Friends, which Uni would you recommend for IT/Comp Sc
MMU or APU?
Besides MMU’s reasonable fees what else is there?

Please refer to the Local University Tier List. Of course MMU. It is not even a competition in terms of reputation. Always go to the higher ranked uni. Rule No. 1

That depends highly on the type of ranking and what mechanisms these rankings are based on.

Unfortunately - your local university tier list has no discernable ranking mechanism and is based only on your perception and hear-say. So it is not probably the best guide for prospective students.

And also unfortunately, your Rule no. 1 is also seriously flawed! Ranking is only part of the picture. Remember, many years ago some of your poorly ranked candidates were featured in Asia's Top Universities. You also forget specialist schools as well. For example, would you go to a highly ranked university in Malaysia for animation or go to the One Academy (which is not a ranked university at all)?

Anyway - my advise regarding MMU and APU is this - it depends on what type of university experience you are looking at. Both these institutions provide similar quality but totally different methods of delivery/lecture styles and campus/student experience.

Thankyou.
Could you please elaborate further on “…totally different methods of delivery/lecture styles” ?

I've never been to either of the universities you mentioned. So, while my suggestions may not be the best, I'll say a few words.

It may be difficult to determine which qualification from both universities will earn you a higher salary and make you more desirable to employers in this country.

But the fact is, MMU has a good ranking in the QS World University Ranking 2022 and the QS Asia University Ranking 2022, whereas APU is not listed.

Based on the QS ranking (which is reputation-based ranking methodology), I believe MMU is preferable, but I could be wrong.

However, this does not imply that if you graduate from APU, you will lose to those who graduated from MMU. This is because people do not place a high value on university rankings in society. Instead, your interview impression and degree level are more important. Then it is your performance at work that is most important. But, of course, the higher the quality of students who graduate from a specific university, the higher the university's ranking in the QS ranking should be.

I hope you get better advice from someone else. I wish you the best of luck in the future.

Thankyou for your advise.

APU is listed as 301-350 in the QS University Rankings for Asia. MMU is 190.

However, as mentioned before (as well as in other posts by other people) - QS is primarily based on peer evaluation for both academic quality and employer reputation in the form of surveys. QS also places a LOT of emphasis on research impact which looks at citations per faculty indicator. While it may look like a great indicator for overall holistic academic quality - there are issues that must be considered.

What happens if the institutions places teaching and learning above research? Or if Industry relevant skills are placed above producing papers? Consequently, it is also very possible to bring in pure researches at the faculty instead of great lecturers. I am not saying that either method is right or either method is wrong - I am saying, you must understand what rankings stand for before using it as a comparison for quality alone.

Do I believe that based on QS ranking alone, MMU is better than APU? No. I think you must look at other factors. Because going by that notion, it would mean for example - institutions like Limkokwing is better than INTI and HELP university. I am not implying anything but for for certain programmes, you may want to say INTI or HELP is a better alternative. And you can take the same concept and apply it to the QS Asia list. https://www.topuniversities.com/university-...y-rankings/2021

Some institutions focus on practical and industry-focus classes. Some prefer smaller classes and close student to faculty guidance while some prefer mass lectures and get the tutors to handle the smaller tutorial classes. Some places, it is fairly easy to meet and talk to the professors while some have a very clear line or demarcation that students cannot cross.

I have had the pleasure of studying under lecturers who believes that each class should be a performance in engagement. You can tell that the lecturer puts in a lot of effort in making the classes fun and exciting. And there are some, who just regurgitates knowledge and expects you to follow at your own pace. There are some professors who believe supervision is a one-way street and there are some who takes the the opportunity to teach, mentor and nurture.

Each institution and/or each faculty has a different philosophy for teaching and delivery. Find one that suits you.

Thank you for your thorough response. I checked the QS Asia University Ranking 2022 and discovered that APU is 271-280, while MMU is 189. Previously, I checked the QS World University Rankings and didn't see APU listed.

I agree that the QS World University Ranking places a high value on academic and employer reputation peer assessment. However, the methodology used in the QS Asia University ranking system differs slightly from that used in the QS World University ranking system.

Academic reputation received only 30% of the QS Asia ranking system points. On the other hand, the employer's reputation is 20%. As a result, I believe that this ranking system is likely the best among other ranking systems for determining which university has a better reputation in the eyes of employers. The same is true for the QS Employability Ranking.

I disagree that the QS Ranking system places a high value on research impact. In the QS Asia Ranking system, citations per faculty account for only 5% of the total. Citations per paper account for only 10% of the total. So, suppose a university can publish a large number of papers in high impact journals with numerous citations. In that case, it has little impact on the QS university ranking system, which is heavily influenced by academic and employer reputation.

THE Ranking System is a ranking system that prioritizes research impact. Therefore, I believe the QS ranking system cannot be used to estimate a university's research performance. It is a reputation-based methodology evaluated by academic peers and employers and is not suitable for assessing research performance.

This cannot be easy to determine. Nobody knows how the lecturers at the university teach unless they enroll or ask the seniors there. In fact, every university has both good and bad lecturers. This is something nobody can avoid.

Unlike the grading system, which is more easily determined. For example, USM vs. UTM engineering, USM places a greater emphasis on theory, whereas UTM emphasizes practical skills. This is evident in their grading systems: USM places a higher value on final exams, whereas UTM places a higher value on projects and labs. Students who prefer exams over practical skills assessment may opt for USM. But we don't know which of them has a suitable teaching style for a specific student.

When it comes to private universities, choosing one that is less expensive and has strong accreditation is, in my opinion, the better way to go (unlike Limkokwing, which recently has some of their course's accreditation lift-off). The prestigious universities, such as Nottingham and Taylor, are unquestionably excellent, but they are also prohibitively expensive. Students have no money and usually must apply for loans. To reduce their debt burden, it is always preferable to choose a less expensive institution with a good reputation. It is also advisable to study in an area with fewer living expenses. The main goal is to get a degree and go to work. With society placing so much importance on job performance and attitude, the degree is really something insignificant but an entry ticket. So, for a wiser decision, I think a student should prioritize financial expenditure and course accreditation over other things.

Good points. And yeah - it also is based on which employers are asked right? That raises a few questions too I guess.

In research, both qualitative and quantitative data can be skewed if you consider elements of biasness, how you structure the questions and who you ask.

And yes, you are right - QS is not the best indicator for research as it emphasizes just a small percentage. But 5% makes a whole lot of difference in placement too.

Yep. You are right. That is an unfortunate aspect in considering universities.

And again, you are right. A little bit of homework and asking around may help a student join a university that suits them. It is like trying to choose between A Levels and AUSMAT for example. Assessment types differ.

Ah - actually the last bit is a little misleading. While all universities are expected to have their programmes accredited (apparently, accreditation is NOT compulsory. There are certainly a lot of benefits for one to be accredited. This was taught to us by a very famous MQA trainer), it must also be understood that accreditation is a process. In Malaysia, if you want to be part of the system - you must get your programmes approved. This means submitting a lengthy document to MQA. After approval, you are given a Provisional Accreditation (PA). Full accreditation (FA) can only be done once your programme has reach maturity meaning that you have a full cohort of students from semester 1 right up to nearly the final semester. Only then will the accreditation visit happen.

So - yeah - new programmes will only have PA and not FA, and that is fine as well. We all have to start somewhere, right? So i agree that students should prioritize financial expenditure but in terms of course accreditation - well, it all depends on whether it is a new programme or not.

Btw - are you also an academic?

Thank you for clarifying the MQA. Now I understand more about the MQA accreditation. Yes, I am an academic, but I am still in my early stages. There are many things I'm still learning.

I'd say you cant do wrong with either option. So I guess you gotta look into their course structure and see which suit you the most.

other things to consider are the costs and campus location.

Thanks, cost wise MMU is more affordable. Leaning towards MMU actually.
Only drawback is MMU is at Cyberjaya & there is no MRT/LRT from KL & KLIA express is expensive.😰