake for the first semester is now in progress with classes for undergraduate programmes commencing on 26 February 2018 and foundation programmes on 26 March.

Courses combining business knowledge and professional skill development ensure graduates are highly trained and industry ready.

Associate Professor Pauline Ho, Acting Dean of the Faculty of Business.

Faculty of Business Industry Collaboration Advisor Chan Kwok Mow.