Degree Options in Malaysia

Certificate

A certificate programme is usually a choice for students who do not know what to focus on in their tertiary studies, and so choose the shortest next step. The certificate programme also usually applies to students who have not performed satisfactorily in their high school.

Foundation / Pre-University

A foundation programme, or Pre-University programme, prepares students for degree studies – mostly held overseas. Popular foundation programmes include the Canadian Pre-university Programme, South Australian Matriculation Programme, and the American Degree Programme.

Diploma

A diploma programme consists of similar modules found in a degree programme, except that it requires less modules to earn a diploma. It is often for students who want to focus on an area of study, but cannot dedicate the long-term time commitment and/or money. Most diploma programmes, however, can be upgraded into a degree programme by adding more modules.

Degree

A degree programme can also be called a bachelor’s degree or undergraduate degree. Most students seek this qualification as a minimum achievement in their academic life. Some degree programmes are offered as Honours Degrees (Hons), which generally require a higher academic standard than just a pass. Some universities in Malaysia require students to study an additional year to achieve the Honours Degree. A degree programme usually takes 3 years in Malaysia, Australia, and the UK; while in the US and Canada, it takes 4 years to complete.

Masters

A master's degree is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study. Most master’s programmes require some sort of research to be conducted, which would involve the writing of a thesis or dissertation. Some master’s programmes simply require a series of coursework to be completed, which also means that the student needs to attend more classes.

Doctorate (PhD)

A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field. It requires the student to perform a focussed and detailed research in an area of his/her field of study and write a thesis that is publishable in an academic journal.

Rankings

If you are a student using ranking indices to identify a suitable target university, make sure you check the criteria being used to establish the ranking list and compare it to your own personal study goals. Published rankings, although unofficial, can be a good starting point in the college search. The college experience in Malaysia consists of intangible experiences that far exceed numbers alone. A ranking index is only one of several tools that helps you to find the school that meets your academic and social needs. A popular ranking source in Malaysia is the MQA Rating System for Malaysian Higher Education Institutions (SETARA '09).

The 2009 Rating of Malaysian Universities and University Colleges

The 2009 MQA Rating System for Malaysian Higher Education Institutions (SETARA ’09) measures quality of teaching and learning at the undergraduate level in universities and university colleges (U & UC) in Malaysia.

The SETARA ’09 rating instrument covers three generic dimensions of input, process and output to assess the quality of teaching and learning. The input dimension addresses talent, resources and governance. The process dimension focuses on curriculum matters and the output dimension is on the quality of graduates.

The SETARA ‘09 exercise classifies its rating into six Tiers, ranging from Tier 1 as Weak to Tier 6 as Outstanding. UPM is ranked in Tier 5 (Excellent).