International Students

Kuala Lumpur (KL) has long been the choice of study destination for students from Indonesia, China, India, Pakistan, Middle East, Maldives, Africa, and countries in the Southeast Asia region. In addition to the beautiful country of Malaysia, its diverse population and stable conditions, the vast course variety we offer - from IT and technology to biotechnology and media - gives lifelong learning opportunities for all our students.

Education is an investment, so you want to make sure you get a good qualification and a high standard of learning. Over the years, we have adapted to modern teaching methods and facilities without discarding values of traditional learning approaches. You can be assured that you will receive education qualifications that are of international standards and recognition. These qualifications are transferable and recognised by other universities including the UK and Australia. Of course, our ultimate aim is that your qualifications and studies are transferable and valued in the workforce.

Malaysia offers enormous opportunity to learn and master new languages. Our multicultural diversity and population consists of speakers of English, Bahasa Melayu, Mandarin, Chinese dialects, Tamil, and a host of others. You'll meet and study with students from across the region, giving you the opportunity to speak and practice new languages. The majority of the students speak English, and our classes are all conducted in English. You can also take additional English classes before you begin your degree study.

The total cost of studying and living in Malaysia is generally lower than most countries which offer internationally recognised and quality assured study programmes.

The Malaysian Government's Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) was launched in 1996 to propel the country into Information Age through a series of initiatives or flagship applications which include Electronic Government, Smart Schools, Telemedicine, Research & Development Clusters, Multipurpose Card, Borderless Marketing and Worldwide Manufacturing Web.

Malaysia also proves to be a record in architectural history from the old to the new. Come and see one of the tallest concrete towers in the world! Standing at 421 metres, the Kuala Lumpur Tower was built by a local firm to act as a telecommunications and broadcasting tower. Aside from the intricate architecture, you can also take a ride in one of the four express elevators to the top and admire the view from the Observation Deck.

Standing above Kuala Lumpur's skyline, the 452-metre Petronas Twin Towers is a national monument and the country's icon of pride. The 88-storey building of attractive glass and steel façade is an integrated development with commercial, retail, hotel, convention, entertainment facilities and residential properties.

Malaysia is easily reached by flights from all over the world. It is also accessible by sea and land from neighbourhood countries like Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand. KL International Airport, KLIA, is a homely airport environment with high technologies attractions. It is a busy airport hosting and handling flights that depart and land from all over the world.

If you are a car racing enthusiast, you'll be delighted to know that a Formula One Race Track is located near the airport where Formula One Race is held in March every year. The track also caters for motorcycle and rally racing activities throughout the year.

You will discover a delightful fusion of Asia's oldest civilizations - Malay, Chinese, Indian, with exuberant celebration of festivals, customs, and traditions and an array of multicultural cuisines.

Eating out in Malaysia is an adventure for food lovers. There is a great variety - from spicy Malay food, an endless variety of Chinese food, exotic cuisine from India, western cuisine, to Nyonya and Portuguese food. Indulge in popular Malaysian dishes such as satay, nasi lemak, rendang, roti canai, murtabak, laksa, and chicken rice. International fast food chains are also widely available in towns.

Malaysians celebrate a range of holidays and festivals - Deepavali or the Festival of Lights, Hari Raya, Chinese New Year, Christmas, National Day or Merdeka Day, Lantern and Moon Cake Festival, just to name a few.

Malaysia has a tropical, humid climate with temperatures averaging 29°C throughout the year, and cooler in the highland areas. Geographically, it is bathed in warm tropical sun, with 3,000 kilometres of coastline, a string of cool hill resorts, the world's oldest rainforest, and Southeast Asia's highest mountain. The bright and tropical climate ensures that most sports and activities can be enjoyed throughout the year.

Many sports are played in Malaysia. Amongst the popular ones are soccer, badminton, hockey, tennis and squash. Other favourites are biking, cricket, bowling, golf, rugby, table-tennis, softball and grand prix racing.

If you love natural adventure, you will have much fun! With the long coastline and offshore islands, you can do water-skiing, wind-surfing, snorkelling and diving in islands and marine parks, also canoeing, white-water rafting, river safari and cruises alongside the large river system.

That is not all. Cave exploring, mountain climbing, off road driving, mountain biking, jungle trekking, trail riding, scuba diving, fishing, bird watching, and paragliding are also among popular activities in Malaysia.

Before coming to Malaysia, make sure you know that:

• Your passport must have a minimum validity of 14 (fourteen) months beyond the period of stay from the day you enter Malaysia
• You are permitted to hold only one pass at a time, i.e. your Student Pass
• Your Student Pass is non-transferable and permits you to study only at UCTI. The pass is valid for 1 (one) year and is renewable while you remain as a student at UCTI

You need to get your Student Pass approval before leaving your country because in case your social pass expires before your Student Pass is approved, you will have to leave and re-enter Malaysia.

Note that all students and visitors to Malaysia are subject to the Immigration Act 1959/63.

It is your responsibility to remember when your Student Pass expires. You need to submit application for your Student Pass extension 1 (one) month before the expiry date. Failing to do so may cause you to be compounded for overstaying in Malaysia by the Immigration Department.

The Immigration Department of Malaysia allows International students to work for a maximum of 20 hours per week while studying in Malaysia and only during semester breaks.

When returning to Malaysia from your holiday, ensure that your Student Pass is still valid for no less than 1 (one) month from the date you re-enter Malaysia. You are advised to inform us of your travel plans and the length of your stay abroad.

You are strongly advised to renew your passport at your country's Embassy, High Commission, Diplomatic, or Consulate Office in Kuala Lumpur in order to facilitate transfer of Student Pass endorsement from your old passport to the new one.

Check with your travel agent to make your airline reservation. If you already have your accommodation arranged, you are advised to arrive in KL at least a few days before your course starts, so that you can settle down with your accommodation and the new environment. Also remember that during holiday seasons, flights could be expensive or fully booked on your desired dates, so make sure you make your ticket reservation soon after you receive your Student Pass approval letter.

When packing your luggage, remember that there are certain restrictions on the weight of luggage when you travel by air. Excess luggage charges can be quite expensive, so sometimes it may be cheaper to leave your books and heavy things at home and buy new ones in Malaysia. Check with your travel agent or airline on how much you can bring, what you are allowed and not allowed to bring into Malaysia.

It averages 29 degrees Celsius year round in Malaysia, so leave your sweaters and winter coats at home! You will need both professional attire and casual. During school session, professional attire is required on campus. You may want to bring casual clothing for non-school and off-campus events.

Make yourself feel at home! Bring personal stuff like posters or photographs of your friends and family. If you are bringing any electrical equipment with you, remember that the power supply in Malaysia is 220 - 240 volts / 50 cycle AC system.

Kuala Lumpur, or just KL, is the capital city of Malaysia. Petaling Jaya, known as PJ, is the largest neighbouring town to KL. During the first few weeks you will become familiar with the city and its neighbourhoods. The people here and the local life are two of the best things about studying at UCTI! You'll quickly find that you and newly met fellow students will discover a lot about local life, customs and culture, transport, places of interest, shopping centres, post offices, cinema, etc.

Through ING Insurance, we provide you with a comprehensive medical insurance package. Details of the package with enclosed registration form are given to you at the time of registration.

Plan ahead for your expenses while you study and live in Malaysia. In addition to tuition fees, costs may at minimum include food, books and stationery, accommodation, clothing, travel, entertainment, healthcare, insurance, visa renewal, etc. A moderate student lifestyle monthly expenses average RM1,200 to RM1,800, including accommodation and excluding tuition fees.

The local currency is Ringgit Malaysia (RM). It is generally easy to convert currencies at the money changers and banks throughout Malaysia. Most organisations in Malaysia accept major credit cards; some accept travellers' cheques. ATMs can also be used to obtain cash via debit/cash cards from your home bank.

Upon arriving in Malaysia, we advise you to open an account with a local bank. You will need to obtain a letter from our Student Services for this purpose.

Malaysia's official language is Bahasa Malaysia. However, English is spoken by a majority of people throughout Malaysia, linking the various ethnic groups. Other everyday languages include Chinese dialects such as Cantonese, Hakka, and Hokkien. You will also hear Indian dialects like Tamil, Malayalam, and Hindi.

You can make phone calls through residential phones, public phone booths, and mobile phones. IDD call cards are available from convenience stores to offer special rates for overseas calls. Wireless Internet access throughout the campus also allows for 24 hour email access. To get Internet access at home, broadband Internet subscription has become increasingly cheap in Malaysia to offer wired and wireless home Internet connection. Check with several local service providers such as TMNET, Jaring, Maxis net, TIMENet Central and Putra.Net.

Post offices are located throughout the country, with typical services provided for letter and package sending/receiving. Courier companies also operate throughout the country. There is a limited postal service facility on campus and they can direct you to any other service facilities you may need.

The International Student Centre at our Student Services will be glad to assist should you have any questions It is our job to make you feel at home here. We look forward to welcoming you and wishing you SELAMAT DATANG KE MALAYSIA!