Guide in Choosing the Best Private University to Study Your Culinary Arts Degree
Choosing a university to study in Malaysia is one of the most important decisions you will make in your life. Your decision will be influenced by many criteria such as the reputation & ranking of the university, accreditation of its courses, the suitability of the course against your academic results and career goals, tuition fees, quality of lecturers, facilities, friends & family, and more.
Top private universities & colleges in Malaysia are also accredited by MQA and approved by the Malaysian Ministry of Education. The best private university or college in Malaysia will focus on academic quality, overall student character development, have award winners for culinary arts, years of experience offering the particular course, highly experienced lecturers, a good study environment, internships, extra-curricular activities and good facilities. The SETARA ranking is a guide for students to assess the quality of a private university in Malaysia.
Ask yourself what’s important to you, where you want to be and who you want to become. Then you can figure out what types of colleges will allow you to achieve your goals. Which of these aspects are things you feel you must have to be comfortable at a private university in Malaysia. Which things are you flexible on?
In addition, think about what you want to accomplish in your college life. Do you want to train for a specific job or get a wide-ranging education? If you have a specific area of specialisation in mind such as pastry, Asian Cuisine, French Cuisine, Italian Cuisine, Molecular Gastronomy, is the private college or university that you’re considering strong or famous in that area of study?
Studying at the Best Private Universities and Colleges in Malaysia for Culinary Arts or Patisserie
Most culinary art schools in Malaysia teach a variety of cuisines and preparation techniques. Instruction ranges from the fancy haute French style cuisine to Italian style cuisine or Asian fusion styles.
This is perhaps the greatest strength of Malaysian cuisine: so many diverse backgrounds and foods come together in the kitchens and restaurants of Malaysia.
At the best universities and colleges for culinary arts in Malaysia you’ll be taught how to make mouthwatering food, and how to combine this with the business side of managing a restaurant. You will find that the culinary, hospitality and tourism industries possess high job prospects for graduates with the boom in tourism and increase in affluence of society. Therefore, the job prospects for the various areas of culinary arts are very positive not only locally but globally.
How long is the Culinary Arts Degree Course?
A Degree in Culinary Arts will take you 3 years to complete including an internship.
Internship
Students will undergo an internship in the kitchen and restaurants to develop practical and relevant skills.
How is the Culinary Arts Degree Assessed?
The assessments for a culinary degree programme at private universities and colleges in Malaysia is a mix of Assignments, Coursework, and written examination percentage. The diploma programme provides students with relevant, interesting, stimulating and practical experience via a variety of teaching and practical techniques.
Accreditation & Recognition for the Degree in Culinary Arts Course
Zi Jun & Yung Cong, Diploma in Culinary Arts at YTL International College of Hotel Management
When choosing a culinary arts degree programme, students will need to ensure that the course is accredited by the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA) and that the institution is recognised by the Ministry of Education.
The Malaysia Qualifications Agency (MQA) is an official body that is governed by the Ministry of Higher Education and is the only body that controls universities’ accreditation status, regulate curriculum and set operational standards for both public and private universities and other higher learning institutions in Malaysia.
MQA also accredit individual courses and programmes at each university. MQA’s operation is important because it works to ensure that higher learning in the country is up to global standards and is fit for the future of the nation.
Accreditation is a formal recognition that a certificate, diploma or degree programme has attained the quality standards and criteria set by MQA and is in compliance with the MQF.
What is the Education Pathway to Become a Chef in Malaysia?
Students after SPM or IGCSE/O-Levels wanting to pursue a top culinary arts programme at the university in Malaysia can go for the Foundation programme or Diploma in Culinary Arts. Students after SPM or IGCSE/O-Levels can go for the 1-year Foundation course with 5 relevant credits and then enter into the Culinary Arts Degree programme for 3 years.
Students with a minimum of 3 credits can go for the Diploma in Culinary Arts for 2.5 years before entering into Year 2 of the Degree programme for another 2 years. If you are sure that you want to study culinary arts, then you can go for the Diploma, if not, go for the Foundation in Arts course.
Who should study Culinary Arts in Malaysia?
Fu Wei, Diploma in Culinary Arts Graduate from YTL International College of Hotel Management
The culinary industries are ideal for people who enjoy experiential learning and being able to apply their knowledge gained immediately to practice. Students who possess the characteristics below are perfect candidates to study at top culinary schools in Malaysia. They are people who:
- Love to cook
- Enjoy meeting new and exciting people
- Enjoy traveling and entertainment
- Are creative thinkers
- Are hands-on workers
- Are critical thinkers
- Are service oriented
- Provide quick and creative solutions to different kinds of challenges
- Enjoy being a part of a exciting environment
- Work in flexible hours
- Love to explore new and different cultures
Plus points for qualified chefs in Malaysia
- Able to travel round the world
- Able to obtain jobs worldwide easily
- Able to get extra points in the application for Permanent Residency (PR) status in certain countries like Australia, UK, USA or Europe
- Able to network with people from all levels
Nature of the work for chefs in Malaysia
- Long hours
- Weekend work may be required
- High pressure at peak periods
- Service oriented – provide a high level of services
- Customer emphasis – able to cater and adapt customer’s needs and requests
- Dynamic – on-the-go
- Able to adapt to changes and stress
It is important to choose an outstanding culinary arts college or university in Malaysia that has years of experience or that can provide you with excellent exposure to the industry. The best colleges and universities in Malaysia in culinary arts can help prepare you with the necessary knowledge and skills for a successful career.
What Facilities will I use for Culinary Arts at the University or College in Malaysia?
Desmond, Culinary Arts at KDU University College
It is important for the college or university to have the necessary culinary arts facilities so that you can gain the necessary skills in your culinary education. The university or college doesn’t necessarily need to have all the facilities needed but should have the basic ones.
Students should ensure that the Culinary School has a complete infrastructure with state-of-the-art facilities which may include lecture theatres, classrooms and seminar rooms, conference room, learning and resource centre for their academic lessons.
Culinary facilities should cover fully equipped preparation, production and pastry kitchens, bakery, culinary studio, culinary theatre, show kitchen, fine dining restaurant, oenology laboratory and chocolate and sugar artistry laboratory among others.
- Fine dining restaurant – Built to mimic a true fine dining restaurant, students are given real practice
- Training restaurant – Training Restaurant – students run everything from scratch while serving real customers and countering real-time situations.
- Preparation kitchen
- Production kitchen
- Bakery, pastry or patisserie kitchens
- Butchery Kitchen – students learn and master the techniques and skills to create various deli products.
- Atelier – Hot Kitchen
- Garde manger kitchen
- Artistry kitchen – students are trained to master the most delicate of arts.
- Molecular Gastronomy Lab
- Sugar artistry laboratory
- Chocolate Room
- Culinary Lecture Theatre – Top notch facilities equipped in the theatre allows for in-class demonstrations.
- Ice Carving Lab – students are taught first hand on the art of ice carving.
- Wine Laboratory (oenology laboratory) – Students are given a holistic education complemented with our state-of-the-art facilities inclusive of a wine tasting lab.