Universiti Putra Malaysia

Universiti Putra Malaysia (formally known as Universiti Pertanian Malaysia or College of Agriculture Malaya or School of Agriculture), or UPM, is recognised by the independent government assessments as one of Malaysia's leading research Universities. Founded in 1931 as the School of Agriculture, UPM's main campus is located in central Peninsular Malaysia, close to the capital city, Kuala Lumpur and next to Malaysia’s administrative capital city, Putrajaya. It was formerly known as Universiti Pertanian Malaysia or Agricultural University of Malaysia. UPM is a research university offering undergraduate and postgraduate courses with a research focus on agricultural sciences and its related fields. It was ranked as the joint 376th best university in the world in 2014 by Quacquarelli Symonds. On 2015, UPM was ranked 45th in Best Global Universities for Agricultural Sciences of U.S. News & World Report College and University Ranking.

History
The School of Agriculture was officially instituted on 21 May 1931 by John Scott, an administrative officer of the British colonial Straits Settlements. The school was located on a 22-acre piece of land in Serdang and offered two programmes - a three-year diploma programme and a one-year certificate course in Agriculture. In 1947, the school was declared the College of Agriculture Malaya by Sir Edward Gent, the then Governor of the Malayan Union. The establishment of Universiti Pertanian Malaysia came about when the College of Agriculture in Serdang merged with the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Malaya. Dr. Mohd. Rashdan bin Haji Baba, the then principal of the College of Agriculture Malaya, was appointed as the first Vice-Chancellor by virtue of the provisions of Section 18 of the Universities and University Colleges Act, 1971. With the first intake of 1,559 students, Universiti Pertanian Malaysia had its first academic session in July 1973 in the three central faculties and one basic division: the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Faculty of Forestry, Faculty of Agriculture, and a Division of Foundation Studies. In the early 80s, UPM extended its area of studies to include the field of Science and Technology (S&T). In 1997, the name Universiti Pertanian Malaysia was changed to Universiti Putra Malaysia by former Prime Minister, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohammad, as a strategic gesture to portray the status of UPM as a centre of higher education capable of providing various fields of studies, especially in science and information technology, which facilitate national development in the new millennium.

Campus
The university since its inception as Universiti Pertanian Malaysia, has had two branch campuses apart from the main campus at Serdang, Selangor. The UPM branch campuses were located in Bintulu, Sarawak and Mengabang Telipot, Terengganu. The campus in Terengganu has been upgraded to the University College of Science and Technology Malaysia (KUSTEM), with its own management and administration. KUSTEM officially broke away from UPM on 1 July 2001. The Medicine and Health Sciences faculty maintains a campus complex adjacent to a local hospital in Serdang.

Academic profile
UPM began its academic life in 1973 with three founding Faculties and a Division of Basic Sciences. The first intake of 1,559 students were for the bachelor's degree in Agriculture, Diploma in Home Technology, Diploma in Animal Health and Production, Diploma in Science with Education, and Preliminary Programme. UPM now offers 59 bachelor programmes, 7 diploma programmes, and 12 Masters and Doctoral programmes. There are 16 Faculties, eight Centres, nine Institutes, two Schools, a University Park and a branch campus in Bintulu, Sarawak. The Doctor of Medicineprogram provided by the Medical and Health Science division of the university was fully recognised by the Malaysia Medical Council on 5 June 2001.

Faculty of Engineering

The Faculty of Engineering of Universiti Putra Malaysia was established on 1 January 1975 at the main Serdang Campus, some 22 kilometres to the south of Kuala Lumpur. It is one of the largest faculties at UPM with a student population of over 3000. The campus’ location at the heart of the Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) provides the faculty with access to the array of IT and multimedia facilities available in the Corridor.

The eight academic departments housed in the faculty offer a similar number of Bachelor of Engineering degree programs. Out of 800 postgraduates, almost 50% are international students. In addition to providing facilities and opportunities for teaching and research, the faculty has established Research Centres in engineering and related fields.

The Centres of Excellence organise research and development programs, consultancy and professional training using expertise from disciplines in the university. The objective is to secure contracts from the public or private sectors to generate income for the faculty. Centers of Excellence have been established as listed below.

• Road Safety Research Center (RSRC)
• Housing Research Center (HRC)
• Mountainous Terrain Development Research Center (MTDRC)
• Centre of Excellence for Wireless and Photonic Network (WiPNET)
• Centre of Excellence on Lightning Protection (CELP)

The Eighth Malaysia Plan ended in 2005 and, during its duration, most of the approved research projects were completed. Under the Ninth Malaysia Plan, the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation offers three research grants: Technofund, Innofund and Sciencefund. In addition, the Ministry of Higher Education initiated the Fundamental Research Grant Scheme and UPM offers the Research University Grant Scheme.

Faculty of Engineering comprises eight main departments:

1. Aerospace
2. Biological and Agricultural
3. Civil
4. Electric and Electronic
5. Chemical and Environment
6. Computer and Communication Systems
7. Mechanical and Manufacturing
8. Process and Food.

Faculty of Science

The Faculty of Science was established as the Division of Basic Sciences in 1972. Its objective was to offer basic science courses required by other faculties in the University. In 1975, the status of the division was upgraded to a faculty, and named the Faculty of Science and Environmental Studies.

Since then the faculty has set up the Department of Environmental Sciences and the Department of Computer Sciences which later were upgraded to form two new faculties, and the transfer of the Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology to the newly formed Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences. Ever since the restructuring, the faculty has been renamed as the Faculty of Science in 2004.

Faculty of Science comprises four main departments and one centre:

1. Department of Biology
2. Department of Physics
3. Department of Chemistry
4. Department of Mathematics
5. Catalysis Science and Technology Research Centre (PutraCAT)

Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences

The Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences was established on 1 August 1996 as a result of the merger between the Department of Biomedical of the Faculty of Veterinary and Animal Science with Nutrition and Community Health Department of the Faculty Human Ecology. Currently, there are 1845 full-time students in the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences.

FMHS complex has many facilities which include administration building, library, lecture halls, tutorial rooms and laboratory. In addition, there are four blocks of students’ hostel which can accommodate 2000 students, student centre, food court and mosque.

Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences comprises three main departments:

1. Department of Economics
2. Department of Management and Marketing
3. Department of Accounting and Finance
4. 
   

Faculty of Economics and Management

The Faculty of Economics and Management (FEP) (formerly known as The Faculty of Resource Economics and Agribusiness) was first established in January 1974, as the fourth faculty in Universiti Putra Malaysia (formerly known as Universiti Pertanian Malaysia). It was established in response to the needs for competent professionals in the fields of Agribusiness and Resource Economics.

Ever since its inception, FEP has grown in terms of students’ intake, number of academic programs offered, research activities, and professional services.

To cater to the educational needs of working adults, FEP established Executive Program Unit (UPE) in 1997 by offering part-time programs to candidates with working experience in public or private sector. This program has thus expanded through collaboration with Malaysian Airlines (MAS) Academy in the year 2000.

Within the same year, FEP established External Program Unit and Distance Learning Unit in 2001.

FEP offers three bachelor level programs: Bachelor of Accounting, Bachelor of Economics and Bachelor of Business Administration. At the graduate level, FEP offers Masters of Economics, Masters of Science and PhD in Economics.

Faculty of Economics and Management comprises three main departments:

1. Department of Economics
2. Department of Management and Marketing
3. Department of Accounting and Finance

Faculty of Agriculture

The Faculty of Agriculture is one of three founding faculties that made up the formation of Universiti Pertanian Malaysia (now Universiti Putra Malaysia) in 1971. Beginning with seven departments under this faculty, most of these departments were later developed to become several other faculties.

At the end of 1998, the faculty had three academic departments which are Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, Department of Plant Protection and Department of Soil Science.

Beginning from 1 January 1999, the restructuring process at Universiti Putra Malaysia involved the Faculty of Agriculture. The faculty now has six departments – Crop Science, Animal Science, Plant Protection, Land Management, Agribusiness and Information System, and Agriculture Technology.

Faculty of Agriculture comprises seven main departments:

1. Department Of Crop Science
2. Department Of Plant Protection
3. Department Of Land Management
4. Department Of Animal Science
5. Department Of Agribusiness and Information Systems
6. Department Of Agriculture Technology
7. Department Of Aquaculture

Faculty of Food Science and Technology

The Faculty of Food Science and Technology had its humble beginnings in 1976 with the establishment of the Department of Food Science and Technology under the Faculty of Agriculture. The establishment of the department is in line with the need of the country to fulfill the shortage of skilled employees in the field of science-based food. At that time, only one undergraduate program was offered: Bachelor of Food Science and Technology.

On 1 March 1982, the Department of Food Science and Technology was upgraded to the Faculty of Food Science and Technology. There were two (2) departments under the Faculty: Department of Food Technology and Department of Food Science. In 1986, the Faculty was renamed Faculty of Food Science and Biotechnology (FSMB) with the establishment of the Department of Biotechnology that offered the Bachelor of Science (Biotechnology) program with six (6) modules: Plant Biotechnology, Molecular Biotechnology, Food Biotechnology, Industrial Biotechnology and Environmental Biotechnology and Management.

In 1996, the Faculty began offering the Bachelor of Science (Food Studies) program with two options: Food Quality Management and Food Management. In 1997 and 2000, the Food Service Administration and Food Marketing options were offered through the same program. On 1 August 2004, the faculty was renamed to the Faculty of Food Science and Technology when the Department of Biotechnology formed a separate faculty. In January 2005, the Department of Food Service and Management was established to strengthen the existing programs in the Faculty. The Faculty began offering the Bachelor of Science (Food Service Management) and Master of Food Technology in September 2012.

Faculty of Food Science and Technology comprises three main departments:

1. Department of Food Science
2. Department of Food Technology
3. Department of Food Service and Management

Faculty of Forestry

The Faculty of Forestry is one of the founding faculties during the establishment of Universiti Putra Malaysia, formerly known as Universiti Pertanian Malaysia in 1971.

Faculty of Forestry comprises three main departments and one section:

1. Department of Forest Management
2. Department of Forest Production
3. Department of Recreation and Eco-tourism
4. Forest & Plantation Section

Faculty of Veterinary Medicine

Faculty of Veterinary Medicine comprises six main departments:

1. Department of Veterinary Pathology & Microbiology
2. Department of Pre-Clinical Veterinary
3. Department of Veterinary Clinical Studies
4. Department of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnostics
5. Department of Medicine Companion Animal Surgery
6. Department of Medicine and Exotic & Farm Animal Surgery

Faculty of Educational Studies

The Faculty of Educational Studies serves to produce teachers who can teach at the secondary school level as well as professionals who are responsible for human resource development. At present, the faculty offers Bachelor of Education degrees in Agricultural Science, Home Science, Physical Education, the Teaching of Bahasa Malaysia as the First Language, the Teaching of English as a Second Language, Guidance and Counselling as well as Information Technology.

Faculty of Educational Studies comprises six main departments:

1. Department of Foundations of Education
2. Department of Sport Studies
3. Department of Science and Technical Education
4. Department of Language and Humanities Education
5. Department of Professional Development and Continuing Education
6. Department of Counselor Education and Counseling Psychology

Faculty of Human Ecology

The Faculty of Human Ecology was officially established on 1 April through the merger of the Department of Human Development Studies from the Faculty of Agriculture with the Department of Social Sciences from the Faculty of Educational Studies. Four departments were then established, namely, the Department of Community Nutrition and Health, Department of Resource Management and Consumer Studies.

Currently, the faculty has five departments and apart from these departments an additional unit under the FHE administration is the External Education and Industrial Training Unit.

Faculty of Human Ecology comprises five main departments:

1. Department of Resource Management and Consumer Studies
2. Department of Human Development and Family Studies
3. Department of Social and Development Sciences
4. Department of Government and Civilization Studies
5. Department of Music

Faculty of Modern Languages & Communication

The formation of Faculty of Modern Languages & Communication can be traced back to the establishment of the National Language Division and the English Language Division in the Agriculture College of Malaya (Kolej Pertanian Malaya) when the Language Act 1976 took effect. Both units were combined to form the Language Division in 1971 which was subsequently upgraded into the Language Department in 1972 and was placed under the Faculty of Agriculture.

On 15 January 1975, the Language Department was placed at the Faculty of Educational Studies. Then, on 4 January 1995, the Language Department was upgraded to the Faculty of Language Studies. On 1 January 1999, the then Department of Development Communication which was in the Faculty of Human Ecology was transferred to the Faculty of Modern Languages as the Department of Communication. With this restructuring, the Faculty of Language Studies was renamed as the Faculty of Modern Languages and Communication (FBMK).

Currently, Faculty of Modern Languages & Communication comprises four main departments:

1. Department of Malay Language and Linguistics
2. Department of English Language
3. Department of Foreign Languages
4. Department of Communication

Faculty of Design & Architecture

The idea to establish the Faculty of Design and Architecture in UPM originated with a proposal paper entitled "Proposed Establishment of the Faculty of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture.", which was submitted to the Faculty Agriculture in 1976. However, the proposal was never brought up for further consideration by the Faculty’s administration. Nevertheless, a group of teaching staff in Landscape Architecture was recruited in 1980 to teach "landscape subjects" in both the diploma and bachelor of agriculture programmes. The first landscape course was offered in 1984. It was a 3 credit course entitled "AGRO 472 – An Approach to Landscape Design". It became a popular course and managed to attract many agricultural students who later graduated and continued their studies in landscape architecture at the undergraduate and graduate level overseas. Many of these early graduates have since returned and assumed successful practice or became professors at several institutions of higher learning in the country.

In 1991, the Faculty of Engineering, UPM proposed to offer the Architecture programme in UPM. However, the idea mooted never materialised until the Faculty of Agriculture was given the task by the University’s management to look into the feasibility of offering both landscape architecture and architecture in UPM. A committee was formed in the Faculty of Agriculture 1994 and in 1995 a report was sent to the then Vice-Chancellor proposing the setting up of a new faculty offering courses in design and the creative arts. With the strong support of the University’s management the Faculty of Design and Architecture was approved by the University’s Senate, Board of Directors and the Ministry of Education.

The new faculty was officially established on 26 June 1996 and began its operation with the offering of the Bachelor of Landscape Architecture and Master of Landscape Architecture programmes under the new Department of Landscape Architecture. Subsequently, the Department of Architecture was established in 1999 and later the Department of Industrial Design in 2002. Operating from a few wooden temporary buildings on a former horticultural nursery site, the faculty today is a complex of stylish buildings to house the faculty and students and an up to date learning facilities and equipments. The faculty began with an enrolment of 40 students. Today, it has expanded rapidly offering five programmes with an enrolment of more than 400 students at the undergraduate, master and doctoral levels.

Faculty of Design and Architecture comprises three main departments:

1. Landscape Architecture Department
2. Industrial Design Department
3. Architecture Department

Faculty of Computer Science & Information Technology

The global evolution and significance of Computer studies and research was strategically harnessed in UPM’s program offerings in the 1980s. Among the pertinent strategies to achieve this was to offer the Diploma and Bachelor of Computer Science courses. The exponential demand and expansion of the courses needed a dedicated administrative and academic structure. Thus, by 1992, in keeping with the rapid pace of information technology, the Department of Computer Science was established. Further, courses were designed and offered to synergise the needs and demands of the multitudes of students exemplifying the domestic and international market demands. These encompassed postgraduate studies and supervision for students in pursue of the Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy programmes.

In 1995, there was further innovation in the deployment of providing Computer studies in UPM. Thus, is realising the true essence of a borderless education, the Diploma and Bachelor of Computer Science was offered cooperatively between UPM and private educational institutions. This indeed realised the widening of UPM’s Computer studies spectrum.

In October 1998, the Faculty of Computer Science and Information Technology was officially established to meet the demands for additional academic programmes and to keep pace with rapid developments in the respective field. The setting up of the Faculty also parallels the goal of the university to stay abreast of developments in Information Technology.

Currently, the faculty constitutes of four departments: Department of Multimedia, Department of Computer Science, Department of Software Engineering and Information System and the Department of Communication Technology and Networks.

Faculty of Computer Science and Information Technology comprises four main departments:

1. Multimedia Department
2. Software Engineering and Information System Department
3. Computer Science Department
4. Communication Technology and Network Department

Faculty of Biotechnology & Biomolecular Sciences

The Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences (BioTech UPM) was established on 1 August 2004 with the merger of two departments, the Department of Biotechnology (from the Faculty of Food Science and Biotechnology) and the Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology (from the Faculty of Science and Environmental Studies). With the formation of BioTech UPM, all activities involving biotechnology in UPM are organised under one administration.

Faculty of Biotechnology & Biomolecular Sciences comprises four main departments:

1. Department of Bioprocess Technology
2. Department of Cell & Molecular Biology
3. Department of Biochemistry
4. Department of Microbiology

Faculty of Environmental Studies

The Faculty of Environmental Studies, Universiti Putra Malaysia, is established on 1 September 2004. The Faculty developed from the Department of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science and Environmental Studies. The Department of Environmental Sciences at UPM was established in August 1976 under the Faculty of Science. With the entry of the new Department the Faculty of Science was renamed the Faculty of Science and Environmental Studies. In the same year the Bachelor of Environment programme was introduced. This degree is as a professional degree by the Malaysian Public Services Department. It was the first environment programme in Southeast Asia.

The Faculty of Environmental Studies, Universiti Putra Malaysia, is the only academic body offering degrees in environmental science and management in Malaysia at the Bachelor, Masters and Doctoral levels. There are two Bachelor programmes, two Masters programme and one Doctoral programme offered. More information on these programmes may be found on the Academic Programmes pages.

The academic staff has a wide range of interests. Projects are carried out with members of other departments inside and outside the University. For example, there is long term co-operation with the Department of Environment, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Housing, and Local Government, Local Authorities, and with international agencies such as the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Japan Society for Promotion of Science (JSPS).

Faculty of Environmental Studies comprises two main departments:

1. Department of Environmental Management
2. Department of Environmental Sciences

Faculty of Agriculture & Food Sciences (UPMKB)

Universiti Putra Malaysia Bintulu Sarawak Campus (UPMKB) is not a new name amongst the nation's institutions of higher learning. In fact, it is the oldest campus in Sarawak. The history of Universiti Putra Malaysia Bintulu Sarawak Campus can be traced back to 10 August 1974, when it was a temporary campus under the National Resources Training Centre in Semenggok, Kuching.

The campus was relocated to its permanent site in Bintulu, Sarawak in June 1987. On 27 August 1987, Universiti Pertanian Malaysia Sarawak was officially established as a branch campus through the under 3 centres of learning - Applied Sciences, Basic Sciences and Social Sciences and Management.

Three Diploma level programs were on offer; the Diploma in Agriculture, Diploma in Forestry and Diploma in Agribusiness programs, as well as an initiation program.

UPM was closed temporarily in 1992 and was operational again in November 2001, based on UPM 2001-2010 third strategic plan which was to upgrade UPM into and international center for agriculture, bioresource studies and services. UPMKB’s main focus is in agribio fields such as agriculture, forestry, fishery, livestock, food and environment.

UPMKB is situated just 13 km from the town of Bintulu. It is 715.16 hectares, and surrounded by lush green forest rich in many different types of flora and fauna. Its modern facilities can house up to 2,200 students.

UPMKB is a branch campus of UPM with one faculty, the Faculty of Agriculture and Food Sciences. This faculty comprises five academic departments: Department of Crop Science, Department of Forestry Science, Department of Social Science, Department of Basic Science and Engineering, and Department of Animal Science and Fishery. The faculty offers various Diploma, Bachelor, Master with thesis and PhD programmes.

Faculty of Agriculture & Food Sciences (UPMKB) comprises five main departments:

1. Department of Crop Science
2. Department of Forestry Science
3. Department of Basic Science and Engineering
4. Department of Social Science
5. Department of Animal Science and Fishery

Putra Science Park (Centre For Innovation Management)

Putra Science Park (PSP) is involved with technology transfer activities in Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), moving potential technologies and inventions from the laboratories to the marketplace. This is where PSP assists in securing and protecting novel innovations through intellectual property processes and identifying applicable commercialisation strategies for the created intellectual property.

PSP also promotes and markets potential technologies through print and electronic media such as periodical publications, exhibitions and roadshows, showcases, press conferences and business matching programs.

Putra FM

Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) has started offering the Bachelor of Communication program in 1998 with a specialisation in the field of broadcasting four, Journalism, Communications, Corporate Communications and Humanities. To support this academic program, UPM has built a photographic laboratory facility such as laboratories, laboratories and laboratory speech broadcasting. Laboratory broadcasting unit has two units, namely radio and publishing video publishing unit. Radio production unit has now been allocated for upgrading to Campus Radio Station.

Campus Radio Station Universiti Putra Malaysia or known by the name of the Son of FM, a radio station first digital campus university in the country. The design studio and choosing the appropriate equipment for this studio is with the assistance of the Radio Television Malaysia (RTM). UPM campus radio station has been operating under the auspices of the RTM or specifically Selangor FM. Continued co-operation with the RTM is coincident with the MoU was signed.

Putra FM program emphasises adult education by providing major programs of education, information and entertainment. Due to the Putra FM used for academic purposes, the surrounding communities will also receive benefits, especially in terms of exposure science culture, science and technology, including information and communications technology. Continue listening to "Live Sound Campus".