THE Department of Management Studies at the Yangon Institute of Economics has unveiled plans to launch the country’s first online Master of Business Administration program later this year.

The head of the department, Professor Dr Daw Nu Nu Yin, said the department, based at Yangon University’s Hlaing campus, would begin accepting applications for the course from November 1.

The course is open to those who are aged at least 25, have a recognised bachelor-level degree and have worked for at least five years as a gazetted public servant or executive in the private sector.

Applicants also need to pass an evaluation of their computer and internet skills, Prof Dr Daw Nu Nu Yin said.

Applications may be made through the website for the program, www.elearning. edu.mm, which is administered by the department and receives technical support from the Myanmar Professional Education Centre.
Online applicants will need to submit details of their educational qualifications and bring the original documents when they register.

“A student can log on to the website and begin the course once they have completed the registration process,” said Prof Dr Daw Nu Nu Yin.

“The main advantage of the program is that students can learn in their free time,” she said, adding that no limit had been set on enrollments for the course.

Those accepted for the course would be required to pass 24 subjects – 12 core subjects and 12 electives – to obtain the necessary 96 credit units. A project paper would also need to be submitted at the end of the course.

Students who had submitted the required number of assignments in each subject would qualify to sit an online examination at an authorised exam centre, said Prof Dr Daw Nu Nu Yin.

Course fees are K50,000 a subject and there is an annual fee of K50,000. The examination fee for each subject is K15,000.

The curriculum and teaching methods of the online course were the same as the other MBA programs offered by the department, said Prof Dr Daw Nu Nu Yin.

MBA degrees from the YIE are recognised by other member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations because the institute is a member of the ASEAN University Network, she said, adding that credits could be transferred to other universities in the region.

Prof Dr Daw Nu Nu Yin said the department had produced more than 600 graduates since it began a full-time MBA program in 1995.