A wealth of choice in postgraduate studies at Curtin Malaysia

With the world becoming progressively advanced and technology-savvy, a university degree is just the starting point in one’s quest for lifelong learning. Whether you have just completed undergraduate studies or have been employed for some time, a postgraduate qualification will give you the edge in advancing your career or increasing your potential in the job market.

New graduates and professionals who wish to stay ahead with postgraduate qualifications can consider the range of postgraduate programmes at Curtin University Malaysia (Curtin Malaysia), Curtin University’s largest international campus and global hub in Asia located right here in Malaysia. They include both coursework and research degrees, as well as graduate certificate and diploma courses leading to master’s degrees.

Here’s the full range of postgraduate offerings:

GRADUATE CERTIFICATES & GRADUATE DIPLOMAS

The graduate certificate courses are career oriented and designed to develop skills in a specialised area that may or may not be directly related to that of your undergraduate degree. They usually take one trimester full-time or equivalent part-time.

The graduate diplomas, meanwhile, are specialised, vocationally oriented awards meant to introduce graduates from disciplines outside of their chosen higher degree to postgraduate studies. Entry is normally based on completion of a bachelor’s degree, although this can be in an unrelated field if you have work experience in the field of study. Graduate diplomas are usually completed in two trimesters full-time or equivalent part-time.

Current graduate certificate and graduate diploma programmes comprise:

• Graduate Certificate in Project Management – This course allows you to examine project management and its processes, including history, definitions, attributes, body of knowledge, objectives and success.
• Graduate Diploma in Project Management – This course builds on the curriculum of the graduate certificate to include topics in project quality, risk and procurement management and managerial effectiveness.
• Graduate Diploma in Professional Engineering – This course is designed for those who wish to convert into a different engineering discipline, or from an undergraduate science or technology degree. It provides foundational knowledge, skills and professional competencies for an engineer in your chosen discipline.

MASTERS BY COURSEWORK DEGREES

A faculty at Curtin Malaysia may accept you into a master’s degree provided that you hold appropriate qualifications as decided by the head of the faculty. Curtin Malaysia has three faculties – Humanities, Business and Engineering & Science. Mature-age students who do not have formal entry qualifications may also qualify for admission.

A master’s degree is usually completed in one year on a trimester or semester basis, unless Credit for Recognised Learning (CRL) is awarded as a result of other relevant studies. Some also have a work experience component. Master’s degrees by coursework at Curtin Malaysia include:

Faculty of Humanities

• Master of Policy Sciences – This course will provide you a foundation in the core areas of policy analysis and management in the public sector, including policy formulation, implementation and evaluation. Designed largely with the Malaysian public sector in mind, with both localised and international perspectives, this course is the first of its kind in Malaysia and available in both face-to-face and online study mode.
• Master of Science in Project Management – Project management is a distinct professional discipline with its own body of knowledge, skills, tools and techniques. It involves managing a project from inception to completion and the successful attainment of the project’s objectives. This course provides the opportunity to gain the understanding, knowledge and skills necessary for performing such a role, adopting a generic approach to project management applicable to projects in a variety of fields and industries.

 Faculty of Business

• Master of Commerce (Marketing) – This course provides you with a comprehensive and in-depth coverage of the principles of marketing management and strategy, buyer behaviour and marketing research as well as key specialist topics relevant to contemporary marketing theory and practice. It covers aspects of marketing communication, digital marketing and the application of marketing in particular industries, such as tourism. As part of your studies, you will undertake a significant research project, providing the opportunity to pursue a topic of your particular professional interest.
• Master of International Business – This course enables you to gain the knowledge and expertise needed to advance in the field of international business and management. It entails both independent study and team projects across a range of relevant, internationally focused subjects. During the course, you will have the opportunity to undertake a cross-disciplinary stream or specialisation. The available streams are Human Rights, National Security, Business of Mining, Predictive Data Analytics and an elective stream that will allow you more flexibility over the units you undertake.

Faculty of Engineering and Science

• Master of Petroleum Engineering – This is a Masters conversion course in Petroleum Engineering that will provide you with a multidisciplinary education in petroleum engineering and can be completed in 18 months. You will cover a wide variety of subjects core to the petroleum engineering field, including applied geology and geophysics, drilling and reservoir engineering, hydrocarbon phase behaviour, formation evaluation and petroleum economics and project management. This course, along with the Master of Engineering Management, is due to be phased out and amalgamated into a new Master of Professional Engineering programme in 2021.
• Master of Professional Engineering – This new programme offers specialisations in Chemical Engineering, Emerging Power Systems, Petroleum Engineering and Mechanical Engineering. It is a 2-year accredited degree where graduates will meet the Stage 1 academic requirements for chartered status as a professional engineer. It develops high level technical and theoretical knowledge and skills with an industry focus and international perspective. Students will interact with world-class researchers through a combination of coursework and research based activities.

POSTGRADUATE RESEARCH DEGREES

A Master of Philosophy (MPhil) degree is awarded for a thesis or a combination of a thesis and coursework in which the coursework component does not exceed one third of the degree or master’s programme. The award indicates that the thesis, in the opinion of the examiners, constitutes a substantial original contribution to the knowledge or understanding of a field of study and demonstrates the capacity of the candidate to conceive, design and carry to completion independent research.

A candidate may enrol in a degree or master programme either full-time or part-time. Enrolment is usually for a minimum of one year and a maximum of two years of equivalent full-time study. Masters fields of study in the various faculties are as follows:

Faculty of Humanities

•  Media, Culture & Creative Arts

 Faculty of Business

• Accounting
• Economics and Finance
• Management

 Faculty of Engineering and Science

• Electrical and Computer Engineering
• Mechanical Engineering
• Civil Engineering
• Chemical Engineering
• Geology
• Petroleum Engineering

A doctoral (PhD) degree is awarded for a thesis or a combination of a thesis and coursework in which the coursework component does not exceed one third of the doctoral degree programme. The award indicates that the thesis, in the opinion of the examiners, constitutes a substantial original contribution to the knowledge or understanding of a field of study. The doctoral candidate should uncover new knowledge either by the discovery of new facts, the formation of theories, or the innovative re-interpretation of known data and established ideas.

A candidate may enrol in a doctoral degree either full-time or part-time. Enrolment in the degree is usually for a minimum of two years and a maximum of four years of equivalent full-time study. Doctoral fields of study at Curtin Malaysia comprise (but are not limited to) the following:

• Engineering & Science
• Environmental Science
• Business
• Humanities

Postgraduate studies at Curtin Malaysia are jointly coordinated by its academic faculties and the Curtin Malaysia Graduate School, which was established in 2015 to advance and promote postgraduate education through both taught and research programmes, and to enhance the graduate student experience.

The Graduate School assumes academic leadership for postgraduate education and provides oversight for policies and standards for all postgraduate programmes. It also provides general administrative support for academics and students in relation to the postgraduate programmes, service to prospective students, and advocacy for postgraduate education and graduate students both on campus and in the professions.

To fulfil its mission, the Graduate School works in close collaboration with the campus management, its faculties and the Curtin Malaysia Research Institute (the campus’ research arm), as well as its postgraduate students.

The Curtin Malaysia Graduate School and Curtin Malaysia’s Office of Research and Development provides attractive PhD research scholarships for qualified candidates under the Curtin Malaysia Postgraduate Research Scheme (CMPRS), including tuition fee waivers and monthly stipends, in addition to other benefits such as subsidies for consumables and attending conferences.

Postgraduate candidates have a wide range of coursework and research degrees to choose from.