Top 10 Design Colleges & Universities in Malaysia 2024

Choose to Study at the Best Private Universities and Colleges in Malaysia for Design Courses

Designers and artists are creative people who use their skills to create visually appealing products. Designers also have to unite visual appeal with functionality and ease in manufacturing in the objects they design. Different kinds of designers design different products. To become a designer, you usually need a degree or diploma in the specific area of design you want to work in.

Therefore, choosing the best private college or university in Malaysia to study design is important as the best will help to develop the skills necessary for a success. Therefore, students should choose the best university or college for design to study at, so that you can gain the necessary skills from experienced lecturers in a personal setting for a successful career. The best universities and colleges for design in Malaysia should have the necessary design facilities to enhance their students’ capabilities and cultivate a creative mind. The list below are some of the best colleges and universities for design courses in Malaysia to help you in making the right choice.

Students should take note that just because a college is famous for one design course, it doesn’t mean that it is good for all other design courses. For example, just because the college is famous for animation, it doesn’t mean that it is good for interior design and fashion design. Therefore, you should research carefully to see which design course that the college or university is best for in Malaysia. There are many types of design courses in Malaysia such as graphic design, multimedia design, animation, interior design, fashion design and more. If you are sure of which design course, you may go for the diploma. If you are not sure, then go for the Foundation in Design.

You may also be interested to read the following articles:

• Top 10 Design Courses to Study in Malaysia
• Top 10 Design Colleges & Universities in Malaysia
• Job Demand for Creative Designers in Malaysia
• Top 5 Private Universities in Malaysia for Foundation in Design Course
• Top Design Diploma & Degree Courses from the Best Universities in Malaysia
• Top 20 Courses to Study in Malaysia that has High Job Demand & Stable Salary

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What you Should Know about Studying at a Top Design School in Malaysia

There are many advantages for studying at a top private university in Malaysia for design, starting from getting a good and stable career to working in the best of the environments.

Students will also get to learn from the best lecturers who possess excellent design skills and experience.Because of the higher education standards at top private universities, your course mates will be just as brilliant and creative as you are having the same like mindedness to achieve success in your  future creative career. Group work will be easier as they will all be working hard to achieve the same goals.

The top notch education that you receive will ensure you have the knowledge and skills to obtain a high paying job and achieve financial stability quickly.

In addition, your exposure and experience will give you insight to venture into creating new businesses or career pathways. Therefore, don’t make the mistake of choosing the cheapest university for your education, choose the best university.

Ten of the Best Design Schools in Malaysia that you Should Consider to Study at

Design is all around us; physical spaces, virtual spaces, videos, movies, illustrations, graphics, fashion and photographs all influence our mood, feelings and decision-making. With the advancement of technology, it has changed the way we design and how. From Graphic Design for magazines and newspapers, it has now evolved and expanded to the Metaverse.

Job demand for designers have now increased due to the demand for creative content. This is good news for those who love to draw as you can build a successful career with your skill.

In addition, Malaysia’s private universities recognise the diversity within the creative industry and allow students to develop strong creative skills while exploring their own desired disciplines.

Studying design is challenging but rewarding, and a degree will take 3 years to complete. Design degree courses equip you with an ideal combination of both practical and theoretical skills.  The majority of design graduates specialise in a specific area – for example 2D or 3D-design, product or web design, fashion or textiles, or photography – but there are courses that give a broad overview of the whole process. Compared to other professions, designers work with their hands and that is practised from the very beginning of their studies during university.

There are many types of design courses and each university and college will offer various types of design courses. They won’t offer all the design courses therefore, students should know which field of design that they want to study, then you are able to choose the best university for that course.

Students who are not sure which course or university may fill up the Enquiry Form and we will guide you to choose the right one.

1. The One Academy
2. Taylor’s University
3. Asia Pacific University (APU)
4. First City University College
5. Multimedia University (MMU)
6. Malaysian Institute of Art (MIA)
7. UCSI University
8. UOW Malaysia
9. Saito University College
10. TARUC

What are the Top Design Courses in Malaysia that has Future Job Demand?

1. Animation Design
   • Animation design is the act of creating visual effects and animations for a variety of multimedia, including video games, videos, and digital assets like websites and apps. These effects and animations can be 2D or 3D (CGI) and range from a simple loading icon that indicates something is happening behind the scenes to a full-scale animated video.
2. Multimedia Design
   • Multimedia design is the art of integrating different media, including text, images, audio and video to communicate with an audience. A multimedia designer creates digital art and interactive content for video games, web content, commercials, TV, and film. As a multimedia designer, you develop special effects using audio, video, graphics, and other electronic media
3. Graphic Design
   • Graphic design is a craft where professionals create visual content to communicate messages. By applying visual hierarchy and page layout techniques, designers use typography and pictures to meet users’ specific needs and focus on the logic of displaying elements in interactive designs to optimize the user experience.
4. Game Design
   • Game design sits under the broader field of video game development and refers to the use of creativity and design to develop a game for entertainment or educational purposes. It involves creating compelling stories, characters, goals, rules, and challenges that drive interactions with other characters, users, or objects.
5. Interior Design
   • Interior design is defined as the professional and comprehensive practice of creating an interior environment that addresses, protects, and responds to human need(s). It is the art, science, and business planning of a creative, technical, sustainable, and functional interior solution that corresponds to the architecture of a space, while incorporating process and strategy, a mandate for well-being, safety, and health, with informed decisions about style and aesthetics.
6. Product Design
   • Product design is the process of creating new products for sale businesses to its customers. It involves the generation and development of ideas through a systematic process that leads to the creation of innovative products. Thus, it is a major aspect of new product development.
7. Film & TV Production
   • Film and TV production comprehensively covers all aspects of the practical and theoretical aspects of filmmaking, including, Directing, Camera work and Lighting, Producing, Editing, Scriptwriting, Film Analysis and Visual Literacy.
8. Visual Effects
   • VFX is a way to add visual elements to moving media that does not happen during live-action filming. Filmmakers use VFX software to add computer-generated imagery (CGI) and other effects.
9. Virtual Reality/Augmented Reality (VR/AR)
   • AR uses a real-world setting while VR is completely virtual. AR users can control their presence in the real world; VR users are controlled by the system. VR requires a headset device, but AR can be accessed with a smartphone. AR enhances both the virtual and real world while VR only enhances a fictional reality.
10. Creative Media
    • Creative Media is about telling stories in a way that resonates with people. It can be with an article or podcast, it can be with light brushstrokes on an empty canvas or it can be with dialogue – in the end, it is all about sharing information with others in a way that is unique to you. Not only that, Creative Media is about taking ownership and innovating the media that you produce.
    • Study a range of media practices, including video, photography, sound, animation and digital media. Enjoy the freedom to experiment: choose to focus on one medium, develop several or integrate across the range to find your creative voice. Develop projects to suit your creative and career ambitions.
11. Digital Media Production
    • Digital Media Production focuses on entertainment media creation namely – Visual Effects and Digital Video Production. These focus areas spearhead digital content production for the Over The Top (OTT) media segment, entertainment media distribution (cinema & broadcast ) and streaming content platforms (Youtube).
12. Industrial Design
    • Industrial Design (ID) is the professional practice of designing products, devices, objects, and services used by millions of people around the world every day. Industrial designers typically focus on the physical appearance, functionality, and manufacturability of a product, though they are often involved in far more during a development cycle. All of this ultimately extends to the overall lasting value and experience a product or service provides for end-users.
13. Fashion Design
    • Fashion Designing is really a form of art that is dedicated to the creation of clothing and other accessories that form part of someone’s lifestyle. Modern fashion designing can be further divided into two broad categories: ready to wear and haute couture.

Education Pathway to a Design Degree after SPM or IGCSE/O-levels

Students with SPM or IGCSE/O-Levels qualifications may consider going directly for the Foundation in Design courses or a more general Foundation in Arts course before continuing on to the degree. The subjects in the Foundation course are general and would give you some time to decide which design course to choose for your degree such as multimedia design, graphic design, interior design, fashion design or animation.

If you are sure of which area of design you want to specialise in, then you may go for the diploma course for 2 years before entering into Year 2 of the related design degree course. Courses available for you to choose from would be diploma in graphic design, diploma in multimedia design, diploma in interior design, diploma in fashion design, etc.

Some universities would require you to submit a portfolio of your design work for evaluation for entry if you did not take a design subject in SPM or IGCSE/O-Levels.

How to Choose the Best Private University or College to Study Design in Malaysia

The best private universities and colleges in Malaysia have excellent facilities, years of experience running the design programme, strong student support services, internships and experienced lecturers.

They are also accredited by MQA and approved by the Malaysian Ministry of Education. The best private university or college in Malaysia will focus on quality, have award winners for the particular courses, years of experience offering the particular course, highly experienced lecturers, a good study environment, internships, good mix of international & local students, extra-curricular activities and good facilities. The SETARA ranking is a guide for students to assess the quality of a private university in Malaysia.

Awards won by the students would show the quality of the college and its lecturers who are able to train them to win.

When choosing a university and college in Malaysia, it is important for students to visit the campus and see the facilities and feel the culture of the students to see if it fits you. Look at the gallery to check out the design works of the students.

Talk to the lecturers and find out from the counsellors there about the courses and check if the courses have been accredited by MQA.

The environment should be one where students speak mostly in English so that you can improve your English and communication skills. If you are weak in English and choose a cheap university where the students speak mainly in Mandarin, it will be difficult for you to improve your English.

Common Factors in Choosing the Best Private University in Malaysia to Study Design

Here’s a list of common criteria in choosing a top private university in Malaysia:

• Diploma and degrees offered
• Subjects offered in the diploma or degree (Are they relevant, up-to-date, and help you to achieve your career goals)
• Accreditation by MQA and other relevant professional bodies in Malaysia
• Type of programme (local degree, 3+0 UK or Australian degree, 4+0 American degree, degree transfer programme, etc)
• Entry requirements (Branch campuses in Malaysia have higher entry requirements)
• Location of the university
• Size of the student population
• Student culture (English-speaking environment, ambitious, serious about studies, lifestyle or party university, etc)
• Public vs. Private (STPM is tougher and choice of course & university is determined by the government)
• Costs (tuition, hostel, food, transportation, etc.)
• Financial assistance (Scholarships, PTPN Loan, EPF withdrawal, MARA Loan, etc)
• Campus resources (labs, libraries, wifi, computer access, sports facilities, etc.)
• Internship and co-op programs
• Class size (Small class size for personal attention)
• Faculty contact/classes taught by full-time qualified & experienced faculty
• Quality/reputation/ranking of the private university in Malaysia
• Safety (campus, community)
• Make up of the student body (diversity, international students, gender, etc.)
• Extra-curricular activities (Student organisations, clubs, sports, etc.)
• Housing options (on-campus, off-campus apartments)
• Student support services
• Intake dates

Still not sure of where to study?

I have more than 20 years experience working at top private universities and having counselled thousands of students, I will be able to guide you through your confusion and questions to help you make the right choice.

I will take you to visit the universities and colleges to talk to the lecturers as well as tour the campuses. Check out the design facilities and the work of their students. Explain to you about the design courses and the costs of studying.

Fill up the Enquiry Form now to make an appointment that will change your life!