Best Guide to Choosing the Right Private University or College in Malaysia to Study Diploma in Culinary Arts after SPM or IGCSE/O-Levels
If you’re interested in pursuing a career in the culinary arts, then the first step after completing your secondary school is to go for the Diploma in Culinary Arts. Although some people may claim that real-life restaurant experience is more valuable than anything you can learn in a classroom. This is not true nowadays if you want desire to work at Michelin star restaurants, luxury resorts, or 5-star hotels in Malaysia or overseas as they will require a basic qualification that’s recognised. Choosing a top private university or college in Malaysia for the diploma in culinary arts to study after SPM or IGCSE/O-Levels takes time, it is an important process in finding out which one best fits you.
The best culinary schools in Malaysia pride themselves on their facilities. Students get hands-on experience in kitchens equipped with the latest technology and equipment. Many of these schools also have their own restaurants, patisseries, or cafes on campus, where students can get real-world experience and showcase their skills to the public.
Choosing a private university that excels in your field of study may provide you with access to more specialised opportunities, including custom-built facilities such as Fine dining restaurant, Training restaurant, Preparation kitchen, Production kitchen, patisserie kitchens, Butchery Kitchen, Atelier or Artistry kitchen. In addition, the university will be able to provide culinary arts-specific academic opportunities like student mobility programmes or overseas study trips) as well as employment or internships opportunities with top establishments in Food & Beverage. If your university excels in your field, it’s also likely that you will be taught by prominent and experienced chefs, and that there will be opportunities for you to learn from industry experts.
Choosing the best university for your studies in Malaysia is important as it will help to shape your mind, character and help you to develop the necessary skills for a successful career in the competitive Food & Beverage industry. Therefore, not all private universities & colleges in Malaysia are the same. You should not choose a university because it is the cheapest, easiest and nearest. It should be based on which university that best fits your needs. While it can be difficult to choose between private universities or colleges in Malaysia offering the diploma in culinary arts, you will find that there are some key differences between them that can help you make the big decision in choosing the right one that fits you. The best private universities and colleges in Malaysia have excellent culinary arts facilities, years of experience running the diploma in culinary arts course, strong student support services, internships and experienced lecturers.
How to Choose the Best Culinary School to Study Diploma in Culinary Arts in Malaysia
Fu Wei, Diploma in Culinary Arts Graduate from YTL International College of Hotel Management
Getting your Culinary Arts degree can open doors for your career in the Food & Beverage industry worldwide. Building a foundation of skills and techniques that you’ll be able to draw upon for years to come is an investment in your future.
A formal culinary education provides you with a broad overview of cuisines, theories, ingredients and techniques that restaurant experience alone cannot deliver. This culinary education is important as it will allow you to stand out from other applicants in a competitive job market and demonstrate to your employers that you have acquired the necessary knowledge and skills in culinary arts.
When choosing a culinary school for your Diploma in Culinary Arts after secondary school, you need to 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.
In addition, think about what you want to accomplish in your college life. Do you want to train for a specific field 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?
Choose a Private University or College that’s Accredited and Recognised
Desmond, Culinary Arts at KDU University College
Top private universities & colleges in Malaysia are also accredited by MQA and approved by the Malaysian Ministry of Education.
When choosing a diploma 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. Students should be wary of colleges or academies offering “diploma” courses awarded by unknown UK, USA or Australian universities that’s not accredited by MQA.
Upon completion of these diploma programmes, you will not be able to continue on to degree programmes at Malaysia’s universities.
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.
Top Criteria to Consider When Choosing the Best Private College in Malaysia to Study the Diploma in Culinary Arts
Weng Kang, Culinary Arts at IMI Switzerland
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.
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.
Here’s a list of common criteria in choosing a top private university or college in Malaysia to study the diploma in culinary arts:
Recognition & Reputation of the Culinary Arts Courses in Malaysia
Nicholas Chong, Hospitality at Berjaya University College of Hospitality
- Is the Diploma in Culinary Arts course popular at that university or college?
- What is the reputation or ranking of the private university in Malaysia? Global ranking by QS World University Rankings or locally by MQA in the SETARA
- Is the Diploma in Culinary Arts course recognised and approved by the Ministry of Education Malaysia?
- Is the Diploma in Culinary Arts course accredited by the Malaysian Qualifications Audit (MQA)?
- Awards won by the university, staff or students for the particular course of interest. The number of awards won would be a guide on how good the university is for the course.
- Type of programme (local diploma or dual award diploma or diploma awarded by foreign university partner?)
Academic Quality of the Diploma in Culinary Arts course at the University in Malaysia
Zi Jun & Yung Cong, Diploma in Culinary Arts at YTL International College of Hotel Management
- Subjects offered in the Diploma in Culinary Arts course (Are they relevant, up-to-date, and help you to achieve your career goals)
- Entry requirements for the Diploma in Culinary Arts course courses at the university or college in Malaysia
- What is the Class size for the culinary arts course? (Small class size for personal attention)
- Faculty contact/classes taught by full-time qualified & experienced faculty
- Quality of lecturers. What are their qualifications? How many years of experience in teaching?
- Ask your friends who have studied there or currently studying there for their opinion on the teaching quality, environment and facilities.
- Does the university or college have a strong internship or Co-Op programme?
- Do they have enough students to start a class?
- How many students do they have studying that course at that college?
- What is the duration of the course? When are the intake dates?
Facilities for Culinary Arts at the University or College in Malaysia
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. Special labs and kitchens will depend on the area of specialisation in the culinary arts at the college or university. You will need to look at the subjects offered to see which one fits your career goals and area of specialisation that you want to pursue.
Does the university or college have facilities such as:
- 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.
Cost for your Diploma in Culinary Arts Studies in Malaysia
Kar Wai, Diploma in Culinary Arts at YTL International College of Hotel Management
- How much money do I have to pay for the course and cost of living? Ask your parents. Note that you will need to have enough to pay the tuition fees as well as your cost of living. (Costs for university studies in Malaysia would include tuition, hostel, food, transportation, entertainment, etc.)
- What are the Financial assistance available at the university? (Scholarships, PTPN Loan, EPF withdrawal, etc)
- Is the PTPTN loan available for the course at the university?
- How much are the tuition fees? Does it include the exam and other fees?
- How much is on-campus accommodation?
- How much is off-campus accommodation? (Off-campus apartments, houses, condominiums) Note that it might be cheaper to find off campus accommodation on your own with friends. Is the accommodations near eateries, banks, entertainment, public transportation, safe & secure, etc.?
Facilities at the University for the Course of Interest in Malaysia
- When choosing a university or 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.
- Location of the university or college. Is it in the city, suburbs or country side? You should also consider the ambience of your surroundings when choosing a university. If you can’t live without nightlife, think city! If you’re into the great outdoors, you might want to go rural. Some students prefer a city life while other students prefer a quieter university environment away from the city. On the other hand, if you’re used to shopping malls and cinemas and choose a university in a rural area, you might get bored.
- Size of the university.
- Transportation. Is the university accessible to you? What are the public transportation available? If you drive, is there ample parking?
- Campus resources (labs, library or resource centre, wifi, computer access, sports facilities, etc.)
Talk to a Knowledgeable & Experienced Education Consultant to Help you to Choose the Best Private University or College in Malaysia
Choosing a the right university to study after SPM or O-Levels in Malaysia takes time, it is a process in finding out which university in best for you. You need to talk to the right counselors who are knowledgeable and experienced.
A knowledgeable counselor would be able to provide detailed information about the course, facts & evidence to support the job prospects for the course and in-depth information about which university would be suit you. While an experienced counselor would be able to analyse your results, understand your personality & skills to figure out which course and career suits you.
A knowledgeable education consultant means that he or she would know the entry requirements, course details, in-depth knowledge of the hundreds of courses out there, career prospects, job demand, professional recognition requirements, accreditation, best universities for the course, and other information that would help a confused student to make the right choice.
While an experienced education consultant would have had counseled hundreds of students analysing their personalities and skilfully guiding them to the right course and university.
EduSpiral Consultant Services has worked with our partner universities and colleges for many years while the counselors at the private universities or agents’ offices change every few years therefore they would not have the in-depth knowledge of the courses and the university that they are working at.
At EduSpiral Consultant Services, I have worked in the private higher education industry in Malaysia for more than 15 years advising students with facts and evidence on how to choose the right course after SPM. You should carefully think about what are the options available to you. To choose the best course that fits you, students may fill up our EduSpiral Career Assessment form for evaluation.
The EduSpiral Career Assessment form is a simple form designed by us that gathers information from students after SPM, O-Levels, UEC, STPM or A-Levels in order to assess their aptitude helping us to determine the most suitable course and career progression. After knowing which course, we can then determine which private university in best for that course.
EduSpiral Consultant Services provides a Free Campus Tour for our students to help them make the right choice for their university studies.