A Strong Foundation for University Studies

Of the many options available to school leavers for pre-university studies (A-Levels, STPM, Diploma etc), the Foundation programme at HELP University is a popular choice amongst students and parents alike.

Typically, a foundation course takes one year to complete. It would incorporate English, Maths and IT, with a choice of major academic subjects like business studies, accounting, psychology, economics, law, biology, chemistry and physics that are relevant to a student’s intended degree studies.

This latter aspect of the Foundation programme makes it a clear choice for students with a university education in mind.

HELP University’s Foundation programmes have earned global recognition and is known for its strong preparation for university studies.

Two streams are offered: the Foundation in Arts and Foundation in Science.

They have been designed to suit the academic and assessment patterns of any modern university degree course.

Its one-year duration is shorter than the A-Level or the STPM equivalents, yet it is no less rigorous a preparation for university study. In fact, the HELP Foundation offers some clear advantages. 

Apart from essential subjects like English, Maths and IT, it includes modules like Study Skills, Critical Thinking Skills, Personal Development and Leadership, and Culture, Arts and Politics – all designed not only to provide  academic knowledge but also to develop thinking and critical minds, personal and leadership qualities and well-informed individuals cognisant of  contemporary culture, arts and politics. 

“Education has evolved from purely imparting knowledge to nurturing resilient individuals for the global job market”, said Dhanesh Balakrishman, Dean of the Faculty of University Foundation Studies. “Being technologically savvy is also an integral component of the Foundation programmes to ensure that they are equipped to brace themselves for 4IR.

“Pre-university education is critical for human capital as it develops the students’ attitude and aptitude for a particular profession. Our Foundation programmes cultivate meaningful and creative intelligence and prepare them with the right values, competencies and confidence for life”.

Another advantage of the HELP Foundation programmes is the large number of electives to prepare students seamlessly for admission into subject majors in the university. In the Foundation in Arts, they include Accounting, Business, Economics, Early Childhood Education, TESL, Psychology, Communication, Legal Studies, Maths, Calculus and Introduction to Programming.

This broad range of subjects prepares students to major in areas like Business, Psychology, Law, Communication, TESL and IT in local and foreign universities in the UK, Australia and New Zealand both on direct transfer and on a credit transfer basis.

In the Science sector, electives include Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Maths, Statistics and Introduction in Programming enable students to be admitted for Engineering (local and UK, Australian and New Zealand universities); Medicine (International Medical University (IMU), AIMST University, Royal College of Surgeons Ireland and UCD Malaysian Campus, Moscow Medical Academy and Volgograd State Medical University); Dentistry (AIMST University, Penang International Dental College); Pharmacy (IMU, AIMST University, and universities in Australia and the UK); and for Science specialisations like Biomedical, Biotech and Food Science in local and UK, Australian and New Zealand universities. 

These subjects are delivered by a large complement of 36 lecturers with specialisations in a wide variety of subjects, thus giving students ample choices in pursuing their chosen field.

True to the name of the programme, they give the students a grounding in the variety of university assessment methods, which could include reports, essays, presentations, videos, projects and exams. The assurance that comes with a familiarity with the university mode of study and academic practice provides confidence for the student to adjust and cope well with university life. 

Further adding value to the programmes is a free Certificate in Data and Business Analytics course to equip students with analytics skills to excel as practitioners or entrepreneurs in the 4IR era.

The efficacy of the pedagogy has resulted in some excellent outcomes for the Foundation graduates.

The HELP Foundation programme helped to make Emeline’s law career a reality.

Emeline Khoo (Foundation in Arts) was awarded a Lord Templeman scholarship to study for an LLB at the University of the West of England, Bristol, graduating with First Class Honours.

“The Foundation in Arts helped me to decide my career path. I met some of the most dedicated and passionate lecturers who were not only concerned with the syllabus and academic materials, but also ensured the development of soft skills so essential at the workplace”, said Emeline.

Similarly, Khairul Arif bin Razali described the Foundation as “remarkable and amazing” for instilling in him the intellectual skills and discipline to gain admission into the Australian National University (Australia’s top university, according to QS World University Rankings 2019) where he obtained his Bachelor of Psychology and Philosophy. Subsequently Khairul did postgraduate studies in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy at Flinders University, one of the leaders in psychology teaching in Australia.

The next intake is 9 September 2021.

Enquiries: marketing@help.edu.my / 03-2716 2000