Choosing a postgraduate program often comes with one key question: Is this the right fit for my academic or professional background?
At Singapore Management University, the MSc in Management (MiM) is intentionally designed around this very question. By bringing together students from both business and non-business backgrounds, the programme creates a classroom where diverse perspectives are not just welcomed, but essential to learning how real organisations operate.
Whether a student is transitioning from a technical specialized field, or building on an existing business foundation, the MiM provides a platform to develop strategic thinking, leadership capabilities, and a broader understanding of how organisations operate. In this feature, we speak with two MiM students from the August 2025 cohort whose journeys illustrate how the programme creates meaningful value for learners coming from very different backgrounds.
From Engineering to Management: Phan Minh Hieu
Phan Minh Hieu began his career after earning his Bachelor of Civil Engineering degree from University College London. He went on to gain hands-on industry experience working as a shop drawing engineer in Vietnam, where he was involved in technical coordination and project-based work across construction teams.
Over time, he recognised that progressing into leadership and decision-making roles would require more than technical expertise alone. His transition into the MiM program reflects a growing awareness among technical professionals of the need for business, strategy, and organisational knowledge. Through the MiM, Hieu is now building the management foundation needed to complement his engineering background and broaden his long-term career trajectory.
Q1. You started your career in civil engineering. What motivated you to pivot toward management and pursue a Master's in Management?
I reached a point in my job where I realized that relying purely on technical knowledge would limit my progression into senior and decision-making roles, and that experience alone wasn’t enough to move into more senior or decision-making roles. I needed a stronger foundation in business and project management to complement my engineering background.
Pursuing a Master's in Management felt like the right step to help me understand how strategic decisions are made and how different functions come together in real-world organizations.
Q2. How did your engineering background shape the way you approach business and management concepts today?
My engineering background shapes how I approach business and management concepts by pushing me to think about whether ideas work not just in theory, but also in practice. I often find myself questioning how improvement frameworks or strategies would function when implemented on the ground, and whether they make sense from an operational and physical standpoint.
This way of thinking helps me visualize processes more clearly and anticipate practical challenges early on. Overall, it has helped me develop a more grounded and realistic perspective when analyzing cases and real-world business scenarios.
Q3. Why did you choose SMU’s MiM program specifically to support this transition?
SMU’s MiM program mentioned specifically that it is designed to assist as an introduction to management for people without prior knowledge, which perfectly matches my needs.
Additionally, SMU’s close ties with industry and its location in the heart of Singapore made it an ideal environment to gain exposure to real-world business practices while making this career transition.
Q4. What has been the most valuable learning experience for you so far in the program?
One of the most valuable learning experiences for me so far has been the program’s strong emphasis on group projects and class participation, rather than passive learning. Working closely with peers in team-based assignments has helped me develop collaboration, communication, and problem-solving skills in a practical setting.
These experiences reflect the kind of collaborative, discussion-driven learning environment that SMU is known for and closely mirror how teams operate in professional settings.
Q5. For students from non-business backgrounds who are considering the MiM, what advice would you give them?
Even though the MiM is designed to be welcoming to students from non-business backgrounds, it is important to have clarity on your long-term career goals. Knowing where you want to head allows the program to act as a strong supporting step in your career progression or transition, rather than being viewed as the sole requirement for a complete career change.
When approached with intention, the MiM becomes a powerful platform to build the right skills, networks, and mindset to move forward.
From Execution to Strategic Leadership: Shreya Alagramam
With a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Wollongong in Dubai, Shreya Alagramam entered the MiM with a strong business background and prior work experience in digital marketing. Rather than transitioning into business and management from a new field, she chose the MiM to deepen her strategic perspective and move beyond execution into roles that involve broader decision making and impact.
Her journey illustrates how the program also supports students who already have business exposure but want to strengthen their leadership, structured thinking, and cross-functional capabilities.
Q1. You already had a business and marketing background before joining the MiM. What made you decide to pursue a Master in Management at this stage?
Even though I came from a business background, I felt that most of my learning until that point had been very execution focused. I had hands-on experience in digital marketing, content strategy, and campaign planning, but I wanted to better understand the bigger strategic and organizational side of how businesses operate.
The MiM felt like the right step to move from purely doing to also understanding the why behind decisions. I wanted to strengthen my foundation in areas like strategy, leadership, and cross-functional thinking so I could grow into roles that involve more ownership and decision making.
Q2. How has your prior experience in digital marketing influenced the way you approach your coursework at SMU?
Coming from a practical, industry background means I naturally connect classroom concepts to real campaigns and client situations I’ve worked on. When we discuss frameworks or case studies, I often think about how those ideas would play out in an actual brand or agency setting.
It also helps me contribute a practitioner’s perspective during group discussions, especially when conversations move toward customer behavior, positioning, or communication strategy. At the same time, the academic structure helps me organize what I previously learned through experience into clearer models and frameworks.
Q3. What new perspectives or skills has the MiM helped you develop that you did not gain during your undergraduate degree or work experience?
One of the biggest shifts has been learning to think beyond just the marketing function and understand how different parts of a business connect. The program has pushed me to look at decisions from a broader management lens, considering operations, finance, and organizational dynamics as well.
I’ve also developed stronger confidence in structured problem solving and presenting strategic recommendations. Instead of focusing only on creative execution, I now approach challenges by first analyzing root causes, stakeholder priorities, and long-term impact.
Q4. How has learning in a diverse, international cohort shaped your experience so far?
Being part of a cohort made up of students from different industries, countries, and academic backgrounds has been one of the most valuable aspects of the programme. Through frequent class discussions and group projects, I’ve had the chance to work closely with teammates who approach problems very differently from how I naturally would, which makes conversations much richer and often challenges my initial assumptions.
The way classes are structured also encourages collaboration, with professors actively facilitating dialogue, debate, and peer learning rather than one-way lectures. Working in multicultural teams has helped me become more intentional about how I communicate, listen to different viewpoints, and find common ground when making group decisions. These experiences have been especially meaningful because they mirror the kind of cross-cultural collaboration that happens in real global business environments.
Q5. For students who already have a business degree, how would you explain the value of pursuing the MiM?
I would say the MiM is less about repeating what you already know and more about deepening and connecting your knowledge. It helps you move from functional understanding to a more strategic and leadership-oriented mindset.
For students with prior business exposure, the program creates space to refine your thinking, challenge your assumptions, and build a stronger cross-disciplinary perspective. It becomes a way to accelerate growth and prepare for roles that require not just execution, but decision making and direction setting.
These two journeys demonstrate that the value of the SMU MiM does not depend on where a student starts, but on how they choose to use the experience. For those coming from technical fields, the program provides the business foundation needed to transition into leadership and management roles. For those with prior business exposure, it offers the opportunity to deepen strategic thinking, broaden perspective, and prepare for greater responsibility.
Ultimately, the strength of the SMU MiM lies not in a single background, but in the intentional mix of perspectives within each cohort. By learning alongside peers with different experiences, students sharpen their thinking, challenge assumptions, and build the confidence to navigate complex, real-world business challenges.
For those seeking a programme that meets them where they are while preparing them for where they want to go, the MiM offers a rigorous, collaborative environment designed for growth beyond graduation.
