Changing University in Malaysia: Routes, Credit Transfer and Funding
There is no transfer button between Malaysian universities. You apply to the new university as a new applicant, through UPU or directly, and then ask it to transfer credits. MQA's rules require at least a grade C and 80% course equivalence, and a bachelor's student must still spend at least one year at the new university. PTPTN will only lend again at the same level once the earlier loan is settled.
By Degreemate Editorial · Education research teamPublished 4 min read
You may want a different university because the campus is far from home, the programme is not what you expected, or you accepted the offer only because it was the one you got. Moving is possible, but not in the way most students assume.
There is no transfer through UPU
In its media statement on the 2026/2027 UPU results for STPM and equivalent applicants, the Ministry of Higher Education (KPT) said offers are final and that requests to change programme or public university are not allowed. Inside one university the picture can be just as firm: UiTM's academic regulations (2021 amendment) state that a change of campus is not allowed for full-time students.
So "changing university" means two separate steps: getting admitted to the new university, then asking it to recognise credits you have already earned.
Route 1: apply again through UPU
You apply as a new applicant in the next cycle and compete on merit. The UPU FAQ for the 2026/2027 session lists the categories that could apply:
- SPM leavers: current year (SPM 2025) and non-current year (SPM 2024 and 2023). The FAQ says the difference between them is the number of programmes offered.
- STPM, Matriculation and Asasi leavers from earlier years have their own non-current-year categories.
- Applicants who fit no listed category are told to apply directly to the institution.
The years move forward each cycle, and the FAQ does not spell out the position of someone already enrolled at a public university. Confirm your category in the e-Panduan on the UPU portal before buying a PIN.
Route 2: apply directly
The UPU FAQ notes that candidates may also apply directly to a public university when it opens its own intake, and private universities take applications directly. Compare fees before you commit. Read UPU versus direct intake and browse the programmes catalogue to see who offers what.
Do not withdraw from your current university until you hold a written offer from the new one.
Route 3: credit transfer under MQA rules
Credit transfer does not admit you anywhere. You request it after admission so you do not repeat courses. MQA's credit-transfer FAQ, which cites Department of Higher Education circulars, sets these sector-wide rules:
| Item | MQA rule |
|---|---|
| Method | Course-by-course mapping |
| Minimum grade | Grade C. An institution may set a higher bar but not a lower one |
| Content match | At least 80% curriculum equivalence |
| Credit value | Same as the course at the receiving institution |
| Source programme | Accredited, including provisional accreditation |
| Moving to a different institution | Subject to a residential requirement: one year for a bachelor's degree, one semester for a diploma or certificate |
| Same institution | No cap on horizontal transfer |
| Diploma to bachelor's (vertical) | Maximum 30% of the new programme's credits |
| Bachelor's down to diploma | Not allowed |
| Failed a programme, then joining the same programme elsewhere | No credit transfer, including MPU courses; start from semester one |
The residential requirement means a bachelor's student must still study at least one year at the university that awards the degree, however many courses match.
Everything else is decided by the receiving university. UTHM's guideline, for example, requires at least a C+ for undergraduate credit transfer. For the diploma-to-degree case, see how credit transfer works.
What transfers and what does not
Applying those rules:
- Can qualify: courses with a close equivalent at the new university, passed with a C or better.
- Will not qualify: anything below a C, courses with less than an 80% match, and courses from a programme without accreditation.
- Is not transferred: a place. Admission is decided on the new university's own entry requirements.
After one or two semesters you may have only a few matching courses, so be prepared to restart from year one.
Effect on funding
PTPTN states that each semester's disbursement depends on you still studying at the level, course and institution it approved. Leaving that institution stops the loan.
PTPTN's FAQ also says a borrower who has withdrawn from or failed a programme and wants to study again at the same level can apply for a new loan only after fully settling the amount already received. For a first-year student that amount may be small, but it must be cleared first.
If you hold a scholarship, ask the sponsor in writing before you withdraw.
Move or stay
Move if the programme you want does not exist at your university, you clearly meet its entry requirements elsewhere, and you can pay for the restart. Stay, or try changing course first, if the problem is the programme rather than the university. If you need time to think, look at deferring your studies.
Test the new choice first: take the Future Me quiz and run your results through /plan.
Sources: the KPT media statement and UPU FAQ for the 2026/2027 session; MQA's credit-transfer FAQ and the Department of Higher Education circulars it cites; the UiTM academic regulations (2021 amendment); UTHM's credit-transfer guideline; and PTPTN's loan FAQ. Categories, rules and funding terms change each cycle. Verify on the UPU portal, the MQA portal and with the receiving university before you withdraw.
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Frequently asked questions
- Can I change public university through UPU after getting an offer?
- No. For the 2026/2027 session KPT stated that offers are final and requests to change programme or public university are not allowed. You would have to apply again as a new applicant or apply directly to the university.
- What is the minimum grade for credit transfer in Malaysia?
- MQA's credit-transfer FAQ sets grade C as the minimum, with at least 80% curriculum equivalence and the same credit value. Institutions may require a higher grade but may not accept a lower one such as D.
- How many credits can I transfer to another university?
- For a move between institutions at the same level, MQA does not set a percentage but requires a residential period at the new institution: one year for a bachelor's degree and one semester for a diploma or certificate. The 30% cap applies to vertical transfer such as diploma to bachelor's.
- Can I get PTPTN again if I move to another university?
- PTPTN's FAQ says a borrower who withdrew and continues at the same level may apply for a new loan only after fully settling the amount already received, subject to PTPTN's confirmation of that amount.
- If I failed my programme, can I transfer credits to the same programme elsewhere?
- No. MQA's FAQ states that credit transfer is not allowed in that case, including for MPU courses, and the student must start the programme again from the first semester.
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