STUDY IN MALAYSIA

Basic facts

Education in Malaysia

Education is an essential part of human capital development and is the top priority of the Government. Annually, the government has set aside more than 20% of the nation’s budget for education and human resource development.

Malaysia has achieved a high score of 0.811 on the United Nations Human Development Index (HDI) according to the Human Development Index Rankings 2007/2008 based on data in 2005. Malaysia is ranked in the 61st position in the HDI out of 177 countries, putting it at the same level as many developed nations. UNDP (United Nations Development Programme) categorises Malaysia as a high human development country.

Malaysia’s international education sector has grown tremendously during the past decade and is fast becoming a centre of educational excellence in the region. Malaysia currently houses more than 80,000 international students from more than 100 countries. Malaysia is proud to be the choice of study destination that offers quality international education at affordable cost. Many students choose to study in Malaysia because they recognize Malaysia as an ideal gateway to develop their Asian network and relationship as well as to learn from Malaysia’s great diversity. The country has drawn up a National Higher Education Strategic Plan 2007-2020 which charts the path for higher education excellence and establishing world-class institutions.

Currently, the higher education opportunities in Malaysia are provided by 20 public universities, 24 polytechnics, 37 community colleges, 36 private universities, 4 foreign university branch campuses, about 450 private colleges, as well as various other higher institutions from UK, US, Australia, Canada, France, Germany and New Zealand, which offer twinning and franchised degree programmes through partnerships with Malaysian colleges and universities. The 38 international schools (American, Australian, Canadian and British-styled) and 12 expatriate schools which include French, German, Japanese and Taiwanese schools have facilities for students from pre-school to upper secondary levels. They provide parents with many options of pre-tertiary international education at affordable fees.

Definition of Malaysian Higher Education

Tertiary education in the national education system which is directly under the jurisdiction of the MOHE comprises post-secondary education right up to higher education. Tertiary education in Malaysia also includes skill training which is outside the domain of MOHE.

Post-secondary education or pre-tertiary education is for students who have completed 11 years of education and need to obtain pre-university qualification in order to pursue education at higher educational institutions. Post-secondary education is provided by higher educational institutions under MOHE. However the main providers of post-secondary education are the post- secondary schools and matriculation colleges under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Education.

Higher Education covers certificate, diploma, undergraduate as well as postgraduate levels. The providers of higher education are colleges, polytechnics and universities. Undergraduate studies consist of Bachelor’s Degree levels and professional studies while postgraduate studies consist of Master’s Degree and PhD levels.

Higher education at certificate and diploma levels are for students from the age of 17 with SPM qualifications (which is equivalent to GCE ‘O’ levels) while the Bachelor’s degree level is usually for students from the age of 19 or 20 onwards with post-secondary qualifications such as the STPM (which is equivalent to GCE ‘A’ levels) or Pre-University / University Foundation qualifications. These degree programmes normally take between 3 to 5 years. After obtaining their Bachelor’s degree, students can proceed to postgraduate studies.

Higher education in the academic and professional fields is provided by:

• Public-funded higher educational institutions which include public universities, polytechnics, community colleges and public colleges
• Private-funded higher educational institutions which include private universities, private colleges and foreign university branch campuses

The general entry requirements and duration of study at certificate, diploma, undergraduate and post-graduate levels for higher education (academic) can be grouped as below:

Higher Education Qualification Levels, Its Entry Requirements and Duration of Study:

Applying to study in Malaysia

For admission into private schools, private higher educational institutions or public universities, as an international student, you can apply DIRECTLY to the educational institution of your choice.

Educational institutions that offer courses to International Students are required to obtain approval from relevant governing authorities. The approval requirement is as follows:

• For private schools and international schools (PEI), they must obtain approval from the Ministry of Education Malaysia
• For private higher educational institutions (PHEIs) which offer tertiary education, they need to be approved by the Ministry of Higher Education in order to operate as required by Malaysian laws

Not all private educational providers in Malaysia, approved by the regulatory body i.e. the Ministry of Education or Ministry of Higher Education, are allowed to take in International Students. In order to take in International Students, the general practice is that these approved private institutions are required to comply with the additional requirements.

However, all public universities funded by the Government are allowed to recruit International Students for full-time undergraduate and postgraduate studies, but the recruitment is subject to availability of places and applicants’ eligibility.

Cost of Education in Malaysia

Your course fees will consist of your tuition fees plus other related direct study expenses. Below are some or even all of the components that you may incur during your course of study :

• Registration Fee
• Tuition Fee
• Deposit
• Computer/Science Laboratory Fee
• Health and Hospitalisation Insurance Premium
• Library fee
• Other Incidental Costs

B. English Course Malaysia is a multi-racial and multi-lingual country with most Malaysians communicating in English. Thus, this makes Malaysia an ideal place for non-native spea kers to practise the language. To help those who need to improve theirEnglish, many highly-experienced educational institutions and language centres in Malaysia offer language preparatory courses, especially to prepare International Students to sit for internationally-accepted English qualifications such as TOEFL and IELTS.

The estimated tuition fees are: Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) RM500 - RM800 (USD135 - USD216) 2 months International English Language Testing System (IELTS) RM450 - RM800) (USD122 - USD216) 2 months C. Bachelor's Degree Programmes Malaysia offers you many study pathways to complete an entire 3-year bachelor's degree programme at a very competitive cost if you have GCE A-Levels / SAM or other equivalent pre-university qualifications. The estimated tuition fees are:

Tuition Fees - Bachelor's Degree Programmes Areas of Study Paths of Study Private Colleges Foreign University Branch Campuses Malaysian Private Universities Business USD10,540 - USD14,050 (3 yrs) USD12,970 - USD22,700) (3yrs) RM30,000 - RM40,000 (USD8,110 - USD10,810) (3 yrs) Engineering USD12,160 - USD12,700 (3 yrs) ,000 (USD22,160 - USD27,570) (4 yrs for Aust degree) (3yrs for UK degree ) RM46,000 - RM52,000 (USD12,450 -USD14,050) (4yrs for Malaysian degree) IT USD8,920 - USD10,810 (3yrs) RM52,800 - RM84,000 (USD14,270 - USD22,700) (3 yrs) RM33,000 - RM43,000 (USD8,920 - USD11,620) (3 yrs) Medicine USD87,840 (5yrs) RM250,000 - RM333,000 (USD67,570 - USD90,000) (5yrs) Hospitality and Tourism USD12,160 - USD13,110 (3yrs) - RM31,000 - RM55,000 (USD8,380 - USD14,865) (3 yrs) Music USD14,600 (3 yrs) - RM53,000 - RM59,000 (USD14,320 - USD15,950) (3 yrs)