ADTP In Malaysia: Everything You Need To Know Before Taking In 2026

Are you considering studying in the United States? What if we told you there is a cost effective way to do it through the American Degree Transfer Program (ADTP)?

1. What Is ADTP?

ADTP is a programme in Malaysia that allows students to complete the first part of an American undergraduate degree in Malaysia, typically 1 to 2 years, before transferring to a partner university in the US for the remaining 2 to 3 years to complete the degree.

It essentially rolls the ”Foundation” and ”Degree” portions into one programme, and as such, you can enter ADTP in Malaysia with your SPM or IGCSE or equivalent qualification.

While the natural and default pathway of ADTP is to enter into US colleges and universities, but it is also recognised in other countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada and more.

2. ADTP Structure

Learning & Assessment Structure

ADTP follows the US Liberal Arts Model, which means the learning journey is divided into General Education Subjects (usually taken while in Malaysia) and the Major Core Subjects (taken in the US) and Elective Subjects which are optional.

The United States undergraduate degree is completed by a credit hour system, specifically a minimum of 120 to 128 credit hours to get your degree, depending on the major and university.

• Each subject carries 3-4 credit hours.

• You complete about 12-18 credits per semester.

• Each academic year has 2 main semesters. There can be a third short semester as well.

• Meaning on average you need to collect 15 credits per semester X 2 sem per year X 4 years to reach 120 credit hours.

• This roughly translates to 5 subjects per sem, 10 subjects per year or 40 subjects taken for the entire 4-year degree programme.

Students’ overall subject assessment is divided into 70% coursework and 30% examination which is broken down into these components.

Assessment Component	Weightage (Typical)	What It Involves
Class Participation	5–10%	Attending and contributing to discussions
Quizzes / Tests	10–20%	Short, regular assessments
Assignments / Essays	20–30%	Critical writing, case studies, reflections
Group Projects	10–20%	Collaboration, research, presentations
Midterms	20–25%	Halfway through semester exams
Final Exam	20–30%	Comprehensive evaluation at semester end
Lab Reports (if applicable)	10–15%	For science/engineering practical courses

Subjects

While you’re in Malaysia for the first 2 years, you will be taking the General Education Subjects which are the foundational subjects all students take regardless of major.

There are hundreds of subjects to choose from and they fall under these main categories:

• Arts and Humanities
• Quantitative Reasoning
• Scientific Inquiry: Science and Technology
• Social Sciences
• Communication Literacy

Nevertheless, if you are planning to major in technical areas of study like Engineering or Science, it is highly recommended that you take the relevant subjects during the foundational phase.

More on ”How To Choose Your Subject” in Section 4!

Please note that the university offering ADTP may not necessarily have all the subjects available as it depends on demand from students

Duration

Although the standard programme is a 2+2 years arrangement but it can also differ depending on your preference or the requirement of the major and US institution offering.

For some institutions that you plan to transfer to, they might require you to study 3 years in the US instead of 2 years. Which means you will be completing some of your General Education subjects in the US before proceeding to the Major Core Subjects.

Here are the possible duration-combos you can consider, subject to major and university:

Pathway	Years in Malaysia	Credits Taken in Malaysia	Years in US	Credits Taken in US
2+2	2 years	~60–65 credit hours	2 years	~60–65 credit hours
1.5+2.5	1.5 years	~45–50 credit hours	2.5 years	~70–80 credit hours
1+3	1 year	~30–35 credit hours	3 years	~90 credit hours

Assessment & Grading

At the end of your degree, all your various scores from your subjects taken througout the programme will be converted into a GPA (Grade Point Average) score on a scale of 0 to 4.0. The scale can also be converted to % and Letter Grade as shown below:

Letter Grade	Percentage Score %	GPA (4.00 Scale)	Performance Description
A+	97–100	4.00	Outstanding / Exceptional
A	93–96	4.00	Excellent
A−	90–92	3.70	Very Good
B+	87–89	3.30	Good
B	83–86	3.00	Above Average
B−	80–82	2.70	Satisfactory
C+	77–79	2.30	Average
C	73–76	2.00	Fair / Minimum Transfer Grade
C−	70–72	1.70	Below Average
D+	67–69	1.30	Poor
D	63–66	1.00	Very Poor
D−	60–62	0.70	Barely Passing
F	Below 60	0.00	Fail

3. ADTP Entry & Transfer Requirements

Here we address the requirements to enter into ADTP and the prerequisites to transfer to the US college or university of your choice.

ADTP Entry Requirements

• Generally speaking, you need a minimum of 5 Credits (including English) for your SPM or IGCSE to enter into ADTP.

• If you plan to take up science-based, engineering or mathematical subjects during the General Education period of ADTP, you must have also taken the same subjects during your SPM or IGCSE, ideally with Credit results.

Transfer Requirements

Even though ADTP provides you with transfer options to hundreds of possible colleges and universities in the US, it doesn’t guarantee you automatic entry compared to other forms of arrangement, such as a Twinning Programme.

The success of your transfer to the institution of choice depends on 3 main factors:

• 1. Your Performance – Most US universities typically require a minimum Grade C or 2.00 GPA for a subject to be eligible for credit transfer.

• 2. Your Major – The major you choose, such as Engineering, Science, Accounting or Computing will require certain foundational subjects to be taken as prerequisites during your first 2 years. Otherwise you cannot progress to the Major Core Subjects.

• 3. Your University of Choice – The university you choose will have its own standards for transfer. For example, more prestigious universities such as Purdue University, Wisconsin-Madison University or NYU may have a higher grade threshold than just 2.00 GPA to allow credit transfer. They may also require you to study more than the minimum 2 years in their campus.

It is advisable that you plan your pathway from the beginning, i..e knowing what your major will be and the university of your choice as it will impact the subjects you take, study duration in the US, your education budget and so on.

If you feel all these requirements are too complicated, keep calm.

This is why you should talk to an Education Consultant so that they can help you lay out a pathway plan that takes into consideration what you plan to major and which university you want to graduate from!

Even if you don’t know what you want, all the more reason to consult with an expert!

4. How To Choose Subjects In ADTP

Fundamentally, you can take any subjects you want and graduate with a US degree, as long as you acquire the minimum 120 to 130 credit hours required.

However, you will not receive recognition for any specialisation. As such, if you plan to major or specialise in specific areas of study, there are prerequisite subjects that you need to take during your first 2 years of ADTP before you can advance to higher level subjects for the specialisation.

The table below illustrates some examples:

Major	Recommended General Education Subjects
Science	Physics, Chemistry, Biology
Computer Science	Calculus, Intro to Programming, Data Structures
Engineering	Physics, Calculus, Chemistry, Engineering Drawing
Psychology	Intro to Psychology, Statistics, Human Development
Business & Accounting	Accounting, Finance, Microeconomics, Macroeconomics
Mass Communication	Public Speaking, Mass Media, Journalism, Sociology

The above are only suggested subject and are not exhaustive since you will actually need to choose up to 20 subjects for your General Education period.

As explained in the previous section, what subjects you choose can also impact your credit transferability.

Our best advice is to check with your Education Counsellor whenever you’re unsure!

5. Why Study ADTP?

• ✅ Cost Savings – Studying the first half of your degree in Malaysia drastically reduces your overall tuition and living expenses. You can save up to 60% compared to completing the full degree in the US.

• ✅ Smooth Transition – ADTP is structured to meet US credit hour systems. Institutions offering ADTP usually have articulation agreements with American universities to ensure a smoother credit transfer compared to non-US pre-university courses.

• ✅ Flexibility in Major Selection – In line with the American education system, students can explore various subjects before declaring a major.

• ✅ Global Exposure – Students complete their degree in the US, gaining access to world-class universities, industry networks, internships, and global job opportunities.

• ✅ Holistic Development – ADTP emphasises critical thinking, communication, and problem-solving, aligning with American liberal arts ideals and preparing students for global careers

If you are thinking of studying ADTP, try our Pathway Match first to find out if you qualify for any bursary or scholarship! You can also find other alternative pre-university courses and their scholarships.

Alternatively, there are other pre-university courses you can consider:

• A-Level
• AUSMAT / SACE
• Canadian Pre-University

6. Where To Study ADTP In Malaysia?

There are colleges and universities that provide lessons and administer the examinations for ADTP in Malaysia:

About the Author:

Ken Hoong is the co-founder of Uni Enrol and a contributing writer. Drawing on his close work with Uni Enrol’s counsellors, he brings keen insight into Malaysia’s evolving private higher education landscape and the shifting preferences of students in learning and career choices.