Perumal Muthukrishnan

Share with us more about the research you did after high school when deciding which university to choose?

I researched based on 3 main criteria. Firstly, the university's speciality/academic prowess and SMU is known for its management degree and in specific SOA is filled with professors from world-renowned universities and is leading Asia in its academic research. Secondly, career prospects and support; SMU provides various opportunities for students to improve their career prospects such as networking events, career talks, company visits and more recently work study electives all of which were of great help to me in my internship and job search. Lastly, teaching style; SMU's seminar-based teaching allows students to better interact with the professors and also be able to make close friends.

Please share two key highlights of your academic experience in SMU thus far 

Work Study Elective
I was part of the work-study program offered by the School of Accountancy. This program involved a 20-week internship at the PwC Deals department during regular term time, where I worked four days a week and took two courses at SMU that complemented my internship. As a data analytics intern, I undertook four assignments, working alongside a team of experienced data professionals. Our goal was to help businesses realise the potential of their mergers and acquisitions, providing data-driven insights to support confident decision-making.

These assignments allowed me to learn various tools used in data analytics and develop consulting skills to effectively present the insights we identified through our analysis. In addition to honing my technical skills, the internship facilitated personal development through networking sessions. Our team enjoyed activities such as a bowling session and watching "Guardians of the Galaxy 3" on release day, which helped foster camaraderie and enhance my professional network.

Financial Accounting
Financial Accounting (FA) is the first accounting module of SOA curriculum. Coming from STEM major, I had no knowledge of accounting before joining SMU. However, the first accounting class I took under Professor Samuel Tan changed my perspective and provided me with confidence. Prof Sam was diligent in preparing his slides such that students with no prior background were able to understand and follow the content.

In addition, he opened a Slack channel for us to ask questions about any topic throughout the semester which was very helpful in clarifying the doubts as and when it arose. Lastly, Prof Sam also made the class much more engaging and fun despite the online format. These experiences make FA one of the unforgettable modules at SMU.

What advice would you give to prospective students who are thinking of applying to SMU? 

I truly believe SMU is a place that provides opportunities for every student to identify how they want to impact the world around them while shaping them with academic and student life experiences as global citizens.