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Jason 學長
Updated Mar 2, 2025
Graduate interview: She finished SMU's MITB (Master of IT in Business) and landed a job in Singapore! (Part 1)
Today we're joined by Yi-Ning, who graduated from SMU MITB in 2023 and stayed on to work in Singapore. She shares what studying in Singapore was like and how SMU MITB helped her job search abroad. After graduating from National Taipei University, Yi-Ning went to Singapore for SMU MITB, interned at ESTEE LAUDER in Singapore after enrolling, and stayed to work in Singapore after graduating from SMU!
SMU Master of IT in Business (MITB) program overview
Emerging technologies are developing fast. To meet new market demands, the Master of IT in Business (MITB) keeps evolving, follows business IT market trends closely, and offers a well-rounded curriculum built for employment. MITB belongs to Singapore Management University's School of Computing and Information Systems (SMU SCIS) and offers four popular tracks:
Analytics
Artificial Intelligence
Financial Technology & Analytics
Digital Transformation
In the 2025 QS World University Rankings for Business Analytics master's programs, SMU MITB ranks 2nd in Asia and 24th worldwide, and it has stayed in Asia's top two for six consecutive years. MITB places technology in a business context and skillfully combines it with leadership, management and communication. Students get hands-on project experience in class and plenty of paid internship opportunities, which improves their job prospects and helps them reach the top of their careers. So if you want to stand out in a competitive industry, SMU MITB is without doubt one of the best choices.
An up-to-date curriculum aligned with industry
The MITB curriculum follows the latest IT market trends and technologies and is built entirely around student employment.
World-class faculty
MITB faculty have extensive industry backgrounds. Instructors focus on theory and even more on applying and practicing knowledge, giving students real professional scenarios.
High employment rate; graduates are sought after by major companies
The Class of 2023 employment report shows that nearly 90% of students found jobs within 6 months of graduating, with an average annual salary of S$72,990 (NT$1.75 million). Most of them joined top global companies such as Amazon, Citibank, Julius Baer, Google, Grab, Facebook, Lenovo, McKinsey, OCBC, Shopee, Standard Chartered and UOB.
A great chance to build your network
The MITB program has a strong reputation among many multinationals and top companies, so students can build their networks and find internships through it. MITB also runs exchange programs, letting students broaden their horizons at leading universities in countries such as Finland, Japan, Indonesia, the Netherlands and Spain.
Plenty of internships and strong career services
MITB offers the longest internship period among Singapore universities (6 months), giving students more room to build industry skills. Unlike other SMU programs, every MITB track has a career advisor who works with the university's career services office to help students apply for internships.
MITB partners with many companies and organizations worldwide, offering on-campus career fairs, networking events and company visits that help students build close ties with Singapore's local business community.
Personal background and career
Please introduce yourself briefly, including your current job in Singapore and your studies at SMU MITB (education and experience).
Hi everyone, I'm Yi-Ning, and I currently work as a strategic planning analyst in electronics manufacturing. I came to Singapore for my master's in August 2021 and did a 6-month internship during the program.
Why did you decide to move from economics into data analytics and business strategy? Was there a particular experience that inspired you?
My thinking was that I'd already learned the theory in economics, and I wanted to pick up some technical skills so my résumé would show a theory + tools profile. In college I took statistics, Python and other data analytics courses and liked them quite a bit, so I felt confident heading in this direction.
SMU MITB coursework & its effect on my career
Why did you choose SMU MITB? How did the program help you move from an economics background into tech and analytics?
When I was choosing schools, my main concern was employment. MITB requires a 6-month internship to graduate, Singapore gives graduates a one-year visa to look for work, and SMU is well recognized in Singapore. In my own experience, the degree really does translate into your résumé.
* Note: The MITB program has two credits that count toward graduation. You can earn these 2 credits through an internship. International students basically all complete an internship to get them, but some local students earn the 2 credits by completing a Capstone Project or taking 2 extra courses, which also works. So the internship mentioned above isn't required; it's optional.
Which MITB courses or programs helped your career the most? (e.g. SQL data management, Tableau visual analytics, Python text analytics)
I really liked Data Analytics Lab, Visual Analytics and Data Management; they helped me build a portfolio. The materials in basically every course were good, but for job hunting you'll need to spend extra time on your own improving your coding skills.
Which SMU MITB resources (professors, career coaching, alumni network, etc.) were especially helpful for finding a job in Singapore?
The career coach's résumé feedback, mock interviews and the on-campus recruiting site were all very useful. I got my internship through the on-campus recruiting site. During the internship we had to write monthly reviews and present at the end. When I was writing my résumé, I was grateful the school made us do this. Reflection matters!
Every MITB track has a practicum manager who handles internships. Externally, companies looking for interns in the field know who to contact, and I'd guess that because this role exists there are more internships aimed specifically at MITB students. Internally, the practicum manager also follows up on how internships are going.
The value of SMU MITB & advice for future students
Overall, how do you think SMU MITB prepared you for a career in data analytics and business? What advantages does it offer that similar programs or schools might not?
Every MITB course requires an individual or group project, so it's a chance to build a portfolio. As for advantages, I think it's the very wide range of courses and the freedom to choose. You can take courses from other tracks: if you want to go into finance you can take fintech track courses, and if you want to sharpen your coding you can take AI track courses. Some courses are also offered twice a year, so you can plan around course load and your internship without worrying that missing a course this semester means losing your chance.
About half the class are local students or foreigners working in Singapore. If you want to stay and work in Singapore, spending more time with locals helps you understand the local workplace and culture.
What would you tell someone interested in SMU MITB? Before moving to Singapore to study and live, what skills or mindset should readers prepare so they can adapt faster?
I'd say an open mind. Singapore is a multiracial country with four official languages. You'll see familiar Chinese faces and hear people speaking Mandarin and Hokkien, but the accents, pronunciation and word choices are different from Taiwan. That's Singaporean culture, a little bit of everything, and I find it really interesting. Most Singaporeans know Taiwan well and are very friendly to Taiwanese people.
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