Master of Arts (MA)

Programme Overview

The Master of Arts are research programmes offered throughout of the year. These programmes are offered as full-time and part-time modes to qualified Malaysian and International Students to do independent research supervised by their respective lecturers in the respective field of expertise. As the field of accounting, finance and management are dynamic, new areas/field of studies are always emerging as newer technological tools and developments become available. Upon graduation, students may seek employment in both public and private sectors.

Students can choose between:

•     MA (Accounting)
•     MA (Finance)
•     MA (Management)

+ - RESEARCH THRUST AREAS Click to collapse

MA (ACCOUNTING)

•    Goods and Services Tax and Taxation Issues
•    Auditing
•    Management Accounting and Control
•    Financial Reporting
•    Accounting Information System
•    Management Accounting Practices
•    Behavioural Accounting Finance
•    Legal Environment of Business & Accounting
•    Market Based Accounting Research
•    Corporate Governance
•    Islamic Accounting
•    Public Sector Accounting
•    Accounting Education
•    Social and Environmental Accounting/Corporate Social Responsibility

MA (FINANCE)

•    Asset Pricing
•    Behavioural Finance
•    Corporate Finance
•    Derivative Market
•    Financial Market and Institutions
•    International Finance
•    Investment Analysis and Portfolio Management
•    Islamic Finance
•    Merger and Acquisition
•    Applied Mathematic in Finance

MA (MANAGEMENT)

Organisational Behaviour

•     Strategic Management and Organisational Issues
•     Workplace Attitudes and Behaviour
•     Human Resource Management/Human Capital Development
•     Learning Organisations
•     Women in Management and Business
•     Entrepreneurship and Enterprising Culture
•     Ethics and Social Responsibility
•     Sustainable Leadership

Internationalisation

•    Internationalisation of Enterprises
•    International Entrepreneurship
•    Global Strategies and Competitiveness
•    Cross Cultural Management
•    Export Markets
•    Global Strategic Management
•    Strategies and Practices in MNCs
•    Expatriation and Repatriation

Marketing

•    International Marketing
•    Strategic Marketing
•    Consumer Behaviour
•    Advertising and Marketing Communications
•    Retailing
•    Brand Management
•    Service Marketing
•    Environmental Marketing
•    Wellness Marketing
•    Technology Marketing
•    Experiential Marketing

Operations and Production

•    Productivity and Quality
•    Technology Management
•    Management Sciences
•    Managing Information Resources
•    Operations Strategies
•    Supply Chain Management
•    Operations Management
•    Logistics Management

+ - APPLICATION Click to collapse

Applications for postgraduate studies in USM can be made online through the Institute of Postgraduate Studies website (http://www.ips.usm.my/).

+ - ACADEMIC GRADE REQUIREMENT Click to collapse

An applicant for a Master degree should possess the following qualifications:

I. Bachelor degree (Honours)

A) CGPA of at least 2.75/4.00
B) CGPA of 2.50 - 2.74/4.00 with

Research experience – 1 year; OR,
Professional experience in related field- 1 year; OR,
One(1) academic publications (journals, not proceeding(s) in related field; OR,
Grade B for major/ elective courses; OR,
Grade B+ for final year project;

C) CGPA of 2.00 - 2.49/4.00 with

Research experience - 5 years; OR
Professional experience in related field - 5 years,

AND

One (1) academic publications (journal, not proceeding(s) in related field; OR,
Grade B for major/elective courses; OR,
Grade B+ for final year project.

OR,

II. APEL A Certificate (APEL T-7)

http://www2.mqa.gov.my/APEL/

+ - LANGUAGE REQUIREMENT Click to collapse

•   A minimum score of 550 in TOEFL (Test of English as a foreign language) (Paper-based); or
•   A minimum score of 213 on the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) (computer-based); or
•   A minimum score of 80 on the TOEFL (Test of English as a foreign language) (Internet-based); or
•   A minimum score of 6.0 in IELTS (International English Language Testing System); or
•   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 at Bachelor and Master level is English; or
•   English courses offered by British Council. (The level of qualification and the relevant courses are to be identified by the University Postgraduate Studies Council); or
•   English courses offered by School of Languages, Literacies and Translation (The level of qualification and the relevant courses are to be identified by the University Postgraduate Studies Council); or
•   English courses from selected Malaysian public/private university or institution. (The level of qualification and the relevant courses should be previously identified and approved by the University Postgraduate Studies Council); or
•   A minimum Band 4 of Malaysian University English Test (MUET)
•   Bahasa Melayu, LKM 100 is compulsory for all foreign students and must be taken and passed prior to graduation. The passing grade is C. Registration for this course can be made at the Centre for Languages & Translation, USM.

+ - DURATION Click to collapse

A Master degree can be completed in two modes i.e. either Full-time or Part-time.

Full-time candidates need to complete their dissertation in minimum of 2 semesters and maximum of 6 semesters.

** A foreign candidate outside of the Malay Archipelago is required to register as a full-time student.

Part-time candidates are allowed to complete their dissertations in minimum of 4 semesters and maximum of 12 semesters.

+ - PROGRAMME STRUCTURE Click to collapse

Registration
A new candidate would be able to register at any time throughout the year.

Supervision
A candidate will be supervised normally by one or two supervisors from the School throughout his/her candidature. The candidate is expected to discuss with the supervisors his/her plan of study and schedule regular meetings with the supervisors to discuss his/her progress.

Colloquium
All research mode students must participate in the School's Postgraduate Colloquium. The colloquium is held twice a year, normally in June and December. During the colloquium, students will participate in workshops on Research Methodology, listen to research related talks and present their progress.

Residency requirement
For a full-time candidate, the residential requirement is throughout his/her minimum candidature period.
For a part-time candidate, the residential requirement of 15 days a year is required.

Proposal Defense
A candidate in the MA programme in the School of Management is required to submit and present his/her proposal of study before an Examining Committee appointed by the School. A MA candidate is expected to attend proposal defense in third semester. Only upon satisfactory performance in defense can the candidate submit the final thesis to the Institute of Postgraduate Studies for the final viva-voce.

Thesis
A candidate for the MA programme is required to produce a thesis. As a general guideline, a MA thesis should not exceed 50,000 words. The thesis can be written in either English or Bahasa Malaysia.

+ - WHY SHOULD YOU ENROL INTO SOM MA PROGRAMME? Click to collapse

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+ - FEES Click to collapse

MA Fee

** Fees are subject to change