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Swinburne University of Technology (Sarawak Campus)

Malaysia Malaysia

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Overview

Overview

Swinburne University of Technology’s Sarawak Campus is one the best institutions in Southeast Asia, growing quickly and welcoming more students from across the globe every year. Swinburne Sarawak is in the beautiful city of Kuching, in the beautiful country of Malaysia. Though it’s a new option for students, it has had a clear and quality approach to education since day one, preparing everyone who enrols to make a big impact on their industry after graduation.

 

Swinburne Sarawak ranks in the top 350 universities in the world, and it’s a school on the rise, this ranking will keep getting better each new academic year. Students at the campus can study undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, the structure of courses and programmes is flexible, and new technology is used to make learning experiences as effective as they can be.

 

Tutors and lecturers are experienced and understand the skills that modern students (and, later, modern professionals) need. The libraries, laboratories and research centres at Sarawak help them to deliver courses filled with theory and practical knowledge.

 

There are students from over 40 different countries living in the beautiful, welcoming city of Kuching and studying at Swinburne Sarawak. International students get all the advice, guidance and support they need to feel at home quickly. Plus, they can start making friends just as quickly, joining one of Sarawak’s many clubs, societies and teams.

 

Graduate employment prospects are high, and it helps that Sarawak students are offered lots of internship, volunteering and networking opportunities. Swinburne University of Technology’s Sarawak Campus has excellent facilities and a range of great accommodation options, and the Kuching city setting is an added benefit. For driven students who want to make a difference in their field, it’s a really strong choice (maybe the best in Malaysia).

 

Explore more about studying at Swinburne University of Technology (Sarawak Campus) Malaysia:

 

Teaching Quality

 

Swinburne Sarawak is one of the newest institutions of its kind in the world, but it still ranks very well. It’s in the top 350 universities in the world according to the Times Higher Education World Rankings and the QS University Rankings, and it’s been able to grow to this level because it’s a campus that cares about its students and employs talented lecturers to teach these students (most tutors have PhD and master’s qualifications and are highly experienced academics).

 

Sarawak prepares students well for professional life, and whatever they’re studying, always offers high quality teaching. There are quality assurance processes in place to make sure this teaching quality is consistent, as well as lots of useful academic support services and a range of differently sized teaching rooms for everything from lectures to collaborative workshops.

 

Since this is an institution that specialises in technology and sustainability, students at Swinburne Sarawak also enjoy a lot of modern learning options. They use some of the leading technologies of the future in their studies.

 

Important areas of research at Swinburne Sarawak include control and automation, civil engineering and art and design. The university also ranks in the global top 100 for these subjects (QS World University Rankings).

 

Whether students are applying for a one-year foundation programme or a postgraduate degree, they can expect quality teaching at Sarawak. They can expect to graduate fully prepared for the modern working world in their field of interest.

 

Entry Requirements

 

The entry requirements for undergraduate and postgraduate applicants change from course to course at Swinburne Sarawak. There are also some general minimum entry requirements (meeting these doesn’t guarantee a student a place, but it does guarantee a student will be considered for admission). All applicants will be assessed on the following criteria:

 

  • Their formal academic qualifications and results
  • Their ability to meet course requirements
  • Their ability to meet university requirements
  • Their ability to meet English language requirements
  • Their ability to meet legal requirements (study permits, visas and so on)

 

Specific requirements will change from country to country depending on an applicant’s previous education. For example, a student from the UK wishing to study an undergraduate course in media and communication will need a minimum of three A Levels at pass grade or higher. But for a student applying for the same course from Bangladesh, the university entry requirements include a Bangladesh Higher School Certificate with a minimum score of 3.5.

 

The minimum university qualifications for a postgraduate applicant change as well. If they’re applying for a master’s degree, they’ll need to have a recognised bachelor’s degree with a minimum CGPA score of 2.5 (or equivalent). To study for a graduate diploma in construction management, they’ll just need to have a recognised bachelor’s degree.

 

English Score Required

 

The language of instruction at Swinburne Sarawak is English, and all international students have to demonstrate their English language abilities before applying. There are different minimum score requirements for each level of education at the university. The minimum IELTS (International English Language Testing System) score for each of the programme levels and opportunities at Swinburne Sarawak is:

 

  • An overall band score of 5.5 with no individual band score below 5 for a foundation course
  • An overall band score of 5 with no individual band score below 5 for a diploma
  • An overall band score of 6 with no individual band score below 6 for an undergraduate major
  • An overall band score of 6.5 with no individual band score below 6 for a postgraduate MBA (I), MCM or MIT
  • An overall band score of 6.5 with no individual band score below 6 for a graduate certificate and graduate diploma
  • An overall band score of 7 with no individual band score below 6.5 for a postgraduate master’s

 

The university also accepts other recognised tests. For students who don’t meet minimum English requirements or don’t feel fluent in the language, there are some intensive courses available to help applicants progress and gain confidence in their English skills. These courses will also prepare students well for the world of work if they’re planning to stay in Malaysia (or move to any other English-speaking country) after graduation.

 

Admission

 

For undergraduate and postgraduate international students, the admissions process at Swinburne Sarawak is the same. The documents that applicants are required to provide may change depending on their chosen course’s specific admission requirements. The general student admission process that students should follow is:

 

  1. They check their status as an international student.
  2. They select their course.
  3. They check the entry requirements, including course prerequisites.
  4. They review the tuition fees they’ll be paying (and make sure they can be covered).
  5. They research relevant scholarships/financial assistance options.
  6. They gather evidence of their education and employment history.
  7. They complete the application form, supplying supporting documents like academic transcripts (with English translations), a copy of their passport and results of an English proficiency test like the IELTS.

 

Students can choose to submit their admission application form online directly to Swinburne Sarawak, send it by post or submit it through a recognised, authorised representative in their country of residence. Once students have applied for their chosen course, they’ll need to get a Visa Approval Letter. This is supplied by the Malaysian Immigration Department and passed on to prospective students by a Student Visa Assistant.

 

Students will then need to contact their local Malaysian embassy to get a single-entry visa to the country. Once they arrive at Sarawak, that single-entry visa will be converted into a student visa. This lasts for the whole of a student’s programme and is renewable on its expiry date.

 

Annual tuition fees for international students will change depending on an applicant’s level of study and their chosen course. For example, the annual fee for a degree in chemical engineering is RM 42,440, while the annual fee (and total fee, as it’s a year-long course) for a research master’s in science is RM 34,010.

 

Scholarships & Funding

 

Swinburne Sarawak offers scholarships and funding opportunities to international students whether they’re studying for a foundation programme, diploma, undergraduate programme or postgraduate programme. These scholarships are based on academic merit and financial need.

 

One of the best scholarships at the foundation level of study is the PVC Academic Excellence Scholarship. This covers fees of different amounts depending on a student’s academic performance before entry to Swinburne Sarawak. For example, if an applicant from Zimbabwe gets four O-levels at an A grade, they’ll get a grant of RM 4,000. If they get six A O-levels, they’ll get a grant of RM 9,000. The scholarship is automatically taken off a student’s second-semester tuition fees.

 

Diploma students can also apply for either the Swinburne Sarawak Entrance Grant or the Diploma Entrance Bursary. The Entrance Grant covers RM 2,000 for foundation programmes and is for new students only. The Entrance Bursary takes 15 per cent off a course’s total cost, and any students studying a Swinburne Sarawak diploma are eligible.

 

Undergraduate students can benefit from a wide range of scholarships, awards and funding grants. These include things like the Emerging Technology Award for students studying certain programmes like design, engineering, computer science and media. Undergraduates can also get the Swinburne Sarawak Entrance Grant. They will receive RM 3,000 or 4,000, depending on whether the student is UEC certified or not.

 

At the postgraduate level, there’s a Coursework Bursary available that reduces the total cost of tuition by 10 per cent. Students who apply for the Swinburne Sarawak Entrance Grant are not eligible for this though. If a past student of Swinburne Sarawak applies for postgraduate studies, they’re also eligible for the Alumni Bursary, which reduces the total tuition by 15 per cent.

 

University Structure

 

There are seven core schools of study at Swinburne Sarawak, and all of them offer qualifications at foundation, diploma and degree levels. These programmes are some of the best in Malaysia, and students can expect excellent resource materials and course management no matter what they’re learning. The schools are:

 

  • The School of Engineering
  • The School of Information and Communications Technologies
  • The School of Chemical Engineering and Science
  • The School of Business
  • The School of Design and Arts
  • The School of Foundation Studies
  • The School of Research

 

There are many excellent research centres and institutes at the Sarawak Campus, too. It’s home to the Business and Social Innovation Centre, which looks for new solutions to boost organisational performance and community wellbeing. There’s also the famous Centre for Digital Futures, which is using AI to do important research in areas like farming, indigenous heritage and medicine. 

 

There’s also the Sustainable and Clean Energy Cluster and the Human Resource Innovation Cluster, both of which work to improve the Earth and help students make a positive difference in the world around them.

 

Facilities

 

Swinburne Sarawak is based in Kuching, one of the best cities in South-East Asia and a great place to live, as a student and beyond. The campus has lots of excellent academic facilities, but there are lots of extracurricular opportunities available, from student recreation centres to evening fun in Kuching.

 

There’s a lecture theatre that can seat up to 350 students, perfect for important classes and conferences. There are also tutorial rooms for smaller classes, a 24-hour laboratory and a green screen studio. Other great academic student activity centres include the Electrical Machine Laboratory, the Cybersecurity Laboratory and the final year research lab for chemical engineering students.

 

Students have access to the entire database of the Swinburne University of Technology’s Melbourne Campus at the Sarawak Campus, and they also have 24-hour access to the library and the ability to book private study rooms and use printing facilities.

 

There are lots of clubs and associations at Swinburne Sarawak that students can join. These clubs do a huge range of activities together, from watching anime to playing chess. There are also lots of sports societies for everything from tennis to Taekwondo.

 

On campus, there are two cafeterias and two delis, centres of student life between classes serving western, Asian and Indian foods. There’s also a Smart Xpress bookshop for all of a student’s education and stationery needs. Finally, there are some great student accommodation options for international students at both levels of study: undergraduate and postgraduate.

 

Accommodation

 

Swinburne Sarawak can help international students find on-campus accommodation or off-campus accommodation. The institution recommends students apply as early as they can to get on-campus accommodation, as places can be competitive.

 

Living in the Student Village university accommodation gives a student access to helpful academic facilities and the exciting city of Kuching. There are different room types available, and the monthly rental cost depends on the room. Contracts are usually monthly and some ask for an advance payment. The costs are:

 

  • RM 490 for a standard twin room
  • RM 850 for a standard single room
  • RM 900 for a standard-plus twin room, with a deposit of 900 and an extra deposit of 500 for gas, electric and water
  • RM 1,200 for a standard-plus single room, with a deposit of 1,200 and an extra deposit of 500 for gas, electric and water

 

Student Village residents also have access to a communal kitchen, a common lounge, a communal washroom on each floor and an on-campus gym, which charges a membership fee of RM 55 monthly. All off-campus student accommodation is privately owned, and the university works with partners to secure rooms and student houses.

 

Student Support

 

Swinburne Sarawak wants all its students to feel welcome and supported, whatever their needs. The student services at the institution are wonderful. There’s a counselling and student support programme that offers one-on-one counselling appointments with an experienced student guide, as well as workshops and disability support options for mental and physical health issues.

 

Swinburne’s student support services are individual and easy to customise. The Sarawak Campus staff understand that every student has different needs, and they are committed to meeting these needs however they can. There are also accommodation support options, which may be very helpful to international students trying to find a place from across the world.

 

There are also lots of opportunities at Swinburne Sarawak for students to give feedback on their experiences. Even complaints are welcome, and there’s an appeals and review service, risk assessment and management options. Swinburne Sarawak wants its students to feel comfortable in giving feedback, and the student support options that simplify the process are an important part of that.

 

Graduate Outcomes

 

Swinburne Sarawak is one of the fastest-growing technology institutes in the world, and many graduates have gone on to work in some of the world’s leading firms. Former students are now making a difference, working for important companies like Amazon and Microsoft. The institution’s 2019 Graduate Tracking Survey revealed that a huge 93 per cent of graduates were in employment.

 

In general, Swinburne Sarawak ranks in the top 500 universities globally for graduate employability (QS World Rankings). It also currently has a 100 per cent success rate for business and engineering graduates. Since the Sarawak Campus of the Swinburne University of Technology has only been established since 2000, rankings are likely going to continue to rise as the academic years go on.

 

All the subjects at Swinburne Sarawak are taught with an emphasis on business training, innovation and making a difference to a student’s local and national communities. Lots of alumni have made success stories of their studies, demonstrating the institution’s wonderful teaching and career services in the real world.

 

Those employment services are run by the campus’s Employability Team, who organise industry insight events, internship opportunities and training in specific skills that employers are looking for. Through this team, students can get communication, creativity and critical thinking mentoring from a career guide. These are all things that will improve their career options and job prospects.

 

As an example of a student success story, former multimedia student Daphne Chong graduated from Swinburne Sarawak with a BA in design and set up her own multimedia company (Orangutan Creation). This company now works with several big local companies. Another example is a biotechnology graduate named Nayeem Ullah Yeasir, who set up the first online grocery business in Borneo.

 

For any potential future student who wants to make a positive impact, Swinburne Sarawak is a great choice. The satellite campus of the Swinburne University of Technology is always investing more time and resources into creating a better world, and every student who attends becomes a part of that positive journey.

 

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Key facts and figures at Swinburne University of Technology (Sarawak Campus)

Student life in numbers

AVERAGE TUITION FEE PER YEAR

UNDERGRADUATE

RM36,830

POSTGRADUATE

RM32,470

VOCATIONAL

RM17,500

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