Academic Qualifications : 1 + 1 doesn’t add up to 2

As a member of the SCS (Singapore Computer Society), I get a copy of the society’s magazine (The IT Society) every month and the recent issue just arrived in my letter box. A quick peep at it had me ‘hooked’ with one of it adverts.

As a holder of the CITPM (Certified IT Project Manager), I am entitled to the following exemptions should I take up the NTU (Nanyang Technological University)’s MBA in Management of Information Technology;

1. Management Information Systems (core MBA subject)
2. Contemporary Engineering of Enterprise Software (functional IT subject)
3. Communications Technology and Network Management (functional IT subject)
4. Project Management (functional IT elective)

Now NTU is a relatively good university in the region (as well as in the world) and their MBA programme is actually ranked the top in Singapore (I am not endorsing neither the ranking nor the university) and 4 subjects at the post graduate level usually translates to a Graduate Certificate.

But I’m not exactly excited.

Firstly, I’m not going to take an MBA anytime soon. Yes, I’ve been holding the title of “Manager” for the past 1.5 years with 2 very big (and reputable) companies but I believe that one should only take a MBA (and a good one) after at least 3 years of good managerial experience as to understand and apply the knowledge, the same theory I hold towards professional certifications – One take certifications after gaining real world experience not the other way round.

Back to the topic. I’m not going to take an MBA anytime soon and a quick google on Masters Degree pertaining to IT Management shows that in addition to the the 4 subjects mentioned above, the common subjects are

1. Database Management Systems
2. Information System Security
3. Some relevant business modules

The problem is that I already have qualifications in Database Management (although it is not my forte) and IT Security and made plans to take up Marketing after finishing my MSc Computing. If I want to take other business topics then I’ll do a MBA – which I am not going to do so anytime soon.

So this means if I want to do a Master Degree in IT Management, I’d have to repeat 80% of the modules (wasting time and money) but choosing not to do so means I cannot capitalise all the education gained (most of them on my own expense) as Human Resources will not equal numerous qualifications as a Master Degree.

Whats my point? Nothing, I just feel sore that I cannot hand all the qualifications to a University and claim the relevant academic credits 🙂