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Full information about studying in Malaysia: universities, programs, admissions, fees.
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| Type of education | Age | Duration | Min. cost | Avg. cost | Exams |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer Camp | 5-17 | 1-12 weeks | 68 USD/week | 113 USD/week | - |
| Language courses | 18+ | 2-48 weeks | 73 USD/week | 113 USD/week | - |
| Secondary education | 12-19 | 7 years | 57 USD/year | 6,801 USD/year | - |
| Foundation | 17+ | 1-2 years | 2,040 USD/year | 4,534 USD/year | IELTS 4.0 |
| Vocational education | 17+ | 2-3 years | 340 USD/year | 4,987 USD/year | IELTS 4.0 |
| Bachelor's | 18+ | 3-5 years | 831 USD/year | 5,667 USD/year | IELTS 6.0 / TOEFL 550 |
| Master's | 21+ | 1-3 years | 2,283 USD/year | 6,121 USD/year | IELTS 6.0+ / TOEFL 550+ |
| Doctoral | 21+ | 3-5 years | 2,236 USD/year | 7,934 USD/year | IELTS 6.0+ / TOEFL 550+ |
| Item | Average cost |
|---|---|
| Registration fee | 14 USD |
| Student Pass | 9 USD/year |
| University deposit (Personal bond) | 340 USD |
| Exams | 215 USD |
| Accommodation | 131 USD/month |
| Food | 150 USD/month |
| Study materials | 23 USD/month |
| Medical insurance | 11 USD/month |
| Communication | 11 USD/month |
| Internet | 36 USD/month |
| Transport | 27 USD/month |
| Flight | 680 USD |
To enter a university in Malaysia, a student must complete at least 12 years of secondary education. There are several ways to cover the academic difference in case your country has an 11-year secondary education system:
You can apply for admission and send documents via the university website. Each university establishes the list of required documents itself. As a rule, these are:
Documents must be submitted with a certified translation into English or Malay.
The academic year in Malaysia runs from January to November. Most universities admit students in three periods:
| Preparation of documents | Applications deadline | University response | Start of studies |
|---|---|---|---|
| May-June | October | November | February |
| November-December | March | April | July |
| February-March | June | July | October |
The exact dates of admission should be checked on the websites of the universities.
After arriving in Malaysia, the applicant must undergo a medical examination within seven days. You do not need to do this in advance.
Malaysia has not signed the 1961 Hague Convention[6], therefore consular legalization is required to use foreign documents from most countries. Refer to the university websites for the details.
There is no single system for the recognition of foreign diplomas in the country, so the decision is made by universities. Recognition through special agencies may be required when applying for a job as a civil servant, teacher, or doctor. The information should be checked for each individual case on the Government of Malaysia website.
If a student's qualifications are not enough for admission, Malaysian universities offer Foundation programs. Their duration is 12 months. The disciplines studied depend on the chosen direction in the bachelor's degree and are often tied to the programs of specific universities. Therefore, a Foundation graduate in Management won’t be able to enroll in a Bachelor's Program in Architecture. Moreover, universities often do not accept Foundation certificates from other universities.
To complete a Foundation, a student must pass the midterm certification, earn 50 credits, and pass the final exam. For admission to preparatory programs, a certificate of complete secondary education is required. Other requirements for applicants should be specified on the websites of universities.
Vocational programs are implemented in polytechnics, private, and community colleges. They combine practical (75%) and theoretical (25%) training. Upon completion, the graduate receives a diploma or a certificate. To get a certificate, you will have to study for two years and collect 60 credits. To get a diploma, you need to study for two or more often three years and collect 90 credits. Formally, the diplomas of polytechnics and colleges are equal, but entering a polytechnic is usually more difficult.
Then the student can continue their studies in the second year of the Bachelor's program or Advanced Diploma programs. The latter requires an additional 40 credits, including compulsory practice, and designed to develop managerial skills.
Colleges have programs in English. For admission, you will need a certificate of completed secondary education and a language certificate. At the same time, graduates of 11-year schools do not need to take preparatory courses (Foundation), as when entering a university.
To obtain a bachelor's degree, you need to study at least 3 years full-time and collect 120 credits (1 credit = 40 hours ≈ 1.77 ECTS), however, the duration varies depending on the university. Programs in accounting, dentistry, engineering, and law typically take four years. And to become an architect or a doctor, you have to study for five years. Students usually spend the first year studying general and fundamental subjects, and only after that focus on the compulsory specialized disciplines and electives.
You can get a bachelor's degree in Malaysia at public and private universities, branches of foreign universities, private and university colleges. At the same time, private colleges in Malaysia, as a rule, are eligible to award an academic degree only through partnership agreements with universities in the UK, Australia, and the USA. Programs in all types of institutions are accredited by the Malaysian Qualifications Agency. Bachelor’s studies are mostly in Malay, but there are many programs in English (about 250 at public universities), Chinese, and even Arabic.
Among the requirements for admission are usually indicated:
Course content and assessment methods for master's programs vary. There are three types of programs:
To obtain a master's qualification, you must collect at least 42 credits, regardless of the type of program. Each credit is equal to 20-30 hours of study. 6 credits are awarded for writing a thesis. Programs last 1-3 years.
The academic year in Malaysian universities consists of two semesters: from January to May, and from June to November. Master's degree studies last from one to three years, depending on the specific course and subject area. Part-time and distance learning programs may take a little longer.
Documents required for admission to the master’s program:
To apply to the management and business programs it is often required to pass the GRE or GMAT entrance exam.
Doctoral studies are implemented at public and private universities and last from three to five years. There are more courses for three years, as the majority of scholarships cover this term of study. A list of doctoral studies can be viewed on the official website of education in Malaysia.
Most PhD programs in Malaysia are not as clearly structured as in other countries. The main requirement is to conduct your own independent research and provide reports at the seminars. Some universities also require the study of disciplines within the selected modules and the publication of research results in peer-reviewed journals. At the end of the studies, a doctoral student writes a thesis in their research project and defends it in front of the commission. The PhD applicant must demonstrate knowledge in the subject area and prove the originality and relevance of the work within the research field.
PhD programs in Malaysia can start all year round, however, most institutions accept admissions twice a year — in July and February. The application can be submitted through the websites of the universities. In addition to a master's degree in a similar field, universities also request a letter of motivation, resume, and research proposal. In addition, knowledge of English, previous publications, participation in research projects, conferences, etc. are taken into account. Some programs will require additional study of the Malay language.
An academic career in Malaysia is broken down into six stages: tutor, lecturer, senior lecturer, associate professor, professor, distinguished professor. The Professor's position, in turn, also has three levels: Professor Grade C, Professor Grade B, and Professor Grade A. The highest position, distinguished professor, includes the duties of all previous ones. Each university independently establishes the duties of a professor, but the core responsibilities are teaching and research. Often the position of a professor is combined with an administrative position.
The positions of a tutor or a lecturer can be obtained only after receiving a PhD. On rare occasions, a junior teaching position is offered to doctoral and even graduate students. Employment also may require research / teaching experience and 3-4 publications. Further career advancement takes place within the university. The decision on promotion is made by a specially appointed person holding a higher position in the university hierarchy. The candidate is assessed on five criteria: teaching, research, consultation, publications, service to the community, and the university. For the position of a lecturer, it is more important to have teaching experience, and for an associate professor, you should have research experience. The title of a distinguished professor is awarded only by the Ministry of Higher Education of Malaysia.
The average salary of a professor in Malaysia is 28,563 USD per year[7], and a junior lecturer can earn 14,735 USD per year[8].
The government and universities in Malaysia fund primarily graduate and doctoral students. Unfortunately, bachelor's scholarships are far less common. At the state level, there are none at all.
Malaysian International Scholarship (MIS) is the most famous scholarship from the Government of Malaysia. The scholarship is only available to master’s and doctoral students. The scholarship covers tuition, flights, accommodation, textbooks, medical insurance. PhD students are also paid to conduct research and publish results. To get a scholarship, you will have to submit documents and participate in a competition.
The main criteria for receiving a scholarship:
Research should be in the interests of the development of Malaysian society.
All documents must be translated into English and notarized. More information can be found on the website of the Ministry of Higher Education of Malaysia.
Another famous scholarship from the Malaysian government is the Malaysian Technical Cooperation Program (MTCP). The scholarship is only available to master’s and PhD candidates in mainly technical specialties. The requirements for MTCP applicants are similar to those of the MIS; details can be found on the website of the Malaysian government.
Universities can also fund their students. Therefore, when looking for a scholarship, the information should be checked with specific universities.
To study in Malaysia, you need a Student Pass, which is issued after arrival in the country. Foreign citizens may be required to make a single entry visa. You can apply for it online.
Before getting a Student Pass, you must obtain a Visa approval letter (VAL) from the Immigration Department of Malaysia. An application for VAL can be submitted both through the university and online, the process takes 14 business days. After receiving your VAL, the student can travel to Malaysia.
Upon arrival, you will need to undergo a mandatory medical examination within a week; without it, the Student Pass cannot be issued. After that, the migration service will request your passport from the university to issue a student visa. After 10 business days, the student will be able to collect their Student Pass. A student visa is issued for 1 year, then extended in the country of residence of the student or directly in Malaysia.
The current list must be checked on the official website of education in Malaysia.
Students are allowed to work up to 20 hours a week and only during breaks and holidays that are longer than 7 days. You can get a job in restaurants, gas stations, mini-markets, and hotels, while you cannot hold the position of a cashier. In addition, in the hospitality sector, students are prohibited from working as singers, massage therapists, musicians, and other activities that may be considered immoral[9]. An application for a part-time job is submitted through the educational institution in which the student is studying. The minimum hourly rate in Malaysia is 1 USD.
To stay in Malaysia after graduation and get an Employment Pass, you first need to get an invitation from your employer. In this case, he will provide all the necessary documents.
A work permit is issued for a period of two to five years. It is important that the passport is valid for at least another 18 months from the moment the employer made you an offer.
To obtain a work permit, a candidate must:
Due to the strict requirements to stay in Malaysia, it is likely that only established specialists will succeed after receiving a master's degree.
It is quite difficult to obtain citizenship in Malaysia. To do this, you need to:
You can also get citizenship by marrying a Malay, but this option is only available to women. If the marriage falls apart in less than 2 years, citizenship will be revoked.
Malaysia does not recognize dual citizenship.
In Malaysia. Malaysia's economy is growing at 4.8% per year[10] and ranks third in Southeast Asia, behind only Indonesia and Thailand[11]. A developing economy requires skilled workers, so the Malaysian government is investing in education and attracting foreigners. However, this is only true for highly qualified specialists with work experience. If the graduate has no experience, it will be difficult for them to get a job.
There are many promising employment sectors in Malaysia. Thus, the financial sector is actively developing here: the country has already become the world center of Islamic banking[12]. Natural resources are one of the main productions of Malaysia: the oil, gas, and energy sectors account for 20-30% of GDP, Malaysia accounts for 39% of the world production of palm oil[13]. High-tech production is developing. World-famous giants work in the country: Intel, AMD, ASE, Texas Instruments. Local brands such as Globetronics and Green Packet are also growing. Another key sector of the Malaysian economy is the automotive industry. Thanks to 27 manufacturing companies, the country exports its own brands to foreign markets.
In other countries. Graduates of Malaysian universities will be able to find work outside Malaysia. Local universities rank high in world rankings. For example, the University of Malaya is ranked 59th in the QS rankings. The country also has branches of British, Australian, and American universities. At the same time, the diploma received at the Malaysian branch is no different from the diploma issued in London or Melbourne.
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