Should I study physics in Malaysia and then do post-graduate abroad?

  • Context: Other 
  • Thread starter Thread starter DriftyPrime
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Physics
Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the decision of whether to pursue a bachelor's degree in physics in Malaysia or abroad, specifically in Germany, and the implications for future postgraduate studies. Participants explore various factors including educational quality, language requirements, and personal circumstances.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses concern about the quality of physics education in Malaysia and suggests studying in Germany for a bachelor's degree, followed by postgraduate studies in Japan or Korea.
  • Another participant advises checking with Malaysian universities about the success of their graduates in gaining admission to graduate programs, emphasizing the importance of alumni insights.
  • Some participants note that the quality of education varies significantly between universities, both in Malaysia and Germany.
  • There is a discussion about the necessity of fluency in German for undergraduate studies in Germany, with some arguing that many programs require it while others suggest that some programs are offered in English.
  • Concerns are raised about the increasing demand for education in Germany and whether it remains a viable option for international students.
  • One participant questions the feasibility of reaching a C1 level in German within the time frame before university, especially for someone starting from zero knowledge of the language.
  • Another participant suggests that studying in Malaysia could provide more time to become fluent in German, which is necessary for both undergraduate and postgraduate studies in Germany.
  • There are inquiries about the specific admission requirements for Malaysian students applying to German universities, including the need for certain qualifications and grades.
  • Some participants mention the possibility of considering universities in Singapore as an alternative to studying in Malaysia or Germany.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing opinions on the quality of education in Malaysia versus Germany, the necessity of learning German, and the feasibility of meeting admission requirements. No consensus is reached on the best path forward for the original poster.

Contextual Notes

Participants highlight the importance of checking specific admission criteria for universities in Germany and the potential challenges of language proficiency. There are also uncertainties regarding the recognition of Malaysian A-levels in the context of German university admissions.

DriftyPrime
Messages
7
Reaction score
3
I'm Malaysian, and I'm definitely going to study physics. The thing that I'm worried about is that I do now know if I should do my bachelor's in Malaysia then go overseas, or should I just go overseas? I've asked my relatives about it, and they say that my bachelor's is very important and Malaysia may not have a decent physics education and facility for physics because I'm intending to go into research. So he thinks it is a better idea to just go study in Germany for my bachelors, then do my post-graduate elsewhere like Japan or Korea. The cost is also a factor, that's why if I'm doing my bachelors overseas, I can only choose Germany.

Edit: I will be learning German until C1 if I go for the German route, if I'm remaining in Malaysia, I won't take German at all and go for normal A-levels
 
Last edited:
Physics news on Phys.org
As a first step, you should inquire at the physics and alumni offices of the universities in Malaysia that you are considering. Ask how many of those who graduated with a bachelor's in physics went on to a grad program in physics and at which universities. Leave your contact info and ask departmental staff to forward it to alumni and ask them to get in touch with you.
 
Reply
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: Math100, dextercioby, DriftyPrime and 3 others
It's not just country - it's individual universities. Not all universities in Malaysia are equally good, nor for that matter are the ones in Germany.

Are you certain Germany is an option? "I want a 1st world education and want the Germans to pay for it" is an argument that still works, but not as well as it used to, at least according to my friends who teach at German universities.
 
Reply
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: dextercioby and ohwilleke
Germany seems to be the hot option of late for international study. While many graduate programs are offered in English, the same is not the case at the undergraduate level and you may need to be fluent in German to get your bachelor's there (or at least will have fewer options).
 
Word has got out. However, Germany is 1% of the world's population, and simply cannot afford to educate the other 99%. So, now that word has gotten out, demand is outpacing supply.
 
Reply
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: dextercioby
Since your first plan appears to be studying in Germany directly (for the first bachelor), lets look at how realistic that is at all. Have you checked these websites

https://www2.daad.de/deutschland/na.../en/57293-database-on-admission-requirements/

http://anabin.kmk.org/anabin-datenbank.html

and entered your particular situation to see if you will be eligible at all? At least some paths of Malaysian education have further requirements on grades, will you realistically meet them?

DriftyPrime said:
Edit: I will be learning German until C1 if I go for the German route, if I'm remaining in Malaysia, I won't take German at all and go for normal A-levels
This is also curious, at what level of high school are you currently? Do you already know some German? If you are starting from 0 and are in the last 1-2 years of high school, reaching C1 seems optimistic (not to say impossible). It's also worth noting that a generic C1 certificate will (at least in some cases) at best allow you to sit the actual German test.
 
Reply
  • Informative
Likes   Reactions: CrysPhys
While not all German university programs have a German language of instruction, none are in Malaysian. So, whether you do this as an undergraduate depends a lot on how confident you are that you can become fluent in German by the time you start university.

Studying in Malaysia as an undergraduate buys you more time to become fluent.

Also, keep in mind that if you study in Germany in physics with an eye towards graduate work, that you will ultimately have to become fluent, or at least functional, in both German and English.

An English speaking country, for example, Australia, might place less of a burden on your ability to learn both languages plus math and physics, if you study abroad.
 
Reply
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: DriftyPrime
Dr.AbeNikIanEdL said:
Since your first plan appears to be studying in Germany directly (for the first bachelor), lets look at how realistic that is at all. Have you checked these websites

https://www2.daad.de/deutschland/na.../en/57293-database-on-admission-requirements/

http://anabin.kmk.org/anabin-datenbank.html

and entered your particular situation to see if you will be eligible at all? At least some paths of Malaysian education have further requirements on grades, will you realistically meet them?


This is also curious, at what level of high school are you currently? Do you already know some German? If you are starting from 0 and are in the last 1-2 years of high school, reaching C1 seems optimistic (not to say impossible). It's also worth noting that a generic C1 certificate will (at least in some cases) at best allow you to sit the actual German test.
The A-levels that I will take if I go for the German route is that we'll only be taking 3 subjects (maths ,CS, physics) and then we'll be taking German 6 hours a week for 1 and a half years. After that, I will be taking German classes every day for 9 months. After that, I'll be applying for universities.
 
Reply
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: ohwilleke
ohwilleke said:
So, whether you do this as an undergraduate depends a lot on how confident you are that you can become fluent in German by the time you start university.
That's one of the reason I'm a bit hesitant when deciding, I think I can learn to speak and understand decent German in around 2 years. Having experienced learning a same subject in multiple languages, it's kind of hard to not just go back to English every time. The thing is that I really want to just stay in Malaysia for my undergraduate, but I'm afraid that getting my degree here will be a bit disadvantageous if I want to pursue post-graduate overseas.
 
Reply
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: ohwilleke
  • #10
DriftyPrime said:
The A-levels that I will take if I go for the German route is that we'll only be taking 3 subjects (maths ,CS, physics) and then we'll be taking German 6 hours a week for 1 and a half years. After that, I will be taking German classes every day for 9 months. After that, I'll be applying for universities.
Have you checked this actually meets the admission criteria? When I input Malaysia in the links I gave earlier, the high school sounding degrees (none of them are directly called A-level, so you have to check what the one you would do actually is), require at least 5 independent subjects (with some exclusions and some requirements on achieved grades).
 
  • #11
DriftyPrime said:
The thing is that I really want to just stay in Malaysia for my undergraduate, but I'm afraid that getting my degree here will be a bit disadvantageous if I want to pursue post-graduate overseas.
What about the universities in Singapore? Are they an option for you?
 
Reply
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: ohwilleke
  • #12
Dr.AbeNikIanEdL said:
Have you checked this actually meets the admission criteria? When I input Malaysia in the links I gave earlier, the high school sounding degrees (none of them are directly called A-level, so you have to check what the one you would do actually is), require at least 5 independent subjects (with some exclusions and some requirements on achieved grades).
If the OP will be doing A-Levels, then they should fall under the admission criteria for applicants from British patterned education. It won't matter that it was done in Malaysia. The only consideration might be whether the OP is doing the UK or International version of A-Levels as some universities require the former (mostly in Switzerland though).

International Advanced Level

With your educational background, you qualify for direct subject-restricted admission to all higher education institutions, provided that
- the "Advanced Level" can be proven by certificates from the following examination bodies:
-- Cambridge Assessment International Education (formerly: Cambridge International Examinations)
-- Learning Resource Network (LRN)
-- OxfordAQA
-- Pearson (formerly: Edexcel)
and
- the basic prerequisites as well as the subject-specific requirements are met.

GCE - Advanced Level

With your educational background, you qualify for direct subject-restricted admission to all higher education institutions, provided that
- the "Advanced Level" can be proven by certificates from the following examination bodies:
-- AQA
-- OCR
-- Pearson (formerly: Edexcel)
-- WJEC bzw. WJEC Eduqas
-- CCEA
and
the basic prerequisites as well as the subject-specific requirements are met.
 
  • #13
Fair enough, I assumed A-levels was just and English word for whatever the local high school degree is.
 
  • #14
Dr.AbeNikIanEdL said:
Fair enough, I assumed A-levels was just and English word for whatever the local high school degree is.
No they represent years 4 and 5 of secondary education in the UK and are also offered in many other countries.
 

Similar threads

Studying I need some insight about studying in Malaysia and Germany
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
2K
Graduate Studies in Nuclear/Plasma Physics Abroad or in the U.S.?
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
2K
Programs Physics degree to med school? please help
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
2K
Other After an Engineering Physics BSc, can I enroll in a Physics MSc?
  • · Replies 8 ·
Replies
8
Views
2K
Can I pursue an MS in astrophysics with a BS in studio art?
  • · Replies 7 ·
Replies
7
Views
2K
Which degree should I take?
  • · Replies 13 ·
Replies
13
Views
2K
Admissions Advice for an Engineer seeking a Masters in Physics in Germany
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
2K
Is Malaysia Good for Studying Physics on a Budget?
  • · Replies 12 ·
Replies
12
Views
5K
Schools Physics Study in Germany: Tips for Alex
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
3K
Moving from nursing to physics
  • · Replies 14 ·
Replies
14
Views
3K