Universiti Teknologi MARA System
Universiti Teknologi MARA System is Malaysia’s nationwide public higher-education system centered on Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM).
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Universiti Teknologi MARA System is the national university system built around Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), a Malaysian public university headquartered in Shah Alam, Selangor. The institution originated in 1956 as the RIDA Training Centre, created to expand educational and professional opportunities for rural Malays and support the economic development of the bumiputera population. It began with approximately 50 students and initially concentrated on pre-university preparation, business skills and externally examined professional courses. Over the following decades, the institution developed into a large, geographically distributed higher-education network. Its institutional identity changed several times. It became MARA College in 1965 after responsibility moved from RIDA to Majlis Amanah Rakyat, commonly known as MARA. In 1967 it was upgraded to Institut Teknologi MARA, or ITM, reflecting a broader mandate to train professionals in fields needed by Malaysia’s developing economy. ITM expanded beyond business education into engineering, applied sciences, architecture, building, planning, management, humanities, law, communications, hospitality, public administration, art and design. Branch campuses were established in several states during the 1970s, and the institution was placed under the Ministry of Education through the ITM Act 1976. A major transformation occurred in the 1990s. Amendments to the ITM Act granted the institution powers comparable to those of a university, including the authority to offer advanced degrees, establish programmes and campuses, conduct research and undertake commercial activities. In August 1999, the government announced the name Universiti Teknologi MARA. The Universiti Teknologi MARA Act 173 provided the legal framework for its university status and administration. UiTM later received autonomous status in 2015. The system now consists of a flagship campus in Shah Alam and a nationwide network of branch and satellite campuses. The system model, described as 1 University Multi System or 1UiTM, combines a central university identity with state-level campuses that deliver programmes suited to local needs. Branch campuses are administered through rectors or assistant rectors, while selected campuses have received autonomous status and can exercise greater administrative discretion, including holding their own convocations. UiTM offers programmes from foundation and pre-diploma levels through undergraduate and postgraduate study. Its academic scope covers business, accountancy, science, technology, engineering, the built environment, communications, law, education, hospitality, health-related fields, art and design and other professional disciplines. English is used as the official language of instruction and administration alongside Malaysia’s wider multilingual environment. The university’s stated and historical mission remains closely connected to bumiputera advancement; its admissions policy has traditionally prioritized and, subject to applicable rules, limited regular access primarily to bumiputera students, while international students are also part of the wider student population. The system is one of Malaysia’s largest higher-education institutions by campus infrastructure, staffing and enrollment. Its scale allows UiTM to combine mass access, professional training, research and regional delivery under one institutional brand. A proposed renaming to Arshad Ayub University was announced in 2019 in recognition of education administrator Arshad Ayub, but the proposal remained subject to government approval and did not replace the established UiTM identity in the reference material.
History
The system began in 1956 as the RIDA Training Centre in Petaling Jaya, Selangor. The initiative was connected to efforts to improve rural development and the economic position of Malay communities. Onn Jaafar’s study of rural development in Ceylon helped inspire the institutional concept, while the RIDA framework was established through federal legislative action in 1951. The centre’s first principal was Syed Alwi Syed Sheikh Alhadi. It was formally opened on 14 February 1957 by Ismail Abdul Rahman, then Minister for Trade and Industry. Early provision focused on pre-university education, commercial skills and professional preparation. Courses were linked to external examining bodies including the London Chamber of Commerce and organizations associated with accountancy, chartered secretarial work and management. The centre held its first convocation in 1964, when 50 graduates received certificates from Deputy Prime Minister Tun Abdul Razak. In 1965 it became MARA College after the newly established Majlis Amanah Rakyat assumed a strengthened role in training and indigenous economic development. When the British Institute of Management ceased conducting external examinations in 1966, the college developed its own Diploma in Business Studies, with Ealing Technical College in London serving as an external examiner. In 1967, MARA College became Institut Teknologi MARA. The change responded to a national shortage of trained professionals identified through a government and United Nations manpower survey. ITM broadened its academic portfolio, particularly in science, technology, engineering, applied sciences, architecture, building and planning, while retaining business, management, law, communications, hospitality, public administration, secretarial studies and creative disciplines. The institution’s main campus was developed in Shah Alam, and branch campuses were established in Perlis, Sabah and Sarawak by 1973. Its first major development phase, from 1967 to 1976, involved the creation of an autonomous institutional structure and a substantial Shah Alam campus. The ITM Act 1976 placed the institution directly under the Ministry of Education and formed the basis for its second expansion phase. During the 1970s and 1980s, ITM developed into a large higher-learning institution with a growing national campus footprint. A 1992 proposal to establish a radio station for communications students was rejected, although students were permitted to undertake practical training with Radio Televisyen Malaysia. The third transformation took place from 1996 to 1999. Amendments to the ITM Act gave the institution university-level powers, including the ability to award degrees through the doctoral level, create academic programmes, establish campuses with ministerial permission, conduct research and enter commercial activities. Internal titles and governance structures were also revised: schools became faculties, branch directors became rectors and the institution gained a board and senate comparable to those of a university. In August 1999, ITM was renamed Universiti Teknologi MARA. Act 173 formalized the university’s legal framework and continued its distinctive public mission. The institution subsequently expanded its branch and satellite-campus model across Malaysia. The 1 University Multi System framework treats UiTM as an anchor university supported by state and satellite campuses, each requiring its own quality-management certification rather than automatically inheriting certification from the Shah Alam campus. Several campuses were granted autonomous status, allowing greater local decision-making and, in some cases, separate convocation ceremonies. The Shah Alam campus remains the administrative and symbolic centre, housing the chancellery and registrar’s office. The system also includes specialist and residential infrastructure, including the Tun Abdul Razak Library, which traces its origins to the RIDA Training Centre library. The library moved into a purpose-built Shah Alam facility in 1972 and later developed online and automated services as UiTM became a university. Today, the system operates as a large Malaysian public university network offering hundreds of programmes across foundation, diploma, undergraduate and postgraduate levels. A proposed 2019 name change to Arshad Ayub University remained pending in the source material and did not displace the UiTM brand.
- 2015
Autonomy status
[1]UiTM was granted autonomy status.
- 1999
University status and UiTM name
[1]The government announced the change from ITM to Universiti Teknologi MARA, supported by Act 173.
- 1976
ITM Act places the institution under the Ministry of Education
[1]The ITM Act 1976 established a new governance and expansion framework.
- 1972
Shah Alam main campus developed
[1]A major campus and the Tun Abdul Razak Library were established in Shah Alam.
- 1967
Becomes Institut Teknologi MARA
[1]The college was upgraded and broadened its professional, technical and academic mandate.
- 1965
Becomes MARA College
[1]The training centre was renamed MARA College and became part of the MARA Training Division.
- 1964
First convocation
[1]The institution held its first convocation and awarded certificates to 50 graduates.
- 1957
Formal opening of the training centre
[1]The RIDA Training Centre was officially opened on 14 February.
- 1956
RIDA Training Centre begins operations
[1]The institution opened in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, with an initial focus on rural and professional education.
Products and positioning
A large, access-oriented Malaysian public university system combining nationwide campus reach, professional and technical education, and a historical mission of bumiputera socioeconomic advancement.
Preparatory higher education
Foundation and pre-diploma programmes
Preparatory programmes designed to provide entry routes into diploma and degree study across selected academic and professional areas. Pre-diploma provision has historically been especially important to UiTM’s access mission and its branch-campus model.
Higher education
Diploma programmes
Diploma courses are delivered across the national campus network and cover business, technology, science, engineering, hospitality, communications, design and other disciplines. State campuses often specialize in diploma-level provision suited to local capacity and demand.
Higher education
Undergraduate degree programmes
UiTM offers undergraduate degrees across a broad portfolio including business, accountancy, engineering, applied sciences, architecture, law, communications, management, health-related subjects, education, art and design and the built environment.
Graduate education and research
Postgraduate programmes
Postgraduate provision includes taught and research pathways, with the university empowered to award advanced degrees through the doctoral level. Programmes are delivered through the flagship university and relevant faculties and campuses.
Professional education · 1956
Professional and executive education
The institution’s origins include externally examined professional training in commerce, accountancy, secretarial studies and management. Contemporary continuing and professional education extends this tradition through specialized academic and career-oriented offerings.
Research services
Research and commercialization
University-level authority allows UiTM to conduct research, develop knowledge and engage in commercialization and related business activities alongside its teaching mission.
Brand decisions
2019
Proposed Arshad Ayub University nameStrategyBackground
The university sought to recognize Arshad Ayub, an important figure in its educational development and institutional history.
Action taken
UiTM proposed changing its corporate name to Arshad Ayub University, subject to approval by the Ministry of Education.
Aftermath
The proposal remained pending in the reference material, and the UiTM name continued to identify the system.
2015
Granting of institutional autonomyStrategyBackground
The university system was developing greater administrative differentiation among its state campuses.
Action taken
UiTM received autonomy status, while selected branch campuses operated with increased administrative independence.
Aftermath
Autonomous campuses gained greater discretion over decisions and could hold their own convocation ceremonies.
1999
Transition from ITM to Universiti Teknologi MARAStrategyBackground
The institution had acquired university-level powers through amendments to its governing legislation and required a name and legal identity reflecting its expanded role.
Action taken
The government announced the UiTM name and established Act 173 as the framework for administration, programmes, degrees and institutional operations.
Aftermath
UiTM became the central identity for the nationwide public university system and continued expanding its campuses and academic scope.
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