Kaplan Singapore is well known for its commitment to quality education and lifelong learning. Two students show how the institute has, in the process, also nurtured their competitive skills and business savvy.

By Ashley Choo

With more than 1,000 private education providers in Singapore, how does one separate the wheat from the chaff? If you have properly conducted your research, you will find that it is easy to identify the top private institutions through their accreditations, accolades, and positive testimonials. Such is the case of Kaplan Singapore.

Kaplan Singapore may have only established its roots in Singapore in 2003, but it is part of one of the world’s largest education companies, Kaplan Inc., which is a US$2 billion business owned by The Washington Post Company. This is one education provider that is grounded on good business practices and strong financial foundations.

With this in mind, Kaplan students Kate Wu and Alan Chew have one big burden off their backs as they endeavour to balance working life and school. However, reputation isn’t built solely on the corporate value of an institute; other aspects such as its educators and facilities play equally important roles.

Kaplan’s Assurance
“I have faith in Kaplan,” says 23-year-old Kate, who is currently in her third year of the Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Business Management programme, awarded by the University of Bedfordshire. “I like the way they have managed their campus and sustained in the education industry.”

Although she is unable to fully utilise the school’s resources (since she holds a full-time job), Kate found Kaplan’s library and computer terminals more than adequate for any research she has had to undertake.

Yet, the campus’ prime location remains the huge drawing factor for most of Kaplan’s 15,000 students. Spanning over 60,000 sqft, the campus is the biggest private education institution to be located within the vicinity of Orchard Road. This translates to a comfortable study environment for many of Kaplan’s students, and easily accessible classes for those who work full-time.

Moreover, the experience gained from the Business Management modules will put Kate in good stead with her current and future employers. For example, Strategic Management not only taught her the strategies which different companies use to increase revenue, but also how to conceive innovative ideas for executing these strategies.

The programme extends beyond traditional modules and includes others such as Managing E-Business, which covers business-to-business, business-to-consumer and business-to-government types of management.

Apart from appealing modules, Kaplan boasts a faculty of interesting lecturers with a flair for bringing the subjects to life. “The lecturers here are results-oriented,” Kate says. “They let us know what is necessary and what is useful.”

With graduation just within reach, Kate is looking forward to leverage on her degree for better career prospects and advancement in the workplace.

A Relevant Combination
Although Alan Chew is only in his first year of the Bachelor of Technology in Product Design & Innovation programme awarded by the University of South Australia, he is already assured of the good prospects he’ll have after graduation.

After the 25-year-old researched on the academic choices available at various private institutions, he found that the course Kaplan provided would give him the high level of employability he needs to pursue his desired career. “I asked one of my clients who is also the Head of Human Resources in his organisation if they recognised the partner degrees from Kaplan, and he confirmed that his company does,” says the Personal Trainer.

Alan also points out that Kaplan offers the rare combination of engineering and design in one programme. “I like the idea of being able to design the outlook of the product with the knowledge of the engineering constraints of the design,” he says. “Most of the courses I came across are specific to either engineering or design. Kaplan is one of the few offering this unique course.”

The creative industries – which include general industrial design activities and electronic-related industrial design services – are now considered to be one of Singapore’s growth engines. Alan can certainly expect to be pursued by employers when he graduates.

Apart from being relevant to his needs, some of the modules, such as Product Design Communication, are more hands-on. There, Alan learnt how to visualise and use both 2D and 3D CAD modelling to create technical drawings. In Aesthetics and Ergonomics in Product Design, he was also introduced to human factor considerations and interpreting anthropometric data within the context of design. To ensure that the course is holistic, subjects such as economic analysis are woven into modules so that students understand the bigger picture behind product designs.

Kaplan also ensures that students are taught by lecturers who are not mere academics; these professionals have also worked in industries relevant to what they’re teaching. “My lecturers are able to bring their industry experience into the course, which brings lessons to life,” Alan says.

One Success Story at a Time
As Kaplan prepares to send Kate and her cohort out into the workforce, the institute is also taking care of the likes of Alan and his peers – freshmen with a thirst for new and relevant skill sets. Though both were and will be taught to be proficient in different areas, they are likely to join the growing grapevine touting Kaplan’s academic virtues, one of which is the school’s list of accolades under its portfolio.

The institute is one of the first private education institutions in Asia to achieve the ISO 9000 certification for its programme management systems and services, and has also been awarded the Singapore Quality Class Award for Private Education Organisations. Certainly, Kaplan is the place to be for an increasing pool of students who wish to further their studies, as well as working professionals eager to be lifelong learners.