MBA Scholarship Malaysia

Getting an MBA scholarship Malaysia can truly transform your career, but let’s be honest, the cost can feel like a mountain to climb. Good news, though Malaysia, with its growing reputation as an education hub, offers some fantastic MBA scholarship opportunities that can help you reach that summit without breaking the bank. As a Pakistani student, you have options, and we are here to guide you through them.

Why Malaysia for Your MBA?

First, let’s discuss why Malaysia is a great choice. Not only is it affordable, but it is of good quality, and it is exciting. Consider this: You could be on the receiving end of a world-class MBA, which is recognized all over the world, is usually delivered by foreign professors, and at the same time, you could be in a country that has the best of both worlds: a cultural heritage and an urban lifestyle.

In addition to this, the cost of living is relatively cheaper compared to other Western nations. It is as good as purchasing a high-priced ticket at a reduced rate! A lot of Malaysian colleges are well networked with renowned universities in the UK, USA, and Australia, and so chances are you may end up even having a degree that is certified by an overseas university here in Malaysia. It is a win-win situation because you get the international exposure but at a low cost.

Decoding Scholarship Types: What’s on Offer?

Scholarships come in different flavors, and it’s essential to know what each one offers:

Full-Funded Scholarships Fully funded scholarships are the golden tickets! They sponsor nearly all: tuition fees, living expenses (a monthly stipend), accommodation, and even travelling. With one, you can concentrate on your studies.
Partial Funding- The majority of the scholarships are in this category. They either pay part of your school fees, or they take a percentage, or the amount is fixed. Although they are not full coverage, they help to ease the financial burden a great deal.
Tuition Fee Waivers: These are the scholarships that directly pay your tuition Fee or deduct it completely and leave you to pay the rest of the housing and other miscellaneous charges.
Bursaries: These are normally smaller grants awarded on financial grounds or other specific awards, which provide a given amount to offset the total payment. So, let us take a closer look at certain scholarship programs that you need to be aware of.

Master Scholarship Malaysia: Your Gateway to Postgraduate Studies

Are you looking for a master’s scholarship in Malaysia? This category encompasses not only MBA scholarships but also opportunities for various master’s degree scholarship programs.

1. Government-Backed Goldmines: Malaysia International Scholarship (MIS) & MTCP

These are your big guns, directly from the Malaysian government. They aim to attract bright minds from developing countries, including Pakistan.

Malaysia International Scholarship (MIS) 2025:

What it includes: It is a fully funded scholarship! Consider all tuition fees, a good living allowance (RM 1,500 per month or so), and even health insurance in some cases. Who may apply: International students (such as you!) who hail out of all backgrounds to a select range of countries. Your grades must be good (most of the universities require a CGPA of 3.00/4.00 (or a Master degree equivalent of Second Class Upper Honours) and English skills (IELTS/TOEFL test scores). A master’s degree also requires that you be below 40.

How can you use the MIS scholarship? The MIS scholarship will normally support the entire period of your master’s degree course, barring satisfactory academic performance.

Note: Chances are you will be asked to provide a letter of admission to a university in Malaysia in case you already have one, and in case of research-based MBAs, a research proposal may be asked.

Deadline: The deadline of the 2025 intake is usually June 30, 2025. Do not miss it!

Malaysian Technical Cooperation Programme (MTCP) Scholarship 2025:

What it covers: It is another fully funded scholarship by the Malaysian government. It also includes paying the tuition fees and monthly allowances, and in most cases, an economy flight ticket back. MTCp can get about RM 3,500 monthly allowance.

What is eligible to apply: International students from MTCP recipient countries (Pakistan makes it to the list!). You must have at least a Second Class Upper Honours, or a CGPA of 3.00 or above in your first degree at undergraduate level, and you should be less than 45 years old when applying. It also requires English proficiency.

Which type of courses does MTCP have a preference for? In many cases, MTCP focuses on such areas as Artificial Intelligence, Cyber Security, Digital Transformation, Economy, STEM, Food Security, Islamic Finance, Law, Public Administration, and Sustainable & Environmental Science.

Note: This scholarship focuses on human resource development and hopes that you can assist your home country in its development.

Deadline: The app deadline has been repeatedly extended, such as the June 18, 2025, deadline for some intakes. The official MTCP site is the best place to watch keenly for the date.

2. Prestigious University Scholarships in Malaysia

Beyond government schemes, top Malaysian universities and business schools offer their own attractive MBA scholarships. These are often fantastic scholarships for master’s degree programs.

Asia School of Business (ASB) MBA Scholarships:

What is ASB: This is a game-changing school, being developed together with MIT Sloan School of Management. It is famous for its Action learning style, in which you do practical work by resolving real LEAPs in business.
What it includes: ASB comes up with fully-funded MBA scholarships! That is right, what you read. These usually provide 100 per cent tuition and fees and even board. It is an excellent chance to get an education in a good college without worrying about the money. Who is eligible: International students with a good academic record (minimum CGPA 2.5 on a 4-point scale), at least 2 years of work experience after graduation, and evidence of language ability (English).
They seek intellectual capacity, emotional caliber, and quality of leadership. Are the GMAT/GRE score requirements necessary to be eligible for scholarships in the ASB MBA? Although not necessary, ASB will highly recommend that you provide a valid GMAT, GRE, or Executive Assessment (EA) score, which can be one of the most important additions to your application.
Note: They strongly request that international students fill out the application process ahead of time to receive a visa. Your application will have to consist of finishing an online form, a cover letter, a resume, transcripts of your academic records, and a 1-minute video of yourself.

2025 Intake deadline:

Round 1: December 31st, 2024
Round 2: March 31, 2025
Round 3 May 31, 2025
Round 4 June 30, 2025

Heriot-Watt University Malaysia MBA Scholarships:

About Heriot-Watt: With its Edinburgh Business School (EBS), Heriot-Watt MBA Malaysia provides a good part-time MBA education that could be highly flexible, especially to working executives. The full tuition price of taking an MBA program for International students at Heriot-Watt University in Malaysia is RM 67,050, covering the 2-year program when done on a part-time basis.
What it covers: They have partial scholarships which cover partial expenses incurred in study materials, teaching sessions, and revision seminars on the nine courses of the MBA.
Forms of scholarship: Empowering Women Scholarship / Shaping Entrepreneurial Women Scholarship: This particular scholarship targets females who are citizens of the Malaysian nation, in collaboration with the 30 percent Club Malaysia. It is an awesome program to assist women entrepreneurs.
MBA Scholarship by Edinburgh Business School: It is a scholarship that awards a general MBA funded by the Edinburgh Business School and available to all nationalities. MBA Bursary: This is a partial bursary (e.g., RM 13,500) to new students undertaking an MBA regardless of their nationality. This is independent of the EBS scholarships, and this has varying dates.
Eligibility: You should be offered and accept a part-time MBA program on an unconditional basis. In the case of the women’s scholarship, nationality, Malaysian, is important, whereas the gender is female.
What is the English proficiency level required in the Heriot-Watt MBA? You will normally require an overall band of 6.5 in the IELTS Academic with no less than 6.0 in each component.
EBS Scholarships (Part-time MBA) deadlines: 1 August (September entry), 1 st December (January intake) or MBA Bursary (Heriot-Watt): normally c. July 20, 2025, in the case of current intakes.

3 Premier Overseas University Scholarships (for studying on their home campus)

Some of these are listed as MBA overseas scholarships, but are important to consider if you are looking for global options from Malaysia.

What is Strathclyde? Strathclyde Business School is triple-accredited and ranked highly. They have a reputation for being practical with their MBA strategy-oriented program. o What it covers: These are partial scholarships of the amount 9000 to 17000. Part of the tuition fee (up to 50 per cent) may be met through some of the so-called Dean’s Excellence Awards.
Who is eligible: The specific scholarships apply to self-funded, fee-paying students who will enrol in their full-time attendance path in the MBA program at their campus based in Glasgow, United Kingdom. They seek outstanding academic records, extensive practitioner managerial leadership experience, and individuals who would add value to the community within the program.
Are Strathclyde MBA scholarship applications possible for Malaysian international students? No, these particular scholarships are offered by Strathclyde Business School, and most are usually related to their full-time MBA (on their main campus in Glasgow, UK), not to the Strathclyde Business School MBA Part-time scholarships at their Malaysian campus.
Deadlines: Awards are issued in rolling order. The September 2025 intake opened applications in December 2024, awards in February 2025, and a final consideration date on 31 July 2025. It is a clever initiative to apply early!

Niche and Specific Scholarships

Khazanah Asia Scholarship Programme:

What is Khazanah? It is a very prestigious scholarship given by Khazanah Nasional Berhad, an investment arm of the Malaysian government. They are out to build potential leaders of tomorrow.

Eligibility to apply: Geared towards Malaysian citizens, the Khazanah Asia Scholarship Programme can also be applied to by the citizens of other Asian countries (including Pakistan!).
What they seek: Exceptional academic people having the aptitude for leadership who will contribute to the development of Malaysia. This is very competitive and, in most cases, it is fully funded. They do not have any applications at the time yet, so you can monitor their official site for application announcements.
Is there any commitment to work in Malaysia through the Khazanah Asia Scholarship? Well, as a rule, the Khazanah Asia Scholarship recipients are also supposed to give back and invest in building the economic and human capital of Malaysia upon finishing their education.

Al-Bukhari University Malaysia Scholarship 2025:

What it includes: This is a fully-paid scholarship awarded to international students undertaking several classes, including the possibility of an MBA. It seeks to offer chances to bright, needy learners.
Eligibility: Concentrates on socio-economic status (such as household income below USD 300 in the case of international students), age factor (usually between 18 and 22 years old in the case of undergraduate, and not necessarily in the case of post-graduate studies), and single marital status.
Does the Al-Bukhari Scholarship apply to certain disciplines? Even though it promotes many different programs, it tends to cover a large scope of social sciences, humanities, and business orientations, encouraging social mobility with the help of education.
Deadline: The deadlines of some intakes may be as late as July 31, 2025.

Chevening Scholarship:

What is Chevening? Although Chevening is not exactly a Malaysian scholarship, the Chevening Scholarship is a competitive, fully funded international UK government scholarship program, to which a great number of Pakistani students make applications each year to pursue an MBA or a master’s degree scholarship in Malaysia.
What it pays: Complete tuition fees, upkeep, and travel.
Eligibility: Excellent candidates from Chevening-eligible countries (Pakistan is included) with two years of working experience and who have the potential to become leaders.
Note: You would have to apply to UK Universities. It will be a first-class scholarship if you apply to be an MBA Overseas scholar in the UK.
Deadlines: Applications are normally received in August of one year and then go through to November regarding the next academic year.

PhD Scholarship for Malaysians

Although this article covers MBA Scholarships offered to international students, it is pertinent to mention that there are a good number of PhD Scholarships offered to Malaysian students, both by the government (examples include MARA, in case of eligibility), as well as higher education institutions. These are designed especially for Malaysian citizens conducting doctoral research.

How to Get an MBA Scholarship: Your Step-by-Step Guide

Applying for scholarships can feel like a maza, but breaking it down makes it manageable. Here is your step-by-step guide on how to get an MBA scholarship.

Step 1: Do some research, research, research!

Begin by searching for scholarships that suit you. Consider your academic experience, employment, country of origin, and desired MBA program. But don’t only go with the well-known ones, occasionally, less-known and smaller scholarships have lower competition. What should be my starting point in scholarship search? Start with the official web pages of Malaysian universities, which provide MBAs, the Malaysian Ministry of Higher Education, and governmental scholarship websites (such as MIS, MTCP).

Step 2: Consider Accepting The First MBA Program That Is Offered

To be eligible to apply to most of the university-specific MBA scholarships, you have to secure and confirm an unconditional place in the MBA program. This is your golden pass towards even getting a shot at the scholarship. Therefore, apply to your targeted MBA Malaysia programs early enough! Is it very important to be offered a early admission? It is very essential because most scholarships are given out on a term-by-term basis, and others just need one to have an offer before he/she can make a scholarship application.

Step 3: Fine Tuning Your Application

This is your shining point! MBA scholarship Malaysia requirements should be considered carefully.

Academic Transcripts: Do ensure they are certified copies. In master’s scholarship in Malaysia, an undergraduate GPA is normally required to be high (usually 3.0 or better).
Resume/CV: Remember to put your professional/managerial/leadership experience, achievements, and responsibilities. Measure your contributions where you can . grew by 15 per cent
Esays/Personal Statements: This is the time to tell your story. What are your reasons in wanting and MBA? In what respect will it assist you to attain your career objectives? What will you do to add value to the program? In case it is a leadership scholarship, show your leadership capabilities. Talk of women empowerment in businesses, in case it targets women.
Letters of Recommendations: Select the referees (Preferably current or former employer, professors, etc.) who are well acquainted with you and who can address good descriptive information concerning your skills, ethics, and potential.
Proficiency in English: The English Proficiency tests that almost every international student will be asked to take are IELTS or TOEFL. Attain a high mark (e.g. IELTS 6.0-6.5 or above). A letter from the former organization may be accepted in some universities in case the instruction medium at this university is English.
GMAT/GRE/EA Scores: Although some of the programs may defer them as optional, a good score can work wonders in your application and further enhance your admission to the university college; moreover, as part of the merit-based programs, scholarships in the MBA.

Step 4: Mind the Deadlines!

It is essential. Once a deadline is missed, then the opportunity is potentially lost. Put them in your calendar, create reminders, and, if possible, file your application before the last deadline. Bear in mind that a large number of MBA scholarships are given out on a rolling basis, which is why it can be better to apply as soon as possible. • Do MBA Scholarship Malaysia 2024 deadlines apply to 2025? The actual dates change; however, the application periods (e.g. Spring/Summer intake is Fall) usually stay the same year-to-year. It is important to make sure to check the dates of the current year.

Step 5: Prepare for Interviews

Should you be shortlisted, then you could be invited to take part in an interview. Here is where you express your personality, passion, and your qualifications for the scholarship. Practise; say your answers aloud in a loud tone.

Step 6: Be an Ambassador

When you receive a lot of scholarships, particularly university-based ones, there is always a condition that you will be a student ambassador. This could include assisting during recruitment activities, providing your experiences, or being a spokesperson for the university. Embrace it! It is an excellent network and a gift back.

Financial Planning: More than the Scholarship budgeting

It is prudent to know the total costs, even though you are receiving a scholarship. International Students Cost of Living in Malaysia. The cost of living in Malaysia is relatively cheap. An international student may require about MYR 1,500 – MYR 2,000 a month on average to pay for accommodation, meals, transport, and other personal needs. This is far below in most Western countries. How much do people pay in Malaysian cities to get accommodation? Accommodation is to the value of RM 400 – 800, and monthly rent is about RM 700 1,200 and upwards, as per room shared in Kuala Lumpur.

Degrees in Malaysia

Malaysia-based MBA is well accepted worldwide, more so with the universities that are internationally affiliated or triple-accredited. There is a great deal of increased career opportunities for graduates. The rate of professional salaries in Malaysia is high, and according to recent calculations, an average MBA graduate can have a higher annual salary by approximately 30 percent compared to graduates who have a Bachelor’s degree only. It means that this is a good investment, although you can partially fund it and pay several expenses out of pocket. The 12-month MBA programs are intense, and they may lead to a quicker re-entry into the workforce.

Final Thoughts:

Studying for an MBA in Malaysia is a sensible employment decision, and when one has the right scholarship, it becomes very affordable. It could be a fully funded Malaysia International Scholarship, the elusive Asia School of Business opportunities, or even the MBA scholarships of particular universities such as Heriot-Watt MBA Malaysia; there is a route to you. The idea of costs is not something to worry about. Become the first to do it, research, draft a killer application, and apply with contact today. Studying for an MBA in Malaysia and having a scholarship sponsored may be the life-changing experience you have been desiring.