Center for American Education

SHE wanted to pursue a degree in the US after graduating from polytechnic.

But her Myanmar parents, who are Singapore permanent residents, were reluctant to let her go to a foreign country alone for four long years.

Then, Miss Su Lwin, 22, chanced upon the Center for American Education (CAE), which allowed her to obtain an American education without having to go abroad for the entire duration of the programme.

She enrolled in the University of South Florida's (USF) Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration programme last year, which is offered in partnership with CAE.

As she had a diploma in Business Information Technology from Singapore Polytechnic, she was exempted from the first two years of the programme.

The USF Bachelor degree programme gives students the opportunity to study at the US campus in their final year.

Miss Su, who is now completing her third year, will leave for the US in August for the final year of her programme.

After graduating from USF, she will be given a choice to work in the US for a year before returning to Singapore, under the Optional Practical Training scheme for international students studying in the US.

FULL SALARY

USF will help her to look for a suitable employer, should she decide to stay. She will be earning a salary similar to full-time employees, and there would be no changes to her visa requirements.

As enrolling in CAE would reduce her stay in the US by at least two years as compared to studying on campus there, her parents supported her decision to study abroad.

Miss Su said: "I like the fact that the degree is awarded directly by USF as I've been eyeing an American degree for some time.

"And when CAE offered me a full scholarship for the degree programme because of my good academic standing, I said, 'Why not'?" She said that more than 60 per cent of her classes so far have been taught by professors from the USF faculty.

She said one of her more memorable projects involved coming up with a marketing plan for a US fashion label.

PUSHED BY PROF

She said: "The professor who was supervising us, Mr James Stock, really pushed us because he knew that we could achieve something that was way beyond his expectations.

"He encouraged us to approach him if we had any problems.

"In return, I put more time and effort into the project to live up to his expectations."

She said the degree's emphasis on international business and marketing gelled with her previous work experience as a marketing assistant in an American bank based here.

She joined the bank after graduating from polytechnic, but resigned after a year to study full-time for her degree.

She is now interning at the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) in Singapore as part of her degree programme.

She said the skills she learnt in school have come in handy during her internship.

"I learnt how to design surveys during my market research module, which was helpful as I'd to design opinion surveys for the 11 committees, like the marketing and communications committee, in AmCham," she said.

As her internship is concurrent with the school term, she has also learnt the importance of time management.

After work ends at noon, she grabs a quick lunch before going for classes, which last from 2pm to 6pm.

She admitted that it can be difficult to find time to revise after a long day.

She added: "I do read some notes when I get home after my classes, leaving the 'heavier' subjects for the weekends.

"It's all about time management. I think my polytechnic experience, where I had to handle many projects and assignments, has prepared me for university life."