University College Dublin, 1^st Class Honours Graduate (2020)

To further my studies, I enrolled with University College Dublin as it offers an academically challenging, and satisfying, honorary Degree programme. I feel that achieving these honours represents one’s ability to learn, their discipline to work hard and their motivation to achieve more.

The biggest lesson this programme has taught me is how value should be created. As resources such as time are valuable and limited, this course has helped me understand that it is very important to make full use of my resources to create and deliver value effectively so as to directly make meaningful contributions in life or work.

I opted to major in Finance as I believe it is an exciting field that presents many job opportunities and requires both analytical skills and creativity. This programme has also taught me the importance of collaboration as many projects require in-depth communication, understanding and information exchange. Through the process, I learned how to communicate and cooperate more effectively and correctly. As a Finance student, I appreciate that I was able to learn while also improving my communication skills.

I would recommend UCD to other students as it is ranked among the Top 1% of universities in the World*. In addition, it is an elite business school that also holds the Triple Crown international accreditations, representing the highest form of achievement and recognition for business schools.

The University’s Degrees are recognised by the Chinese Service Center for Scholarly Exchange (CSCSE). Having recognition in China means more opportunities and options are made available as China’s impact on the world economy is evident.

*Times Higher Education 2020

In pursuit of expanding my knowledge, broadening my perspectives on business management, and understanding negotiations and management theories, I decided to take up a Business Degree from University College Dublin (UCD) at Kaplan. Apart from the accreditations UCD has for its Business Degrees, the modules offered were also relevant to the rapidly evolving technology industry in its applications and case studies.

The Bachelor of Business Studies (Honours) (Management) (Top-up) Degree programme has enabled me to develop proficient negotiation skills and tactics, and understand the business operations of different organisations. I was able to excel in my role as an Account Executive with the help of this Degree programme. Despite being a newcomer in my industry, I was able to garner admiration from numerous merchants due to my extensive knowledge.

Additionally, the lecturers at Kaplan were also friendly and inspiring. While some concepts and theory models were difficult to grasp, the lecturers made them easier for me to understand.

I would definitely recommend this UCD Degree programme at Kaplan as I was able to complete it and enter the workforce earlier.  Since work experience plays a huge role in employability, having this head start is important. In fact, I was even able to attain a job right after I completed my studies.

University College Dublin Graduate (2019)

Despite my time constraints working at a public health institution and being a mother of two, I sought a quality Degree that could fit both my schedule and location needs. That was why I enrolled with the University College Dublin (UCD) Bachelor of Business Studies (Honours) in Management programme at Kaplan.

Pursuing a Degree after 14 years was initially daunting as I had to balance my work and the needs of my two young children. But life as a UCD student was unexpectedly refreshing. The pace of study was manageable even for me and that helped to allay my anxiety as an older student. The lessons offered in this UCD programme were relevant, practical and applicable to my daily work. So it empowered me with the confidence to take on greater responsibilities, and I became more proactive in resolving challenges within my organisation.

University College Dublin, Second Upper Class Honours Graduate (2020)

University College Dublin stood out to me as it is ranked as one of the Top 1% of institutions worldwide*. My friend, who had previously studied with UCD, gave good reviews about the University as well. Therefore, I decided to enrol with them to study a Bachelor of Business Studies (Honours) in Marketing Degree programme, choosing Marketing as my major as I wanted to prepare to move into a business development role.

The programme has taught me that networking and acquiring industry-relevant knowledge are more important than what can be learned in the classroom. Classroom learning enables you to understand the principles. However, experiential learning and sharing experiences with others reinforces what is being taught during the programme’s industry-relevant lessons.

Working as a freelancer, which requires frequent travel, while concurrently taking care of my pregnant wife and navigating through the programme was tough. However, with support from great classmates and team members, all of us were able to make it through the course. Memorable!

By applying the principles taught in the programme and relating them to the feasibility of the case studies, I was able to apply what was learnt to my work, creating a marketing platform for a new product by combining everything I was taught into a campaign.

UCD is my recommended University for students as its many lecturers have industry experience to share, and their experiences are very applicable to one’s work. Also, the programme’s assignments enable students to apply what they have learnt.

*Times Higher Education 2020

University College Dublin Graduate (2019)

I had to join the workforce early as I did not do well for my O-level exams and my family was struggling financially. However, I never gave up on my aspirations to become a graduate one day and earn the chance to apply my knowledge to help improve the world around me.

Eventually, I worked hard and managed to save up enough to complete my part-time Diploma in Information Technology with Kaplan, even going on to secure a full-time job at Singapore Press Holdings. That helped to spur my dreams, so that I could go on and pursue a Bachelor’s Degree with University College Dublin (UCD).

I chose UCD due to its global accreditations, industry-relevant subjects and flexible schedules, as I needed to balance my work and studies. Now I feel confident of my future plans, and hope that whatever opportunity comes my way, it incorporates helping others in need.

What attracted me the most was the remarkable flexibility of the programme structure, which has allowed me to strike a perfect balance between my personal commitments and academic pursuits. The programme’s flexibility also allowed me to engage in modules which are relevant to my work.  Furthermore, with the wide range of academic programmes offered at Kaplan, I can choose a programme within my area of interest.

I decided to pursue my studies with University College Dublin (UCD) due to its global reputation for academic excellence, where it is ranked in the Top 1%* of universities worldwide. Additionally, UCD shows a strong track record in graduate employability and is aligned with industry needs. Majoring in the Bachelor of Business Studies (Honours) (Management), I was equipped with the business foundation knowledge. This knowledge allowed me to enrich my professional journey, and coupled with my years of working experience, I was able to spearhead a few startups and non-profit organisations. I would recommend UCD as I found that it has provided me with good learning opportunities and exposure.

*Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2023

I began my Kaplan education with a Diploma, which laid strong foundations for my transition into pursuing a Bachelor of Business Studies (Honours) (Management) (Top-up) Degree with University College Dublin (UCD).

My path to acquiring a reputable and well-recognised business Degree was clear considering UCD’s Triple Crown accreditation. Also, the University has produced alumni across the globe, with its graduates making an impact in politics, literature and the international business world over the decades.

Participating in the 2019 Kaplan Kickstart Challenge, an internship programme for students to work at start-ups and contribute business ideas for a chance to win prize money, was most memorable. Equipped with analytical, business and operational know-how, and knowledge from studying at Kaplan, I was able to apply this expertise while interning.

As a result, I won the “Best Intern” award in the competition and was offered a full-time role. This has accelerated my career since, allowing me to find my current placement in an American MNC.

The University College Dublin (UCD) programme was well-delivered and broadened my knowledge through a wide variety of learning activities. I gained rich educational experiences from the local and international lecturers’ sharing sessions.

On top of that, graduating as a top student at UCD was key to unlocking many incredible opportunities as well as fulfilling my personal and professional goals.

My current job scope includes supporting, leading and mentoring the team to achieve the efficient and smooth operation of properties. The programme enhanced my job performance by improving my knowledge in areas such as project management, data analysis and evaluation, and time management skills.

I would recommend UCD to others for its recognition, affordable fees and convenient location.