What is Psychology?
Psychology is the scientific study of humans’ minds.
Often, people misunderstood psychology as a topic that revolves around personality tests — it’s more than that.
Rather than just relying on facts, psychology is closely related to theories that constantly change according to new findings and researches.
In fact, it is all about figuring out
- the underlying reason behind people’s behavior,
- where mental illness comes from and
- the best way to treat or solve them depending on the individual’s situation and capability.
In simple words, psychology is your guide when it comes to human’s mind.
Why study Psychology?
- Make a difference in people’s lives – As mentioned before, you will be able to help people in either solving their problems, treating their mental illness, or simply just be there to listen to them with empathy.
- Learn more about yourself and others – Not only that, studying psychology will make you become an individual that is more aware of what is happening to them, and their surroundings — you will also be able to detect the reason behind it.
- Develop critical thinking – In addition, you will be trained to always think of things realistically when it comes to solving problems. It’s important to differentiate fiction and reality to not be manipulated by human’s feelings and emotions when coming up with solutions.
What are the Key Skills to study Psychology?
- Communication
As much as communication is always deemed important, psychology requires you to have a consistent and efficient communication skill because you will later implement it when dealing with clients, especially the clients that have a difficult time to express themselves verbally.
- Empathy
For psychology, empathy is much more than just listening — it’s listening with the intention to understand and analyze your client’s situation without making them feel invalidated.
Basically, you will need empathy to make your clients feel heard and to recognize your client’s emotions from the way they express themselves — their choice of words, their actions and their facial expression and relate them all to the main cause of the issue.
- Patience
Last but not least, patience. When it comes to dealing with emotion, it’s difficult for you to actually see the result in a short period of time.
Most of the time, it requires years and a lot of patience. You need to consistently deal with your clients even without seeing apparent change in your client’s behavior.
What are the Career Opportunities if I study Psychology in Malaysia?
- *Psychologists
- *Psychotherapists
- Counselors
- Social Workers
- Career Advisors
- *Rehabilitation Specialist
- Case Manager
*You will need to be a qualified psychologist for these careers.
How to Become a Psychologist in Malaysia?
Following is your pathway if you decided to pursue Psychology in Malaysia—
If you are an SPM graduate, you can go for Foundation/Pre-University programs (STPM, A-Level, UEC) for 1-2 years OR enroll in a Diploma program for 2-2.5 years.
After that, you can decide to get your Bachelor Degree for 3 years (if you are a Diploma graduate in a related field, you are eligible to enter the 2nd year).
Next, in order for you to be a qualified psychologist — you will need to at least have a Master’s degree in a specialized field of psychology that usually takes around 1-2 years.
Overall, to become a qualified psychologist in Malaysia will take you around a total of 5-7 years.
What are the General Entry Requirements to study Psychology in Malaysia?
Academic Requirements
SPM (Pre-requisite requirements) | Minimum 3Cs including Mathematics and Science, and a pass in English |
STPM | CGPA 2.00 for 2 subjects with minimum C for each subject |
Foundation/Pre-University/Matriculation/Diploma | Pass with minimum CGPA of 2.00 |
A-Levels | Minimum EE |
UEC | Pass with 5Bs including English |
International Baccalaureate (IB) | Minimum 24 points |
English requirements
IELTS | Minimum 5.0 |
TOEFL | Minimum 34 (Internet Based Test) |
MUET | Minimum Band 3 |
*The requirements may vary among universities, for inquiries on other entry requirements, contact us.
What are the Top 6 Universities to study Psychology in Malaysia?
1. Monash University
“In the three years of the degree, students will cover the core areas of the scientific discipline of psychology, as well as being able to pursue their specific interests in a range of areas relating to the application of the scientific discipline of psychology.”
Program Name | Bachelor of Psychological Science |
Program Duration | 3 years |
Intakes | February, July, October |
Indicative Annual Fee | Malaysian students: RM36,977 Non-Malaysian students: RM42,315 |
2. University of Nottingham
“There are opportunities to spend one or two semesters in your second year at our campus in the UK. The final year allows you to choose from a variety of advanced topics.”
Program Name | BSc (Hons) Psychology |
Program Duration | 3 years |
Intakes | September |
Indicative Annual Fee | Malaysian students: RM39,500 Non-Malaysian students: RM46,000 |
3. Heriot-Watt University
“Our Psychology degrees equip you with an understanding of human behaviour and the skills to apply your knowledge to an inclusive and productive society.”
Program Name | BSc (Hons) Psychology |
Program Duration | 3 years |
Intakes | September |
Indicative Annual Fee | Malaysian students: RM39,500 Non-Malaysian students: RM46,000 |
4. Taylor's University
“At Taylor’s University, our Psychology degree programme prepares students with the essential knowledge and skills in psychology. “
Program Name | Bachelor of Psychology (Hons) |
Program Duration | 3 years |
Intakes | March, August, *October *Special intake due to the COVID-19 |
Indicative Annual Fee | Malaysian students: RM28,900 Non-Malaysian students: RM35,800 |
5. HELP University
“The primary pathway we offer is the Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) Programme, which can be completed fully at HELP University. Students, if they so choose, may also transfer credits to affiliated universities. The American Degree Program (ADP) is the other pathway that HELP offers for those seeking a degree in psychology.”
Program Name | Bachelor of Psychology (Hons) |
Program Duration | 3 years |
Intakes | January, May, August |
Indicative Annual Fee | RM73,700 |
6. UCSI University
“The Psychology degree programme is constructed to equip students with the necessary knowledge and skills, which will assist them to achieve healthy adjustments in their social existence and occupational well-being.”
Program Name | BA (Hons) Psychology |
Program Duration | 3 years |
Intakes | January, May, September |
Indicative Annual Fee | Malaysian students: RM21,200 Non-Malaysian students: RM23,000 |
You might be interested in these articles:
Top Degree Courses that are in High Demand During & Post COVID-19
Top Universities For Psychology in Australia 2020
Top Universities to study Pharmacy in Malaysia 2021
Or you can browse all our articles here!
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Heather
I seek peace and knowledge in discovering myself.
