Have lots of questions about how the human mind works?
Are you a highly observant person who loves to study human behaviours?
If you have answered " YES" to the above two questions, there's a high chance you'll love psychology.
What if we tell you that you can transform this interest into a career?
Continue reading this article as we take you on a journey to learn the steps to being a psychology student in Malaysia. We'll also explore the study pathway of psychology, the available programme specialisations at the Malaysian universities located in different cities like Shah Alam as well as the career opportunities upon graduation.
What Is The Common Pathway To Study Psychology In Malaysia?
Let's look at the academic pathway that you will experience once you have completed your Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) or International General Certificate Of Secondary Education (IGCSE).
Step 1: Pre-University
If you prefer to study psychology at a local public university, you can choose to apply for the local matriculation programme or become a Form Six student to prepare for the Sijil Tinggi Pelajaran Malaysia (STPM) examination.
On the other hand, if you are likely to pursue your undergraduate studies in a private university, you can either take the A-Levels and select Psychology as one of your core subjects, take a Foundation in Arts or Science or go for the South Australian Matriculation (SAM).
For students who are 100% certain that they will do a psychology degree and they are looking for an affordable pre-university programme, you can consider enrolling in a Diploma in Psychology programme. That is because diploma programmes are eligible for Perbadanan Tabung Pendidikan Tinggi Nasional ( PTPTN) loan application. Once you have completed the 2 years diploma programme, you can then enter the second year of your psychology degree.
Important tip: STPM graduates can apply for psychology courses that are offered by both public and private universities in Malaysia and even overseas psychology programmes.
Step 2: Degree
Once you have completed your pre-university programme, you can then register for a psychology degree. The duration of a psychology degree is usually 3 years and depending on the university and specialisations, the core modules may differ a little from one another.
For instance, some universities offer a business psychology programme whereas some would offer a psychological science programme. It's important to know if you are more inclined towards the clinical psychology field or the corporate psychology field because this will help you decide if it's necessary to take the next step below.
Step 3: Postgraduate degree
The moment that you decide to be a professional clinical psychologist in Malaysia, it is compulsory to take a master's in Clinical Psychology programme. Without this qualification, you are not allowed to practice. If research is your passion, you can even enrol in a PhD (Psychology) once you have gained some working experience as a clinical psychologist.
For those whose psychology interest lies in organizations and corporate, you don't have to do a postgraduate degree in psychology.
Don't forget to check out where you can take a psychology course in Johor Bahru.
Where Can You Study Psychology At Pre-University Level Locally?
When it comes to studying psychology at the pre-university level, you can either opt to study in an international school (if you're previously an IGCSE student) or study in a college or university that offers related programmes that lead to a psychology degree.
International Schools
If you prefer to continue your pre-university studies in an international school, you can look out for institutions that offer A-Level and the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP). Psychology is listed as an offered subject under these two programmes.
Some international schools in Malaysia that offer A-Level Psychology and IBDP Psychology course include Sri KDU International School (Petaling Jaya), Help International School (Shah Alam) and Tenby International School (Ipoh).
Universities/ Colleges
For students who want to study directly at a college or university, you can refer to the below list of education institutions that offer A-Levels Psychology in Malaysia:
- Taylors University
- Help Academy
- Sunway College
- Methodist College Kuala Lumpur (MCKL)
Discover the best places in Subang Jaya to further your studies in psychology.
Where Can You Take A Psychology Undergraduate Degree In Malaysia?
We're now moving towards the next step to get a solid psychology degree. Don't be surprised that many public and private universities in Malaysia offer a variety of psychology programmes.
Let's discover them!
Local public universities
1.Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
- Bachelor of Social Sciences (Psychology)
2. Universiti Malaysia Sarawak
- Bachelor Of Psychology With Honours
3. Universiti Teknologi Malaysia
- Bachelor of Psychology with Human Resource Development
4.Universiti Malaysia Sabah
- Bachelor of Psychology with Honours (Youth and Community Development)
- Bachelor of Psychology with Honours (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)
- Bachelor of Psychology with Honours (Child and Family Psychology)
- Bachelor of Psychology with Honours (Counselling Psychology)
5. International Islamic University Malaysia
- Bachelor of Human Sciences in Psychology
Source: Xframe
Private higher learning institutions
You can find many private universities in Malaysia that offer psychology undergraduate degrees as seen through the list below:
- Monash University (Subang Jaya)
- Nottingham University (Semenyih)
- Heriot Watt University (Putrajaya)
- University of Reading (Iskandar Puteri)
- Curtin University (Miri, Sarawak)
- Sunway University (Bandar Sunway)
- Taylors University (Subang Jaya)
- Asia Pacific University (Bukit Jalil)
- Help University (Kuala Lumpur)
- UCSI University (Cheras)
- International Medical University (Bukit Jalil)
- Raffles University (Johor Bahru)
- Inti International University (Subang Jaya)
- Management and Science University (Shah Alam)
- Unitar International University (Petaling Jaya)
- Universiti Tunku Andul Rahman (Petaling Jaya)
Explore these higher education institutions in Ipoh where you can learn psychology.
What Are The Most Popular Postgraduate Psychology Specialisation Programmes In Malaysia?
Still thinking of furthering your studies in the field of psychology after completing your undergraduate degree? We got you covered for the three most offered psychology Masters's programme in Malaysia.
1. Clinical Psychology
This is the number one most offered psychology postgraduate degree in Malaysia because it is a compulsory qualification if you want to be a professional clinical psychologist in Malaysia. Some of the universities that offer this programme include:
- Taylors University
- UCSI University
- Help University
- Sunway University
- Universiti Sains Malaysia
- Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
2. Business Psychology /Management Psychology /Organization Psychology
If you are more inclined to work in a corporate setting one day, you can check out the psychology postgraduate courses from these universities:
- Heriot-Watt University
- University of Nottingham
- Help University
- Universiti Malaya
- International Islamic University Malaysia
- Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman
- Sunway University
3. Child Psychology /Educational Psychology
For those who prefer to work in the education sector or work with kids, you can do a review on these universities:
- UCSI University
- Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
- Universiti Putra Malaysia
Source: Xframe
Learn where you can study psychology in Kuala Lumpur.
Taking Your Psychology Studies To The Next Level With A Superprof Psychology Tutor
Whether you are a student who is currently taking your A-Levels, psychology degree or even psychology postgraduate degree, you would certainly need to face various assignments and examinations throughout your studies.
Let's be honest.
University life can be pretty overwhelming when you have to juggle lectures, campus activities and personal commitments.
Trust us, your learning experience can be more effective and flexible with the help of a psychology tutor.
We highly recommend you to find a reliable and dedicated psychology tutor at Superprof.
You can choose to learn online or have face-to-face psychology lessons with our selection of tutors.
Head to the Superprof Malaysia homepage to start browsing the tutors' profiles freely.
From the tutor's profile, remember to review their hourly rate, teaching qualifications, teaching methodology, preferred teaching mode (online/physical lessons) and also past reviews of their students.
Important tip: You can adjust the maximum budget of your hourly rate during the tutor filtering process. Once you have done that, you will automatically be directed to tutors that offer their lessons within your selected price range.
After that, you can contact your desired tutor to discuss with him or her your personal needs, requests and lesson arrangements. You can then schedule your future lessons and finalize your payment methods all via inbox.
Also, don't forget to subscribe to the Student Pass to enjoy unlimited access to all the available tutors at Superprof. Most Superprof tutors offer their first lessons for free, so don't forget to make the best out of this opportunity!
What Are The Industries And Careers That You Can Venture Into With A Psychology Degree?
Having reviewed the above psychology postgraduate programmes, you would certainly gain a better idea of the various career opportunities in this field of study after your graduation.
In fact, you can do your own research on these jobs now to find out more about their respective job scopes.
Here are the three main industries that you can consider:
Health Science
- Clinical psychologists
- Therapists
- Sports and exercise psychologists
- Mental health practitioner
Source: Xframe
Corporate
- Marketers and advertisers
- Data scientists
- Human resources officers
- Media practitioners
- Psychology and management consultants
Education
- Career counsellors in school/universities
- Early childhood educators
- Special needs educators
- Psychology teachers
- Psychology tutors
- Psychology lecturers
- Academician
We hope this article has been useful in terms of educating you about the journey to become a psychology student in Malaysia. Have fun exploring where you can take a psychology programme in Petaling Jaya.
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