Dubbed the land of glory and sunshine, Malaysia is a Southeast Asian nation whose official language is Malay or Bahasa Malaysia, but English is also widely spoken. The country has impressive landmarks that tourists often visit. These include George Town, Mount Kinabalu, Sipadan Island, Penang Hills, and the Borneo Rainforest. It is also known for flavorful foods like nasi lemak, assam laksa, beef rendang, and more.
Many international students flock to Malaysia to pursue their studies as well. The country can offer quality education at a lower cost with top universities. You can pursue different fields when you decide to study here, such as data science. There are many roles in this study area, including business analyst, data architect, and even machine learning engineer.
As it is an ever-growing field, it is not surprising that more and more Malaysian tertiary education institutions are offering data science-related study programs, courses, and even workshops for interested students. In line with this, the Ministry of Education stated in 2015 that the country needs an additional 12,000 data scientists. Below, we discuss some of the best data science universities in Malaysia.
Top Schools Offering Data Science in Malaysia
1. Asia Pacific University of Technology & Innovation
Recognized by the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation as a Premier Digital Tech University, the Asia Pacific University of Technology and Innovation is a private institution founded in 1993 and located in Kuala Lumpur. APU boasts of being an award-winning university. Furthermore, many of its students are thriving at the center of excellence, with a diverse international student community of learners from about 130 countries worldwide.
As for data science, APU offers a Bachelor’s in Computer Science specializing in Data Analytics. The study duration for this program is three years. On the other hand, this outstanding data science university also offers an MSc in Data Science and Business Analytics. Full-time students can complete it in one year, while part-time students can finish the program within two to three years.
2. National University of Malaysia
The National University of Malaysia, or Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, is a public institution in Selangor. With over 10 faculties, prospective students can choose a wide range of study programs at UKM. As one of the country’s best and most well-known universities, it has a sizeable list of noteworthy alums.
The list includes Malaysia’s first-ever astronaut, Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor, diplomat Ramlan bin Ibrahim, physician Jemilah binti Mahmood, politician Mohd Rashid bin Hasnon, and writer and geopolitical analyst Ayman Rashdan Wong. UKM also began offering a Master’s in Data Science in September 2016 under the Faculty of Information Science and Technology. Additionally, it can be taken as a full-time or part-time program.
3. Sunway University
A leading private institution of higher education, Sunway University is among the best data science universities in Malaysia. Its eight academic schools offer a significant number of study options in various fields across all tertiary levels. Moreover, the school offers study programs that utilize English as the medium of instruction.
In addition to this, the university is part of the Sunway Education Group, owned by the Jeffrey Cheah Foundation. Other institutions under this group include Sunway College and Sunway International School. It offers a Master of Data Science degree, which is a two-year online program that has a flexible schedule and can be easier for many students.
4. Monash University Malaysia
Australia’s prominent Monash University has a campus in Malaysia. Established in 1998, it is the first international higher education campus in the country. Students at the institution can pursue degrees in fields other than information technology, such as business, arts and social sciences, engineering, science, medicine and health sciences, and pharmacy.
The university offers a computer science in data science program for undergraduates under the School of Information Technology. This program can be completed within three years. Furthermore, the tuition fee for Malaysian students and international students is slightly different from each other.
5. UCSI University
UCSI University is a private center of learning with four campuses in Malaysia. Founded in 1986, it has now garnered numerous awards and recognition from various organizations. Moreover, prospective students have over ten faculties to choose from at UCSI. As one of the best data science universities in Malaysia, UCSI University offers a Bachelor of Computer Science in Data Science with Honors.
It is a full-time and three-year program that can be taken at the Kuala Lumpur campus of the university. This course will focus on subject areas, such as fundamentals of data science, data mining, database design, big data, business analytics, and more.
Data science is undoubtedly a multifaceted field for many students because of its various career opportunities, such as data architects, machine learning engineers, data analysts, and more. That’s why it should come as no surprise that many top Malaysian universities offer data science-related degree programs to those interested in the rapidly expanding profession. If you’re one of those students, consider the institutions listed above to start this degree.
We hope this article on the best universities to study data science in Malaysia was informative. If you’re interested in studying abroad, make sure to check out the Malaysia Page and look into the Available Programs for International Students!
