New Online ‘Entry-Level’ MBA Targets Students From Diverse Backgrounds
The Australian College of Applied Professions (ACAP) is launching a new online MBA program with psychometric testing and individualised mentoring to help students from diverse backgrounds transform into leaders.
ACAP is a registered training organisation and higher education provider that specialises in delivering accredited courses in psychology, counselling, coaching, criminology, social work and business management and leadership.
Starting from February 2022, the MBA course is described as a flexible entry-level MBA program that will be delivered entirely online with three student intakes per year. With full-time, part-time and accelerated study options, the self-paced program is geared towards professionals looking to upskill or pivot into new careers.
An announcement by ACAP said the program would “emphasise human insight, industry-relevant soft skills, and personal transformation – while still incorporating technical management skills expected of an MBA”.
ACAP said the MBA program was uniquely human-centred in its approach, and would feature an innovative Leadership Coaching Program with one-to-one mentoring, tailored career guidance and professional networking. The Coaching component is designed to facilitate individualised learning and genuine transformation, enabling students to develop confidence, connections, and real-world insights to achieve professional growth and success.
The program will also offer psychometric benchmarking and assessments to help students identify their strengths, weaknesses, traits, and values so they can more effectively grow their career, influence and impact.
ACAP CEO George Garrop said the MBA would equip students with the full range of skills needed to effectively lead in the new age of business.
“In addition to being technically skilled, business leaders of today and tomorrow will increasingly require advanced soft and humanistic skills such as adaptability, flexibility, emotional intelligence, self-awareness, resilience, advanced communication, and flexibility, to make their mark,” he said.
They will need to call on tools like insight, empathy and a range of other human-centred practices to understand what makes people tick so that they can get the best out of themselves and others.
“For many years, traditional MBA programs have focused on delivering technical skills and competencies in areas such as accounting, finance, operations management and more.
“While these skills remain essential, they don’t make up the full toolbox when it comes to effective leadership in today’s increasingly disrupting and complex world.”
ACAP made the case that the World Economic Forum forecasts that demand for soft skills will equal if not exceed demand for technical skills in many professions by as early as 2025, while Deloitte predicts that the number of jobs in soft-skill intensive occupations will grow at 2.5 times the rate of jobs in other occupations to comprise two-thirds of all jobs by 2030.
“The Australian College of Applied Professions is thrilled to be launching an innovative MBA program that responds to the increasingly human-centric needs of business and leadership, and that supports genuine transformation through individualised teaching and learning,” Mr Garrop said.
“Extending beyond the norms of a traditional MBA and harnessing deep expertise from the fields of psychology and human services, ACAP looks forward to empowering students with a fully rounded mix of technical and human-centred soft skills they’ll need to take their place among the world’s most effective leaders,” he concluded.
Applications for the Australian College of Applied Professions’ February 2022 MBA program will open on Monday the 25th of October 2021.
To find out more about the Australian College of Applied Professions, visit www.acap.edu.au
