Malaysia is not only attractive for students who wish to study for an undergraduate degree, but it’s also a desired destination and location for students who wish to commence their postgraduate degrees. The reason is that Malaysia and Kuala Lumpur City in particular hosts a large number of national and international corporations that offers great opportunities for students upon graduation. In fact, one of the main advantages on why the educational market in Malaysia is booming is because the numerous career opportunities that Malaysia offers for international students upon graduation, unlike European countries. The value-for-money education with tuition fees significantly lower than that for studying for a postgraduate degree somewhere else, Malaysia offers an attractive opportunity for international students to study at extremely low tuition fees. This is one important aspect in particular as many international students face the challenge of paying extremely high tuition fees for postgraduate degrees in places like Europe, US and Canada, and the factor of the student’s home country’s currency exchange adds to it as well.

In addition, Malaysia is famous for its state-of-the-art research facilities, laboratories and library resources all available under your disposal and for you to carry research at, which is quite an important factor when considering where to study for your postgrad research degree. Malaysia is also one of the very few countries that link the academia with the career and industry focus, thus allowing students to take their research to the work-place and apply learnings to real-life situations. Studying for a research degree at a Malaysian university is definitely more practical-based, rather than being a theoretical-based one.

The options for studying for a postgraduate degree in Malaysia are as follows:

Master’s degrees: This includes both taught and research programs, as well as Masters of Business Administration Degrees (MBA), where Malaysian universities are well-known for offering strong Master’s degree programs that are tailored to suit the industry specialization area of each field and also that of students.

Postgraduate students at a Malaysian University can choose to undertake a dissertation, case study, a business plan or an internship as part of their final project at their Master’s degrees. Master’s programs are available for study at both full-time and part-time modes. Full-time Master’s degrees in Malaysia are usually divided between two and six semesters, whereby each semester lasts for 12 weeks.

The duration of your Master’s program depends greatly on your chosen major as well as your university of choice.

PhD: Doctorate degrees in Malaysia cover areas such as Sciences and Philosophy. Malaysia is a top study destination sought by PhD students, as Malaysia holds already more than 20 public universities, 33 private universities and university-colleges, as well as foreign university branch campuses. Most of International PhD Students study at public universities in Malaysia for their high-ranking and research facilities. The length of a PhD program in Malaysia is the same as in Western countries, which is 3-5 years, depending on the nature and subject of research. The mode of classroom is flexible, where the student usually meets with the supervising professor for remarks and feedback about the research. The start of a PhD course in Malaysia is usually arranged between the student and the professor. Most of the students who finish their PhD studies at Malaysia either remains to work there in research or else at industry-based careers, or choose travel to other destinations in Asia where they explore more of the Asian continent with their more-than-qualified degrees.

The required documents for applying for a postgraduate Degree at a Malaysian University are:

• University graduation certificate and transcripts translated in English and stamped by the Higher Education Authority and Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the country at which the degree has been previously issued
• CV/Resume with at least 2 years of career experience for Master’s and MBA candidates and 4-5 years for potential PhD students
• 2 recommendation letters where one has to be academic and the other has to be career-based
• Research Proposal (for PhD only)
• Copy of Passport
• Proof of proficiency in English Language, ex.: Academic IELTS with a minimum score of 6.5 overall and at each subject, or either a high score at the English exam run by the university
• Filled-in university’s application form
• Full Medical Report of the student

Academic requirements vary according to each university, major and the student’s previous educational system.

Overall, students have to fulfil both academic requirements and non-academic documents demanded by the university as part of their university’s application. Once the student is accepted, he/she will receive the acceptance letter from the university in which he/she can use to apply for the visa and obtain a student pass to study in Malaysia.

At BESA, we share strong connections and have an extensive list of partner universities at Malaysia, whether both public and private, to which we can help and guide you through your university and visa application process.