Asia Pacific University of Technology & Innovation (APU)

BA (Hons) in Business Management - Digital Leadership Specialization

Program outline

This program is specifically designed to provide students with:

A broad range of digital technologies, knowledge, and skills for digital business transformation and nurture digital leaders or e-entrepreneurs for the future economy.

Necessary knowledge and contents on the most in-demand skills in digital leadership, namely digital transformation, digital marketing, digital execution, digital finance.

Degree level 1

Students will gain a basic understanding of the context within which business operates - Management, Law, Accounting, Economics, Entrepreneurship, and Marketing. We will also expose them to business & communication skills, computing & IT skills, quantitative skills, and independent learning. All Business Management programs have a common first year so that they will get a solid grounding in business management theories and practices.

Common modules

• Introduction to Management
• Digital Thinking and Innovation
• Quantitative Skills
• Business and Communication Skills
• Fundamentals of Entrepreneurship
• People Management
• Accounting Skills
• Marketing
• Business Law
• Business Economics

Degree level 2

Students will be exposed to a more advanced level of curriculum, in which students will gain deep insight and skills on how digital technologies and business models are radically changing competitive dynamics across industries. An in-depth understanding of functional management in various areas will be developed as well. They will gain further understanding of core business processes through the industry-leading software supported by SAP. We will further nurture their independent learning to prepare them for the future digital workplace.

Common modules

• Behavioural Science in Organisation
• Business Ethics and Governance
• Operations Management
• Business Research Methods
• Enterprise Resource Planning with SAP Platform

Specialized modules

• E-Business Management
• Leading Digital Business Transformation
• Digital Marketing
• Critical Thinking in Management
• E-Commerce

Elective modules (choose 2)

• Managing Finance OR Financial Management
• Commercial Law OR Company Law

Internship (16 weeks)

Students will undertake an Internship/Industrial Training for a minimum period of 16 weeks to prepare them for a smooth transition from the classroom to the working environment.

Degree level 3

Students will make use of their previous studies and industrial experience to extend their familiarity in tackling practical and current issues of digitalization in the business world. Students will gain a solid understanding of the contemporary phenomena of digitalization, mechanisms for analyzing the implications of digitalization, and the solutions to deal with change in a complex environment. A final year project requires them to explore a topic individually in which they will demonstrate the academic and practical aspects of their ability in the chosen area of study.

Common modules

• Strategic Management
• Asian Economics

Specialized modules

• Entrepreneurship
• Contemporary Management
• Digital Finance
• Digital Strategy and Analytics
• Investigation in Digital Leadership
• Digital Execution
• Digital Leadership Project

Elective modules (choose 2)

• Corporate Finance OR Building Customer Relationships
• Strategic Marketing Planning OR Innovation
• Management and New Product Development

MQA compulsory subjects*

• Ethnic Relations (M’sian Students)
• Islamic & Asian Civilisation (M’sian Students)
• Malaysian Studies (Int’l Students)
• Malay Communication Language (Int’l Students)
• Workplace Professional Communication Skills
• Employee & Employment Trends
• Co-Curriculum

(*All students are required to successfully complete these modules as stipulated by the Malaysian Qualification Agency.)

Note: The specialism will appear only in the academic transcript.

Career options

• Digital Lead
• Business IT Analyst
• Digital Transformation Manager
• Digital Strategist
• Digital Technology Consultant
• Digital Designer
• E-Entrepreneur
• Digital Solutions Leader
• Digital Media Specialist
• Digital Strategy Manager
• Digital Strategist
• Chief Digital Officer

APU - Leading digital transformation in business, management & marketing

The Future is Technology - Every Business needs Future-Ready Digital Talents for the Digital Economy

As the 4th Industrial Revolution (IR4.0) takes over the world, we are seeing an upward trend of the amalgamation of Digital Technology with Business. As businesses infuse digital technology within their operations, Digital Transformation elevates customer experience, and transforms business models and operating models within the organization.

For businesses to remain resilient and competitive, they need to innovate, adopt Digital Products, Digital Solutions, have a Digital Growth Strategy, use technology for expansion and growth, as well as equip their workforce with the necessary skill sets to embrace widespread transformation and the digital revolution in this Digital Age. The role of “Technology in Business” is vital and technology has challenged and changed every aspect of the way businesses operate at a fast pace. Rapid globalization has been possible because of technology. Anyone can now do business anywhere in the world with the use of high-speed internet, connectivity, and the presence of well-connected social media. Technology has boosted the development of E-Business, E-Commerce & Digital Marketing and it has brought new dynamics to the globalization of businesses.

Rise of e-commerce – Buying and selling without borders

As the global pandemic disrupted the world, internet shopping platforms became the dominant channel for consumers to shop for essential goods and services. It is forecasted that e-business and e-commerce will sustain this upward trend and continue to grow. As future e-business professionals, you will be trained to manage business beyond traditional borders, shaping you into professionals who are able to meet future business challenges.