Curtin Malaysia introducing new courses to meet industry demands

Miri – 22 May 2018 – Curtin University Malaysia (Curtin Malaysia) is introducing three new undergraduate courses in its coming second semester this July. They are in construction management, cyber security and software engineering, which are increasingly popular areas of study and designed to meet current industry demands, including Sarawak’s digital economy and Industry 4.0 drives.

The 4-year Bachelor of Applied Science (Hons.) in Construction Management, designed in collaboration with construction industry professionals, prepares students for a wide range of professional roles in the building and construction industry. It is management-oriented and focuses on a broad range of interrelated disciplines, including domestic, commercial and civil construction.

The core subjects include construction technology, measurement and estimating, project management, contracts administration, and building law and economics. As communication is fundamental to construction and computer applications widely used, students will also gain critical communication and computer skills, specifically in Building Information Modelling (BIM) tools. Students will also undertake 80 days of work experience to further enhance their skills and knowledge.

According to Dr. Muhammad Ekhlasur Rahman, Head of the Department of Civil and Construction Engineering at Curtin Malaysia’s Faculty of Engineering and Science, the course will be taught by a dedicated team of professionals with qualifications and experience in construction-related disciplines.

“This course is more than just a quantity surveying degree. It gives students practical training and education in construction management, and as work integrated learning is emphasised, they will have the opportunity to participate in work experience and supervised site visits,” he said.

The course is recognised by the Malaysian Ministry of Higher Education and is professionally accredited by the Australian Institute of Building, Australian Institute of Quantity Surveyors, Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, and Board of Quantity Surveyors, Malaysia.

It is also one of the most popular courses at Curtin University’s main campus in Perth and is expected to be equally popular here. Graduates will be able to find employment in a wide range of roles, including quantity and building surveyors, building contractors, contract administrators, project managers, construction managers, estimators and property developers.

Another exciting course being introduced is the 3-year Bachelor of Science (Computing) – Software Engineering, a stream under the core Bachelor of Science (Computing) degree that takes an engineering approach to building software.

“Software engineering is the application of a systematic, disciplined and quantifiable approach to the development, operation and maintenance of software,” said Dr. Ling Huo Chong, Programme Coordinator of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.

“It is about creating high-quality software in a systematic, controlled and efficient manner, and adds a new dimension to software development and the development of software-based systems in the rapidly evolving information and communications technology industry.”

According to Dr. Ling, the course aims to produce graduates who are well versed in the principles of design, measurement and analysis applied in the context of software-based systems development.

“Students will receive a strong foundation in computer science, with further emphasis on software requirements gathering, design, implementation and testing. They will also focus on communication skills, professional responsibility, ethics and interpersonal relationships,” he said.

He added that career opportunities in the field include work as software engineers, software developers, games developers, systems analysts and web applications developers.

Another computing-related course being introduced to meet popular demand is the 3-year Bachelor of Science (Computing) – Cyber Security stream. There is currently a huge demand for computer security professionals in this rapidly-growing field encompassing technologies, processes and practices designed to protect networks, computers, programmes and data from attack, damage and unauthorised access.

Dr. Lenin Gopal, Head of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, said the course is an excellent springboard to a successful career as a cyber security specialist in the rapidly evolving information and communications technology industry.

“Graduates can find employment as computer security experts in many different organisations due to the pervasive nature of modern computing today,” he remarked.

As the course focuses on the key concepts and challenges in data and resource protection and computer software security, students will examine both the high-level and low-level practical aspects of computer security. They will also develop skills in identifying appropriate applications for specific scenarios, with an understanding of cultural and ethical issues related to protecting individual rights.

Graduates of the course can look forward to careers as cyber security analysts, forensic computer analysts, software developers, IT analysts and web application developers, among others.

Both streams, as well as the core Bachelor of Science (Computing), are recognised by the Ministry of Higher Education and the Australian Computer Society.

For more details on the courses, visit courses.curtin.edu.my, or email enquiries@curtin.edu.my.

Bachelor of Applied Science in Construction Engineering prepares students for professional roles in the building and construction industry.

Bachelor of Science (Computing) to feature two streams – Software Engineering and Cyber Security.

Dr Muhammad Ekhlasur Rahman, Head, Department of Civil and Construction Engineering.

Dr Ling Huo Chong, Programme Coordinator, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.

Dr Lenin Gopal, Head, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.