PhD Programme

English Language Requirements

• International students are required to fulfill the English language requirement as follows:
  • Score not less than 550 in TOEFL; or
  • not less than 5.5 in IELTS for particular programme.
• International students who have the academic qualifications obtained from any local university approved by the Senate will be exempted from requirement (1)(a) but are required to take Ujian Kecekapan Bahasa Inggeris (UKBI) and if they do not acquire the level set by the program, the candidates are required to take and pass Modul Kemahiran Bahasa Inggeris (MKBI).
• Faculty/Institute may grant exceptions to the English requirement for international students from countries with English as the official language or have academic qualifications obtained from institutions that use English as a medium of instruction.

Malay Language Requirements

Malay Language Courses (4 units)

• All international students are required to follow two (2) Malay language courses equivalent to 4 units offered by the Citra Centre. Exemptions can be given to candidates who have taken and passed Malay language courses organized by other bodies recognized by the UKM Senate.

Doctor of Philosophy programme requires a candidate to do a research in the selected field and take the Research Methodology course. At the end of the programme, the candidate is required to prepare a thesis. The thesis has to be presented and defended in an oral examination which will be examined by examiners appointed by the faculty. Throughout the course of study, candidates are required to adhere to the following requirements :

Faculty Courses (4 Units)

Student must take and pass the Research Methodology course.

Proposal Defense and Research Progress

Student is required to submit research proposal and progress to the committee members between 6 months to 2 years of their study in order to continue their study at PhD level. Failure to submit their research proposal and progress may cause their studies to be terminated.

Publication Requirement

Students are required to produce at least TWO publications with a minimum of 2 journal articles (ISI/Scopus).

However, the PhD student can write to the Dean of FTSM/Director of UKM Postgraduate Office to apply for exemption from the minimum duration of study requirement, subject to approval from the Senate, having met the following conditions:

• Has received approval from the Faculty/Centre for Academic Management
• Has published at least two articles in high impact journals in the relevant research field, or in other journals endorsed by the Senate

The PhD student who is exempted under subregulation 5, has to pay the tuition fees for the duration of minimum study requirement.

• Full time (6 – 12 semesters)
• Part time (8 – 14 semesters)