Course On Focus

Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology (TARUMT), Main Campus

TAR College Provide a Leading Edge IT Education

Producing information technology (IT) graduates who are equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to adapt to the dynamic changes in the IT industry is important to an economy.  Skills requirements in this field are evolving rapidly.  In addition to technical knowledge, tomorrow’s IT employee will require expertise in project management, change management and business analysis.  In line with this, Tunku Abdul Rahman College (TAR College) has worked closely with the industry to refine and update its curricula to cater to industry needs.

Team PointVector of TAR College receives the prize for 1st runner up position at the national Microsoft Imagine Cup 2007 competition

ICT Courses Conducted
At TAR College, you can choose from a wide range of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) courses, each with its own area of focus and specialization. These courses include Information Systems Engineering, Business Information Systems, Internet Technology as well as Computer Science and Mathematics.  They are designed with an emphasis on both academic and hands-on training, to prepare students for more advanced studies as well as for the future job market.

Students are equipped with industry-relevant knowledge and skills such as networking, Java, ASP.Net, VB.Net, Linux, Oracle, Crystal Report, Rational XDE, XML and much more.  These courses are available at the Diploma and Advanced Diploma levels.  At the Advanced Diploma level, students are also prepared for the Bachelor of Science (BS) Degree conducted by the College in conjunction with Campbell University, USA.  Students who have successfully completed the Degree course will be conferred the Bachelor of Science Degree. Campbell University is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, USA to award the BS Degree conducted at TAR College.

Apart from that, the College also caters to those who want to do certificate level courses. TAR College offers the Certificate in Computer Studies, Certificate in Internet Technology, Certificate in Electronics & Computer Technology and Certificate in Information Technology.  The course structures and syllabi of the certificate courses are designed to equip students with the necessary basic skills and knowledge to prepare them for the job market or for them to proceed to the relevant diploma courses in the College

Professional Certification
As part of the College’s commitment to add value to the students’ experience and qualification, professional certification curriculum such as the Cisco Certified Networking Associates (CCNA) and Novell Certified Linux Professional (NCLP) programmes have been incorporated into the course structures.  This integration of professional certification curriculum into courses is yet another step taken by the College to produce more skillful and employment-ready graduates who will be able to contribute leading edge IT-solutions at the workplace.

New Interactive Software Technology Course
An exciting development in 2007 was the introduction of the Interactive Software Technology course which equips students with the technical knowledge and skills for developing computer games and interactive educational or training software.  Even though this course is in its infancy, the College lecturers specializing in computer games technology have started inculcating their passion for this area to their students.

An interesting example is the “STEPHY” or “Simply To Encourage Programming Habit Yourself” project, an innovative software application that exploits games technology and the motivation of game-play to promote computer programming to beginners. STEPHY is an example of serious games that take advantage of games technology for non-entertainment purposes that provides 2D top-down visualisation of a virtual world to learners and has very game-like experience similar to Alice3D developed by the Carnegie Mellon University, USA.

Vibrant Holistic Education Produces Highly Employable Graduates
In addition to the development of hard skills, the College also emphasizes on the development of character values and soft skills to ensure that students are engaged in holistic education.  Opportunities for such exposure are provided via the faculty’s advisory system, talks by industry experts, Computer Science Society activities, Career Fairs, and so on.

By participating in organizing Computer Science activities such as technology events, hands-on laboratory exercises, treasure hunts and competitions, students get the opportunity to hone their communication, interpersonal, leadership and management skills. These holistic learning opportunities mould students into leaders and achievers clearly reflected when they were once again among the top three winners in the prestigious Microsoft Malaysia Imagine Cup competition this year, emerging as the 1st runner-up.

This winning streak extends to their working life as TAR College produces highly employable and successful graduates such as Lee Cheng Ban who now owns Computer Business Solutions Sdn Bhd, a leading IBM business partner which has won the Platinum Business Award for the past 6 years, the Asia Pacific Eagle Award 2005 and the Client Satisfaction Award in 2006.

Science graduate Lai Yue-Choy said the holistic education at TAR College has taken him around the world in his line of work. “Other than academic grounding, my active involvement in college activities has enhanced my public speaking, organizational, fund-raising, negotiation and conflict resolution skills,” said Lai who now runs his own inspection consultancy firm in Vancouver, Canada.

Interested to learn the latest technologies in a holistic environment? To find out more, head down to TAR College during its Open Day at all its campuses from the 14 to 16 December, from 9am to 5 pm.  Application forms for the January intake are already available at all campuses as well as online.

For more information, please contact the College at the following numbers: 03-41450123/0100 (KL Main Campus), 04-8995230 (Penang Branch Campus), 05-4660388 (Perak Branch Campus), 07-9270801 (Johor Branch Campus), 09-2314185 (Pahang Branch Campus) and 088-718481/2 (Sabah Branch Campus), or visit the College website at www.tarc.edu.my