UniSZA Recognised As East Coast’s Only Open APEL.A Assessment Centre

KUALA NERUS, Oct 5 (Bernama) -- Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin (UniSZA) has been recognised by the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA) as the only open Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning (APEL.A) assessment centre in the East Coast. 

UniSZA vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Fadzli Adam said the recognition marked an important step for the university in expanding access to higher education for professionals, experienced workers and members of the public who have acquired knowledge and skills through their work experience. 

He said with the recognition, UniSZA is also able to conduct APEL.A assessments up to Level T-8, providing access to doctoral-level studies. 

“Education should not be limited to just one pathway. Outside the formal education system, there are many individuals who have acquired knowledge, competencies and expertise through years of work experience. 

“Through APEL.A, this experience can be systematically assessed as a pathway for them to return to university, upgrade their academic qualifications and subsequently expand their career development opportunities,” he said in a statement today. 

Meanwhile, UniSZA deputy vice-chancellor (Academic and International) Prof Dr Zuhairah Ariff Abd Ghadas, in the same statement said that the implementation of APEL.A complemented the university’s academic ecosystem by providing an alternative admission pathway for candidates with relevant experience and competencies. 

“APEL.A enables the university to assess an individual’s potential in a more holistic manner. Formal qualifications remain important, but the experience, knowledge and competencies acquired in the workplace can also serve as a valuable foundation for an individual to return to higher education,” she said.

For candidates seeking admission to UniSZA through APEL.A, the fields of study offered include contemporary Islamic studies, languages and communication, informatics and computing, applied social sciences, business and management, law and international relations, as well as health sciences, subject to the programme, admission requirements and prevailing provisions. 

Candidates who obtain an APEL.A certificate may also use it to apply for admission to suitable programmes at other higher education institutions, subject to the admission requirements and provisions of the respective institutions.

-- BERNAMA