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...

u're from UM?

may i ask wat r the min. requirements for STPM students to enter the archi school of UM (specific details)? i really need to know~ can u pls help me ask around (ur frens/lecturers/intake dpt)? pls pls... and sorry for the trouble!

and oso, r the lecturers good and professional? wat r the courses being studied?

This post has been edited by europology: Nov 25 2006, 01:02 AM

i think the min requirements are what's mentioned in the UPU online form when u apply for local uni. i m not sure whether it changes over time or not...but most prolly its the same...stuff like min grade C...tho i doubt neone in my course has very low CGPA. hmm...but from my year....there arent that many stpm students. something to think bout.

ive ony finished my first sem in um archi and cant compare the standards of lecturers.afraid im not qualified to do so.hihi.
as for the subjects,...we have design studio, methods and materials of construction, environmental physics, history of architecture, architectural communication, and information skills.

hope that helped enuff...

ok thx. is it tough, boring? how many ppl in one class (lecturer to students ratio)?

i might want to ask u more in the future...

This post has been edited by europology: Nov 25 2006, 07:17 PM

UM, UTM and USM are all currently using international standard. what i meant by non international is when the intake of students before (before 2000) were all from SPM. international standard for intake into degree courses are STPM/A-levels. so after 2000, they've standardized everything. USM have been using the STPM standard all along.

contrary to most belief, the intake requirement for all universities in malaysia are pretty low. although some are still higher than overseas requirement. however, we're talking about competition of intakes. if 2000 students apply for architecture in UM in 2006, probably the top 100 will make it, where their results may range between multiple As or so.



no. not currently. malaysia does not recognize twinning programmes for architecture (refer professional code for architects).

i'm doing my PhD currently fully sponsored by the government through UTM. i've always wanted to study up to PhD level, and UTM is one way for me to achieve this dream. .

currently in singapore changi airport. will update later.

is architecture a hot selection among students? cos i tot the hottest ones are engineering, medic, accountancy, IT. cos architecture needs one to hv basics in drawing skills rite? and not many own that.




wow PhD! is it those who got the brightest achievement will get sponsored by UTM? how rare is the chance?

This post has been edited by europology: Nov 25 2006, 09:07 PM

tough? of course.but that's what makes it all the more fun. the challenge.
the lecturer only gives u 20% and the rest...u have to put in ur own effort.
at the end of the day....no matter how hard the assignment...how tired u get from the sleepless nights...it all pays off...when u see that end product.

hmm....teacher to student ratio? i know utm has a 1:17 tutor student ratio where they have 80+ students...but here at um....my 1st year class only has 42 students. and we have four tutors.each week we're assigned to one of those tutors. but we usually crit with the other 3 as well to get more input.

actually UTM's staff:student ratio is 1:15. that's the maximum allowable ratio for architecture studio. intakes per year is about 80-100 where yearly applicants are about 1500-1700 by average. that means only 1 student actually made it out of 15.

other more popular courses usually has a ratio of about 1:40 to 1:70, depending on school and year of intake.

architecture is not exactly popular, but there are only 5 professional fields in the world, and architecture is one of it (besides medicine, law, accountancy and engineering). more and more fields are becoming legally termed as professional.



chance has more hand in it than my "brightness" lol. since everyone assumed its hard to get sponsorship for post graduate studies, NO ONE actually applied when i applied. my results are above average, but not exactly spectacular. u see, sometimes understanding the situation is quite important in determining ur chances.

its the same with average students who got into universities. sometimes, its just a matter of luck that they got in, not necessarily bcoz they knew someone or use under-table money .

i'm here to help people understand the system. remember, for architecture, u dont need to be good at drawings. u need to be creative!

how old r u actually? 20+ i assume? and you hv become a lecturer there at such a young age? my gosh~


speaking of this, maybe u can kindly lend me ur so-much-needed helping hand on this matter when i apply nex yr, since the competition is soooooooooo intense, esp when i apply with my so-average results.


so after completing ur PhD, means that u're a Professor? u're not becoming an architect? hv u designed any buildings in m'sia? i soooo wanna see ur masterpiece!

This post has been edited by europology: Nov 26 2006, 12:01 AM

another q, wat do u think of the architecture course offered by the Uni of Northumbria, UK? good?

and isit recognised by M'sia and the Malaysian Board of Archi.?

This post has been edited by europology: Nov 26 2006, 12:02 AM

hehe..sorry for the minor error there.
tho when i was in utm for a short while, my workbase had 17 people.
i guess it was just a temporary thingy then?
hmm...just out of curiousity...is it very hard to get scholarships / sponsorships to further my 4th and 5th year studies...besides applying for the ptptn loan?
it would be a bomb to pay off later...

dont worry bout the cost la. juz concentrate on ur studies!

why did u change from utm to um? can change one ah?

concentrating on my studies.that kinda goes without saying.
but some sort of future planning is also necessary to make sure i get to finish this course successfully....without ne worries...no?

let's just say my reason for changing....has somethin to do with the statement above.
i was lucky enuff that my appeal went through.

ur results must be excellent arent u? mind to tell me wat r ur results that made u successfully enter these 2 unis?

so which uni's archi course appeal to u the most --- um or utm? how about the school environment all those things?

This post has been edited by europology: Nov 26 2006, 04:12 AM

Azarimy is about 29 i think. He first started teaching during year 2000/2001.

Doing well in your interview is important. You should impress them by displaying that you have good communication skills and fluent English.

No, PhD does not make you a Professor. You just can have a Dr. prefix in front of your name. You can apply for the Professorship after you have teached for a long time and have at least obtained da rank of Senior Lecturer and Assoc. Profesor.

Profs from local unis are drawing about Rm10K of salary a month if im not mistaken.

thanks justin. that kinda explains it roughly. the title "professor" is being used differently in the US compared to the REST OF THE WORLD. in the US, professor is any person who teaches in the university, regardless if he obtained a phd, expert in the particular field, experienced or not. funny eh?

euro, i'm not sure whether univ of northumbria is recognized or not coz i couldnt check it immediately right now. will try to get the info for u later. but to be sure, there arent that many schools of architecture in the UK that is not recognized.

i have designed some minor buildings (bungalows/house rennovations). but the biggest design that i've had my hands on it is the Johor Administrative Building in Parcel C3, Nusajaya. it's still under construction, should be completed by late next year. it's a collaborative work though, but alot of my ideas are in it .

so to put it simply, i'm doing a bit of both, practice and teaching. that's the only way to keep us (lecturers) up to date with all the skills and knowledge of the field.

wow... great! waiting for ur updates~

Anyone what is requirement for SPM holder to take architecture course ? I mean I am a science class student..but I didnt took any pendidikan seni ....Am I still eligible to take architecture course ?

do read other pages of this thread. It was mentioned there before.

I am one of the pure science architecture student who didnt take Pendidikan Seni.

currently, the main requirement for SPM holder to take archi course is: STPM/A-level or equivalent.

creativity is more important than artistic abilities. to put it simply, u need creativity + logic for architecture. do try to score on subjects that centres on those.

hmm...any foundation course straight to a degree for any architecture course ?

A-levels or STPM.

Oh I see....anyway thanks for your valueble info

as euro replied: STPM or A-levels will take u straight to degree. but i'll explain this further.

unlike most science or arts based courses, architecture requires a specific preset of skills (mainly communications that includes drawing skills, public speaking, writing etc). the so called "foundation" course is usually during the 1st year of the degree course itself. that's why architecture courses take slightly a bit longer to finish than most other courses (5 years instead of 4).

just want to ask , is 2.80/90 ->3.30 cgpa enough to get into architecture course ?
also , any guidance if successful in taking architecture , i mean guide in the interview , what are the stuff asked ?

I have a question here too!
When are we getting R.I.B.A accredition???
I heard Uitm tried applying for it..and i dunno wat happen then.But for other local universities....UM did apply but was rejected.So,when is UTM applying for RIBA?? Wont it give Malaysian students more opportunities to work and study abroad..work locally and abroad More knowledge more ideas...
RIBA expectations are very high but how high?? Archi students from UM should know..anyone can explain more about this...


I heard that the construction field in Malaysia now isn doing so well. From what i heard Korean and Hong Kong are progressing great now. I might consider working there after grauduating but of course we need some sorta accredition to be working there right?No?
Correct me if im wrong

UM has alredi been given RIBA recognition. Not neccesary to have RIBA recognition. So what you have RIBA? RAIA next? Most Commonwealth countries recognized our degrees.

Korean and Hongkong doing great? Thats a joke if you compare that wif Dubai and Shanghai.

first of all, what qualifications r we talking about here? a-levels? matrics?

whatever it is, minimum requirement for architecture is 2.3. some universities goes as high as 2.7, so it depends. however, applying with a 3.0 for 2.3 university doesnt mean u'll get in. it depends on how many people with better qualifications than u applied that year.

as for the guidance for the course as well as interview, do scroll back to earlier pages of this topic. it has been discussed before .

as justin mentioned, UM have already been awarded with RIBA (part 1 and 2) qualifications. UTM is currently working to finalize the new curriculum that would comply to all international recognitions (not just RIBA). UiTM have just started to look into their curriculum. i dont think USM is doing anything about it coz all they need to do is "apply". UIAM, UKM and UPM are still working to get PAM's (pertubuhan akitek malaysia) part 2 recognition. same goes with ALL private architecture schools.

actually, malaysian construction industry is not that bad today compared to before 1997 (pre-economic crisis). alot of new architect firms opened and they seemed to be able to sustain themselves with non-government projects. in construction industry, the more non-government projects out there, the better our economy actually is (regardless of what's happening in other parts of the economy).

I see..UM already got the recognition then...

Ahh..i see...because i was told by this someone that UM didn get the recognition That persn told me also that Malaysian construction industry is not doing so well either..That person also told me to change course before its too late
Well,i guess i have a much better picture now.Thanks A lot

it's simple math really. if u're staying in a housing area (not apartment or kampung), look around u. how many neighbours are renovating their houses? usually its one or two. how many people buying/replacing their cars? these are usually indication enough that money is circulating. for us architects, house renovation really means that people have alot of money to spend, and it has to come from somewhere.

government give away construction projects coz it's one of the easiest way to stimulate the construction industry. construction costs are expensive, and not many corporation could afford spending money on this other than the government (we're still 3rd world). but if private people/corporation are spending money on construction, that means the must be lotsa money circulating around.

oh another thing. if there is another economic crisis, the construction industry is the first to collapse. within 6 months, the rest of the country will follow suite. if malaysian construction economy is as bad as ur friend mentioned, then u guys should really think of surviving rather than studying right now...

Excuse me, I am a foundation student. Can i know UTM approve how many students from other uni which passed their architecture part I for the part II studies in UTM??( per year )

we have had 3 intakes so far. it was 10 for the 1st batch, 9 for the 2nd, and about 5 on the 3rd.

Hello azarimy, @azarimy@gmail.com

I'm currently doing my Bachelor of Science in Architecture (Part 1 year 2 sem 2) at Tunku Abdul Rahman University College. I'm wondering if there might be chances that I can be qualified for enrollment either in UM or UTM?

Will they accept students other than spm/stpm/matrik holders?

I will be graduating on end of 2015, so I'm wondering what other necessary documents that I need to prepare?

This post has been edited by mikim0501: Sep 24 2014, 09:51 PM