5 private institutions offering distance learning

Malaysia is becoming an increasingly friendly environment to part-time and online/distance learning through part time course in Malaysia or part time degree courses in Malaysia, where flexibility and affordability are the keys. The benefits of enrolling in online/distance or part-time studies include studying on your own time, at your own pace, and with various types of financial assistance; all while keeping your job and keeping momentum towards that promotion. Here is a list of private higher learning institutions offering part-time, online and distance, and full time studies as well.

You might also want to check out whether full time studying is better than part time studying or vice versa and also a list of private universities offering part time study programmes.

You might be wondering what part time or distance degrees are. To put simply, part time degrees and distance degrees are another form of study that allows people to study their preferred courses at their own pace and sometimes, at a more affordable price. This allows people who might have jobs to also study at the same time to obtain their degrees. Since most part time studying or classes take place at night, this allows people who have day jobs to continue their studies while not risking their jobs. This is why some people prefer to take a part time course or distance course instead of a full time course. 

Malaysia’s university system allows for people to take part time online degree courses in Malaysia so that people may opt to take their preferred courses part time instead of being a full time student. This allows them to do their courses at their own pace. These people who are doing part time degree Malaysia or part time degree KL can enjoy certain benefits that part time courses offer that full time courses don’t. There are several institutions or universities that offers part time degree courses so people can study part time at part time university in Malaysia. Read on below for the list of institutions. 

1. Open University Malaysia (OUM)

OUM is established in 2002 and it provides courses that are part-time and remote for students who want to work or fulfil an ambition of lifelong learning

Location

The main campus is in Jalan Tun Ismail, Kuala Lumpur. However, the university has multiple learning centres in every state

Study mode

 Full time, part-time and distance learning

Courses

 Undergraduate and postgraduates

Financial assistance

Discounts for senior citizens, citizens above 75 years old study free, 75% discount for special needs students, PTPTN, EPF, study loans from banks, easy and flexible instalments.

2. SEGi University’s Pace – Professional and Continuing Education

SEGi University’s PACE (Professional and Continuing Education) helps working adults or students to continue with their part time studies

Location

Kota Damansara (main campus), Kuala Lumpur, Subang Jaya, Sarawak, Penang, and Johor Bahru

Study mode

Part-time, online/distance, and full time

Courses

Undergraduate and postgraduates

Financial assistance

Flexible payment, CIMB Zero-Interest Instalment Plan, EPF, HRDF Funding (Online Distance Learning Scheme), and MyBrain15.

3. Wawasan Open University (WOU)

WOU’s programme, Open Distance Learning (ODL), aids students who don’t have the time to pursue their studies due to their careers to take courses without coming to class

Location

Kuala Lumpur (main campus), Penang, Kuching – Sarawak, Ipoh, Johor Bahru, Klang – Selangor

Study mode

 Part-time, full time, and online

Courses

Undergraduate and postgraduate

Financial assistance

Study Grant, Return-To-Study Allowance, Bursary Award, PTPTN, EPF and other modes of assistance.

4. Asia e University (AeU)

Besides having an Open and Distance learning programme, AeU offers Face to Face tutorials and a blended learning programme

Location

Kuala Lumpur (main location), Petaling Jaya, Ipoh, Penang, Johor Bahru, Ayer Keroh – Melaka, Kuching & Mukah – Sarawak

Study mode

Part-time and full time

Courses

 Undergraduate and postgraduates

Financial assistance 

Grants, awards, scholarships, discounts for special needs individuals, EPF, HRDF Funds, and other discounts available

5. Vinayaka Missions International University College (VMIUC)

VMIUC is the first university college in Johor to offer courses in dentistry. This new university from India will only take in 50 students

Location

Penang, Sarawak, Sabah and other locations

Study mode 

Full time and Online/Distance learning

Courses

Undergraduate and postgraduate

Financial assistance 

Partial scholarships, PTPTN and other assistance

When it comes to part time studying, there are pros and cons that come with it. Make sure you know these before making your decision to take a part time course. We’ll start off with the pros of part time studying first. This first pro is money. By doing a part time course, it will be much easier to study and make money at the same time. Part time courses are also generally cheaper than full time courses. The second pro is lifestyle. With part time studying, it is much easier to do the things that you enjoy since there is less coursework to deal with when part time studying. This allows a nice balance when it comes to enjoying your leisure time and studying. The third pro is support. Taking a part time course allows you to seek the support you need from tutors and lecturers who would guide you through your course at every step of the way.

Now that we’ve discussed the pros, it’s time to talk about the cons of part time studying. The first con is duration. Part time courses usually take more time to complete compared to full time studying. You will most likely complete your course much later than your friends who are doing full time studying. The second con is balance. Taking a part time course can be challenging to balance your work, study and family life. If your time management is bad, this can lead you to fail to meet your course requirements. The third con is stress. Just because you are taking a part time course, does not mean you will be free of stress. You are still expected to do assignments, meet deadlines and pass exams regardless of your circumstances outside of university.

Apart from part time and distance degrees, if you are doing a full time job but still want to study to obtain a degree, APEL allows you to take a degree course with your working experience. The Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning (APEL) allows working adults who wish to study and obtain higher education qualifications do so with their working experience. With APEL, you can pursue a Diploma, Bachelor's degree, or Master’s degree while working full time. This allows adults who might have not gone through university because of financial or commitment reasons to finally obtain their certifications so that they may have the proper qualifications to advance their careers in their related work fields.