Program Overview

Programme Offered

The university offers various programmes, including:

• Doctor of Philosophy
  • Anthropology and Sociology
  • Geography
  • Environmental Management
  • Development Science
  • Arts Performance and Management
  • Malay Language Studies
  • Malay Literature
  • History
  • Political Science (Doctor of Philosophy only)
  • Strategy and Security Studies
  • Human Development (Doctor of Philosophy only)
  • Psychology
  • Social Work
  • English Language Studies
  • Linguistics
  • Communication (Doctor of Philosophy only)
• Postgraduate Certificate
  • Health Behaviour Change Communication (PCiHBCC)

Mode of Study and Registration Status

• Doctor of Philosophy: Research mode, full-time registration
• Postgraduate Certificate: Coursework mode, full-time registration

Social Sciences and Humanities Programme

Programme Summary

The Doctor of Philosophy programme covers a wide range of research disciplines offered by the six Research Centres at the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities. A Doctoral degree will broaden knowledge and expertise in the chosen field and help advance careers as scientific researchers.

Life at the Faculty

The Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities is located on the UKM campus in Bangi, Selangor, 35 km south of Kuala Lumpur. It is a centre of excellence that fosters critical thinking and creativity, building leaders. Learning at the faculty is designed to promote independent thinking and active participation.

Programme Requirements

Local Students

To apply for a doctoral programme, a person should have:

1. A Master's Degree from a recognized university or institution of higher learning
2. Other qualifications equivalent to a Master's degree or other qualifications with experience recognized by the Senate
3. A Bachelor's Degree with distinction from a recognized university or institution of higher learning
4. Other qualifications recognized by the Senate obtained through the Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning (APEL)
5. Fulfill other requirements prescribed by the programme (if applicable)
6. Fulfill requirements of the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA)

International Students

To apply for admission to the Doctorate programme, a person should possess:

1. A Master's Degree from a recognized university or institution of higher learning
2. Other qualifications equivalent to a Master's degree or other qualifications with experience recognized by the Senate
3. A Bachelor's Degree with distinction from a recognized university or institution of higher learning
4. Other qualifications recognized by the Senate obtained through the Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning (APEL)
5. Fulfill other requirements prescribed by the programme (if applicable)
6. Fulfill requirements of the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA)

English Language Proficiency Requirements

1. An international candidate is required to fulfill the English Language proficiency requirements as follows:

• Obtained TOEFL (550), IELTS (6), or MUET (4) results which fulfill the score or minimum band requirements prescribed by the programme
• For certain programmes, a candidate is required to sit for an English Proficiency Test (EPT) and if he/she fails to achieve the level specified by the programme, the candidate is required to attend and pass the English Proficiency Module (EPM) in a maximum period of two semesters before he is allowed to register for the study programme

2. The Faculty/Institute may grant exemption to the requirements specified in subregulation (1) for the international candidate who:

• Will be writing his/her thesis/dissertation in the Malay/Arabic languages
• Has academic qualifications obtained from any local universities recognized by the Senate
• Is originally from a country where English is the official language or he/she has academic qualifications obtained from any higher learning institution which uses English as the medium of instruction

Why This Programme?

1. Work closely with faculty members who supervise independent research
2. One of the largest research-intensive universities in Malaysia
3. UKM engages in world-class research across a diverse range of disciplines
4. UKM is one of the top 100 universities in the world (QS World University Rankings 2020)

Faculty Information

• Campus: Bangi, Selangor
• Faculty: Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities
• Degree: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
• Duration:
  • Research & Mixed Mode Programme Full Time (Min 6 Semester) / Part Time (Min 8 Semester)