Twinning Programs in Malaysia: Types and Reasons to choose them

One of the things that distinguish studying in Malaysia and make it a favorite destination for the students is that it offers a different mix of study programs. As the universities offer special study programs for the bachelor, master, and PhD degrees, there are other programs too.

Today, we will highlight one of these programs: the twinning programs in Malaysia.

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Twinning Programs

Many institutions in a number of countries, such as Malaysia, offer what is called the twinning programs.

These programs allow students to study high-level disciplines for reasonable costs.

Moreover, they offer the option of studying in Malaysia and completing studies in one of the most prestigious countries around the world in terms of quality of education.

A number of relations link between many institutions in Malaysian and other countries globally to create this type of programs.

Additionally, many educational institutions in different countries have campuses in one of the Malaysian cities, where they can follow up and study this kind of program.

When an institution in Malaysia announces that it offers twinning programs, it means that it is a partner with one of the renowned institutions abroad, usually in the UK, USA, Australia, and New Zealand. This also means that you will be awarded a degree from this university abroad, although you will spend most of your study period in Malaysia.

Types of Twinning Programs

There are three types of twinning programs usually offered by the different institutions. They are the “2+1”, “3+1”, and “3+0” programs.

These symbols refer to the number of years you will spend studying in Malaysia and in the other foreign institutions.

2+1: It means that you will spend two years studying in one of the Malaysian universities and one more year in a foreign partner institution.

3+1: This means that you will study for three years in Malaysia and one year in a foreign partner institution.

3+0: It means that the whole three years of study will be completely inside Malaysia.

There are many other types of twinning programs. So, when applying for a program, conduct some research on the twinning programs offered by your selected institution.

Why Studying a Twinning Program?

Many international and even Malaysian students choose this type of study program for many reasons.

The first reason is attributed to economic factors. If you are a student who is looking for a prestigious education with a budget that is not high and not allowing you to study in a country that offers high-quality education, this type of program is for you.

You will receive the same education but at lower costs. Many international students seek this option to save more tuition fees and obtain international degrees, without the need to exceed their financial capabilities.

Moreover, the cost of living in Malaysia is much lower than in the most popular study destinations, such as the UK. So, studying in Malaysia as a part of the twinning program will significantly reduce your costs over the study period.

Check our article about the costs of studying and living in Malaysia.

Where Can You Study a Twinning Program?

A number of higher education institutions in Malaysia entered into partnerships with many global education institutions, such as Sunway University Malaysia.

It established a partnership with many American universities, such as Western Michigan University. It is also a partner with Australian institutions, such as Monash and Victoria, together with many other countries.

Institutions from the following countries are working with Malaysian institutions to offer twinning programmes:

The UK
USA
Canada
New Zealand
France
Germany

Twinning Program vs Transfer Program in Malaysia

Alongside the twinning program, students in Malaysia can also opt for a transfer program to get the chance to continue their studies abroad. Transfer program is a system that allows students to complete one or two years in Malaysia. Then they can be transfered abroad to finish the rest of their degrees.

Compared to the twinning program, transfer allows the students to move to any university of their choice, whereas twinning system allows them to go only to a specific partner university. Despite this obvious benefit, transfer program as opposed to twinning program does not guarantee the student’s acceptation to transfer.