APU offers postgrad qualification in project management

• Offers Master in Project Management, accreditated by PMI
• A growing need in project management in industry worldwide

Asia Pacific University of Technology and Innovation (APU) has announced that it is officially an internationally accredited Master of Project Management (MPM) programme provider, after a review and accreditation process by the Global Accreditation Center (GAC), the accrediting branch of the Project Management Institute (PMI).

In a statement, the university said the MPM programme offered at APU combines the concept of business administration, marketing and economics.

It also emphasises providing students with good communication skills so that graduates can expertly coordinate work and effectively delegate tasks to fellow team members, it said.

PMI, a US-based not-for-profit professional organisation for project management, reported the demand for project managers has been growing more rapidly.

Citing consultancy firm Bain and Company, APU said most work will be project-based by 2027 as more industries understand the impact of well-managed projects on a business.

“The accreditation body highlighted the deep commitment of APU and our faculty to ongoing evaluation and continuous quality improvement,” explained Jerry Chong, senior lecturer of technology management, school of technology at APU.

He claimed that this makes APU among only five universities in Malaysia and is also one of 17 institutions in Asia to earn this accreditation.

The MPM degree programme at APU comprises 13 coursework modules including research methodology and a project.

There are 11 compulsory core modules like project quality management, project planning and scheduling, project cost estimation and budgeting, where students will have to choose another 2 electives from those listed, APU said.

Nur Hazwany Syafiqa Husri, who is currently pursuing a MPM degree on a full-time basis at APU said, “I want to broaden my architectural knowledge and expertise. The MPM programme offered at APU seemed to be a good enabler that I have found.

“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.”

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, APU said students will have the option to also opt-in for a Charted Management Institute (CMI) L7 Diploma in strategic management and leadership practice.

Besides this, 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 APU another from De Montfort University (DMU), UK.