Kaplan vs SMF

[ChaOrEn]

Hi all,
i am hesitating to enroll to Kaplan or SMF...
Kaplan is more near to my place, which travelling home not so tiring.. abt 30-45 mins...
which SMF is more near to my work place... from Tiong Bahru to travel home take me abt 1.5 hours...

school fees almost the same...

heard alot of diff feedback from both school... still cant decide.. ><

the last reason to consider will be the quality of lecturer...

any suggestion to me?

SMF has free shuttle bus round trip to Tiong Bahru MRT so I don't see the inconvenience of it. Although often I would prefer to walk 7 minutes to Tiong Bahru MRT.

If only comparing the distance, I would recommend you to choose SMF so that you have more time for dinner + do not have to be so rush during the peak hours (5pm-8pm) to go to school from work + do not have to get stuck on a crowded bus for too long, this is especially so if sometimes u got held up at work. It is also more important that you do not miss any part of the lecture class than taking a longer time to get home later.

After school ended between 9pm-10pm, the air-con buses and MRT trains are less crowded so you can have a comfortable ride back home.

I did a comparision before, SMF is still cheaper than Kaplan overall, however due to less students enrollment in SMF, the disadvantage is for some modules, it is not available in every trimester, while in Kaplan when you prefer to take during that period, they conduct the modules more frequently each year. For example module A is conducted only every January trimester in SMF, on the other hand, Kaplan conduct it every January & September trimester.

However, SMF do spilt the students into more classes nowadays (its an improvement from the past) which is better for students, while Kaplan squeeze more students into each class. For example Module A has 60 students enrolled, in SMF they may spilt them into 4 classes (or 3 classes) of 15 students (or 20 students) each whereby 2 lecturers take 2 or 1 class each, while in Kaplan, they only spilt them into 2 classes of 30 students whereby at times 1 lecturer takes both classes.

Lecturer knowledge and experience differs from one and another. So I think nobody can comment which side (SMF or Kaplan) is better, depends on your luck I guess.

SMF is more for non-profit, while Kaplan is more concerned on making money and spent much more on advertising their education institution.

I have been to both Kaplan & SMF before but settled with SMF in the end and still there right now. I have referred 3 new friends to SMF from HWZ forum so far.

 

[ChaOrEn]

Lecturer quality is very subjective and based on luck. It's really dependent on the lecturers themselves. I had my fair share of both good and poor lecturers. The good ones had industry experience and were able to connect with us while the poor ones knew their stuff but couldn't connect with us so we had a hard time trying to understand him. Most of the lecturers actually teach at multiple private schools so some of my lecturers at SMF also teach at Kaplan too.

Agree with you! Last trimester, all of my lecturers were very experienced and shared alot of examples with us so we were able to understand easily. But this trimester, for 1 of my modules, I had difficulty understanding the poor lecturer and he doesn't share much examples and ask for tips / guidance for doing well for exam / assignment, he just say write as much as you can. I mean whats the point of asking, all we want to know are the expectations. Writing as much as possible isn't going to help the weak ones on the way to approach.

1 of my friends end up enrolling at Kaplan in the end, and the main reason is Kaplan is nearer to his workplace.

 

[Carelyn]

Tax textbooks

Hi I would like to check if anyone have the following textbooks

1) Barkoczy, S.: Foundations of Taxation Law (FOTL), (5th edition), CCH 2013, ISBN 978 1922042 43 9;
2) Barkoczy, S.: Core Tax Legislation and Study Guide, 2013 (16th edition), CCH, 2013 (ISBN 978 1 922042 65 1).

Thanks.

 

[zephrius]

Hi All,

I'm a Murdoch graduate form Kaplan, in fact I just had my convocation yesterday. I was from August 11' batch, ended end of 2012.

From my time at Kaplan, I've been relatively happy. There were only few minor hiccups here and there with the school administration side. Overall nothing bad, like some people mention their reply time is 1-2 days for inquiries, if not you can just go to the student office.

In terms of lecturer quality, I was blessed to have some extremely good lectures, albeit having some not-up-to-par ones. I was majoring in int'l business & management. Some notable lecturers: Robin Peter Lange, Dr. Thum, Frankie. It all depends on your luck, but it's safe to say business school has pretty good lectures.

 

[Mighty_Orange]

Hi All,

I'm a Murdoch graduate form Kaplan, in fact I just had my convocation yesterday. I was from August 11' batch, ended end of 2012.

From my time at Kaplan, I've been relatively happy. There were only few minor hiccups here and there with the school administration side. Overall nothing bad, like some people mention their reply time is 1-2 days for inquiries, if not you can just go to the student office.

In terms of lecturer quality, I was blessed to have some extremely good lectures, albeit having some not-up-to-par ones. I was majoring in int'l business & management. Some notable lecturers: Robin Peter Lange, Dr. Thum, Frankie. It all depends on your luck, but it's safe to say business school has pretty good lectures.

Hi zephrius, im just curious after getting your Murdoch degree in business - you found the job u desired ? Or if you are working, your HR recognise the degree ?

Best Regards
Morange

 

[ChaOrEn]

How can you be from August batch? Each trimester is either January, May or September.

 

[Kvicez]

Friend-refer-Friend bonus for Jan 2014 intake has been increased!

Do drop me a message if you are keen to enroll in SMF Institute and we can work something out.

Cheers!

 

[InfraLite]

anyone taking bsc. econs from murdoch @ Kaplan this jan?

going to register today. from what i read, it seems to me they're all the same, just another degree mill to possibly further your career.

anyway, anyone taking this as well? maybe we can start up a study grp or something. i had one during my diploma course in psb, but we usually end up fooling around, haha

 

[Mighty_Orange]

anyone taking bsc. econs from murdoch @ Kaplan this jan?

going to register today. from what i read, it seems to me they're all the same, just another degree mill to possibly further your career.

anyway, anyone taking this as well? maybe we can start up a study grp or something. i had one during my diploma course in psb, but we usually end up fooling around, haha

Hi infralite, im studying part time economics at murdoch @ Kaplan now for first semester... ya ur right, with already a career, the degree is just a compliment to your existing job experiences to further the path )

 

[jack_pin]

SMF vs Kaplan - Part time MBA

Hi All Bros/Sisters,
I am short listing Murdoch University Part Time MBA, provided by SMF vs Kaplan. Any experience and kind senior can share with me the Pros and Cons between this 2 provider?

Also, I know that 2014 Intake had introduced some referral program, anyone can hook me up?

Thanks & regards,
Jack

 

[MeDTxyz]

Anyone gonna enroll in SMF Institute feel free to message me for the referral program.

Programmes Reward
Certificate $200
Diploma $400
Bachelor $600
Postgraduate $500

We will share the fee xD

 

[foreverkhj]

Wondering if anyone know the attendance system of Kaplan for part time courses?

I'm schooling in MDIS now and they started the biometric system that you need to tap and scan your face to sign in and out. Really a hassle and can't afford to skip lessons at all.

Appreciate if anyone can reply as I'm going Kaplan soon!

 

[triple Js 858689]

Hello jack_pin... if you have busy working schedule, then choose SMF for the MBA.. bcoz they offer one module per month.. is easier to focus on one at a time rather than taking 2 or 3 modules in one term. some more the lessons are only on weekends and can complete within 12-14 months.. if u tend to travel then I think this schedule works better for you.

 

[Kvicez]

Hi,

For those who are interested in applying for Murdoch University programmes, there's a Preview Talk at SMF Institute on 12 February. You may wish to attend and find out more about the course structure as well as answers to your questions.

Cheers!

 

[lcltwins]

Hi guyz .. I need feedbacks im considering kaplan and smf institute to enrol for communication media. Its seems the fee is cheaper for kaplan.. Any one taking the same course? Can advice.

 

[Kvicez]

Hi guyz .. I need feedbacks im considering kaplan and smf institute to enrol for communication media. Its seems the fee is cheaper for kaplan.. Any one taking the same course? Can advice.

Hi lcltwins,

I'm currently studying Bachelor of Communication in Public Relations at SMF Institute of Higher Learning.

What sort of advice are you looking for? Are you interested in communications?

Communication is a very broad field. It includes public relations, journalism, advertising, broadcast and research. Most people do not have a really clear idea of what communication is about, and just want to study it cause it either sounds cool or easy.

The Murdoch University programme prepares you for public relations, journalism and research, based on their three different majors available.

Public relations helps you to represent brands and firms in reaching out to their target audience through earned media, such as newspapers, social media, online media, blogs and magazines. It also provide strategic consultation to firms so that they can send their messages more effectively.

Journalism is on the other side of the fence. You will learn how to be an effective writer so that you can write for newspapers, magazines, even blogs and websites. You can also pick up writing skills to become copywriters.

Research in this context refers to communication research. You will carry out market research such as surveys, interviews, focus groups for products and services. You may work as a researcher or analyst for market research firms or even work in strategic planning in the information and communication ministry. Your research skills also set the foundation for higher-level education such as the Masters programme.

Unfortunately, these courses are mainly focused on writing skills as well as critical thinking. If you are more interested in the media aspect, such as film making, TV production or production houses, Murdoch University may not be suitable for you. These jobs require a more hands-on approach as opposed to the more theory-based skills you'll learn at Murdoch.

As for the school fees, I actually paid lesser at SMF. Kaplan is a for-profit organization and is motivated by the bottom line. SMF, on the other hand, is a non-profit organization and channels extra revenue back to the community, such as sponsoring school programmes at local polytechnics. One highlight of SMF to take note is that as a student of SMF, you are eligible to attend industry talks organized by the SMF parent organization, where you get to meet industry leaders. It's a good opportunity to network and gain new insights. It might not be very appealing for a student but now that I have started working, these opportunities are hard to come by and very valuable.

I hope this helps!
Cheers!

 

[lcltwins]

Hi kvicez , I jus went down to SMF to enrol for communication studies. submitting my cert to murdoch for assessment. Btw I never go check history of SMF institute is the school reputable?? Oh ya current student would like to give me info for referrer scheme ??!

Hi lcltwins,

I'm currently studying Bachelor of Communication in Public Relations at SMF Institute of Higher Learning.

What sort of advice are you looking for? Are you interested in communications?

Communication is a very broad field. It includes public relations, journalism, advertising, broadcast and research. Most people do not have a really clear idea of what communication is about, and just want to study it cause it either sounds cool or easy.

The Murdoch University programme prepares you for public relations, journalism and research, based on their three different majors available.

Public relations helps you to represent brands and firms in reaching out to their target audience through earned media, such as newspapers, social media, online media, blogs and magazines. It also provide strategic consultation to firms so that they can send their messages more effectively.

Journalism is on the other side of the fence. You will learn how to be an effective writer so that you can write for newspapers, magazines, even blogs and websites. You can also pick up writing skills to become copywriters.

Research in this context refers to communication research. You will carry out market research such as surveys, interviews, focus groups for products and services. You may work as a researcher or analyst for market research firms or even work in strategic planning in the information and communication ministry. Your research skills also set the foundation for higher-level education such as the Masters programme.

Unfortunately, these courses are mainly focused on writing skills as well as critical thinking. If you are more interested in the media aspect, such as film making, TV production or production houses, Murdoch University may not be suitable for you. These jobs require a more hands-on approach as opposed to the more theory-based skills you'll learn at Murdoch.

As for the school fees, I actually paid lesser at SMF. Kaplan is a for-profit organization and is motivated by the bottom line. SMF, on the other hand, is a non-profit organization and channels extra revenue back to the community, such as sponsoring school programmes at local polytechnics. One highlight of SMF to take note is that as a student of SMF, you are eligible to attend industry talks organized by the SMF parent organization, where you get to meet industry leaders. It's a good opportunity to network and gain new insights. It might not be very appealing for a student but now that I have started working, these opportunities are hard to come by and very valuable.

I hope this helps!
Cheers!

 

[Kvicez]

Hi kvicez , I jus went down to SMF to enrol for communication studies. submitting my cert to murdoch for assessment. Btw I never go check history of SMF institute is the school reputable?? Oh ya current student would like to give me info for referrer scheme ??!

SMF Institute of Higher Learning is the education wing of Singapore Manufacturers' Federation (SMF). The school itself has only been around for 10 years or so, but it's parent organization SMF has been in Singapore for more than 80 years. It's branding may not be as strong as Kaplan, which has over 100 years of history, but nonetheless the institution itself is reputable.

SMF Institute was started to provide an avenue for employees of SMF members to upgrade and enrich themselves. It has since opened its doors to the public and accept students from all walks of life. Certificates from SMF Institute are recognized by SMF members, which include more than 5000 firms across 13 industries.

Disclaimer: Idon't work for SMF. I had the same concerns before joining the school and did some research.

Feel free to PM me if you would like to share the referral bonus. I've already dropped you a PM!

Hope it helps!
Cheers!

 

[darkiepk]

SMF student

Hi,

Just like to enquire if anyonehas signed up for the bachelor program for hospitality and tourism management?

 

[speardevil]

Like to know abt Cyber Forensic course offer by SMF.. anybody currently studying in that course now? care to share abit of what you are studying? like any programming involved?