UPM School of Business and Economics

What UPM School of Business and Economics does

UPM School of Business and Economics (SBE UPM) is the business and economics faculty of Universiti Putra Malaysia, a government-funded public research university located in Serdang, Selangor. The school offers degree programs across four core disciplines — Economics, Accounting, Applied Finance, and Business Administration — at undergraduate, master's (coursework and research), and doctoral levels, including a Dual Ph.D. delivered jointly with China's Lanzhou University of Finance and Economics. It also operates an Executive Development Unit that delivers bespoke corporate training and co-produces practitioner-facing research such as the Malaysia Equity Risk Premium report with Forvis Mazars.

The school's product surface spans on-campus degree programs in both semester and trimester formats, the offshore Putra Offshore Programme with LZUFE, three peer-reviewed journals (International Journal of Economics and Management, Asian Journal of Case Research, Finance and Economics Letters), and student-development platforms including the GT LAB @ SBE-UPM and the AIESEC UPM @ SBE chapter. Research output is supported internally through the GPSPE school-level grant scheme, and the school maintains a dedicated Case Study Research Group (CSRG) and an annual SBE Research Day.

SBE UPM's revenue mechanics are typical of a public university department: government appropriations through the parent university's MQA-accredited structure, tuition from enrolled students (pricing is not publicly disclosed), executive education fees, and competitive research grants. In May 2025, the school completed Triple Crown accreditation (AACSB, EQUIS, AMBA), placing it among a small cohort of globally elite business schools and reinforcing a premium positioning against regional competitors. Its customer base is horizontal across undergraduate, postgraduate, doctoral, and corporate segments, with international expansion driven primarily through bilateral partnerships in China (CCNU, LZUFE) and multilateral research engagements (World Bank, British Academy).

Name

UPM School of Business and Economics

Legal name

School of Business and Economics, Universiti Putra Malaysia

Website

https://econ.upm.edu.my

Company type

Public

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

UPM School of Business and Economics is the business and economics faculty of Universiti Putra Malaysia, a Malaysian public university. It delivers undergraduate, master's, and doctoral programs in economics, accounting, finance, and business administration, plus executive education, and holds AACSB, EQUIS, and AMBA accreditations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education / Business School

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Business Schools and Computer and Management Training (6114)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

MBA & Executive MBA Programs (EDAHAHAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Executive Education & Corporate Programs (Non-degree) (EDAHAHAN), Finance, Accounting & Economics Schools (EDAHAHAD), Marketing, Sales & Brand Management Schools (EDAHAHAE)

Keywords

• Business school education
• Economics degree programs
• Higher education services
• Graduate business studies
• Management research programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Serdang

HQ country

Malaysia

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Academic Programs: Revenue generated from undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral program tuition fees, including executive education and bespoke courses

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

UPM School of Business and Economics is an academic department within Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) that delivers undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral education in business, management, accounting, and economics disciplines, alongside research output and executive-level training offerings.

Product overview

UPM School of Business and Economics (SBE UPM) is a higher education institution offering a comprehensive portfolio of academic programs and professional development services. The school provides undergraduate degrees in Economics, Accounting, Applied Finance, and Business Administration; postgraduate programs including Master's by Coursework and Master's by Research; doctoral programs including a Dual Ph.D. option; and Executive Education with bespoke courses. The institution operates the Putra Offshore Programme in collaboration with Lanzhou University of Finance and Economics (LZUFE). All programs are delivered through traditional and trimester formats, with a focus on research excellence, industry connections, and internationalization.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Undergraduate Business and Economics Programs Bachelor's degree programs covering disciplines such as business administration, accounting, management, finance, marketing, and economics, targeted at school-leaver and pre-university students seeking entry-level professional qualifications in business and economics.
• Postgraduate Business and Economics Programs Master's degree programs (including MBA and specialized Master's degrees) in business, management, accounting, finance, and economics fields, designed for working professionals and recent graduates seeking advanced qualifications.
• Doctoral Programs in Business and Economics PhD and doctoral research degrees in business, management, accounting, and economics disciplines, intended for candidates pursuing academic, research, or senior policy/industry expert careers.
• Executive / Continuing Education Programs Short-duration professional development courses, executive education, and continuing education offerings in business and management topics, targeted at working professionals, corporate clients, and individual learners seeking upskilling.
• Academic Research Publications and Journals Scholarly research output, including academic journal articles, conference papers, and faculty-led research projects in business, management, accounting, and economics, contributing to the school's academic standing and the wider research community.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and flagship.

• Central China Normal University (CCNU)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 August 2025SBE UPM and CCNU collaboration on the China-Malaysia Vocational Education Center (CM-VEDC), establishing a joint initiative for vocational education development between Malaysia and China
• Lanzhou University of Finance and Economics (LZUFE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint delivery of the Putra Offshore Programme, enabling students to obtain dual qualifications or credit transfers between SBE UPM and LZUFE
• Forvis Mazars in MalaysiaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on the Malaysia Equity Risk Premium report published January 2026, combining academic research with industry expertise for financial practice insights
• World BankflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerSBE-WORLD BANK Collaboration through the SBE-WORLD BANK Collaboration initiative, supporting research and knowledge exchange in development economics and related fields
• British AcademyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosting the British Academy International Writing Workshop (BA IWW 2026), supporting academic writing skills development for researchers

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Universiti Malaya - Faculty of Business and Economics: Malaysia's top public university's business faculty, offering comparable undergraduate and postgraduate business/economics programs. Direct domestic peer competing for the same student pool and government funding.
• Sunway University Business School: Leading Malaysian private business school with AACSB accreditation. Competes with SBE UPM on flexibility, international programs, and premium positioning, particularly for MBA and executive education.
• Universiti Sains Malaysia - Graduate School of Business: Malaysian public university's business school offering MBA, DBA, and Ph.D. programs. Comparable in mission and accreditation profile, competing in the same domestic postgraduate market.
• Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia - Faculty of Economics and Business: Another leading Malaysian public university business faculty offering similar economics, accounting, and business programs. Competes directly with SBE UPM for Malaysian students and faculty talent.
• Taylor's University - Faculty of Business and Law: Major Malaysian private university offering undergraduate and postgraduate business programs. Competes with SBE UPM on student experience, international partnerships, and program breadth.

Broad incumbents

• NUS Business School: Singapore's premier business school and regional incumbent. Sets the regional benchmark for business education quality and ranks, attracting Malaysian students who might otherwise attend SBE UPM.
• Hong Kong UST Business School: Top-ranked Asian business school offering MBA, MSc, PhD, and executive education. Regional incumbent competing for the same international Chinese and Southeast Asian student pool.
• NTU Singapore - Nanyang Business School: Top-ranked Asian business school offering MBA and executive education. Competes for premium Malaysian students and corporate training clients, particularly in Singapore-bound programs.
• INSEAD: Global elite business school with strong Asian presence (Singapore campus). Represents the upper bound of competition for MBA and executive education segments in Southeast Asia.

Regional players

• Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) - Faculty of Business and Management: Large Malaysian public university business faculty. Competes with SBE UPM particularly for Bumiputera-targeted students and corporate executive education in Malaysia.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/upm-school-of-business-and-economics

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about UPM School of Business and Economics