MBA Program
For Working Professionals
((N/345/7/1104)(08/24)(MQA/FA 12248))
The Asia School of Business (ASB) MBA for Working Professionals Program (MBA-WP) is a transformative 22-month program designed in module format for the busy working professional. The curriculum maintains the rigor and quality of MIT Sloan while providing a uniquely Asian perspective. Offering the best of both worlds, MBA-WP students take roughly half of their courses with MIT Sloan’s most prestigious faculty and half with ASB faculty who are based in Asia, research in Asia, and know Asia.
Cutting-Edge Curriculum
Designed for mid-career leaders, the MBA for Working Professionals is a transformative experience that integrates education and career performance in a unique way.
Through a combination of remote and on-campus instruction, students simultaneously learn the foundations of business management and apply their learnings through our unique learning in action curriculum.
Our curriculum is centered around direct application of theory to impactful business challenges. The MBA-WP provides ongoing opportunities to learn, test and apply classroom-based theories, cases, and real world examples to strategic challenges in students’ own organizations.
ENTREPRENEURIAL ETHOS
Entrepreneurship is our ethos. We teach classical business foundations while instilling an entrepreneurial mindset. Whether our students work for large companies or plan to start or expand their own companies, they will benefit from this unique focus.
Individualized Learning in Action opportunities, local and regional Practicums, regular access to ASB faculty and customized Professional Development allow each students to pursue their unique career goals.
In addition, we also provide a fully equipped FabLab makerspace through our Innovation & Entrepreneurship Center that students are welcome to use to develop their own product prototypes.
COURSE OFFERINGS
Modeled on MIT Sloan’s curriculum, the MBA-WP provides each student with a general business degree, mixing classical business foundations with cutting-edge theory and application.
Roughly half of our courses are taught by award-winning visiting MIT faculty, with the other half taught by resident ASB faculty who are also International Faculty Fellows at MIT.
We aim to deliver the best of both worlds: the reputation and knowledge of MIT Sloan and the uniquely Asian perspective of ASB.
Students are required to complete a minimum of 15 core courses, 4 electives, 4 Learning in Action classes, and 3 Practicums, graduating with at least 40 credit hours. In addition, there are numerous optional courses and additional educational opportunities available, allowing students to graduate with more than 40 credit hours.
Required Core Courses
Courses:
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Learning in Action
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Professional Development & Executive Coaching
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Elective Courses
Elective offerings change every academic year depending on faculty availability and student interest. A sample of the electives being offered this academic year include:
General Elective Options
- Data Science for Managers
- Advanced Data Analytics
- Platforms, Auctions, and Competition through Games
- Political Economy: Politics & International Business
- Fundamentals of Services Marketing
- Digital Marketing
- Strategic Brand Marketing
- International Law & Global Strategy
- Managerial Accounting
- Financial Statement Analysis
- Macroeconomics
- Energy Markets
Finance Concentration Options
- Asset Pricing
- Asset Pricing
- Behavioural Finance
- Macroeconomics Policy 1
- Macroeconomics Policy 2
- Financial Analytics
- Data Science for Managers
- Financial Statement Analysis
LEARNING IN ACTION
At ASB, Learning in Action is embedded into everything we do. Every semester, students work with their faculty and business coaches to apply course learning to their daily jobs.
Through Learning in Action, students have the unique opportunity to immediately apply what they have learned from their coursework to their own jobs. This approach leverages our world-class faculty and business coaches so that students can learn from the best.
Learning in Action allows students to broaden their scope beyond day-to-day concerns and deliver maximum impact in their organizations.
MIT IMMERSION
In addition to learning from visiting MIT faculty in Kuala Lumpur, students spend four weeks on MIT Sloan’s Cambridge campus, taking additional courses offered by MIT faculty and engaging in Sloan student activities. These courses are some of the most sought-after at MIT, from Bill Aulet’s 24-step program in Disciplined Entrepreneurship to Nelson Repenning’s unique System Dynamics framework.
While we highly recommend students complete all 4 weeks at one time, we understand that in some circumstances this may not be possible. MBA-WP students have the option of completing 2 weeks in year one, and 2 weeks in year two.
Upon finishing the Immersion Program, students receive a Certificate of Completion from MIT. Students also receive Affiliate Alumni Status upon graduation from ASB.
BUSINESS PRACTICUMS
Through Business Practicums, students travel to corporate hosts throughout Asia and complete week-long team projects with organizations in multiple industries.
Business Practicums allow students to apply concepts learned in the classroom and leverage the experiences of their diverse classmates to solve real business challenges outside of their own companies.
Business Practicums may be taught through the lens of a particular function area, but provide the opportunity to apply a cross-functional synthesis of the theories and frameworks learned throughout the program.
ASB MBA-WP can be completed by a professional from anywhere in the world. Unlike other MBA Programs that offer classes on evening or weekends, MBA-WP requires students to immerse in classes for 9 consecutive days approximately once every 6 weeks.*
The above is an illustrative example of how the modular format works. Please note that during COVID-19, the model has changed, but will resume back to this modular format as soon as it is possible.
*Please note that because this program requires students to be in Kuala Lumpur for 9 days, approximately once every six weeks, that a candidate will require their employer’s support to be out of the office long enough to complete the program. In total, candidates should expect to miss approximately 19 weeks out of the office, over a course of 22 months. And, should anticipate approximately 20% of working hours to be set aside for study, correspondence, and fulfillment of Learning in Action.
We seek “career accelerators” who are looking to make a difference in their companies and entrepreneurs looking to grow their businesses. We strive to maintain a high level of diversity of industry backgrounds, skills, and perspectives within each cohort. We take great care in shaping our class profile to ensure that students learn as much from each other as they do from our faculty.
MBA-WP students also complete courses alongside our full-time residential MBA students, who hail from over two-dozen countries and five continents. This high level of diversity expands students’ perspectives and enriches the MBA experience, developing students into truly global leaders.
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INTERNATIONAL
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29%
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About Our Students
What ties ASB students together is their unique backgrounds. Our students come from multiple countries, industries and functions and bring remarkable experiences to the table.
A would-be religious scholar, Aidil became an entrepreneur and opened Olive House, a successful nutrition and wellness company.
Quan has nearly 5 years of experience in human resources and administration, working with Daiwa Lance International Co. In the steel tube production sector.
A former R&D engineer at Intel, Paul now works in a multi-function role involving strategy and business development in the medical device industry.
STUDENT CLUBS AND ACTIVITIES
MBA-WP students are welcome to participate in student clubs and activities, which are available to all ASB students. These groups span diverse interests including consulting, finance, entrepreneurship, public speaking, community service, and athletics.
Students are also encouraged to contribute to the ASB Student Association as well as the ASB Student Admissions Committee and shape current and future programs and initiatives within ASB.
Professional Development
We focus on developing and delivering transformative, principled, leaders who are ready to lead. Built on academic frameworks and industry experience, the academic curriculum, Learning in Action applied course work, professional development, along with exposure to numerous political, cultural and strategic perspectives creates a transformative experience that will develop both your Sharp (or “hard”) skills, as well as your Smart (or “soft”) skills.
Executive Coaching & Personal Development
In addition to workshops, MBAWP students also have access to Executive Coaching, guest speakers, and self-assessments throughout the entire program to personalize and refine their unique leadership development journey.
Employer Benefits
- Learning in Action is directly tied to the student’s increased capabilities and improved performance.
- Ability to retain high potential employees without losing their contributions during the 22 months needed to complete the degree.
- Ability to embed the MBA-WP curriculum into the company’s talent development strategy to prepare future leaders and successors.
- Support in career planning to help employers leverage newly gained skills and increase long-term employee retention.
- Employees who begin with a local or regional business perspective will graduate with a global business perspective.
Employee Benefits
- Access to a world-class MBA without leaving current employer and salary.
- Access to elite research and teaching faculty who help students build MBA toolkits, with knowledge and frameworks that are immediately applicable today and throughout their careers.
- Access to ASB’s Learning in Action curriculum, with faculty mentors and business coaches who work closely with students to apply classroom tools to challenges on the job.
- Access to an extensive network including fellow working professionals, resident students from across the globe, the ASB Alumni Network, and the MIT Sloan Alumni Network.
- Access to the ASB Career Development Office (CDO) to support career planning and progression with current employer.
- A global business perspective.
The Evidence for Investment is Compelling
Our MBA for Working Professionals Program begin in 2019, and will graduate our first cohort in Spring 2021. From our MBAWP Class of 2021, our students received a promotion, title change or expansion of responsibilities within the first year.
Synergize Work and Study
Pursuing an MBA while working requires balance but can also boost long-term productivity and career growth. Inspired by MIT’s Sloan’s motto of Mens et Manus (Mind and Hand), the MBA-WP enables students to apply the tools they learn directly and immediately to their work.
Additionally, the global exposure gained from this MBA impacts the way students approach their daily work. They bring new expertise to their projects and new insights to their working relationships. The MBA-WP allows students to grow their leadership capabilities and become change-makers in their organizations.
Alumni Support
Even after students graduate, our involvement in their career progression is far from over. We commit to supporting our alumni on an ongoing basis as they grow their roles at their companies. We focus on key career inflection points that have the most impact on their success.
Our alumni services include one-on-one career coaching, exclusive webinars and workshops. Alumni are also invited back to take additional electives for a nominal fee. Finally, ASB students can leverage ASB alumni, faculty, and staff connections, as well as MIT Sloan alumni connections, to gain skills and grow their businesses.
Testimonials
As a young business leader, I found the shift into senior leadership demanded a different skillset. My ASB MBA equips me not only with the business tools I need to do my job, but also the confidence and credentials to lead better and more influentially.
The best parts of my MBA have been the friendships and connections I have made at ASB. Despite the challenge of balancing work and study, the support I’ve received from peers, professors and staff has made the MBA experience joyful and remarkable.
Synergizing Work and Study
The Asia School of Business MBA for Working Professionals is designed for professionals who wish to keep their job while completing their MBA. It is based on the same rigor and quality of both the ASB Full-Time MBA Program and MIT Sloan. Our MBA for Working Professionals combines world-class teaching with Asian perspectives for a heightened global business dynamics understanding.
Upskilling Knowledge
Pursuing an MBA while working requires balance but can also boost long-term productivity and career growth. Hear from industry leader, Tan Sri Dr. Tony F. Fernandez and our working professional students what they say about ASB’s MBA for Working Professionals.
