Hi...

Can nebody shed some light on the difference between the two universities (UM n UTM) in their architecture course? I'm curious....as to how the course is executed...and as to what accreditation they have received.

Of course...if you guys could voice ur opinion on which uni is the best for the course, all the better! hahahah.

Thanx!

was an architecture student from UTM.

nothing much diff actually... UTM is the oldest archi school having been accredited since 1970's. UM was just recently only... one of the newer archi schools in Msia, behind USM and UITM.

almost all lecturers from UM now were educated at UTM heck, even the head of Department of Archi UM, Prof Saari graduated from UTM.

On the quality of students, that is more subjective. UTM used to be the benchmark for all archi schools, but UM is catching up pretty fast.

Another LYN forummer here by the name of azarimy is my first year lecturer. Perhaps u can PM him for more infos or answers to any question that u have.

well well... thanks justin for the introduction heheh.

UM is the fastest growing architecture school in malaysia right now, and probably the most sought after. there are several reasons for this:

i. UM is in KL
ii. UM is the most prestigious university in msia, and internationally recognized too
iii. UM's architecture is accredited by RIBA and PAM. graduates will get both qualifications (RIBA & PAM part 2), which is british and msian accreditation.

why people go to UTM

i. UTM is the most established architecture school in msia and the graduates are internationally recognized
ii. as justin said, UTM is the benchmark for all architecture school in msia as they set the standard
iii. UTM has the biggest architecture resource in msia

actually, UTM and UM is not very different schools. although both are trying to establish a really distinguishing mark. UTM is moving away from the technical school template, and UM i believe is going after theoretical studies. prof saari is coming to stay with me in sheffield this august. probably i'll have some time to discuss with him on the difference between UTM and UM. u think u can wait, winnie?

stay in wat sense la? i think winnie doesnt wan to wait for Brokeback Mountain 2

On a more serious note, if u wanna know more, u might wanna try www.tanggam.com, the UTM's architecture student forum.

Hahaha...good joke....Brokeback Mountain part 2.
Nope ..am not waiting for that

On a more serious note, i guess by the time azarimy is able to find the distinguishing factors between UM and UTM architecture , i'd already be enrolled in the course.it would still be interesting to know though.

u mentioned on another topic that UTM's accredited as only having RIBA equivalent. Since UM is exempted from the RIBA part I n II, does that make UM ne better? im blur really ....cos im not that sure what all these accreditation does in producing better qualified architects.


so basically...i wanted the comparison majorly because i needed to find out which uni will push the students towards excellence better.of course i realise...to be a successful architect one needs to rely on one's own capabilities too...but the added help is surely a bonus?hehe...

am a selangor gal...so the logical question would be...is location a factor to consider in pursuing this course as well?
If UM n UTM were located in the same state, which one would be the better option?
hehe...i ask a lot of stupid questions...hopefully u guys can bear with me.

being selangorian didnt stop me n my bunch from joining utm. most of us from kl didnt have any problems adjusting to jb life. much less hectic. but if hectic is what u want, singapore is just about 45 minutes away.

the choice between UM and UTM is a difficult one. if u're going international, go for RIBA. if u want a more established course with a record of excellence, go for UTM. UTM is currently undergoing RIBA assessment. we're targeting to be accredited by RIBA by 2010, that's before u graduate (if u enrol this year).

UM and UTM have the same template anyway. the only reason why UTM hasnt been awarded with RIBA part 2 is bcoz the original instruction by the govment that UTM take SPM leavers rather than STPM. RIBA only accepts STPM/A-level students, so it took us awhile to change from a 6 year post SPM degree course to a 5 year post STPM degree course, which was 3 years ago.

justin here was the last batch of the old system to come in from SPM.

frankly, go to UM. it's new, radical and it's open to a lot of things. if u favor (or trust) tradition and established method of learning, come to UTM. here's another catch:

about 65% of architects graduating from local schools out there are from UTM. somehow they tend to favor UTM graduates whom they could relate to. most of the lecturers of the other universities are from UTM too, and i think a huge chunk of UM's lecturers are from UTM.

so between UTM and UM, not much different to me. just take ur pick, u're not losing anything.

Just my curiousity...ehehe
which school offers the best architecture course?? UTM,USM,UM,UITM,UIA,UPM??
UTM offers the best architecture course right!!!!

Is it true that Uitm wont be having Dip.course anymore but only Bach.??Just like UM and instead of Diploma they give fast-track course???

best architecture course? go to bartlett, bauhaus or AA laaa.

not sure about UiTM's diploma course. UTM chucked its diploma course 3 years ago, and relocated it in KL. so we now have two separate system running concurrently: 3 years diploma (post SPM) in KL, 5 years degree (post STPM).

i think by 2008 it will be split into 2, which is 3+2 years instead a 5 year degree. reason? so that people could take a breather. i assume UiTM is following this approach too. all degrees in malaysia are required to take STPM/A-level students only. no more SPM leavers.

Thanks for the replies to my nonsensical query.
I'll actually be enrolling this coming 2nd July.Wanted to find out on what i might or might not miss out.heheheh.

well, i'll just leave it to god...and HARD WORK from now on!

so, any advice on what to prepare myself with to enter this field? List of good books to look out for perhaps?

My advise,sleep a lot today,tomorrow,the day after tomorrow until 2nd July. You wont have time for that later on ...Well,you need to have a strong determination and stay cool.

This post has been edited by silencio87: Jun 24 2006, 04:35 PM

another plus pint for choosing UM is bcos its in the Klang Valley.

Its much easier to go places when ur central. If u were in JB, u would think twice bout going Kedah for a site visit no?

Most big architects are based in KL, they are more inclined to go to UM if they were invited to give a talk either at UM or UTM.

There are lots more interesting potential sites in KL than JB.

If ur a person that hav to depend on public transportation, ur better off in KL. U'll need a bike or car to get around in JB.

i beg to differ. After the hectic and hustle of the Customs and Immigration, Spore is such a great and peaceful place. Should you choose to study in UTM, SG is such a great model city to look up to. Life is less hectic (although academic pressure is a killer there, n i mean it per se!) due to proper planning and policy implementation.

When i return to Msia after visits from SG, i sometimes wonder, hav i been transported back to a third world country?

cheers!

This post has been edited by xtracooljustin: Jun 26 2006, 12:55 PM

Do these "site visits" occur all the time? If that's the case, then it will definitely be a hassle
and yeah....i'm a person who has to depend on public transportation, especially since first years are not allowed to bring their vehicles right? so, basically...i'll be stuck in campus all the time? hahhaha...sounds fun!

but wont those BIG architects at least attempt to hold their talks in UTM...since UTM is a very recognised uni in the architecture field....

being an archi student wont give me much time to waste in singapore now does it? but is singapore the only attraction of studying in JB? anything closer to home that's worth mentioning as well?hehehe

belum mula...dah pikir nak have fun!

azarimy...

Do you need to have a pass in malay to enter UM after A-level (STPM)?
i never sat for any BM exam and i do not speak/write bm.

I love architecture but no choice have to go to LKW to study..
wish can enter UM.. without a pass in malay..

hmm... if u're applying using STPM, then u'll have a hard time competing with other students if u do not have BM. a way around this usually (for those who had trouble speaking/writing BM especially foreigners) is to apply using A-levels. however, i cant be sure whether BM is actually a requirement for STPM holders nowadays. it was a few years back. u'd have to check.


WINNIE,

site visit is a constant happenings in the world of architecture. but usually, trips are organized for the students in groups by the department or the tutor themselves. usually if the site is quite far away, u'll have a day or two to spend on site. this is part of a training of an architect.

trips can be as often as 3times a semester. established universities such as UTM or UM will provide transports, and sometimes cheap accommodation as well. depends on the arrangement done by the department. frankly, it's not something u should worry about.

however, what justin said is when u want to organize ur own personal trip. for example, if kenyeang held a talk in penang, would u like to spend 8-9hours sitting in the bus from JB to penang, and another trip back?

if u ask most of us, the answer is simple: we dont mind.

with the new development of WPI in johor, u'll be looking into a lot of development in johor. UTM have set up its own design firm where lecturers will become practicing architects and will be working with students as well. this firm will tap from the new developments and if u're lucky, u might have a hand in constructing/designing new buildings in johor even before u graduate!

other schools of architecture in msia do not have their own design firms. they have individual private firms where members of the faculty practices, but non are representative of the school.

azarimy! u're a lecturer from UTM? thank goodness!

i've oways wanted to become an architect. now i'm having my STPM exam, means that i'll be graduating by this yr end. now i'm contemplating on which uni is the best for architecture, same as the q in mind of the TS.

i juz wanna know wat r the entry requirements for a STPM leaver to join the architecture school of UM, UTM, USM? i've checked the UTM website, it didnt state the entry requirements for STPM leavers, only matrix, SPM leavers and so on, but NO STPM! i'm worried rite now... STPM is not accepted by UTM? bout USM and UM, i cudnt find the entry requirements! since u've talked about both UTM and UM, wat about USM? how good is the archi course compared to UTM and UM? and btw, the courses in both 3 unis are conducted in Eng or BM???

also, wat about the archi course of UPM and UKM? how r they compared to the courses offered by UM, USM and UTM? the courses r conducted in Eng or BM?

thx for ya patience in answering my qs!!!

euro,

USM is one of the senior school of architecture in msia. they are well established in the housing and planning field in msia, which is their specialization. USM's syllabus is very stable at the moment, and since they've used the international curriculum since god knows when, they're not going into any changes for atleast the next 5-7years.

the faculty members are experienced and have published a lot of material relating to the fields mentioned above, and are mostly the sought after experts ESPECIALLY when a scandal errupts about something in those fields uncovered by the media.



STPM requirement for UTM is the same with UM and any other local Us in msia. i'm sorry i couldnt be more specific, as i'm currently in my honeymoon, so not in direct contact with UTM's intake dept. will provide info later within a week.



all schools of architecture (other than polytechnics) have been conducting their course in english for quite some time.

wat r the diff between the international curr in USM and the one taught in UTM and UM? UTM's is not international version? and if they r going to make any changes, wat wud they be? wat r the changes that hv been made by UTM or UM, but not USM?

if u said that STPM requirements for UTM, UM and other local unis r the same, means that to obtain at least grade C in 3 subj taken excluding the Pengajian AM (this is wat i obtained from the UKM/UPM website)? well, to think that UM --- the premier uni in M'sia sets the min requirement to grade C? weird... i tot they want grade A, A, A!

and oh pls do update us with more info as soon as possible! thx ya~

and oh btw, is UTM/UM/USM twinned with other foreign uni? can i do let's say 2+1 degree smth like that for architecture?

u're studying in sheffields rite? how did u get to enter that uni --- isit UTM sends u there, or isit part of ur master degree plan, or isit u who wanna do a further study after obtaining a degree?

thx again~

thx for the feedback.
im currently studying in UM tho i cant say we've had any site visits yet (as a group)
oh well....being in this course has made me look forward to those site visits.
with the first sem over, i can definitely say for sure this time...yes...i too wont mind spending all that time in a bus.
truthfully..i wanna believe now more than ever that the success of an architect does not depend on the uni but one's own hard work and determination.
architecture is stressful ...but FUN!Hihihi...