there are two choices when it comes to lecturing: IPTA or IPTS. each has very different outcome, depending on how u see it.

at the moment, IPTAs will definitely turn u into an academician, as the government will automatically sponsor u for ur masters and PhD wherever u wanna go (yes, even to the most expensive universities in the world as long as u can qualify for it). then there will be a contract for 7 years, which normally u can use to get at least an associate professor title. by then, ur basic salary would reach about RM6k (add about RM1.5k for allowances etc). this does not include any consultancy jobs or practice u do outside (which most lecturers are recommended to do).

in IPTS, u're more of a professional who teaches. meaning it is always assumed that u will be working as a professional in the related fields while at the same time teaching the students. this would mean u will be less involved in research, hence there is no need for them to send u to do ur masters or PhD. but there are a few dedicated academics in each course, but their number is small. i do know that some IPTS sponsor a small number of their staffs for PhD, but i'm not aware of the duration of the contract.




that's just briefly. there's a similar topic in the Jobs section where this have been discussed in quite detail.

actually, IPTS dont pay their lecturers as much as u think they do. but it's still higher than most other jobs. and since they are private companies, they can pay u whatever rate they deem appropriate, not what u believe u should get.

i have a couple of friends working in IPTS. if u're good, u'll advance pretty quick and easily earn RM6k even without a masters. but if u're bad (or perceived by the management/admin as bad), u'll stay at RM2.5k. better yet, if they could find a better replacement, OUT you go!

in IPTAs, they dont normally kick u out unless u broke the laws or something. but what they'll do is transfer u to another university or college where u'll do less harm. or maybe transfer u to administrative duties.

salary wise, if u're DAMN good, IPTAs could pay u up to RM15-18k as a full fledged professor.

u didnt ask that, kiddo .

here's the thing about becoming an academician/lecturer: u dont study to become a lecturer. so there's no specific pre-u or degree that u would have to take to become a lecturer. to become a lecturer in a particular field, u need atleast a masters or about 10 years working experience in a particular field. for example, if u wanna be an accountancy lecturer, then u'll need an accountancy degree/masters or relevant qualifications. u cant become an accountancy lecturer with an engineering degree, can u?




btw, what's ur highest education to date?

not that i'm aware of.

as far as i'm concerned, lecturers of any kind, IPTA or IPTS, dont need to go some special training colleges just to become a lecturer.

as for ur cousin, she can start by getting a degree.

owh u'll be surprised...

lecturers income does not come from salary alone. u think with RM5-7k salary u can afford a bungalow, several big cars and all the luxuries?

(and no, i'm not talking about anything illegal )

if u look at lecturers' salaries, u wont find anything special. but what u should ask them is their income tax. then u'll realize how much the lecturers REALLY earns.

underpaid due to basic salary, yes. but doesnt mean we're having no other income. i'll give u my own personal example:

i. publications

at the moment i'm not involved in any academic writings, but i was involved in publishing students' works and other faculty related jobs. as an assistant editor, i was paid about RM600-RM1.2k per job, which usually lasts between a week to 3 weeks. if i'm publishing my own work or book, then the pay is significantly higher, not including royalties i might get.

ii. consultations

as an architect, i still have to practice to maintain my knowledge in the industry. although i'm only involved in design stage (which truly not a hard thing to do), i'm paid between RM2.5k to RM4k per job. this freelancing jobs span between 3 weeks to 3 months. if i go part time, then the pay would be more consistent, around RM1.5k to RM2.5k per month. but if i practice as a full fledged architect part time, then the pay is about RM4k to RM6k per month.

iii. knowledge sharing

as academics we're often called to other educational institutions to give lecture or share our knowledge. at the moment the minimum pay for us is RM200 per hour. with a PhD it'll go higher, and ofcourse with a professorship, u can definitely demand alot. for example, i taught UTM's SPACE programme for 6 credit hours per week. that's easily RM1200, RM4800 per month.



there are other things also. like i said, the basic salary is low. but doesnt stop u to earn more

well, just make sure u have a passion for academia. the money is just the by-product of what we do. none of us do this bcoz of the money, u know.

at the moment, only IPTA lecturers enjoy those benefits. labour law applies strongly here. in IPTS, lecturers dont get as much free time as IPTA lecturers. with whatever pay they receive, the university will squeeze every ounce of ur strength into teaching as many students as u can. this is totally wrong, but to them it's business. tak suka, keluar .

alot of work, yes. but most of them arent that hard to me. just make sure u enjoy the work and the outcome, then nothing will be that hard.

i agree with u. which is why i EXPLICITLY use myself as an example. it's not a blanket statement.

yes. remember, it's nothing personal. all business to them . if u dont perform, say bye-bye.

no, not part time teaching. part time teaching is different as u would be teaching OUTSIDE working hours.

sharing of expertise is normal as academics are often officially invited through the top channels. meaning top people in university A meets top people in university B and agrees to some form of expertise exchange. i believe even monash practices sharing of expertise, that's why they opened a branch in malaysia. it'll be stupid not to share, bcoz when the expertise are shared, the individuals will become a referred experts. and each time the expert is referred to, it will boost their international ranking in THES.

it is possible. but i'm not sure about the salary.

i'm pretty sure it doesnt start from the bottom. even if it does, the individual will excel during the next PTK exam and climb to the top ladder within the next year.

like i said, basic salary is nothing to shout about.

if ur lecturer only sits there and teach without doing research, publications, consultations or so on, then he's salary is just a little bit more than cikgu sekolah.

which university are they from?

assuming from an IPTA, if the new lecturer is a tutor, then his salary would be around RM2k. the assoc prof, if he has a PhD, would get around RM5.5k basic.

why like what?

probably diorang tu tak reti bersyukur kot.

but it's true, as compared to other countries, our pay is quite small. lecturers should be getting about RM10-12k. that's the standard international rate.

same answer as i've given before.

if only it's that simple...

owh... lecturers have flexibly hours for classes, and in research, working by deadline. meaning u might see them goyang kaki, but doesnt mean they're not doing anything at all.

now wouldnt it be easier if the lecturer ALWAYS say he doesnt know and tells the students to find out themselves?



but noooooo... students nowadays think lecturers are god that knows everything. if they dont know, they'll say the lecturer is lousy, crap and not worth the money they pay for . i know, coz i've been there.

how many people actually seek the answer elsewhere before asking the lecturer?

depends on what u define as hard. to me, teacher is harder.

i have very little tolerance level over repeating the same subject over and over again. i admire teachers who could repeat the same material over and over again for several class in the same day. i can never do that. i'll die before that happens.

no. becoming a lecturer doesnt mean u must take education related courses. i mean, try and imagine who's teaching courses like aeronatics, biotech or robotics engineering? there's no education courses for those. then where do the lecturers come from?

educational degree is not a requirement for becoming a lecturer. if u wanna become a teacher, yes. but not a lecturer.

the title "lecturer" isnt exclusive to universities only. there could be lecturers in schools if all they do is "lecture" in the literal sense.

it's like being a businessperson. if u sell goreng pisang at the roadside or deal with landed properties worth millions of ringgits, u're still a businessperson .