Well, so I got offered both courses. But the catch is I got the Law offer through their direct intake (which means I have to pay around RM50k) while the Business Admin degree (also comes with an option to switch to Accounting/Finance later on depending on future results) is just RM7k (UPU). Is a Law degree worth an extra RM40k? Personally, I am slightly more inclined to do Law, but I can't overlook the cost. In a bit of a dilemma right now and would be thankful to get some advice from you guys. Thanks

This post has been edited by roy595: Aug 26 2019, 11:14 PM

Law. Take PTPTN : 1% interest, you will earn more in the future.

I'm a bar school student. Well in terms of law degree quality obviously UKM is quite on the lower side compared to other unis, but it'll do. At least you'll be able to skip CLP and straight go for chambering.

It's not even a dilemma, whether business admin or law. Obviously, the choice is law. Likelihood of you going far with a business admin degree is slim.

Well, I guess it's no Harvard but why would you say it's on the lower side anyway? In what aspects, and to which unis (Local ones like UM and MMU, BAC's UOL and the works or foreign)? And also yeah, do UKM Law graduates have any sort of appeal in the field?
Thanks for the insight anyway, I guess I'll probably take up the Law offer. Definitely seems like the better choice.

This post has been edited by roy595: Aug 26 2019, 10:28 PM

choosing LLB over business admin just doesn't "seem" to be a better choice, it is a no-brainer one.

Well... my statement is going to step on a few toes here, although most in the field would agree with me. UKM's LLB reputation is on the lower rung of the ladder when compared against UIA, UM, UUM, UOL, Cardiff, MMU and I daresay UiTM, list goes on.


In my years I've had more than several encounters with UKM law students and graduates... save for a couple, the rest are rather... on the slower side? Some could not even converse in proper English (similar to this instance although it is an extreme example https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ffbSgUy_1E).

Perhaps their graduates would come to eventually serve in Shariah, judiciary (eg. I've met two magistrates who were from UKM) When I had asked our UKM counterparts during some legal event in 2014, they told me that their course is considered fully in BM except for certain papers (double check before enrolling if it concerns you). It shouldn't affect their employability in govt positions especially when everything is in Bahasa Malaysia, however in the upper courts we use English, and you'd be torn to shreds during cross examinations. I am not basing my conclusions on only a couple of encounters I've met with people from UKM, this is from on my detailed conversations with about a baker's dozen of them.

Pop into any major law firm's associates' and partners' rosters, i.e. Shearn, Shook Lin, Thomas Philip, Cheang & Ariff, Raja, Darryl & Loh blah3 you'll notice that there is an absence of UKM graduates. (Here's an example: http://shooklin.com.my/lawyers/associates/) That industry of upper-tier legal eagles is not skewed against local U grads favoring British LLB holders, for there are many UIA, UM, UUM graduates in them.

In conclusion, there is no denying that if you are motivated to go far in your career, it wouldn't hurt to consider UOL. There is PTPTN, it is arguably a much harder course in combination with the CLP requirement, but it will place you ahead of the pack, if you steeled through it.

Ultimately, a graduate's attitude and how he/she presents himself during interview is also an important factor. Just try to remember that this field, like any other, is an unjust one. There will be prejudices, there will be a lot of judging and looking down on, just do your best and recall that statistics do not lie.

This post has been edited by KuzumiTaiga: Aug 26 2019, 11:54 PM

Deffo a no-brainer for an existing lawyers/students or unemployed BBA graduates that's for sure. For people from families struggling financially where getting any place in an IPTA is pretty much a blessing? Nah. Not totally, I mean since options like PTPTN exist. Probably couldn't do the 3+0 UOL thing either even if I was really into it as I wouldn't be eligible for CLP as I'm a Matriculation leaver and not from the holy STPM/A-Levels path.

Well yeah, I guess it's pretty much the case that most major firms are stacked with graduates from law degrees by universities overseas. Digging around, I did seem to come across a few UKM grads in big firms (around the same number as UiTM grads and maybe even IIUM grads, and outnumbering MMU and UUM grads who hover somewhere around the zero mark). Small sample size, not an actual one-per-one headcount though. Apparently, the course is a mix over there, with English tutorials and Malay lectures (which also seems to be the case for UM) and a weird mix for exams (answer one question in English, one in BM). Seems pretty acceptable, seeing as we're in Malaysia right now. Also, not trying to pull stereotypes, but do the non-bumi/English-background UKM law grads fare the same? I ask this because there's just a handful of us over there, and most of the nons I've encountered there (during sharing sessions and interviews) seem to be the bright, well-spoken kind. Just doesn't fit into the picture you painted.

Anyhow, I'm not trying to defend the golden standards of UKM whatsoever and thanks for the heads up, I guess it might be a tough road for me if I continue here.

Btw, I take it that you're a practising lawyer?

This post has been edited by roy595: Aug 27 2019, 06:57 AM

Take accounting

u will have wider career opportunities

and by doing it in UKM, u will get automatic membership with MIA upon completion of the 3-year relevant working experience.

Wait...isn’t law field saturated at the moment ?

Too many lawyers ?

what kind of business degree they are offering? Is it Accounting? Finance? Business Admin?

Can I also take the direct route to UKM Law? I am a highly qualified middle aged uncle by the way. Intending to do law and qualify as a lawyer in the shortest possible time.

This is through their direct intake, which means you get a separate offer at a higher cost. Higher odds of nailing the course you want without having to swim through the sea of UPU applicants. I got the Business Admin course through UPU though, at the same university.

First year, Business Admin. Score a 3.5 or above for both semesters in your first year and you get an option to transfer to Accounting or Finance. Weird and pretty risky, I know, and only UKM does this.

Just walk in and ask man. You could also opt for UM's part-time BoJ, I guess. Have a few seniors with a Finance-related degree going that way.

There is one, although it's a low intake figure and they do filter their applicants with interviews and stuff. The few of us who got in scored around 3.8 - 3.9 in Matric with a Band 5 in MUET (non-bumi, not sure about the others). Basically just an outlet for them to get some cash from those unhappy UPU applicants.

This post has been edited by roy595: Aug 28 2019, 12:03 AM

Most of us put UM as our first choice, were unsuccessful with that (higher matriculation intake last year, surge of applicants), and were not called for UKM's UPU interviews as they were in our second choice. The figure they took was around 10 if I'm not mistaken. Most RU's have this anyway, no big surprise. In hindsight, it was a shitty decision. Anyway, 50k. That's what it costs.

This post has been edited by roy595: Aug 28 2019, 12:24 AM

BoJ still has to do CLP, so it is quite useless on it's own. I just checked UM's direct entry programme to LLB. Application deadline ended half hour ago. Next year then.

Have seen people with 3.5 actually get into UM's Law, what more interview. How the selection works is another question altogether. Guess it's too late for UUM and all.

Yep, Law is the way to go I guess, haha.

DAMMIT! Wish I found out about this earlier as well! Always knew they had their direct intake, but didn't know about Law

This post has been edited by roy595: Aug 28 2019, 12:49 AM

For me I would go for Business. Get that 3.5 and transfer to accounting/finance. I don’t want to be 70k indebted by the time I graduated

This post has been edited by iammasivers: Aug 28 2019, 08:56 AM

If I were you, UOL law degree and CLP is the way to go. I second @KuzumTaiga suggestion for UOL + CLP

Law

ex-public uni law grad here, now working in one of the mentioned law firm by one of the /k

IMHO, UKM still on the higher side, losing to UITM, UM, UIA and maybe MMU.

As long as your english is good, it doesnt really matter which public uni you graduate from. If your english is shit, god bless you with whatever degree you have. Also, studying in law in BM may not be that bad, especially if you intend to do litigation, in practice, cause papers are drafted in both English and Malay, tho usually we draft in English and translated them to Malay - proper translation requires proper mastery of Malay language, i have experience pupils in my place with SPM A+ in BM but present to me garbage tier translations.

that being said, it is true overseas grads are favoured over public grad for a simple reason, they present themselves better, they speaks better english and it is always assumed that they performed better than public grad.

in my place, we generally prefer foreign grads. however we do have local grad from public uni working as lawyers (lets forget about pupillage, anyone with half a brain can get into anywhere for pupillage) besides UUM right now, i myself came from a what i would call the real lower spectrum of local uni in malaysia XD most of the lawyers (also pupils) are from overseas and UOL external