Apply to Study in Malaysia

Aspiring students planning to apply to study in Malaysia are allowed to apply directly to the top universities in Malaysia offering the course of their choice. Students can only apply at the top universities in Malaysia which have been given the permission by the Malaysian Higher Education Department to accept international students. To apply to study in Malaysia, students will have to fulfill the eligibility criteria set by the universities and submit a minimum IELTS score of 6.0 or a TOEFL score of 100.

Following are the 6 simple steps to know how to apply to study in Malaysia for international students:

1. Pick a Subject and University to study in Malaysia

While choosing to study in Malaysia for international students the most important decision would be to select the course you want to do, whether its Bachelors in Malaysia or Masters in Malaysia. And afterwards selecting the best out of the top universities in Malaysia. Following are some of the top universities in Malaysia:

2. Apply to Study in Malaysia

Students planning to apply to study in Malaysia must apply through the official website of the university they want to apply to. Go to the official website, register yourself, fill in the application form and upload all the necessary documents. Although, there is an option to send your application via post as well.

Apply through UPU

Apart from this, students planning to apply to study in Malaysia, instead of going on multiple portals and multiple university websites, students can now send in all their applications at once through a single portal if they apply through UPU.

UPU manages applications for Polytechnics, Community Colleges, Public Universities and Institut Latihan Kemahiran Awam (ILKA)

Applications to study in Malaysia for international students are accepted by UPU in case of:

• SPM (Sijil Pelajaram Malaysia) leavers
• Students who have completed STPM (Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia)
• Students who have diplomas from public universities

These are the steps students need to take to apply to the top universities in Malaysia.

Application Processing Time

No matter how you have applied for the course, application processing time at the universities in Malaysia usually take 5-6 weeks.

3. Meet the Academic Requirements to Study in Malaysia

The admission process to study at the top universities in Malaysia is pretty hassle-free. A student should qualify the Malaysian Certificate of Education (SPM) examination having a distinction in Bahasa Malaysia paper which is conducted in July.

There are different entry requirements to study in Malaysia for Indian students for different degrees. They are as follows:

Students will require the following documents to apply in Malaysian universities.

• Letter of recommendation
• Examination records of previous universities
• Valid passport with all pages
• Identity proof
• Medical health record
• Accommodation form (if accommodation is needed)
• Application fees (varies from university to university)

Eligibility Criteria: Undergraduate and Postgraduate Courses in Malaysia

Undergraduate Courses to Study in Malaysia for international students: To take up an undergraduate course at the top universities in Malaysia, students ought to have completed:

• STPM (Sijil Tinggi Persekolham Malaysia) with principal level passes
• UEC (Unified Examination Certificate) with 75% marks
• Matriculation certificate
• Polytechnic certificate (if any)

Postgraduate Courses to Study in Malaysia for international students: To take up a postgraduate course at the top universities in Malaysia, students must have completed:

• Bachelor’s degree (From well-known private/public university)
• Pre-masters course (If any)

Level of English Required to Study in Malaysia

If a student has completed his previous studies from a country that is already English speaking, then the student does not have to appear for tests like GRE, SAT, TOEFL, and IELTS. If the student belongs to a non-English speaking country, then he or she should take a test for English. Though this varies from institution to institution.

If international students aspire to study in Malaysian colleges, students should have completed internationally recognized English language qualification like IELTS and TOEFL. The minimum score necessary for TOEFL is 100 while for IELTS it is 6.

4. Apply Before Application Deadline

Although the specific deadlines vary depending on the program and university you are applying for. Following are the major intakes in Malaysia begin in:

• February Intake: Research to be started by May-June as applications close by October. Universities respond by November.
• July Intake: Research to be started by November-December as applications close by March. Universities respond by April.
• October Intake: Research to be started by February-March as applications close by June. Universities respond by July.

5. Offer Acceptance

Once a student has been selected, he or she will receive the acceptance letter. Once that is in place students need to:

• Plan for accommodation
• Pay tuition fees

After Offer Acceptance

Once your application has been accepted by the university, students need to begin the visa application process and arrangement of funds and insurance for travel.

6. Visa Requirements to Study in Malaysia

The Malaysian government equips each international student studying in Malaysia with a student pass. Mostly, the university of the student takes care of the student pass application. It usually takes 7-8 weeks for the student pass to be processed in Malaysia. A student pass in Malaysia is valid for 12 months.

Malaysian Student Pass

• For: International students from public and private higher education institutions
• Cost: USD 13.59
• Extra cost: Nil
• Validity: 1 Year
• Passport Validity: 6 Months
• Part-time job: Allowed 20 hours

International students wanting to study in Malaysia have to apply for a Visa With Reference (VDR) at the Malaysian Immigration Department.

Leaving Home Country

Before leaving the home country, students need to be extremely well versed with all the details specific to the university and course of their choice.

• Accommodation details
• Finances
• Airplane tickets
• Orientation in college
• University location

Applying at the top universities and courses in Malaysia is pretty hassle-free. All that students need to do is research on the university they want to apply for and do test preparation to enter Malaysia. Malaysia has some of the best universities ranked in the QS World University Rankings 2023 and Times Higher Education Ranking 2024.

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