Look before plunging into a new stream of knowledge
If you are curious, ambitious and committed to lifelong learning, chances are you will have considered enrolling in a higher education or business degree programme.
More top-notch executive education courses are available to professionals in Asia than ever before.
For those who decide to take the plunge, there are several options: full time or part time at a local or open university or a business school, overseas or online.
There are costs to consider, not only in financial terms but also in time and disruption of social and family life. Experts say that studying for an MBA requires between 10 and 15 hours a week.
Some programmes, like the OneMBA at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, offer a format where time away from the office is minimised with classes run over 15 weekends during the 21-month programme.
If studying at a local university is not possible, consider how an online degree will measure up. Will it carry the same recognition and provide the necessary skills to further a career? Check to see who is in the faculty, and what the calibre of fellow students will be.
Ultimately, an MBA should equip students with the ability to be better thinkers and managers, and provide a stepping stone to the next level of management.
The Henley College MBA was developed in 1974 to meet the demands of the changing needs of managers worldwide. In 1997, it became the first postgraduate business school in Britain to offer university-level degrees. It has two postgraduate online distance learning programmes: an MBA and an MSc.
Henley claims to have more experience than many universities offering the same qualification. It is one of only 41 European business schools to be awarded a quality assurance accreditation from the European Foundation for Management Development.
Students are assigned two personal online tutors backed by local support initiatives.
Candidates should be 27 or older, with management experience and an undergraduate or equivalent qualification.
People without this qualification can register for the Henley Diploma in Management and transfer to the MBA programme upon successful completion. A Henley MBA costs #11,500 (HK$165,000).
Reputable colleges or universities do not automatically offer quality distance learning. As the race to offer these courses heats up, some courses are not being fully developed.
Students should ask whether programmes are as good as ones on campus. Have they been designed with distance students in mind, or are they simply Web versions of correspondence or on-campus courses?
The best way to check if a course is reliable is through the Education and Manpower Bureau, which keeps a registry of all non-local courses. Each programme carries a registration number. Exceptions are distance learning courses which do not have any regulated course activities, such as lectures and examinations, in Hong Kong.
The Hartford Institute, one of the largest higher education providers in Hong Kong, offers undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in collaboration with accredited universities. Soundly financed and with a strong education infrastructure, the institute provides a range of student support services.
The institute offers a range of MBA, BA (Honours) and Master of Science programmes through numerous universities. Over the years, Hartford programmes have attracted thousands of business executives from renowned international, regional and local companies in Hong Kong, including the MTR Corporation and Standard Chartered Bank.
