What can you study in Malaysia with the qualification you already have?
Choose where you finished school, or what you hold now. See whether you can go straight into a degree or need a foundation year first — by Malaysia's own rules — and the real programmes at each level.
Your certificate counts as twelve years of school, so Malaysian rules let you enter a degree directly. Each university and programme still sets its own grades — below them, a foundation year is the way in.
MQA lists the senior high graduation certificate for direct degree entry. Universities may also ask for your Gaokao result, and set their own grade line per programme.
- UTM asks at least 70% in the subjects your programme needs. source
- UM asks a Gaokao average of at least 80%, verified by CSSD (from 23 Oct 2025). source
MQA, List of Entry Qualifications for International Student (Dec 2025), p. 5
Foundation
You can enter33 programmes at our partnersAbout 1 year, usually on the campus where you then take the degree. Pass with a CGPA of at least 2.00 to go on to the degree. Not every university runs one for international students — UM's is for Malaysians only. We place you on one that takes you.
Diploma
You can enter101 programmes at our partners2–3 years, and a qualification of its own. A CGPA of at least 2.00 opens the degree, and up to 30% of it can be credited — often about a year.
Bachelor
You can enter514 programmes at our partnersYour certificate is on MQA's list for direct degree entry. Each programme sets its own grades — if yours fall below a programme's line, the foundation year is the way in.
This is not an admissions decision. This follows MQA's rules for international entry and what our partner universities publish. The university admits you, and each programme can ask for more than the minimum. Send a counsellor your results and they check them against the programme you want — free.
Entry levels are MQA's: its rule on years of schooling and its December 2025 list of recognised certificates. Grade bars on top come from each university's own admissions page and are linked where shown.
Does this mean I am accepted?
This follows MQA's rules for international entry and what our partner universities publish. The university admits you, and each programme can ask for more than the minimum. Send a counsellor your results and they check them against the programme you want — free.
I finished school in China. Can I go straight into a degree?
Yes, by Malaysia's rules: MQA lists the Senior High School Graduation Certificate (高中毕业证书) for direct entry to a bachelor's degree. Universities add their own bar on top — UTM asks for at least 70% in the subjects your programme needs, and Universiti Malaya asks for a Gaokao average of at least 80% (from October 2025). Below a programme's line, a foundation year is the way in.
I have Thanaweya Amma. Do I need a foundation year?
Not if your marks are good enough. MQA lists Thanaweya Amma, and the Al-Azhar certificate, for direct entry to a bachelor's degree. Each university sets its own mark — UTM asks for at least 80% in the subjects your programme needs — and competitive faculties such as medicine ask for more. Below a programme's line, the foundation year is the way in.
What if my certificate is not in English?
You will need a certified English translation alongside the original. EMGS checks academic documents as part of the student pass application, and an untranslated transcript is one of the most common causes of delay. Our visa checklist sets out everything EMGS asks for.
I have work experience but no certificate. Is there a route?
Yes — MQA's APEL.A route assesses prior learning instead of the usual certificate, and it is open to international applicants. The minimum age, counted in the year you apply, is 20 for a diploma, 21 for a bachelor's, 30 for a master's (with STPM, a diploma or equivalent) and 35 for a doctorate (with a relevant bachelor's and five years' work). You also need relevant experience and must pass the assessment.
Do I still need an English test?
Almost certainly. The academic qualification and the English requirement are two separate gates, and meeting one says nothing about the other. Our score converter shows where an IELTS, TOEFL, PTE, MUET or Linguaskill result sits, and as an official English provider we can take you from where you are to where the university needs you.
The academic route is one of three gates. The other two are English and the student visa — both have their own tool.
Get the actual answer for your results.
Send a counsellor your qualification and your grades. They come back with the programmes you would actually be considered for, what each asks for, and the intakes still open — free, with no obligation.
Or reach us directly — inquiry@premium.edu.my · +603 2740 0711