What is Industrial Design?
Industrial design is designing various products based on predefined requirements by the industries to fulfil the necessity of the target users. This design is developed targeting mass production and realizing the steps followed by the manufacturing line. Some good examples of industrial design are designing cars, mobile, computers, cameras etc. We sometimes mess up between industrial design and product design.
Though there are some overlaps between these two activities, they are different. Product design is not intended for mass production. It is always confined to artistic or aesthetic creation and produced as a designer product. It needs to be mentioned clearly that product design is just a subset of industrial design. In industrial design carrying the business values and profits is one of the top responsibilities of a designer.
Why Study Industrial Design In Malaysia?
Malaysia is one of the fastest-growing countries in the world with the emergence of billions of dollars worth of multinational companies. Malaysia is the 5th largest economy with a $1.096 trillion GDP. On the other hand, for the last 30 years, the Malaysian government has been trying to take the level of higher education to the next level of world-class higher education. It is only possible if the university can make tight collaboration with the leading industries.
That is how universities can manage funding from the collaborative partner. As industrial design is directly related to industrial processing and mass production, having collaborative partnerships with world-class companies and industries is very important to arrange the facilities for the university. In Malaysia, due to massive industrialization and giving stress over research activities, this has been possible very easily. If we look at the tuition fees for studying this subject around the world we can compare Malaysia and other countries.
| Country | Cost USD Per year (Aprx) |
|---|---|
| Australia | 21,000 |
| Malaysia | 4,000 |
| United Kingdom | 24,000 |
| USA | 24,000 |
| Canada | 17,000 to 21,000 |
We see that the tuition fee of Malaysia for Industrial Design is about 4 to 6 times less than other countries., But with this little amount of tuition fee students can choose universities from the top world ranking ones to pursue their degrees. That is why students can choose Malaysia as their destination country to pursue their degree in Industrial Design
What Skills Do You Need To Study Industrial Design?
To study in this arena, having some skills can help a student to go through and commence very easily. Basically, the problem-solving ability is the most required quality for students to study in this course. Because Industrial Design is all about solving design problems and giving users the most comfortable user experience.
The required skill list has been mentioned below-
- Analytical skills
- Artistic ability
- Computer skills
- Creativity
- Interpersonal skills
- Mechanical skills
- Problem-solving skills
Top Malaysian Universities For Industrial Design
Malaysian Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Design
| No | University | Location | Program offered | Duration | Annual Tuition Fees (USD) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Universiti Teknologi Malaysia | Johor Bahru, Malaysia | BACHELOR OF SCIENCE WITH HONOURS (INDUSTRIAL DESIGN) | 4 | 3,500 | Public |
| 2 | Asia Pacific University of Technology & Innovation | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Industrial Design | 3 | 7,270 | Private |
| 3 | Limkokwing University | Cyberjaya, Malaysia | Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Industrial Design | 3 | 4,887 | Private |
| 4 | University Kuala Lampur |
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | Bachelor of Design (Honours) in Industrial Design | 3 | 4396 | Private, semi-government (wholly owned by Majlis Amanah Rakyat) |
| 5 | University Kuala Lampur |
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | Bachelor of Engineering Technology (Industrial Design) with Honours | 4 | 4396 | Private, semi-government (wholly owned by Majlis Amanah Rakyat) |
| 6 | Universiti Putra Malaysia | Selangor, Malaysia | BACHELOR OF INDUSTRIAL DESIGN WITH HONOURS | 4 | 3663 | Public university, Research university |
Malaysian Master’s degree in Industrial Design
| University | Location | Program offered | Duration | Annual Tuition Fees (USD aprx) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Universiti Putra Malaysia | Selangor, Malaysia | Master in Industrial Design Innovation | 2 | 4655 |
| Universiti Teknologi Malaysia | Johor Bahru, Malaysia | MASTER OF PHILOSOPHY IN INDUSTRIAL DESIGN | 1.5 | 5726 |
Note: the courses in the universities and the tuition fee may change anytime
Entry Requirements For Industrial Design In Malaysia
To be enrolled into this course students need to meet some prerequisites to be fulfilled. The requirements differ from programme to programme.
- Foundation
Before we know about the requirements we need to know about the term foundation programme. Students are required to be admitted into this programme if they do not fulfil the requirements for entering into the direct programme. This programme prepares them with the necessary syllabus and language skills. These sorts of courses can be either on-campus or off-campus. This programme takes a maximum of 1-year
Academic requirement
Students need to have an SSC certificate or O-Level completed. Students from madrasa backgrounds can also apply for this programme.
English Proficiency
Foundation programme is a very flexible programme for the students. For this programme, the English requirement is very low. Because, under this programme, universities provide English courses to build students. The minimum IELTS requirement is 4.5 but under this programme, TOEFL, PTE, and Cambridge English tests are also acceptable. Some universities also accept MOI.
-
Bachelor’s
English Proficiency
Minimum IELTS 5.0 or TOEFL PBT (410-413 aprx) or TOEFL IBT (34 aprx) or CAE (160 aprx) (Cambridge English: Advance) / CEFR B2 or CPE (180 aprx) (Cambridge English: Proficiency) / CEFR C1 or PTE (Pearson Test of English) (36 aprx).
-
Master’s
Master’s degree is called a professional degree. Students to make in-depth understanding in any specific area basically pursue a master’s degree. This degree is widely acceptable in all professional institutions, companies and others. Doing a master’s degree in industrial design can be a great decision for students desiring to spend a career in industrial product design and process management. For that student needs to fulfil some requirements.
Academic requirement
Students need to have 4 years of bachelor’s degree in the related field with minimum 2.5 to 2.75 CGPA from a reputed university.
English Proficiency
For having this degree students need to have a 5.5 to 6.0 IELTS score. Besides, IELTS these universities accept TOEFL and PTE. If students do not meet the requirements, students can take an additional English course to compensate for this gap.
Duration Of Industrial Design Programmes In Malaysia
- Foundation courses in Malaysia take 1 year
- Diploma course takes 2-3 years
- Bachelor’s degree 3-4 years
- Master’s degree 1 to 2 years
Approximate Cost To Study Industrial Design In Malaysia
| Approximate Cost | Approximate Scholarship |
|---|---|
| Foundation: 2500 to 4,000 USD Diploma: 9,000 to 12,000 USD Bachelor’s: 9,000 to 14,000 USD Master’s: 3,000 to 5,000 USD |
20-50% 20-75% 20-100% 20-100% |
What Courses Will Be Covered In Industrial Design Programmes?
The courses in the programme are very important. Especially, we can realize the areas and the topics which will be covered by this degree.
The courses are-
- Fundamentals Of Transport Design And
- Packaging
- Transport Styling And Design
- Design Business And Marketing
- Technical Drawing
- Design Thinking
- Surface Modelling
- Solid Modeling
- Design Studio Two (Majoring: Furniture,
- Transport Or Product Design)
- Foreign Language 2
- Sustainability In Design (Envo, Social, Economic)
- Aesthetics And Product Language
- Digital Technology
- Design For Manufacture And Assembly
- Product Design
- Advanced Product Design
- Electrical And Electronics Fundamental
- 2d Computer-Aided Design
- Furniture Materials: Wood And Non-Wood
- Lean For Product Design Development
- Six Sigma Methodology
- Design Studio One (Majoring: Furniture,
- Transport Or Product Design)
- Material And Technology For Designer
- Technopreneurship
Career Opportunities
In the industrial world industry designer is one of the prominent positions which is mostly related to research and problem-solving. This particular degree has a very wide range of career opportunities and industrial avenues.
The job list has been given below-
| Jobs | Average salary according to USA (USD) |
|---|---|
| Production designer | $33,407 per year |
| Colour specialist | $44,375 per year |
| Web designer | $48,839 per year |
| Graphic designer | $50,897 per year |
| CAD designer | $55,493 per year |
| Interior designer | $57,595 per year |
| Architectural designer | $60,487 per year |
| Art director | $63,292 per year |
| Industrial designer | $69,610 per year |
| Industrial engineer | $73,805 per year |
| Production manager | $74,104 per year |
| Procurement manager | $77,451 per year |
| Materials engineer | $94,650 per year |
| Product manager | $95,909 per year |
FAQs
Is it worth completing an industrial design degree from Malaysia?
Yes, Malaysia is one of the favourite countries for students to have a higher degree. There work 3 major reasons behind this. These are-
- Government’s strict regulations to ensure the quality of higher education and support by providing funds
- Cheap living costs and tuition fees
- Strong collaboration with industries and universities worldwide
For industrial design having good collaborative industrial partners with industries is very important. This ensures placement opportunities for the student, the most important thing for industrial design students. So to get hands-on experiences from world-class companies and industries and besides that study at the world’s top-ranked universities at very affordable tuition fees Malaysian universities are the best.
What is the job opportunity after completing this degree?
This degree covers many subjects which build multidimensional professional skills for students. For this reason, students can build their careers in job sectors after completing this problem-solving degree.
Do I need IELTS for this degree in Malaysia?
Yes, it is required. But there are other options which students can follow.
Conclusion
Malaysia is a great destination for students to pursue their higher education. Both its affordability and quality of higher education become the main attraction to foreign students. Students who are very creative and have problem-solving ability can take this degree very easily. Nowadays the demand for employers in this field is very high, so by taking this degree any student can find jobs anywhere in the world. On the other hand, they will be able to complete this degree from the world’s top-ranked university in Malaysia.
