My Journey: from PGDip to PhD

After not having studied for a few years, Kamilah Collison says “she was rusty and needed sharpening before jumping back into the academic ring”. She decided to first pursue the Postgraduate Diploma in Business Management and Administration (PGDip BMA), before diving head-on into the MBA. She is now registered as a full-time PhD student. Read more about her journey here

After not having studied for a few years, I was rusty and needed sharpening before jumping back into the academic ring. I decided to first pursue the Postgraduate Diploma in Business Management and Administration (PGDip BMA), before diving head-on into the MBA. I enrolled for the PGDip BMA in 2016 and I can honestly attest that the programme thoroughly prepared me for the MBA.

There was no better way for me prepare for the MBA, other than first completing the PGDip BMA, as my academic skills were definitely sharpened and I was exposed to new concepts and new ways of thinking.

The PGDip BMA is a rigorous and intense course, which introduces you to the foundational theory and concepts in business management. There was no better way for me prepare for the MBA, other than first completing the PGD BMA, as my academic skills were definitely sharpened and I was exposed to new concepts and new ways of thinking.

Fast forward to the MBA, which is on a higher intensity level and more comparable to the PGDip BMA on loads of steroids. I started the two-year MBA Modular programme in 2017. The MBA is a blood, sweat and tears programme, which requires hard work and dedication. What you put in, is what you get out. I was determined to not only survive the MBA, but to get as much as I could out of the programme which could benefit me in the long run.

The MBA is a blood, sweat and tears programme, which requires hard work and dedication. What you put in, is what you get out.

People often say that the MBA is transformational and changes you in profound ways. I believe that this is only true based on your level of commitment and dedication to the programme. Through the MBA programme, I was encouraged to aim higher and to take bold steps to develop myself even further.

I decided to continue my journey and am currently enrolled in the PhD BMA programme. I do not believe that I would have enrolled for my PhD without being firmly committed and engaged while completing my MBA. As a now full time PhD candidate, I believe that this how the MBA transformed me, by creating new and life-changing opportunities.

Collison graduated both the PGDip BMA and MBA cum laude and at the Stellenbosch Business School Top Achievers Awards received the award for Best Research Assignment in any Master’s Degree: Qualitative. Her research was on, Greenwashing and the role of Consumer Environmental Concern on Green Purchase Intention.