Can SPM and IGCSE/O-Level Arts Students Study Engineering? Best advise & information on courses at Malaysia’s top private universities and colleges EduSpiral Consultant Services

What is the Education Pathway to Study Engineering for Arts Students after SPM or IGCSE/O-Level Students in Malaysia?

Are you an Arts student with a passion for engineering? Don’t worry as there is a chance for you to pursue your dream career in engineering after high school.

Students who have chosen to study in the Arts stream in secondary school in Malaysia and are interested to pursue engineering in their degree studies have an opportunity to do so. Engineering is essentially a science related course therefore if Arts students intend to change to this pathway will need to work hard to ensure that they do well. Engineering is one of the most popular majors at universities in Malaysia. It is highly employable with many job opportunities and benefits. Therefore, a career in engineering provides financial security.

The engineering degree programmes that are available to Arts students are Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronic Engineering, Electrical & Electronic Engineering, Telecommunications Engineering, Chemical Engineering, and Civil Engineering.

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How to Study Engineering after Completing Arts Stream in Malaysia’s High School?

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Jun Chung, Diploma in Electrical & Electronic Engineering at Asia Pacific University

Students from the Arts Stream in SPM or IGCSE/O-Levels may study engineering through the Diploma in Electrical & Electronic Engineering.

You will need at least 3 credits in SPM or IGCSE/O-Levels including Maths and General Science or Science. Upon completion of the Diploma, you may continue into any of the engineering programmes below:

Admission Requirements for Engineering Diploma Programmes at Malaysia’s Private Universities

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Renee Tan, Mechanical Engineering at Heriot-Watt University Malaysia

In order to have a successful career as an engineer, students must choose to study at the best private universities in Malaysia whose degree programmes are accredited by Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA) and the Board of Engineers Malaysia (BEM).

The entry requirements will vary from university to university, some may have higher entry requirements. Therefore, you will need to check with the particular university for their exact requirements. I have listed the basic requirements as stated by the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA).

Generally, it is understood that SPM students must have a pass in BM and Sejarah because if you fail either one, means that you have failed the SPM examination.

In addition, a “Credit” for SPM/IGCSE/O-Levels are A, B and C. For UEC, a “Credit” is A and B. For the A-Levels, a Principal is from A to E.

What is the Grading System?

SPM	UEC	IGCSE/O-Levels	STPM	A-Levels
A+	A1	A	A	A
A	A2	B	A-	B
A-	B3	C	B+	C
B+	B4	D	B	D
B	B5	E	B-	E
C+	B6	U – Ungraded	C+	F
C	C7		C
D	C8		C-
E			D+
G			D

What’s the Education Pathway to an Engineering Degree after Secondary School?

Students after SPM or IGCSE/O-Levels with at least 3 credits may go for the 2.5-year Engineering Diploma and then enter into Year 2 of the Engineering degree and complete in another 3 years.

What’s the Entry Requirements for Engineering Diploma Programmes?

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Students are SPM or IGCSE/O-Levels can enter the field of engineering directly after completing their studies with at least 3 credits. The Diploma in Electrical & Electronic Engineering is an ideal education pathway for students after high school as the course is focused, practical, cost effective and time saving. It is good for students who are sure of being part of the engineering field.

The Electrical & Electronic Engineering diploma programme provides a significant amount of hands-on experience. The curriculum requires 7 semesters of laboratory experience in electrical and electronics including internship.

Hands-on experience provide necessary experience in designing engineering solutions, dealing with implementation issues, and using engineering tools. In addition, you will be exposed with seminars & competitions to be part of the engineering world.

The programme is also designed to provide students with opportunities to undergo practical training in the industry and to obtain hands on experience through final year projects.

Students can take the Diploma in Electrical & Electronic Engineering for 2 years and then upon completion, continue on into Year 2 of any of the engineering fields.

Diploma in Electrical & Electronic Engineering graduates may enter into Year 2 for degree programme such as Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Computer Engineering, Electrical & Electronic Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronic Engineering, Petroleum Engineering, Telecommunication Engineering and more.

Below are the Entry Requirements for the Engineering Diploma

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SPM
- 3 Credits in at least 3 subjects at SPM level including Mathematics and any Science Subject (Science, Physics, or Chemistry) with a minimum of a pass in Bahasa Malaysia, Sejarah (History) and English;
IGCSE/O-LEVELS
- 3 Credits (Grade C & above) in at least 3 subjects at IGCSE/ O-Levels including Mathematics and any Science Subjects (Science, Physics, or Chemistry) with a minimum Pass in English at SPM/ O-Level/ IGCSE;
UEC
- 3 Credit (Grade B & above) in at least 3 subjects in UEC including Mathematics and any Science subject (Science, Physics, or Chemistry) with a Pass in English;
STPM
- Pass Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM) or its equivalent with a pass in Mathematics, English and ONE (1) relevant science/technical/vocational subject at the SPM level;
Certificate
- Recognised Certificate in Engineering/Engineering Technology or its equivalent;
- Recognised related Vocational and Technical/ Skills Certificate or its equivalent with ONE (1) year of relevant work experience or a minimum of ONE (1) semester of a bridging programme;

There are other engineering diploma courses such as the Diploma in Mechanical Engineering, Diploma in Mechatronic Engineering and Diploma in Civil Engineering. However, these engineering diploma programmes only enter into their related field. For example, the Diploma in Mechanical Engineering can only enter into Year 2 of the Mechanical Engineering degree and the Diploma in Civil Engineering into the Civil Engineering degree.