ABOUT THE PROGRAM

The Master of Professional Management (MPM) offers an academically rigorous and professionally relevant program of study in contemporary management practices. The programme is tailor-made to equip students with requisite management and leadership skills that will promote their professional growth and career advancement. With an MPM, students are armed with the knowledge to help prepare them for managerial and leadership roles in their fields.

Why Join Us?

Competency-based curriculum; co-created with industry partners.
Specialised content; focuses on high performance and adaptive management skills.
Well trained teaching professionals
Suitable for prospective, young and middle range professionals from various disciplines

Program Structure
42 credit units
10 subjects including Field based Project
6 core, 3 electives and 1 project

Core Courses (Compulsory)

• AOW501 Management for Professionals
• AOW 502 Accounting & Finance for Professionals
• AOW503 Leadership Dynamics in Digital Era
• AOW504 Strategic Management
• AOW505 Organisational Development and Change
• AOW506 Research Method

Electives (Choose any THREE (3) courses)

• AOP508 Business Analytics for Professionals
• AOP509 Enterprise Risk Management
• AOP510 Economics for Professionals
• AOP511 Negotiation Dynamics
• AOP515 Safety and Health Practices
• AOP512 Talent Management
• AOP513 Client Centricity
• AOP514 Taxation
• AOP516 Professional Ethics

Project (Compulsory)

• AOW507 Field Based Project

Synopsis of Courses

The followings are brief overviews of the courses:

AOW501 Management for Professionals

This course explains the functional and contemporary approaches to management through planning, organizing, leading, and controlling. It introduces to the students the foundations of management and issues surrounding managing internal and external environment, building organisational structure to maintain agillity, mobilising talents and motivating workforce to achieve optimal performance.

AOW 502 Accounting & Finance for Professionals

This course will emphasise on the learning terminologies, methods and techniques that can be applied in real business situations. While computational competency is important, this course will lean more on the application of techniques, analyzing results obtained and making recommendations that go beyond cost and financial aspects.

AOW503 Leadership Dynamics in Digital Era

This course is designed to elaborate about the contemporary leadership skills which are critical in the value creation process of successfully bringing a new breed of firm. This course will explore the various dynamics of leadership and the dimensions of leadership that are relevant to the digital era.

AOW504 Strategic Management

This course concentrates on ways in formulating, implementing, and evaluating strategies. Strategic-management concepts and techniques are studied. Students will use the knowledge acquired from previous business courses, coupled with new strategic-management techniques learned, to chart the future direction of different organizations.

AOW505 Organisational Development and Change

This course enhances students' understanding of the areas of organizational development ranging from orientation to career development and organizational development and provides a clear understanding of the concepts, processes, and practices that form the basis of effective OD.

AOW506 Research Method

This course provides students with basic concepts and process of conducting a research including various research methods and designs. Students will acquire the knowledge and skillsets to undertake an original research with good ethical research practices.

AOP508 Business Analytics for Professionals

This course explains the scientific process of transforming data into insights for analytics-driven business decision making and make future prediction. It covers the methodologies, issues, and challenges related to analyzing business data. It prepares students to understand business analytics and become leaders in these areas. Students will learn to apply analytical tools, algorithms and methodologies to solve business problems. Students will also go deeper into advanced investigative and computational methods for developing their personal analytical skills and perspectives. Potential analytical tools will be used whenever applicable based on the simulated business examples.

AOP509 Enterprise Risk Management

This course discusses risk management from the perspective of non-financial corporations. The course examines various types of risks including market risks, credit risks and operational risks and risk-management. It ialso focuses on procedures in the context of the general framework of enterprise-wide risk management (ERM).

AOP510 Economics for Professionals

This course covers the basic economics principles to be applied by professionals in making sounds business decision, taking into account the microeconomics of demand and supply forces in transactions, theory of consumer and customer behavior, and the principle of production and cost analysis in supplying profesionals products and services

AOP511 Negotiation Dynamics

This course develops the negotiation style in a challenging, action-oriented, international environment to develop skills and strategies to negotiate. Students will be exposed to the understanding of negotiation dynamics, prepare for uncertainty, learn to craft agile strategy and be quick in changing circumstances and how to build the negotiation competency.

AOP515 Safety and Health Practices

This course is designed to enhance the understanding in regard to safety and health at workplace. It will expose about the fundamentals of health and safety, the acts related to Health and Safety at Work, and provides the understanding of study risk assessment and the working environment.

AOP512 Talent Management

The course explores key aspects of talent management from developing core competencies to the design and implementation of performance management systems that include identifying, evaluating and developing talent, to provide performance guidance for individuals and teams to encourage employee engagement. Experience-based learning is also practiced in providing exposure to students

AOP513 Client Centricity

This course focuses on the essential elements of customer services including conflict resolution, communication strategies, emotional intelligence and utilises strategies to build employee self-motivation to offer world-class service. Students will be exposed to the knowledge on the ways to approach customers, as well as to communicate effectively and confidently.

AOP514 Taxation

This course is designed to develop an understanding among candidates of the concepts and principles of personal, business and corporate income taxation, taxation of specialised entities, withholding taxes, etc. Besides these, legislation relating to real property gains tax and investment incentives will also be covered.

AOP516 Professional Ethics

This course provides the understanding of the ethical principles and the issues related to ethics among professionals. Part of professional ethics is the understanding of the ethics of other professions: and ethical behaviour. Students will also be exposed to the ethical decision-making and general professional conduct in comtemporary society

AOW507 Field Based Project

This course is designed for students to apply the research skills in business problems in the global business environment. The course provides opportunity to students to leverage techniques and methods analytics in analysing the business problems and recommend feasible business solution.

Further information are posted at https://anyflip.com/ueaxr/qtvv/ or contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Applicants should possess the following:

A. Bachelor's degree in Management, or any other related and recognized degree; or

1. CGPA of at least 2.75 / 4.00; or

2. CGPA between 2.50 - 2.74 with the following additional conditions: or

a) Research experience for at least one year; or
b) Work experience in related field for at least one year; or
c) At least one (1) academic publication in the relevant field; or
d) Grade B for major / elective courses; or
e) Grade B+ for final year project

3. CGPA between 2.00 - 2.49 (Bachelor's Degree with Honours) with the following additional conditions: or

a) Research experience for at least five (5) years; or
b) Work experience in related field for at least five (5) years; AND
c) At least one (1) academic publication in the relevant field; or
d) Grade B for major / elective courses; or
e) Grade B+ for final year project

B. APEL A (Level 7)

(Applicable for International Applicants Only)

The minimum score for each programme can be vary from the below list, candidates are required to check for each programme requirements.

• A minimum of Band 5 for IELTS; or
• A minimum score of 40 for TOEFL (Internet-based); or
• A minimum of Band 7.5 for TOEFL Essentials (Online); or
• A minimum score of 154 for Cambridge English: Advance (CAE)/Proficiency (CPE) /Preliminary (PET) /First (FCE)/ Linguaskill Online min. score 154; or
• A minimum score of 47 for Pearson Test of English (PTE); or
• A minimum of Band 107 for CIEP Level (ELS); or
• A minimum of Band 3.5 for Malaysian University English Test (MUET)

Exemption is given to candidate if:

• English is the candidate’s mother tongue or National Language; or
• Candidate graduated from an Institution of Higher Learning in which the medium of instruction at Bachelor and/or Master degree level is English (statement of proof required)

• Full-time: Mininum 2 semesters / Maximum 4 semesters
• Part-time: Mininum 4 semesters / Maximum 8 semesters

• April & October

 ** Fees are subject to change

** New fees to be imposed starting from Academic Session 2025/2026 (October 2025 intake onward)

 ** Fees are subject to change

The DBA Programme is delivered in 3 parts through a series of lecture seminars, consultancy, training and independent study.

Part I: Theoretical Updating (18 units)

Seminar in:
i. Management Control and Decision Making
ii. Human Capital Transformation
iii. Financial Decision Making
iv. Managing Technology and Decision Making
v. Marketing and Global Business
vi. Trend and Foresights in Business Strategy

Part II: Knowledge Dissemination and Generation (21 units)

This part is divided into 2 components:
i. Dissemination of knowledge: The Consultation and Training Course (15 units) requires the candidate to conduct consultancy and training in a chosen field. This course is completed in 2 semesters.
ii. Generation of knowledge The Research Methodology course (6 units) requires the candidate to update knowledge in research methodology, analysis techniques and software packages. The candidate needs to prepare a research proposal, which will serve as the basis for the dissertation in Part III. This course is completed in two semesters.

Part III: Dissertation (42 units)

This is the part where candidates are supervised through the process of a dissertation and upon completion, are examined viva voce. This course is completed in 3 semesters.

Mode of Program Delivery:

Open Distance Learning (ODL)

Language of Delivery: 

English

Applicants should possess the following:

• A Master's degree in Business/Administration/Management or related fields from a university recognised by the University's Senate or an equivalent qualification.
• A minimum CGPA of 3.00/4.00 or equivalent.
• Degrees awarded by local private institutions of higher learning including those awarded under any collaborative/franchising schemes with local or foreign partner must be accredited by the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA).
• A minimum of 5 years relevant working experience.
• Candidates without a related qualification in the field/s or working experience in the relevant fields will need to pass an interview and undergo appropriate pre-requisite course determined by the University.

(Applicable for International Applicants Only)

The minimum score for each programme can be vary from the below list, candidates are required to check for each programme requirements.

• A minimum score of 60 for TOEFL (Internet-based); or
• A minimum of Band 8.5 for TOEFL Essentials (Online); or
• A minimum of Band 6 for IELTS; or
• A minimum score of 59 for PTE; or
• A minimum score for Cambridge English: Occupational English Test (OET) (Conventional/Online) min 250 /Advance (CAE)/Proficiency (CPE) /Preliminary (PET) /First (FCE)/Linguaskill Online min. score 169; or
• A minimum score of 109 for ELS; or
• A minimum of Band 4 for MUET

Exemption can be given to candidate if:

• English is the candidate’s mother tongue or National Language; or
• Candidate graduated from an Institution of Higher Learning in which the medium of instruction at Bachelor and/or Master degree level is English (statement of proof required)

Full time  : 7 semesters to 10 semesters (3.5 years to 5 years)
Part time : 9 semesters to 14 semesters (4.5 years to 7 years)

April & October

** Fees are subject to change

Programme Aims

The PhD programme at GSB aims to achieve the following goals:

• nurture business scholars who can apply business theory and practice towards promoting the wellbeing of the community and the environment.
• develop business scholars who demonstrate a high-level of creativity, analytical thinking and problem-solving skills in offering robust solutions.
• produce business scholars with advanced skills in research, writing and knowledge sharing on matters relating to business sustainability.
• produce business scholars who are capable of examining any business enterprise and discern its strengths, weakness, opportunities, and threats; and use these findings to make appropriate business recommendations.

Research Area

PhD research areas at GSB are categorised into six areas:

• Global Strategy and Organizational Behaviour;
• Marketing;
• Sustainability Accounting and Governance;
• Innovation in Operations Management;
• Financial Research for Emerging Markets;
• Social Innovation and Sustainability

Expertise available in the following Centre: Graduate School of Business

Processes of the PhD Study:

Stage 1: Conceptual paper presentation
Stage 2: Proposal Defence (only for Quantitative Research)
Stage 3: Findings Defence (only for Qualitative Research)
Stage 4: Final Viva Voce

Applicants should possess the following:

• A Master’s degree from universities recognised by USM’s senate or an equivalent qualification with a minimum CGPA of 3.00/4.00; or
• A Master’s degree by research from universities recognised by USM’s senate or an equivalent qualification
• A two-page Research Proposal that includes:

1. Proposed area of interest
2. Potential contribution to theory
3. Background (with evidence of reading that supports potential contribution)
4. Research objectives
5. Significance of research
6. Expected economic, or social, or environmental impact of research

(Applicable for International Applicants Only)

The minimum score for each programme can be vary from the below list, candidates are required to check for each programme requirements.

• A minimum score of 60 for TOEFL (Internet-based); or
• A minimum of Band 8.5 for TOEFL Essentials (Online); or
• A minimum of Band 6 for IELTS; or
• A minimum score of 59 for PTE; or
• A minimum score for Cambridge English: Occupational English Test (OET) (Conventional/Online) min 250 /Advance (CAE)/Proficiency (CPE) /Preliminary (PET) /First (FCE)/Linguaskill Online min. score 169; or
• A minimum score of 109 for ELS; or
• A minimum of Band 4 for MUET

Exemption can be given to candidate if:

• English is the candidate’s mother tongue or National Language; or
• Candidate graduated from an Institution of Higher Learning in which the medium of instruction at Bachelor and/or Master degree level is English (statement of proof required)

• Full-time: Min 4 semesters / Max 10 semesters
• Part-time: Min 6 semesters /Max 15 semesters

* Graduate on Time (GOT): Graduate with a minimum of 42 months (7 semesters)

** Fees are subject to change

This mode provides students with the opportunity to develop sound understanding of major communication theories and research specifically in the study of journalism, communication and societal issues, technology and culture.

Course Structure
Students are required to complete 40 units comprising three core courses and a dissertation.

Core Courses (12 units)
•    Advanced Communication Theory.
•    Quantitative Communication Research Methods.
•    Qualitative Communication Research Methods.

Dissertation (28 units)

Students are required to conduct a research in a communication-related area under the supervision of an academic staff and write a dissertation of about 25,000 words.

Expertise available in the following School: School of Communication

Applicants should possess the following:

A. Bachelor's degree

1. CGPA of at least 2.75 / 4.00; or

2. CGPA between 2.50 - 2.74 with the following additional conditions: or

a) Research experience for at least one year; or
b) Work experience in related field for at least one year; or
c) At least one (1) academic publication in the relevant field; or
d) Grade B for major / elective courses; or
e) Grade B+ for final year project

3. CGPA between 2.00 - 2.49 (Bachelor's Degree with Honours) with the following additional conditions: or

a) Research experience for at least five (5) years; or
b) Work experience in related field for at least five (5) years; AND
c) At least one (1) academic publication in the relevant field; or
d) Grade B for major / elective courses; or
e) Grade B+ for final year project

B. APEL A (Level 7)

(Applicable for International Applicants Only)

• A minimum score of 46 in Internet-based TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language); or
• A minimum of Band 5.5 in IELTS (International English Language Testing System); or
• A minimum score of 160 in Cambridge English Advance (CAE); or
• A minimum score of 160 in Cambridge Proficiency Advance (CPE); or
• A minimum score of 51 in Pearson Test of English (PTE); or
• A minimum score of 108 for CIEP Level (ELS); or
• A minimum of Band 4 in MUET (Malaysian University English Test)

Exemption can be given if:

• English is the candidate's mother tongue or National Language; or
• The candidate graduated from an Institution of Higher Learning in which the medium of instruction is English

**Candidates will be interviewed by the Selection Panels.

Full-time: Min 18 months / Max 24 months

Part-time: Min 24 months / Max 48 months

April & October

**The above fee is for new students registered from Semester 2, Academic Session 2023/2024
**Fees are subject to change