So are the American Universities dominating world rankings consistently and does that take you to the right path? Why is American Degree different from the rest of the other Degrees, such as the A-Levels, Australian Matriculation and Foundation Studies?
Let's not confuse you more and tell you what ADP exactly is, from the course structure to the grading system and their extraordinary curriculum. This should help you decide at the university and the course you want to study.
What is ADP (American Degree Program)
It is a direct Entry to University Level after you complete SPM or O-Level. Enrolling on American Degree Program means that you are already pursuing your degree, which is very unlike other Pre-University programmes such as A-Levels, SAM & STPM.
After studying for a year or two in a Malaysian University, usually, you have a credit transfer option in American Degree Program which means you can transfer your education to any overseas University, basically in the USA or Canada to complete your Degree. Many international students prefer to get transferred to Universities in The USA to complete their degree programs.
What is the Exam Structure and the Grading System of American Degree Program Malaysia
A direct route to an Undergraduate Degree Programme after completing SPM that lasts for four years.
Exam Structure:
| Year 4
Year 3 |
Major Courses Average of 60 Credits
|
| Year 2 Year 1 | General and Core Courses Average of 60 Credits
|
Here you will in total need at least 110-140 Credits to Graduate
A wide variety of courses will be taught to you in the first two years for example Language, Math, Natural Sciences & Fine Arts and other Core Requirement courses in your Majors. In the final two years, you will undertake more advanced courses which will focus on your Majors.
Mostly a student takes about 3-4 subjects per semester. The value of each subject is worth a number of credits hours which is between 3-5 credits. Like 4 credits / subject X 4 Subjects / semester X 8 Semester which is equal to 128 Credits.
American Degree Program in Malaysia gives you the option to take your own time by opting for fewer credit hours or you can take more credits per semester to complete your degree faster.
Evaluating your assignments, coursework, presentations, tests as well as extracurricular activities at length. The course and the University you have selected to study in Malaysia can contribute to an approx of 70% of the whole assessment and letting the 30% be decided via Final exams.
For each subject in final grades, you will be given a single score, which is called the GPA (Grade Point Average) on a 0.0 to 4.0 scale. The highest grade is an A which is equal to 4.0 It is a standard scale in most Universities & Colleges.
Transferring your Credits
What is a Credit Transfer under the American Degree Program in Malaysia?
In simple words, it means that you will need to study for some time in Malaysia before you plan to transfer your credits to another University generally to The USA to complete your Graduate Degree. The Credit Transfer Programmes lets you acquire an American Degree without you having to complete the full programme of 4 years overseas.
There various areas of the American Degree Program which includes, Students who have studied SPM/O-Levels, need to score at least 5 Credits which includes English in order to get admission to ADP
Education Pathway
What does 1+3 and 2+2 mean?
1+3 Programme means that you have decided to study your 1st year in a University in Malaysia and then you can apply for a transfer to another University in the USA to finish the remaining 3 years of study from abroad.
Make sure to do your research well before you plan to transfer your credits cause there might be many Universities that do not accept the credits.
What is the difference between “Credit Transfer” & “Twining”?
Credit Transfer - Transferring to an American University of your selection to get your Graduation Degree
Twinning Programme - The University which has already been decided from the beginning to obtain your degree from and is customarily a University that is based abroad.
As an international student, you can opt for any program but let us present you with some good reasons why you should select American Degree Program in Malaysia as your top selection.
Flexibility is the best feature of ADP because you are given the option to switch majors within 2years if you decide to do so. It will help you if you are confused about what to study yet. Additionally, it also allows you to complete your studies at your own pace by adding more or less subjects per semester.
International students on average take 3-4 subjects per semester, however, you can opt to take as little as 2 subjects per semester or as many 6 subjects if you can handle it. It's always recommended for you to accumulate the required credit hours as fast as you can for your degree which is around 110-140 credits to get a graduate degree from University in Malaysia faster. American Degree Program lets you be the Captain of your own Ship!
ADP stresses on broad-based education. You will need to take courses outside your syllabus. For example, Business students will have to take courses in science while an Engineering student will have to take courses related to Social Science and Humanities. This gives you an experience to work with people outside your department.
As you choose 3-4 subjects per semester , American Degree Program in Malaysian University will expose you to a minimum of 30-40 different subjects by the time you get your Graduate Degree!
The American Degree Program in Malaysia insists on learning instead of exams. With a non stop of assignments & tests, you will be heavily busy in projects, coursework, presentations, extra- and co-curricular activities. Either you mostly are going to work or communicate with others. Any student who has opted for American Degree Program in Malaysia are allowed to often speak, ask or even (Politely) challenge your lectures during the class lectures. You will be groomed and trained strongly for communication and presentation skills.
If you want to enter the American University then ADP will give you the easy way to do it but by spending a year or two in Malaysia first. This will also prepare you for the American style of education that specialises in learning and classroom participation.
Who can opt for American Degree Program
You should contemplate taking ADP up if-
You should not take American Degree Program if-
It depends on your chosen Major, hence it will be different for every student: Below is a simple study plan to Major in Business 2+2
| Area | Subject | Credit Hours | Total Credit Hours |
| Language | English Composition I | 3 | 3 |
| Mathematics | Calculus for Business I | 3 | 6 |
| Calculus for Business II | 3 | ||
| Natural Scien(choose 2) | Biological Science | 4 | 6 - 8 |
| Fundamentals of Chemistry | 4 | ||
| Nutrition | 3 | ||
| Physics | 3 | ||
| Social Scien(choose 2) | American Government | 3 | 6 - 8 |
|
General Psychology |
4 | ||
| Sociology | 4 | ||
| Communicati(choose 1) |
Advertising |
3 | 3 |
| Public Relations/Speech | 3 | ||
| Fine A(choose 1) | Introduction to Music | 4 | 3 - 4 |
| Foundations of Acting | 3 | ||
| Major-Related Cour(Business) | Introduction to Business | 3 | 30 |
| Accounting I | 3 | ||
| Accounting II | 4 | ||
| Microeconomics | 3 | ||
| Macroeconomics | 4 | ||
| Statistics | 3 | ||
| Business Law | 3 | ||
| Buyer and Consumer Behaviour | 4 | ||
| Human Resource Management | 3 | ||
| 7 Areas Covered | 57 - 62 Credits |
As shown in the plan, you will be required to select subjects that are outside of your chosen major subjects. Since you have selected the 2+2 course in American Degree Program, you will get a credit of approximately 60 in Malaysia.
You can transfer these 60 Credits to be accepted by the University in America and the rest of 50-80 credits can be at the receiving University. If you have opted for a different Major like communication, a longer list of subjects will be there to complete under the communication department and the credits of the Business field will be reduced to 1-2 subjects.
American Degree Program in Malaysia is only offered by the Private Universities. Find the list of Universities in Malaysia who offer the American Degree Program, to name a few:
The ADP is of Four Year Long, ADP is a direct route to an undergraduate degree after SPM that lasts about 4 years. In the first two years, you will take a wide variety of courses, including General Education courses (e.g. Language, Math, Natural Sciences, Fine Arts) and Core Requirements courses related to your Major.
An American Degree Program (ADP) is a programme that allows students to study the first part of their bachelor's degree at a private higher education institution in Malaysia. Students typically spend the first two years in Malaysia and the next two years in the US.
Most students will spend between 12 and 24 months in the ADTP. Students majoring in business can stay up to 36 months in the ADTP before transferring for degree completion.
After ADP, they can seek admission in BS 5th semester or in MA M.SC or in M.Com level degree. After ADP students can appear in CSS or all other competitive exams. He or she can apply for government and private jobs. Students after passing their FA/F.Sc can take admission in BS 4 year program.
The Associate Degree in Arts program is a regular 2-year degree program in which students are offered with a combination of any two of areas from the available electives: Business, Journalism, Psychology, Computer Science and Education.
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