Going Pro
Nilai U’s Faculty of Business offers a number of professional certifications to boost graduate employabilityNilai University’s Faculty of Business offers a number of professional certifications to complement students’ degrees and diplomas. These are linked to professional organisations which many students aim to join in the future. The latest is from the Malaysian Financial Planning Council. Students from the BA (Hons) Accounting and Finance and the BBA (Hons) in Finance will be able to become a Registered Financial Planner by completing just one module (the students will receive exemptions from six modules). In fact, students will be able to complete the remaining module at Nilai U and the requisite training will be provided on campus, allowing the students to leave as a career-ready graduate.
As registered Financial Planners, students will be entitled to apply for a Financial Advisors’ Representatives license from Bank Negara. They will also be eligible to apply for Capital Market Services Representatives license from the Securities Commission Malaysia which is required to provide financial planning services to the public.
“A key factor in attracting students to Nilai University (Nilai U) is the number of professional certifications athta are designed to boost the graduate’s employability,”
explains Prof Dr Sivakumar Velayutham, Dean of the Faculty of Business. He says that many students already have a firm idea of their career paths. Hence, Nilai U has arranged for a number of professional certifications from the relevant organisations to be available to these students. They will highlight that these students have undergone extra training in specific areas.
The areas where added certifications are available:
Accountancy
The BA (Hons) in Accounting and Finance and Diploma in Accounting are two of the most popular programmes at Nilai U. Many of the students join these programmes with a view towards becoming professional accountants. Students are entitled up to nine exemptions from the three major accounting bodies – Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW), Chartered Institute of management Accountants (CIMA) and Association of Certified Chartered Accountants (ACCA).
The latest initiative is the ACCA Accelerate programme which will allow students to complete their professional qualifications at the same time as they are studying for their degree. This time-saving programme will allow students who want to become professional accountants to fast track their careers. “Being able to complete their studies during their undergraduate years is an advantage. It is much easier than having to work and complete the ACCA papers part-time,” says Prof Siva.
Chartered Secretaries and Administrators
“Chartered Secretaries are highly trained corporate professional with a unique set of skills allowing them to work with a company’s board of directors and the management team of a company. Their areas of specialty include corporate law and practices, corporate finance, corporate governance and corporate secretarial practice,” explains Prof Siva.
Students from Nilai U’s Diploma in Business Administration will be entitled to six exemptions from the Professional Diploma in Corporate Administration programme, awarded by the Malaysian Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators (MAICSA). They will only need to complete two papers during the final semester of their Diploma in Business Administration programme in ‘Corporate Compliance and Practice’ and ‘Law and Practice of Meetings’.
Accounting and Finance degree students will be entitled to four exemptions for Part 1 of MAICSA’s International Chartered Secretary and Administrators (ICSA) programme.
Human Resource
“Human respurce is a key component in any organisation and students from the BBA (Hons) in Human Resource Management will undergo 64 hours of training with specialist human resource trainers to have them career ready in this highly specialised field,” says Prof Siva
The training is conducted by the Malaysian Institute of Human Resource Management (MIHRM). Other Business faculty students can also earn enhanced certification from MIHRM by completing the relevant modules.
These enhanced certifications allow students to gain specialist knowledge and also act as a time-saving device. By the time they graduate, these students will have both academic qualifications as well as specialist knowledge in key areas allowing them to forge an exciting career. “We firmly believe in equipping our students with all the necessary qualifications to allow them to carve out a successful career. After all, that is the gist of higher education,” says Prof Siva.
All of Nilai U programmes are approved by the Ministry of Higher Education. The institution is rated ‘Setara 5’ by the Malaysian Qualifications Agency.
For more information, please visit www.nilai.edu.my or call 06-8502308.