What is it like to study a one-year Diploma in Business?

Yulia completed a one-year Diploma in Business before transitioning to the second year of an undergraduate degree. Here, she tells us what it was like to study the diploma, how it differs to an undergraduate degree, and what she plans to do after graduation.

What are you studying right now?

‘I’m in my third year of an undergraduate degree in Finance and Business Management at Murdoch University Dubai. So far, I’ve studied units in corporate finance, change management, finance law, and business analytics, all of which are very useful in a practical sense. 

I entered this undergraduate programme after completing a one-year Diploma in Business, which is equivalent to the first year of the undergraduate programme.’ 

Why did you apply to Murdoch University Dubai?

‘I’ve had a very varied educational journey – amongst other places, I’ve attended school in Moscow, Toronto, Stockholm, and London! 

When it was time to apply to university, I initially considered Canada as I was born there and finished middle school there. I was also interested in the Australian curriculum, as it’s one of the leading systems in the world.

In the end, I chose to apply to Murdoch University Dubai – I really liked Dubai and I knew I wanted to become an entrepreneur based here.

The diploma route offered at the university meant I’d still be able to graduate after three years, whereas with other foundation programmes it can take four years in total. It was also very cool that the university offered a scholarship to take the diploma, and thanks to my good academic performance, I’ve been awarded a 50% scholarship on the undergraduate programme.’ 

Why did you want to study business?

‘I wanted to study business because I’ve always felt very entrepreneurial and knew I wanted to start a business at some point. Because of this, studying business was a natural choice for me, but I wasn’t sure exactly which area of business I wanted to focus on. 

Throughout the diploma and the undergraduate degree, I was able to try out a bit of everything: management, crisis management, marketing, and finance. 

My favourite subject so far has been management. I especially enjoyed a unit where we were asked to give a presentation explaining our actions as managers, to help our employees feel more enthusiastic and motivated. I’m looking forward to using these kinds of skills in the workplace one day.’

 

How is a diploma different from an undergraduate programme? 

‘Some of the units, like Language Enhancement, are only offered on the diploma, which I found really helpful. For most of your diploma classes, you study with other students who are on the same diploma programme as you (so if you’re doing the Business Diploma, for example, you’ll learn alongside other students who are doing a Business Diploma). This means that the diploma students get to know each other really well and you can make some great friendships, whereas if you’re on the undergraduate programme, you’ll study with different classmates for each unit. 

On the diploma we had the same teachers as the students on the regular undergraduate programme, but we had smaller class sizes and could spend more time with the teachers. This was great as we could always ask for help if we weren’t sure about something – and in fact, that was really encouraged. 

Another difference is that on the diploma programme we could submit something, and if it didn’t go so well, often the teachers would give us some feedback and then invite us to resubmit. This isn’t something you can do once you’re on the undergraduate programme!’ 

Would you recommend the diploma program to others?

‘Yes, definitely! It’s a great introduction to higher level studies, especially if your grades don’t allow you to get straight into an undergraduate program.

At Murdoch University Dubai, the diploma is equivalent to the first year of an undergraduate degree, meaning you can graduate with a full undergraduate degree in three years, and this is a huge positive!

When I started the diploma, everyone was so welcoming. The initial speech the teachers gave us to kick off the diploma program was all about how our education was in our hands. The way things were presented was that the faculty and staff were there to give students support, but it was for us students to ‘own’ our own journey – it feels very empowering!’

What is student accommodation like at Murdoch University Dubai?

‘Students whose families already live in Dubai often live at home, and Murdoch University Dubai doesn’t provide on-campus accommodation. However, there is private student accommodation available nearby for students. The university has partnered with student housing providers, which can be easily found on their website.’

What are your plans for the future? 

‘I’m currently doing an internship, as well as preparing to finish the undergraduate programme. My internship is in student recruitment, and it’s been exciting to put into practice a lot of the knowledge that I’ve gained during my studies. 

After I graduate, I plan to start a business. I’m still in the process of figuring out my niche and developing my business plan, but I’m confident that my studies have given me a strong foundation to build on.’