What are the entry requirements for the Diploma in Accounting at Private Universities in Malaysia?
Students after SPM or O-Levels with at least 3 credits can choose to study the Diploma in Accounting at top private universities in Malaysia before continuing on to the accounting or finance degree programmes. Students should choose the right university that fits them which has a good reputation for accounting programs, excellent facilities, top lecturers and an English-speaking student environment.
Students after SPM or O-Levels interested in a career in accounting can go for the 2-year Diploma course at top private universities in Malaysia instead of an external Pre-University Course like SAM, AUSMAT or A-Levels. The Diploma courses are generally cheaper than the external Pre-University programmes and easier. If you do not plan on going overseas for your degree programme, then it is better to go for the Diploma in Accounting at a top private university in Malaysia. To enter into the Diploma in Accounting course at private universities and colleges in Malaysia, students after SPM or O-Levels would need at least 3 credits in the relevant subjects with a pass in BM and Sejarah.
It can be a bit confusing for students after SPM or O-Levels to enter into their diploma course of interest. Many students assume that the entry requirements are the same for all universities in Malaysia. Some students with 3 credits in SPM have checked with TAR University College to find out that their entry requirements is 5 credits for Diploma courses, therefore, they sign up for the 1 year 4 month Certificate Course at TAR University College without realising that the entry requirements for all the rest of the private universities & colleges in Malaysia for Diploma is only 3 SPM Credits. Students should research and check the information carefully before joining any university or college in Malaysia.
Accounting Diploma Courses Admission Requirements at Top Private Universities & Colleges in Malaysia
Hui Ying, Diploma in Accounting Graduate from Asia Pacific University (APU)
You will need at least 3 credits in SPM or O-Levels including Maths or Accounting with a pass in BM & Sejarah to join the accounting diploma course in Malaysia. Please contact us for the details.
A credit in SPM or O-Levels is A, B or C. D & E are passes.
After the 2-year diploma in accounting programme, you will then enter into Year 2 of the Accounting, Accounting & Finance, Banking & Finance, Finance & Investment or Finance degree programmes at top private universities in Malaysia for another 2 years.
To enter into the Accounting degree programme, diploma students must have at least MUET Band 2 or IELTS Band 5.5 or TOEFL 550 (A compulsory requirement from MQA)
You will need at least 3 credits in SPM and a pass in BM & Sejarah to enter into a Diploma course at most private universities and colleges in Malaysia.
However, to enter TAR UMT diploma programmes, you need at least 5 relevant credits including English. Some students without a credit in English would sign up for the English course at TAR UMT.
Most private universities and colleges in Malaysia only require a Pass in English. That’s the only college in Malaysia that requires 5 SPM credits to enter into all of their diploma courses. Students with 3 SPM credits can only enter into the Certificate courses at TAR UMT for 1 year 4 months before entering into the Diploma courses.
Grading System
| SPM | UEC | 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 |
Transferring your Diploma in Accounting to a Degree Course in Malaysia
Gary, Accounting Graduate from University of Wollongong Malaysia (UOWM) KDU
Upon completion of the Diploma in Accounting, students can consider transferring into top accounting and finance degree programmes at the best private universities in Malaysia.
If you had taken a diploma course, you can transfer your credits into Year 2 of a relevant degree. Taking the Diploma in Information Technology, you can generally be accepted into Year 2 of the Accounting, Accounting & Finance, Finance & Investment, Banking & Finance, Actuarial & Finance, Financial Economics and other related degree programmes. At some universities, you may not get full exemptions as the subjects may not be similar, so you may have to enter into Year 1 second or final semester.
If you are continuing on to the degree programme at the same university after your diploma, there is no need to do an exemption as it will be automatic.
To perform the exemption exercise to transfer to another university for the degree, you will need to submit the following documents to the university of interest for exemption evaluation:
- Transcripts for the subjects taken
- Course outline for all subjects taken
- Letter of Completion or Diploma Certificate
- Copy of SPM certificate
It will take some time to perform the exemptions so you need to submit the documents early.
Upon completion of the accounting degree programmes, graduates will have 9 paper exemptions from the total of 14 ACCA papers. I would recommend students who are weak in the English language to go for the accounting degree course first and then only pursue the ACCA. The ACCA is exam-based and marked in the UK.