Lee Kong Chian School MBA Program is offered by the graduate business school of the Singapore Management University. Established in 2000, it is one of the newest & developing business schools in Singapore. The school has been named after Lee Kong Chian, a prominent Chinese businessman, and philanthropist. The school has been accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. The school offers several undergraduate and postgraduate programs. It also offers DBA & Ph.D. in Business programs in Finance, Marketing, Operations Management, OBHR, Strategic Management, & General Management.
Lee Kong Chian School MBA Program has been ranked #6 in the Financial Times Top 25 Business Schools in Asia-Pacific in 2018. It has also been ranked #49 worldwide in the Financial Times Global MBA Ranking 2018. For the class of 2019, 58 students from 14 nationalities enrolled for the Lee Kong Chian School MBA Program. The average age of the students is generally 30 years. In this article, we shall let you know everything you need to know before applying for the Lee Kong Chian School MBA Program.
Curriculum:
The school’s full-time program spreads over 15 months (5 terms) with an internship that commences as early as May. To successfully graduate, students must complete 18 credit units and have a GPA of at least 2.5 out of 4.0.
At Lee Kong Chian School MBA Program, you will start your MBA journey with 8 core modules. Some of the core subjects include Corporate Finance, Marketing, Operations Management, Financial Accounting, Managerial Economics, & Strategic Management.
Additionally, you will also have an option to choose up to 14 electives from field-specific elective modules. Elective modules are offered in the field of Finance, Leadership, Management, & Marketing. Some of the popular elective subjects include Entrepreneurial Finance, Mergers and Acquisition, Negotiations, Supply Chain Management, Global Economy, Critical Thinking, Digital Marketing Strategy, & Consumer Behavior.
Please note that MBA students are required to complete a minimum of 10 electives to graduate.
Throughout the Lee Kong Chian School MBA Program, you will also have the privilege of meeting with SMU career coaches who will work with you through the duration of the program to help you set your career goals and guide you in your career development.
Moreover, the school also provides global opportunities with the exchange program & overseas immersion program. The school has partnered with several other prominent institutions around the world, including Perking University, IEBS Spain, Seoul National University, KEIO University, etc.
Eligibility:
Academic Requirement:
Applicants must have a good bachelor’s degree in any undergraduate field from a reputable institution. There is no minimum graduate GPA required to apply for the Lee Kong Chian School MBA Program.
Professional Requirement:
Candidates must have a minimum of 2 years of post-degree work experience to be eligible for the Lee Kong Chian School MBA Program. The average work experience of the class is generally 5 years.
Standardized Tests:
A good & competitive GMAT or GRE score is one of the most important requirements. There is no minimum score requirement for the same. However, the average GMAT score of the class of 2019 was 640.
Additionally, students are also required to submit an English language test score to prove their command over the English language. Applicants who have completed their UG or PG degree entirely in English are exempted from this requirement.
Course Fees:
The tuition fees for the full-time Lee Kong Chian School MBA Program are SGD 67,410 (inclusive of GST) for the current academic session. It is, however, subject to change by a certain percentage every year.
Along with this, there is a mandatory registration fee of SGD 500.
Please note that the tuition fee is paid over 4 installments. At admission, you will have to pay SGD 7,000, and the rest of the amount should be paid in 3 equal installments.
The estimated monthly expenses are as follows:
Accommodation SGD 700-2000
Food SGD 450-750
Transportation SGD 150-300
Miscellaneous (including personal expenses) SGD 500-1500
Scholarships:
The school offers several scholarship programs to the admitted students. Students may apply for the SMU MBA scholarship & financial aid upon admission into the program. These scholarships can cover up to 30% of your tuition fees, with no bonds attached.
Some of the popular scholarships awards provided by the school are as follows:
Academic Excellence Scholarships:
It is awarded to students with exceptional academic performance. Awards are based on academic merit, final grades, & GMAT Score.
To get considered for this award, the awardee must have achieved a GMAT score of 700 or above and have demonstrated outstanding academic achievement.
Women in Business Scholarship:
It aims to recognize exceptional women with demonstrated outstanding leadership capabilities or potential in their professional or personal endeavors.
SMU MBA Leadership Scholarship:
It is awarded to individuals with strong leadership capabilities who have exhibited outstanding leadership potential in their profession, organization, or community.
Applicants must demonstrate strong leadership skills & have successfully received an admissions offer.
Along with these scholarships, you can also fund your MBA journey through private student loans. The school recommends several financial institutions including, CIMB Bank Loan, Maybank Educational Loan, RHB EDU Loan, SBI Education Loan, etc. to help you out with the funding.
Placement Statistics:
Reportedly, 80% of the students accepted the job offer within 6 months after graduation. The average base salary received by the class of 2019 was SGD 98,623, which is about 16% more than last year. SMU MBAs accepted job offers from 10 countries around the world, including India, China, Australia, & Thailand.
SMU MBAs accepted jobs across more than 10 industries.
The top three industries were
Financial Services 21%
Technology 19%
Consulting 10%
The top three functions for the placement session 2018-19 were
Marketing/Sales 26%
Finance/Accounting 20%
Consulting 18%
Some of the top hiring companies were as follows:
Accenture Strategy
Cargill
EY
KPMG
Mastercard
Microsoft
PwC
S&P Global
Mercedes Benz
Agoda
Check here for complete details.
Application Process:
Online Application checklist:
Academic Transcripts
Current resume
2 referee details
2 short essays
GMAT/GRE score
English Language Test score
Application fee of SGD 100
Interview:
After your application is reviewed & evaluated by the admissions committee, you may receive an interview invite. If you are selected for an interview, you will be informed within 2 weeks of your online application submission.
If you are not based within Singapore, the interview will be conducted by phone or webcam. Otherwise, it will be face to face interview on campus.
The interview is generally conducted by the admissions committee members and lasts for 30 minutes to one hour. It includes general MBA interview questions and other behavioral questions. Since the interview is conducted by the admissions committee members, it is very professional.
Essay Details & Tips:
To successfully complete your application for the Lee Kong Chian School MBA Program, you will be required to submit the following two essays:
1. Why do you want to earn an MBA, and why are you choosing to apply to SMU? If you are selected, how will you contribute to the SMU MBA program? (500 words)
2. Describe your greatest weakness and how you have tried to overcome it. (300 words)
Check here for essay tips – Application essays, Structured Thinking, Visualization, Story Telling
These questions should be answered in a similar manner to your personal statement. Through these essays, the admissions committee looks forward to knowing more about you, your interests, and how you will contribute towards the SMU community.
Lee Kong Chian School MBA Program is one of the youngest & most sought out business programs in the world. With a small class size of around 60 students & over 100 full-time faculty members, the school truly stands out. If you are planning to start your MBA journey from this school, we wish you all the best.
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