Industry-relevant studies for better prospects
COMPLETING a master’s degree can be an enduring life achievement. With one in your portfolio, a world of opportunities is open to you.
International Medical University (IMU) offers postgraduate programmes whose classes are conducted on weekends, letting working adults gain skills to advance their careers without compromising their existing profession.
Postgraduate study is rarely easy, but students may find that taught programmes are more manageable due to the structured curricula compared to research-based ones.
Jeyashanthini Nalaiya, assistant manager in Chemical Company of Malaysia Berhad’s formulation division, earned her MSc in Analytical and Pharmaceutical Chemistry (MAPC) with distinction from IMU.
Thanks to the hard work she put into studying, she developed transferable skills that proved to be advantageous in advancing her career.
Muna A. Othman Salem, who teaches at Omar Al-Mukhtar University in Libya, says, “I am thankful to the IMU faculty for its guidance and giving me the opportunity to develop a wider range of skills.”
The programme also attracted Libyan students Dafer Mohamed Alhaj, Osama Ho Almajdouband and Yousef Abbulsamie Awee. They developed skills relevant to the pharmaceutical chemistry field and successfully completed their master’s degree with encouragement from the faculty.
IMU’s computer-assisted learning sessions involve hands-on training using chemical simulation software Schrödinger, which is used in pharmaceutical, biotechnology and materials science research. This facility helps students carry out independent projects with industry-relevant methods.
Flexible and convenient
“The weekend classes and use of an e-learning platform helped me better manage my time for work and study. I am excited to be defending my research dissertation soon,” says Wong Hiew Yi, a regulatory affairs executive who is currently pursuing the MAPC at IMU.
Another MAPC student, Tai Zhi Sam, says, “Thanks to IMU’s weekend scheduling, I could use my weekdays to take part in a research project as a research assistant. I was able to apply the skills I learnt through programme coursework to the project.”
Fellow MAPC graduate Yamen Alkhatib from Syria shares that the research skills he developed at IMU in the areas of bioavailability and pharmacokinetics of investigational new drugs landed him a spot in a PhD course at Universiti Putra Malaysia.
On how the well-designed course can help graduates advance their careers, MAPC’s programme director Dr Sreenivasa Rao Sagineedu says, “Studying a programme with a unique blend of analytical and pharmaceutical chemistry disciplines can give you better job prospects across various industries.
“This master’s programme builds on your undergraduate chemistry knowledge and gives you specialised, practical experience in using a wide range of modern analytical techniques.
“The programme also helps you cultivate advanced skills in pharmaceutical chemistry, focusing on various aspects of drug discovery, design and development.”