
Find Out More About the American Degree Transfer Program (ADTP) at KDU College Damansara Jaya
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KDU College is the pioneer in offering the American Degree Program for Malaysian students to study partly in Malaysia and the final part in the USA. KDU College has successfully transferred thousands of students to more than 500 top universities in the USA since 1983. The American Degree Program (ADP) at KDU College is perfect for Malaysian students who intend to study in an American-style liberal arts environment as it is designed to prepare students with the skills and knowledge to continue their education in the United States.
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Study in the USA through KDU College Damansara Jaya American Degree Transfer Program

The American Degree Program (ADP) is perfect for students who intend to study in an American-style liberal arts environment as it is designed to prepare students with the skills and knowledge to continue their education in the United States. Designed as a direct route into a degree pathway, the ADP’s liberal arts education system is flexible, supports the spirit of inquiry and fosters a culture of idea exchange by focusing on critical thinking.
This falls in line with the ideal that students will reach their full potential in the midst of a diverse environment they helped to create, which will open more doors to various communities around the world.
KDU is the first education institution to introduce the American Degree Program (ADP) to Malaysians in 1983. As a pioneering educator in this field, we have enabled thousands of students to transfer to over 500 universities and colleges across the United States for over 30 years.
Intakes for the ADP at KDU College are in January, May and August of each year. For the exact dates, please contact us.
Studying the American Degree Program (ADP)
The liberal education system of the American Degree Transfer Program (ADP) supports the spirit of inquiry and fosters a culture of idea exchange by focusing on critical thinking. This falls in line with the ideal that students will reach their full potential in the midst of a diversified environment they helped create, which will open more doors to various different communities around the world.
Students enjoy a high level of flexibility in their studies, with two years of liberal arts studies before deciding on a major in specific disciplines. They are free to pick a combination of science and arts subjects, on what they prefer. They also receive personalised attention, due to small classes taught by experienced lecturers. All this ensure each student garners a well-rounded education that gives him/her the power to communicate confidently and think independently.
Contrary to its name, the programme allows students to transfer to not only American universities but also to institutions in the UK, Australia, New Zealand and Canada. Since its inception, thousands of students have transferred to more than 500 universities and colleges in the USA with the help of our supportive university placement services.
Liberal Learning Experience

When students first enrol into ADP program in Malaysia, many will be surprised at the general education classes they are required to take in order to graduate. They wonder why someone who wants to be a psychologist or television producer should study subjects that are not directly related to those fields. And that is a reasonable question.
This is simply because a liberal arts education is a broad-based education in which a ADP student studies a variety of different subjects in order to gain a better working knowledge of the world around him or her, rather than focusing and specializing in one specific area of knowledge. It teaches a student on how to think and in turn, how to learn, and prepares them to be well-rounded citizens and lifelong learners, which is important for succeeding in our ever-changing world.
In Malaysia, although a liberal arts education is considered unconventional, ADP has earned global recognition for its dedication to acculturate students with the spirit of inquiry and pursuit of knowledge through critical thinking, openness, and exchange of ideas.
When students complete the American Degree Transfer Program from KDU College, the expectation is that they will be adolescent scholars, critical thinkers, and effective communicators to embark their journey as global citizens.
High Level of Flexibility
The beauty of a liberal arts education is the high level of flexibility it offers. ADP Students undergo two years of liberal arts study at KDU, before deciding on a major in specific disciplines (and are also able to switch their major). They are free to pick a combination of science and arts subjects, depending on their preference.
Life in the United States
Campus life can be one of the most enjoyable portions of a student’s life in the United States. Students will enjoy a diverse range of experiences in America as the country is a melting pot of people from different cultures, religions, ethnic backgrounds and socio-economic situations, and more often than not, these experiences will broaden students’ horizons and will be life-changing.
Why Choose KDU College to Study the American Degree Program (ADP)?
Engaging and Inclusive Learning Environment

The ADP fosters an engaging learning environment. KDU’s students are highly encouraged to participate in case discussions, impromptu debates and dialogues, that would facilitate their learning and gain confidence through their undergraduate academic experience.
In order to assist students to transition into university life, and into a programme as liberal as ADP, KDU also offers various activities and workshops and programs designed to help students to cope with and manage their academic-life balance in KDU, and to prepare them for their studies in the United States.
ADP College Success Series
The College Success Series program is designed as an open communication platform where ADP students feel more engaged at college and its environment, to build a continuous engagement between academic faculty and students, and to develop students’ sense of belonging. Various workshops and activities are held throughout this series such as:
- ADP Program Structure & Academic Career Paths
- The College Experience
- Self-Discovery
- Working in Teams
- Student Success – Thriving, Not just Surviving Changes • Different Learning Styles To Develop
- Goals and Motivation
- Time Management
- Listening, Note-taking, & Textbook Reading Skills
- Presentation Skills
- Writing & Research Skills
- Preparing for University Selection & Transfer Processes
Special ADP Events
It is also important for students to understand the American culture and way of life, which will help them to assimilate and acclimatise into new surroundings upon transfer. What better way to learn more about the American culture than to celebrate their major holidays? KDU’s ADP students and faculty go out of their way to arrange celebrations of 4th of July, Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas as well as organizing various fundraising activities.
Personalised Attention
- Good Student-Teacher ratio
- The smaller class sizes mean there’s greater opportunity for students to participate and engage in the subject matter.
- There are also opportunities for one-on-one contact with the subject lecturer which allows for consistent monitoring of students’ academic progress.
Dedicated ADP Academic Advisor
ADP students are assigned an academic advisor who helps the student on academic matters as well as in the transition from high school to college. In ADP, advising is developmental. It recognizes that students’ needs change over time, with three particularly important stages—the transition to college, the movement towards concentration in a major, and transferring to a U.S university. We believe that these conversations between a student and an advisor are vital, and we require students to meet with advisors before registering for each new semester. The Academic Advisor’s assistance includes:
- Helping students with queries on high school to college transition, and understanding college policies and procedures
- Charting students’ academic goals and Study Plan
- Adding / dropping courses
- Discussion on short-term semester goals, as well as long-term goals for transfer to a US university
- Creating and managing a Student Study Plan for future semesters
University Placement
University placement is one of the most pressing concerns for ADP students as finding a university where they will be able to learn, grow, thrive, contribute and be successful is crucial. At KDU’s ADP, students are guided and advised on this process, ensuring that they select a university that suits their needs. Throughout our years of ADP experience, we have enabled thousands of students to transfer to over 500 universities and colleges across the United States.
KDU College also organises visits from over 40 American and Canadian universities throughout the academic year. Students are highly encouraged to attend and enquire on potential universities to which they wish to transfer – this provides students with the opportunity to explore on the different universities and understand the general process of transfer.
Subjects Offered in the American Degree Transfer Program at KDU College Damansara Jaya
GENERAL EDUCATION REQUIREMENT COURSES | CREDITS | TO COMPLETE |
Natural Science | ||
BIO101/L General Biology 1 with Lab | 4 | 4-8 |
CHM102/L General Chemistry 1 with Lab | 4 | |
PHY201/L General Physics 1 with Lab | 4 | |
BCM101/L Biochemistry with Lab | 4 | |
Humanities | ||
HIS 201 US History | 3 | 3-6 |
Social Sciences | ||
ANT 201 Introduction to Anthropogy | 3 | 3 |
PSY201 General Psychology | 3 | |
SOC201 General Sociology | 3 | |
Communications | ||
COM101 Introduction to Public Speaking | 3 | 3-6 |
COM200 Organizational Communication | 3 | |
COM202 Business Communication | 3 | |
Mathematics | ||
MAT101 Algebra | 3 | 3 |
MAT102 Business Mathematics | 3 | |
English | ||
ENC101 English Composition 1 | 3 | 3 |
Mata Pelajaran Umum (MPU) | CREDITS | TO COMPLETE |
MPU3113 Hubungan Etnik (Local) | 3 | 12–14 |
MPU3123 Tamadun Islam and Tamadun Asia (Local) | 3 | |
MPU3313 Life in Malaysia (Local & International) | 3 | |
MPU3143 Bahasa Melayu Komunikasi 2 (International) | 3 | |
MPU3173 Pengajian Malaysia 3 (International) | 3 | |
MPU3253 Critical Thinking and Reading Skills | 3 | |
MPU3213 Bahasa Kebangsaan A * | 3 | |
MPU3422 Community Services & Co-curricular Activities | 2 |
* MPU3213 Bahasa Kebangsaan A for Malaysian students without credit in SPM Bahasa Melayu.
The Ministry of Education requires all students to take Mata Pelajaran Umum (MPU) (U1-U4) as a prerequisite for the award of the certificate.
MAJOR RELATED COURSES to complete, 20-30 credits.