Real benefits of fast-track programmes
DIPLOMA programmes are attractive because of their focus on areas which seamlessly transit into subject majors at university compared to conventional pre-university courses.
They also enable Diploma holders to enter the job market easily, either to gain work experience before resuming studies at degree level, or to start their career of choice immediately with the advantage of a head-start over peers who enter employment two years later via the degree route.
A standout example is HELP’s distinguished Diploma in IT alumnus Boris Chitombo, who rose to the rank of chief software developer and eventually became a partner at Geoview Data Services (GDS), a geodetic software development company servicing the offshore oil and gas exploration and production industry.
HELP’s diploma programmes empower students with robust intellectual skills and a futureready mindset.
They mature with academic and professional guidance and mentorship from the distinguished faculty members and excel in university studies.
Because of their strong academic standing, they are also widely recognised and accepted for credit transfer to universities in Australia, New Zealand, the UK and China.
HELP offers six fast-track diploma to degree programmes for SPM and O-Level students aimed at saving cost and time. They also come with substantial benefits.
These are the Diploma in Business, Diploma in
IT, Diploma in Business Management, Diploma in Accounting, Diploma in Communication and Diploma in Early Childhood Education.
Where the conventional route would take five years if students continue from diploma to degree courses, they can now be completed in four years or less.
The benefits are substantial: apart from savings in fees and living expenses, graduates are able to enter the job market sooner and have a head-start in gaining experience to improve their career and promotion prospects.
The Diploma in Business offered by the HELP Faculty of Business, Economics and Accounting (FBEA) prepares students to enter businessrelated degree programmes at HELP.
The curriculum provides a strong background for degree specialisation in accounting, finance, economics, entrepreneurship, business psychology, human resource management, international business, hospitality and tourism management, and marketing.
Moreover, the accounting programme is granted affiliation, accreditation and maximum exemptions by professional bodies such as ACCA, ICAEW, CPA Australia and MAICSA.
Selected HELP business programmes also have the distinction of being the only ones in Malaysia whose credits are accepted into final year study by the top-rated University of Queensland.
The HELP Diploma in IT offered by the Faculty of Computing and Digital Technology (FCDT) provides a thorough grounding in fundamental skills as well as theoretical understanding.Students learn 4IR subjects like IoT, Big Data, Software Development, AI, Machine learning, Cloud Architecture and Blockchain.
The Diploma in IT also allows a fast-track to degree programmes in universities like the University of Queensland, Beijing Jiaotong University, University of Technology Sydney and the Eastern Institute of Technology New Zealand.
Other significant cost and time saving fast-track programmes at HELP Academy are offered by the Department of Management Studies (DOMS): the Diploma in Business Management and the Diploma in Accounting, which stream into three
3+0 degree programmes offered in collaboration with the University of Derby (UoD), UK: the BA (Hons) Accounting and Finance, BA (Hons) Business Management and the BA (Hons) Business Management (International Business).
The University of Derby is highly ranked in the UK, among the top 30 by the Guardian University Guide 2020 and among the top 10 for Business, Management, Marketing and Accounting and Finance by the same guide.
UoD students receive an additional qualification upon graduation: an Advanced Diploma in Management and Leadership from the Chartered Management Institute (CMI), the UK’s chartered body for management and leadership. Students with the DOMS Diploma are able to complete the UoD degree in three and a half years instead of the usual four. Besides acquiring an internationally recognised UK degree, they also enjoy a subsidised 10-day study trip to the UoD campus in Derby, UK. DOMS also provides a convenient route for SPM (or equivalent) holders with just one credit to obtain a UoD degree in four and a half years; they enter the Certificate in Business Management and subsequently the Diploma in Business Management, Diploma in Accounting or Diploma in Marketing before being admitted into year two of a UoD degree. The Faculty of Arts and Communication of HELP University is acknowledged as a hub of academic excellence and creativity in three majors: Media Studies, Marketing Communication and Public Relations.
Its Diploma in Communication provides an ideal foundation for students to stream into any one of the degree majors, supported by a state-of-the-art production studio, editing suite and a graphic design lab. The Dip Com permits entry into Year
2 of the BCom, thus enabling SPM (or equivalent) students to graduate in four years.
Modules taught in Dip Com include social and business communication, data analytics, filmmaking for YouTube and social media, video production, advertising and digital marketing.
“The emphasis in the courses is practical, interactive, fun and immersive. They are taught by industry experts, academics and professionals who lead you on amazing physical and imaginative journeys that will take you to places and teach you things you never thought possible”, said faculty dean Prof Andy Hickson.
The Diploma in Early Childhood Education (DECE) at HELP provides a strong social and psychological understanding of children.
This is an essential basis for nurturing the creativity and talents of aspiring educatorcarers across all early childhood care and education settings and scenarios including the arts, music, drama and constructions.
ECE lecturers and students also have access to leading international schools for practicum sessions. This includes the adjacent toprated HELP International School which also functions as a laboratory for testing, innovating and improving pedagogical tools and skills.
Diploma students entering HELP degree programmes also enjoy many distinct benefits.
They are equipped with data and business analytics skills as part of HELP University’s mission to create the A*Gen (the Analytics Generation).
Value-added subjects such as Critical Thinking Skills, Personal Development & Leadership and Study Skills hone students’ higher order thinking abilities.
They are eligible for the Diploma Distinction Award which carries a 100 per cent tuition fee waiver if they attain eight distinctions in the SPM exam and continue into HELP degree programmes in the same majors.
This is in addition to other scholarships like the HELP Excellence Scholarship (worth about RM70,000), Student Achiever Scholarship Award, Sports Scholarship, scholarships from university partners (eg University of Queensland, Australian National University), and Merit award.
Students in the FBEA Diploma-Degree programmes are also eligible for a subsidised study trip to Australia or China.
Other special value benefits to enhance their learning experience are: a free certificate course in Data and Business Analytics; certification in Bloomberg Market Concepts and acquisition of online stocktrading skills in one of the largest Bloomberg Finance Labs among private higher education institutions in Malaysia; and mentorship in e-commerce and e-entrepreneurship with the Alibaba Business School.
Enquiries: marketing@help. edu.my / www.help.edu.my / 03 2716 2000