Associate Professor, HB Klopper Head of School: Business & Economics
Enterprise Development Unit & Continuous Education, Monash South Africa
Further study gives graduates the chance to develop their skills and pursue a passion in a specific focus area while simultaneously improving their career prospects. As a postgraduate student you could increase the opportunity to:
- Further your career – this may not always increase your salary, but studies show that the majority of postgraduates earn more than undergraduates over the span of their careers.
- Change direction – many postgraduate courses can act as conversion courses if you want to enter a different sector.
- Pursue a passion for a particular subject – you can explore your personal interests, as most courses will let you select modules.
- Enter a profession that needs a specific qualification – some vocations demand a postgraduate qualification as an entry requirement.
- Gain clear insight into industry and create valuable networking opportunities – although this may not be your main reason, postgraduate degrees do guide you towards an increased number of industry contacts and work experience opportunities.
- Study flexibly – many courses are designed to fit around careers or family responsibilities with many working adults choosing part-time postgraduate degrees.
How do you select a postgraduate course?
Deciding to pursue further studies is an important choice and the more time and energy that goes into choosing the right qualification will benefit you in the long run.
The key to making the right choice is to think about what you want to get out of the experience: do you want to gain detailed knowledge of a specific area of financial management or retirement funds, HIV Aids management to corporate governance, exempt yourself from professional exams, cross over from another sector, or get a broad understanding of general business issues? Whatever the reason, the course or qualification you choose should enable you to meet those needs.
Monash South Africa offers an array of different courses and in particular postgraduate diplomas; and each develops a different set of skills and abilities.
Why consider studying a postgraduate degree, particularly at Monash South Africa?
It is a fact that postgraduate qualifications are becoming increasingly sought-after in the corporate world, especially for senior executive positions. There is also a clear association between the level of education and employment, as well as salary. With job roles becoming increasingly complex, higher levels of skills and qualifications are needed, especially if candidates are seeking a competitive edge.
While academically rigorous programs are important, it’s also vital for students to gain the appropriate knowledge and analytical skills that can be applied in a variety of organizational settings including the corporate, government and non-profit sectors. It also enables those seeking either career entry or progression, or those with a special interest in business to extend their skills and knowledge base in order to comprehend, critically evaluate and interpret the workings of global business and doing business in Africa.
Our Monash South Africa postgraduate qualifications are inter-disciplinary programs and provide students with the tools to understand the issues affecting contemporary business challenges. Our emphasis on developing our students for the global marketplace led us to become the first academic institution in Sub-Saharan Africa to join the Laureate International Universities network in 2013.
The postgraduate degrees and programs offered by the Monash South Africa School of Business & Economics have an integrated focus on ethics and sustainability, leadership, negotiation and strategic decision-making. Students will explore moral issues facing international business leaders while considering the impact of value-based decisions in the business world. Many are internationally recognized for their expertise in the economic, social and technological forces shaping today’s corporate sector.
Is continual education key to furthering one’s career and why?
Lifelong learning is of the utmost importance. At our campus, we place a strong emphasis on the working professionals market, especially those beyond traditional undergraduate and postgraduate degrees.
We do not view postgraduate study as basic instruction or typical vocational training. Instead as the term suggests, it is assumed that the student already has some form of qualification and is simply progressing with it. Continuing education encompasses a wide span of short learning programs and postgraduate degrees and diplomas. For example, through our Monash South Africa Enterprise Development Unit, we draw upon strong connections to key industries and cultural sectors in our region and province as well as in South Africa and all across Africa to support students in attaining their professional goals and personal educational aspirations. The different degrees and programs offered by the School of Business & Economics provide multiple educational pathways to professional, intellectual, and creative development.
We are committed to producing graduates of an international caliber, as our Monash South Africa degrees are internationally recognized. Through our international network, our students can now access a network that consists of over 80 tertiary institutions worldwide, educating over a million students in 28 countries across the Americas, Europe, Africa, Asia and the Middle East.