The Kuala Lumpur Traveler

I just did a simple google on the net for “PhD entry requirements” and were presented with a long list of results.

Now let’s take a few examples from this results…

General PhD entry requirements in Australia:

The usual prerequisite is that the prospective student has completed a Bachelor’s Degree with an Honours component and has honours of class I or IIA. Completion of a higher degree, such as a post graduate Master’s Degree by research or a Master’s Degree by course work is also a commonly accepted pre-entry requirement.

It should be noted that whilst the above holds true in most cases, specific entry requirements can sometimes differ, so it is always worth checking if a listing does not explicitly state.

There are cases when other qualifications, professional experience and/or published research work are considered suitable for entry onto a PhD program, as these can provide evidence of a candidate’s ability to undertake advanced research appropriate to the program in question.

Source: PhDSeek

General PhD entry requirements at Institute Kajian Malaysia dan Antaranbangsa (IKMAS):

Successful applicants for the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) programmes will normally be expected to have:

* A Masters degree from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia or other universities which are recognised by the Senate; or
* Other relevant professional/vocational qualifications or related experience which are recognised as equivalent to a Masters degree by the Senate; or
* Currently pursuing in a Master’s programme at the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia and being recommended by the Graduate Studies Committee and the relevant Faculty for conversion to the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) programme with the approval the Senate; or
* A First Class Honours Degree or equivalent to a Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) not less than 3.67 from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia or other universities which are recognised by the Senate; and
* Candidates who have been accepted may be required to register for a Master of Philosophy degree with a possibility of converting it into PhD registration based on merit.

Source: IKMAS

Wikipedia has a very general entry requirements for worldwide PhD programmes, but majority and main requirements stated the PhD candidate must have at least a master’s degree after the completion of Bachelor degrees.

BN’s Arif Shah Omar Shah by-election parlimentary candidate for Permatang Pauh, however had been reported to have a diploma and currently pursuing a PhD? Hmmm…. mind boggling? Well… the Permatang Pauh voters ought to know the truth about this and let them make an informed decision on the by-election day. Good luck Arif Shah in your studies.