Study in Malaysia

ABOUT MALAYSIA 

Located in Southeast Asia, the beautiful country of Malaysia is separated by the South China Sea into two distinct regions, Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo’s East Malaysia. The Peninsular Malaysia shares its land borders with Thailand while its maritime borders with Singapore, Vietnam and Indonesia. East Malaysia goes on to share its land borders with Brunei and Indonesia while its Maritime borders with Vietnam and Philippines. The country usually enjoys a tropical weather which features high temperatures and humidity with rain throughout the year. While Kuala Lumpur stands to be the largest city and the capital, students have often residence in Ipoh, Kota Kinabalu, Malacca, Johor Bahru and George Town. With a federal constitutional monarchy of thirteen states the country shares a very multi-ethnic and multi-cultural environment. The country features a huge diaspora of Chinese, Indians and the indigenous community along with its Malay ethnicity. Its international contribution usually comes from its participation in multilateral organisation ASEAN, EAS, OIC and the APEC. 

 

HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM IN  

 The Malaysian Higher Education structure can be best described as a culmination of three different cycles. They are: 

 

The Bachelor’s or the first cycle: For students graduating fresh out of school, the Malaysian Higher Education system gives students an undergraduate degree in a variety of fields that they may have interest in. The country hosts some of the finest universities that offer bachelor degree courses in agriculture, applied sciences, arts, business management, IT, education, engineering, environmental sciences, hospitality, humanities, journalism, law, medicine, natural sciences and social sciences. The degree might take upto 3 years to complete depending on the course. 

 

Requirement to study Bachelor’s in Malaysia: 

  • Successful completion of class 12 with 60% and above
  • IELTS overall score of 5.5 and above, or a TOEFL overall score of 46 and above 

 

Master’s or the second cycle: After the successful completion of their bachelor’s degree, students may choose a variety of master’s courses that Malaysia provides based on their subject of interest and dream career ahead. These include agriculture, applied sciences, arts, business management, IT, education, engineering, environmental sciences, hospitality, humanities, journalism, law, medicine, natural sciences and social sciences. While the degree may take upto 1-3 years to complete depending on the course, students are often taught through seminars, exercises, practical workshops, field trips and research. These help them to not only prepare for a professional career but also an academic career if they choose to later in life. 

 

Requirement to study Master’s in Malaysia: 

  • Successful completion of class 12 with 60% and above
  • Successful completion of bachelor’s with 60% and above
  • IELTS overall score of 5.5 and above, or a TOEFL overall score of 46 and above. 

 

Doctoral degree or the third cycle: After the successful completion of their master’s degree, international students in Malaysia can also apply for a doctoral degree which all universities offer in the country. Students are expected to conduct an independent research under direct academic supervision which is later subject to approval by a panel of experts appointed by the university. While the degree may take upto 3-5 years to complete, students are also given a financial grant that will help them stay and continue research in the country. 

 

Requirement to study PhD in Malaysia: 

  • Successful completion of class 12 with 60% and above
  • Successful completion of bachelor’s with 60% and above
  • Successful completion of master’s with 60% and above
  • Independent research idea 
  • IELTS overall score of 6 and above. 

 

Cost of studying in Malaysia

While public universities may cost EUR 2000 – 4500 (around INR 168000 – 378000) per year for a Bachelor’s degree and EUR 500 – 4000 (around INR 42100 – 336000) per year for a Master’s degree, private universities may go upto as much as EUR 9300 (around INR 783000) for students to pursue a degree. However, living in Malaysia is a lot more affordable. Students may find a comfortable accommodation between EUR 450 – 800 (around INR 37800 – 67000) based on the city that they choose to live in.  

 

WORK IN MALAYSIA 

The Malaysian Student Visa allows international students to work for a total of 20 hours per week. They may find a variety in opportunities in the service sector which include restaurants, cafes, hotels, companies and the university itself. However, they are advised to be well acquainted with the native Malaysian language as it would help them communicate better in the country

In addition, students are only allowed to stay in the country if they are able to find an employment opportunity. There are certain industries which do not allow foreign nationals to participate or work. However, once they do, the government offers an Employment Pass which is usually extends to more than 2 years of stay in the country.

 

VISA REQURIEMENT FOR MALAYSIA 

To obtain a student visa for Malaysia, an applicant must submit: 

  • A valid passport that does not expire within the intended stay in Malaysia
  • A letter of acceptance from any Malaysian University 
  • Proof of sufficient funds to sustain their stay in the country 

 

SCHOLARSHIPS 

While Universities may have their own set of scholarships, the government has been recently very proactive in providing financial assistance to international students. Most notably, the Malaysia International Scholarship and the Malayasian Technical Cooperation Program are some of the bets scholarships that student can aim and apply for.