Universiti Teknologi MARA - Reputation and Rankings

Reputation and Rankings

From 1965 to 1996, as a professional training institute, ITM only offered Pre-Diploma, Diploma, degree-equivalent Advanced Diploma and professional bodies qualifications. Since ITM was not a "university" by name and despite its Advanced Diploma's equivalency to Bachelor Degree, some members of the public had a misconception that the institution was a lesser choice compared to universities especially with the minimum entry requirements.

In 1996, pursuant to the upgrade to a university status, the Advanced Diploma programmes were upgraded to Bachelor Degree programmes with retrospective effect. Advanced Diploma graduates were offered to return their Advanced Diploma transcripts in exchange for a Bachelor Degree transcripts. This resulted to a growing change of perception towards the institution and by 1999, ITM changed its name to UiTM. ITM's old role as a training institute is currently been taken over by Kolej Kemahiran Tinggi MARA (KKTM).

UiTM had grown tremendously ever since with the establishment of new high technology courses and faculties such as the Faculty of Medicine. Despite the status quo of the minimum entry requirements, recent intakes have been highly competitive that school leavers with 5 As and above in their Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia results would stand a better chance to be accepted to study at the campuses while the rest would have to consider the affiliated colleges.

UiTM had also been rated positively by local and international bodies as follows:

• In 2010, UiTM (Shah Alam Campus) was rated Tier 5: Excellent in the 2009 Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA) Rating System for Higher Education Institutions in Malaysia (SETARA '09).

• In 2011, UiTM was ranked #601+ in the 2011 QS World University Rankings.

• In 2012, UiTM was ranked #201 to 250 in the 2012 QS Asian University Rankings.

UiTM shared the 8th place with Universiti Teknologi Petronas for the top universities in Malaysia which is above Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, Limkokwing University of Creative Technology, Universiti Tenaga Nasional, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, Universiti Utara Malaysia and many other unlisted universities.

• In 2012, UiTM maintained its rank of #601+ in the 2012 QS World University Rankings.

• In 2012, UiTM (Shah Alam Campus) maintained its rating of Tier 5: Excellent in the 2011 Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA) Rating System for Higher Education Institutions in Malaysia (SETARA '11).

• In 2012, UiTM was rated 2 stars in 2011 Malaysian Research Assessment Instrument (MyRA) where universities are given “star ratings” for their research, development and commercialisation efforts.

• In 2012, UiTM was awarded by MOHE Entrepreneurial Awards 2012 as Entrepreneurial University Of The Year.