Born in Kedah and raised in Padang Katong, Kangar, Perlis, Dr. Mutiara Mohamad received her early education in Sekolah Rendah Putra and Sekolah Menengah Putra. After her Malaysian Certificate of Education, she became an exchange student under the program, American Field Service. She lived with an American family in Fulton, Missouri and experienced life as a high school student at Fulton High School, Missouri. In her own way, she became a young Malaysian ambassador in a mid-Western town in America.

She received her Bachelors degree in Education from Ohio University, Athens Ohio (Ohio University, 1985), specializing in English Education and subsequently earned a Masters in Education from there too. She was involved in cross-cultural activities abroad and has contributed a great deal with activities on international understanding. She was initiated into the Ohio University chapter of The International Understanding Honor Society.

Dr. Mutiara went home to Malaysia to serve as an educator in the MRSM system, teaching English and writing several textbooks on English Language. She then joined Universiti Utara Malaysia and served as lecturer of English Language and Communication, helped coordinate the activities of the then School of Languages and Scientific Thinking, sat in the university's curriculum planning committee, and subsequently was promoted as the Deputy Dean of the school.

She helped conceived and formulate new programs and the restructuring of the School of Languages and Scientific Thinking which has now become two separate faculties. She was involved in a variety of research projects in the university as well as nationally.

She provided an informal international link between Universiti Utara Malaysia and the American Field Service by bringing in some key people from the latter organization as guest speakers. At Teachers College, she was instrumental in establishing a liason between American Field Service and the Department of International and Transcultural; Studies, Columbia University.

Dr, Mutiara completed her doctorate in International Education Development at Teachers College, Columbia University (Columbia University, 2003), with a specialization in Language, Literacy and Technology. While raising five children with her husband also pursuing his doctoral degree, Dr, Mutiara managed to also complete a second masters in Organizational Psychology (Columbia University, 2002), which also granted her a Certificate in Conflict Resolution and Mediation.

She was then involved with the academic training in her capacity as adjunct professor of English Language and Communication. Streams of international students from numerous regions of the world have benefited from her professorship. Dr, Mutiara has also presented papers internationally.

Her most recent presentation was as a panel presenter in Toronto, Canada in 2003 at an International Pragmatics Conference. She focused her dissertation on the analysis of discourse on organizational change, with specific emphasis on Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA) as a case in point.