Prior Experiential Learning a Fast Track Through Working Adult Programmes

Today’s ever-changing workplace requires working professionals to constantly prove their mettle through exceptional capabilities and continuous training. To stay on their game, working adults turn to part-time learning programmes to expand their professional knowledge and skills. To fast track adult learners through their academic progression, the Ministry of Higher Education enables working professionals to turn their prior working experiences into academic entry qualifications, and even to use these for full or partial credits for particular modules and courses within selected, accredited study programmes.

These are realised through the Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning (APEL) by the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA). The two common options are namely APEL for Access, or APEL (A) for short; and APEL for Credit Award, or APEL (C). Among the many private higher education providers in the country, INTI International University & Colleges was the first private institution to obtain MQA’s approval to implement APEL (C) for its programmes, and has been offering this to adult learners since 2016.

With this approved status, INTI facilitates the process of securing APEL (C) for working adult students to convert their prior experiential learning that is relevant and specific to a course within a study programme, following MQA’s Guidelines to Good Practices.

For example, a student with five years of working experience in Marketing and Sales, after being evaluated on his or her cumulative experiences, knowledge and skills by a dedicated assessor at INTI, can obtain a credit for a Marketing course in their selected programme. Receiving an APEL (C) helps experienced learners avoid duplication in their learning experience, saves them time and cost, and ultimately, provides recognition to deserving individuals.

“As an established higher education provider, we have clear and comprehensive guidelines for the APEL (C) process. We also ensure that there is adequate manpower and technical resources to manage and support our students throughout the process. All information on this accreditation is readily available and communicated to relevant parties even from the time they enrol with us,” said Annie Wang Pei Ling, Head of Programme for the Master of Business Administration and Bachelor of Business programmes at the Faculty of Business, Communication and Law (FOBCAL), INTI International University.

“INTI will assist the students throughout the process, guiding them through the steps they need to take. During the first year of their study, students can apply for this accreditation through their advisor by providing their resume and supporting documents to prove that they have related working experiences. The assessor will then decide on the mode of assessment and develops the assessment items to assess the student’s prior experiential learning. The assessor will also manage a challenge test evaluation and portfolio assessment,” continued Wang.

At INTI, the role of assessor is usually performed by the HOP. Students will first go through a self-evaluation process, with help of an advisor, who will set questions to evaluate the students’ understanding of the module they are applying for APEL (C). The results will then be reviewed by the HOP and finally approved by the dean of the faculty.

Currently pursuing INTI’s Master of Business Administration (MBA) – Learning Simplified programme, Mohd. Azryl Raffidzy Bin Ramly, 33, whose highest academic qualification was the ACCA and who has 11 years of working experience, has benefited from APEL (C).

“Although my ACCA qualification is equivalent to a Master’s degree, I am now pursuing an MBA to help me pave my future career path towards becoming a CEO one day. As the corporate world is very competitive, an MBA adds further value and provides me a competitive edge in life as well as on my CV,” shared Azryl who serves as a finance manager in the healthcare industry.

Applying for APEL (C) with his working experience of four years in an accounting firm; five years in a multinational company; and about two years in the healthcare industry, Azryl successfully converted these experiential learning into credits for the Business Accounting and Finance (3 credits), Strategic Management (3 credits); and Business Ethics and Law (3 credits) modules within INTI’s MBA programme, fully making use of his working experiences in auditing, accounting, taxation, budgeting, cash and cost management to his advantage.

“Through the thorough explanation provided by the HOP, and the guidance and assistance given by INTI’s staff, I found the process of applying for APEL (C) to be relatively smooth. If I had any concerns, there were always individuals at INTI whom I could reach out to for almost instantaneous help. Leveraging online tools especially during the pandemic, communications were easy and smooth as we had the option to utilise WhatsApp and emails,” advised Azryl.

The only challenge that Azryl faced in applying for APEL (C) was the short time frame provided to complete a self-assessment form which he was required to submit within a few days.

“I needed to be very diligent in checking my student email account, to ensure I did not miss the deadline,” he laughed.

Studying an MBA programme that is fully conducted online helped Azryl to not only cope with his work at the office, but at the same time enhance his knowledge in business and administration at his own pace.

“Because the programme is fully online, it helps working professionals save a lot of time without having to go to classes physically. On top of that, APEL (C) has further helped me in saving time as I have been exempted from studying some of the modules that I have already gained knowledge in – reducing my actual study period,” enthused Azryl.

For all APEL(C) processes to adhere to the same standards and rigorous quality, INTI works closely with MQA in its quality assurance processes, undergoing yearly assessments so that students are easily and fairly assessed.