Page 10 - Annual Report 2008

Academic Programs and Graduates

Throughout the current year, we continued to make
improvements to our curriculum and instruction
methods. In January 2008, all faculty members
participated in a retreat to initiate a comprehensive
review and revision of all academic programs including
the academic curriculum. This was followed by regular
meetings of development committees for the Thai and
International programs. Revisions were also made to the
format of the Comprehensive Examination for the
master’s degree programs. Over the same time period,
we introduced innovative methods of teaching and
novel approaches emphasizing the learning
experiences of our students. Some early indications of
success were detected in feedback from student
satisfaction surveys. A survey of the alumni and an
exploratory study of the needs of the current students were conducted to help identify ways to improve our
services that would facilitate more effective teaching and learning.

To develop education partnerships, CMMU collaborated with selected enterprises, both Thai and
international, in student recruitment. In collaboration with the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), CMMU
continued to enroll students in our Double Degree Program, comprising a Master of Management from
CMMU and Master in Marketing from UTS. This year, CMMU and the Siam Commercial Bank (SCB) cooperated
in selecting employees with SCB scholarships to enroll in our master programs. We also engaged a Japanese
training center to promote CMMU programs among Japanese managers working in Thailand.

Recognizing the rising needs for management skills by the graduates in the fields of medicine and
technology, CMMU began to focus effort on developing joint degrees with other faculties of Mahidol
University. First, CMMU joined with Faculty of Science to develop a B.Sc.-M.M. program or “4+1 program”. The
aim is to allow students in B.Sc. 4-year programs of the Faculty of Science to take certain courses in CMMU
during their junior or senior years. After completing their B.Sc. degree, those who enroll in a master’s degree
program at CMMU can transfer credits of those courses taken at CMMU during their undergraduate years.
Hence, it would take just one more year for them to graduate with a Master of Management from CMMU. If
this format proves successful, the “4+1 program” could be replicated for joint programs with other faculties
such as engineering, nutrition science, medical technology, pharmacy, dentistry, nursing or medicine.

Our Ph.D. Program continued to attract more and better
applicants. With an increase in the student numbers,
CMMU introduced new ways to strengthen the delivery
of the doctoral courses and adjust supervisory
committees to better fit the research interests of our
doctoral candidates.
Several Ph.D. students received financial support from
CMMU to present their research at regional and
international conferences, hence gaining a wider
exposure to new advances in their fields of study.

During their study, CMMU students are encouraged to
learn from real world experience by working in real
businesses, enterprises and communities. The students
must be able gather data, and conduct interviews with
organizational managers and employees. The collected data must be analyzed, synthesized and integrated
with management theories learned from their courses. With this approach, our students not only better
appreciate the value of management concepts and practices, but they can also use this knowledge to
improve their chances in future job opportunities after graduating from CMMU.

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