Postgraduate Studies

M.A. in Leadership Development (MALD)

AWLUC’s Masters of Arts in Leadership Development (MALD) programme is designed to nurture knowledgeable, competent, and ethical leaders to address current and future challenges. The programme imparts crucial skills for defining and encouraging leadership at all levels, supporting career progression from frontline to middle executive management in both the private sector and civil society spheres.

MALD Courses

The MALD programme comprises 42 credits across 10 courses:

  • This Course introduces students to leadership theory and its various perspectives. It analyses the evolution of leadership theories, focusing on feminist, transactional, and transformational theories. Students also explore collaborative leadership, inclusive leadership, and introvert leadership. The course concludes with a "theory into practice" session, incorporating experiences and ideas from outstanding practitioners.

  • This course teaches students about cultural differences in work, focusing on effective communication and  management across different cultures, crucial for successful leaders and managers in today's global economy.

  • This course explores conflict resolution theories, practices and successful negotiation processes. It teaches students to differentiate between conflict resolution, dispute management and negotiation strategies, and to apply principles of negotiation to achieve win-win outcomes. Interactive sessions involve role-playing and conflict simulation.

  • This course covers research methods and design, focusing on philosophy of science, social science inquiry and quantitative and qualitative methods. Students will analyse data, study gender, social change and leadership through focus group discussions, autoethnography and participatory methods.

  • This course explores transformational leadership theories, focusing on gender-inclusive principles. It covers topics such as leadership culture, techniques, styles, and ethics in various sectors, including public organisations, politics, the corporate world, social enterprises and knowledge industries.

  • This course teaches students about social and cultural diversity, focusing on themes like gender, religion, and cultural identities. Through case studies, students explore their positions and learn how to navigate conversations to resolve differences, crises and conflicts in personal and public life.

  • This course explores the history, contemporary applications and future directions of Artificial Intelligence (Al), focusing on its transformative role in leadership, its impact on society, and its relationship with ethical and environmental, social and governance (ESG)-related issues.

  • This course focuses on creative problem-solving skills, providing a design thinking framework for business management, marketing. and design strategies. It explores global cases from government, healthcare, and education, highlighting its human-centered approach.

  • Independent study allows graduate students to explore leadership-related topics, contribute to research, or develop projects. Students may develop an interest in a previous course, conduct extended research, or propose solutions in areas like management, human resource, healthcare, education and policy.

MALD Entry Requirements

To qualify for the MALD programme, applicants are required to fulfill the following:

  • A Bachelor's degree with a minimum CGPA of 2.50 out of 4.00. or its equivalent qualification as accepted by the Higher Education Provider (HEP) Senate

  • Candidates with a CGPA below 2.50 out of 4.00, or its equivalent qualification, may be accepted subject to a minimum of 5 years of relevant working experience.

Recognition of Prior Experiential Learning (APEL) and English Language Proficiency:

  • Entry through the Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning (APEL) is accepted as per the guidelines stipulated by MQA.

  • For international students, a minimum/ score of 60 in the IELTS or its equivalent is required.  For local students, a pass in the Malaysian University English Test (MUET) is required.

Postgraduate Outcomes

Students in AWLUC postgraduate programmes will gain skills and knowledge that will enable them to further specialise in sub-fields as in: 

  • Public administration and policy 

  • Corporate management 

  • Health and social services 

  • Political and civil society organisations 

  • Communications and media industry 

  • Business and entrepreneurship 

  • Creative and digital industries 

  • Education and research