Higher Education Ministry to shorten study programmes - Mohamed Khaled

KUALA LUMPUR - The Higher Education Ministry has announced its plans to streamline some study programs, reducing their duration from four years to a shorter three-year period.

Its Minister, Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin, revealed that a total of 44 study programs offered by nine higher learning institutions (IPT) have been identified for this modification, aimed at minimising student loans and expenses.

This initiative is expected to provide graduates with the opportunity to enter the job market a year earlier, enhancing their career prospects, he added.

"The Ministry will be updating the range of programs and majors offered by IPTs nationwide. Our objective is to optimise the structure of these programs to benefit all stakeholders," Mohamed Khaled said during the closing ceremony of the Jom Masuk U 2023 program held at Universiti Malaya (UM) today.

Adding further, he said that private higher education institutions (IPTS) are not involved in this initiative which would see study duration reduced to three years, but leave it to the institutions to implement it themselves.

It was reported previously that the Higher Education Ministry is finding ways to reduce the students' burden including by introducing flexible courses and shortening the study duration for certain programmes offered at public universities.

Khaled said this implementation would also see students being allowed to study from home for two years before completing the rest of their course physically at the university.

He added that the ministry will also look for ways to update the tuition fees for courses that will reduce the use of the universities' facilities.