First City University College

About First City University College

First City University College, commonly abbreviated FCUC, is a private university college located in Bandar Utama, Petaling Jaya, in the state of Selangor. The institution was established in 1990 as Kolej Swasta Bandar Utama (KSBU), renamed Kolej Bandar Utama (KBU) in 1993, and renamed again as KBU International College in 2002. In 2014, the Ministry of Higher Education approved KBU International College for elevation to university college status, and on 2 December 2015 the institution was formally proclaimed as First City University College in a ceremony held on its Bandar Utama campus.

The university college is owned by the First Nationwide Group, the developer of the 1,000-acre Bandar Utama integrated township in Petaling Jaya. The same parent group also owns 1Utama Shopping Centre, the largest shopping mall in Malaysia by gross floor area, situated immediately adjacent to the FCUC campus. The institutional name “First City” references the First Nationwide parent group rather than any geographic descriptor, and the campus sits inside the section of the Bandar Utama master plan zoned as the International Education Hub.

FCUC organises its academic offerings across three faculties: the Faculty of Design and Built Environment, the Faculty of Business, Hospitality and Communication Studies, and the Faculty of Engineering and Computing. Programmes are offered at Foundation, Diploma, Bachelor’s degree, and Master’s levels, and all are accredited by the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA). The institution’s flagship and the basis for its national reputation is the Faculty of Design and Built Environment, which runs LAM-accredited interior architecture and design, graphic design, furniture and product design, and fashion marketing programmes.

The institutional positioning is straightforward: FCUC is the only private university college in the Klang Valley with a campus location physically embedded in a major retail and commercial township, and it is one of a small group of Malaysian private institutions whose curriculum is gravitationally weighted toward design and the built environment rather than the more common medicine, engineering, or business specialisations. Within the private universities sector, this places FCUC in a different competitive lane from broad-curriculum institutions such as Taylor’s University, Sunway University, or INTI International University.

First City University College Location and Campus in Bandar Utama

The First City University College campus occupies a 13-acre site at No. 1 Persiaran Bukit Utama, Bandar Utama, 47800 Petaling Jaya, Selangor. The site is located within the International Education Hub of the Bandar Utama township, the education-zoned section of the township master plan developed by the First Nationwide Group. Bandar Utama itself is a 1,000-acre integrated township and commercial district in the Petaling Jaya area of greater Kuala Lumpur, with mixed-use residential, retail, office, and education land use.

The campus is positioned immediately adjacent to 1Utama Shopping Centre, the largest shopping mall in Malaysia by gross floor area, which gives FCUC students walking-distance access to retail, food and beverage, banking, and entertainment infrastructure that is uncommon for Malaysian university campuses. The closest rail station is the Bandar Utama MRT station on the Putrajaya Line (MRT2), opened in 2023, which connects the campus into the wider Klang Valley rail network with onward services to Kuala Lumpur Sentral, KLCC, and the airport line interchange. Bus services from Pasar Seni and from Kelana Jaya LRT also serve the campus periphery.

The 13-acre site is materially smaller than the 230-acre rural medical campuses such as AIMST University and substantially smaller than the UTAR Kampar campus, but it is consistent with the urban high-density model used by Sunway University and Taylor’s University within the Klang Valley. The campus accommodates the three faculty complexes, design studios, a fashion studio, broadcasting studio, electronic prototyping laboratory, precision 3D printing facilities, library, sports infrastructure, student common areas, and administrative offices. On-campus accommodation is supplemented by serviced student residences and apartments within the surrounding Bandar Utama township.

For Malaysian students from the central region (Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Negeri Sembilan, Melaka), the FCUC location places the campus within commuter range without requiring relocation. For international students and out-of-region Malaysians, the township setting offers immediate access to a self-contained residential, retail, and transport ecosystem that simplifies day-to-day life beyond the academic timetable. Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang is approximately one hour away by road, and Subang Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport, the secondary regional airport, is roughly 20 minutes away.

First City University College Programmes

First City University College runs its programmes across three faculties, with the Faculty of Design and Built Environment carrying the institution’s flagship reputation and the broader portfolio extending into business, communication, hospitality, engineering, and computing.

The Faculty of Design and Built Environment runs the BA (Hons) Interior Architecture and Design, accredited by Lembaga Arkitek Malaysia (LAM) and oriented toward the design and development of internal spaces with emphasis on the relationship between architectural context and the designed interior. Graduates are eligible for registration with the Malaysian Institute of Interior Designers (MIID). The faculty also runs the BA (Hons) Graphic Design, BA (Hons) Furniture and Product Design, and BA (Hons) Fashion Marketing at degree level, with the Diploma in Interior Design (MIID-recognised), Diploma in Graphic Design, and Foundation in Art and Design as sub-degree and pre-university intake pathways.

The Faculty of Business, Hospitality and Communication Studies runs the Bachelor of Business Administration (Hons), Bachelor of Accounting (Hons), Bachelor (Hons) in Marketing, Bachelor (Hons) in Mass Communication, and Bachelor (Hons) in Hospitality and Hotel Management. The Master of Business Administration (MBA) is the postgraduate entry point for business, with rolling intake. Diploma offerings include Diploma in Business Administration, Diploma in Accounting, Diploma in Mass Communication, and Diploma in Hospitality and Tourism Management.

The Faculty of Engineering and Computing runs the Bachelor (Hons) in Software Engineering, Bachelor (Hons) in Computer Science with specialisations including Artificial Intelligence and Internet of Things, and Bachelor (Hons) in Information Systems. Diploma in Information Technology is the sub-degree intake. The faculty diversifies FCUC’s portfolio beyond its design specialty and provides STEM pathways for students who do not qualify for or do not pursue the design and built environment intake.

At foundation level, FCUC offers Foundation in Art and Design, Foundation in Business, Foundation in Communication, and Foundation in Engineering. These are the principal entry points for SPM and O-Level holders progressing into the diploma or degree programmes.

At postgraduate level, the offering is currently more limited than the undergraduate portfolio, with the MBA as the headline qualification. Postgraduate applications run year-round rather than on a fixed semester intake, with rolling supervisor assignment for research components.

The combined faculty structure means that FCUC’s institutional weight sits in the design and creative industries verticals, with the business and computing faculties providing the broader curriculum coverage expected of a university college. This is a different strategic posture from competitors such as Limkokwing University of Creative Technology (which positions on creative technology more broadly) or Taylor’s University (which runs a comprehensive curriculum across multiple verticals).

First City University College Fees and Tuition

First City University College publishes programme-level fees that reflect the discipline mix and resource intensity of each faculty. Design and built environment programmes carry studio and equipment costs that lift them above generic business or computing fees. Foundation pathways sit at the bottom of the schedule.

Programme	Total Programme Fee (RM, Malaysian)
Diploma in Interior Design (2.5 years)	~32,860
BA (Hons) Interior Architecture and Design (3 years)	~73,825 (international, incl. visa)
Diploma in Graphic Design	~30,000 to ~35,000
BA (Hons) Graphic Design	~55,000 to ~70,000
BA (Hons) Furniture and Product Design	~55,000 to ~70,000
BA (Hons) Fashion Marketing	~55,000 to ~70,000
Foundation in Art and Design	~12,000 to ~15,000
Bachelor of Business Administration (Hons)	~50,000 to ~65,000
Bachelor (Hons) Mass Communication	~50,000 to ~65,000
Bachelor (Hons) Software Engineering	~55,000 to ~70,000
Diploma in Business Administration	~25,000 to ~30,000
Master of Business Administration (MBA)	request schedule

The Diploma in Interior Design at approximately RM 32,860 total positions FCUC as accessible for SPM and O-Level holders seeking an MIID-recognised design qualification without entering a four-year degree pathway directly. The BA (Hons) Interior Architecture and Design international fee of RM 73,825 inclusive of student visa includes the Education Malaysia Global Services (EMGS) processing components and is therefore a higher headline number than the equivalent Malaysian student fee.

Foundation in Art and Design serves as the principal entry point for design pathways at lower cost, typically RM 12,000 to RM 15,000 across the one-year programme. The business, mass communication, and computing degree fees sit in the broad RM 50,000 to RM 70,000 total range across three years, broadly consistent with comparable Klang Valley private universities at the mid-tier price point. Postgraduate fees, including the MBA, are quoted on request rather than on a published headline schedule.

All fees quoted above are indicative for Malaysian students unless otherwise stated, and prospective students should request the current 2026 fee schedule from enquiry@firstcity.edu.my for confirmation. Hostel and accommodation costs in Bandar Utama vary depending on whether the student takes on-campus residence, partner-operated student apartments, or private rental in the surrounding township; budget RM 600 to RM 1,200 per month for accommodation as a working figure, plus food, transport, books, and personal expenses.

Compared to design-focused programme fees at other Klang Valley institutions, FCUC’s pricing is positioned in the mid-tier band: lower than premium private universities such as Taylor’s University and Heriot-Watt’s design programmes but typically above public university subsidised fees. The pricing reflects the resource intensity of design studios and equipment without the international branch-campus premium charged by foreign-affiliated providers.

First City University College Accreditation and MQA Recognition

First City University College holds university college status, granted by the Malaysian Ministry of Higher Education in 2014 to its predecessor entity KBU International College, with the institution rebranded as First City University College on 2 December 2015. University college status is the tier between college and full university under the Malaysian higher education classification, and it permits the institution to award its own degrees subject to programme-by-programme accreditation by the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA).

All FCUC programmes are listed in the MQA register, under the entry titled “First City University College (Previously Known As: KBU International College)” with institution code IDAkrIPTS=71 in the MQA Register of Higher Education Programmes. This MQA registration is the primary credential that prospective students should verify before enrolment, and it confirms that FCUC’s diploma, bachelor’s, and master’s qualifications are recognised within the Malaysian Qualifications Framework and accepted for postgraduate progression at other Malaysian universities and for civil service recruitment under standard MQA-recognition rules.

Beyond the headline MQA accreditation, FCUC carries several discipline-specific professional accreditations:

• The BA (Hons) Interior Architecture and Design is accredited by Lembaga Arkitek Malaysia (LAM), the statutory professional body governing architecture and built environment qualifications in Malaysia. LAM accreditation is the prerequisite for graduates to progress toward registration as Graduate Architects with the Board.
• The Diploma in Interior Design is recognised by the Malaysian Institute of Interior Designers (MIID), the professional body for interior design practice in Malaysia, with automatic registration of FCUC students with MIID upon programme commencement.
• Faculty staff are drawn from active practitioners and members of LAM, MIID, and Majlis Rekabentuk Malaysia (MRM), the Malaysian design council.

The accreditation profile signals that FCUC’s design and built environment teaching is industry-connected and produces graduates who are eligible for the professional registration pathways that practice in Malaysia requires. This is materially different from broad-curriculum design programmes at institutions without LAM or MIID accreditation, which produce graduates qualified academically but not pre-positioned for professional registration.

In the SETARA institutional rating system maintained by the Ministry of Higher Education, FCUC is rated within the broader university college category. The institution does not currently appear in the QS World University Rankings or QS Asia Rankings, which is consistent with its university college rather than full university classification and with its specialist rather than comprehensive curriculum positioning.

First City University College Admissions

First City University College operates rolling admissions across most programmes, with major intake starts in January, May, and September aligning with the Malaysian private higher education calendar.

Entry to Foundation programmes (Art and Design, Business, Communication, Engineering) requires SPM, O-Level, or equivalent qualification with the relevant subject passes for the chosen pathway. Foundation in Art and Design typically requires demonstrated interest in or aptitude for visual arts and may include a portfolio or interview component as part of selection.

Entry to Diploma programmes runs on similar prerequisites, accepting SPM with at least three credits including specific subject requirements for the discipline (mathematics for technical streams, English passes across all streams).

Entry to Bachelor’s degree programmes accepts STPM, A-Level, UEC, FCUC Foundation completion at the required CGPA, recognised matriculation programmes, or relevant diploma qualifications for diploma-to-degree articulation. The CGPA threshold varies by programme, with the BA (Hons) Interior Architecture and Design and other LAM-accredited or professional-body-recognised pathways typically requiring stronger entry standards than generic degree programmes.

Entry to Master’s programmes (including the MBA) requires a relevant Bachelor’s degree at the required CGPA, work experience for the MBA, and a research proposal or interview where applicable.

International applicants should factor in additional lead time for the Education Malaysia Global Services (EMGS) student visa pass, which runs on its own processing window and is administered separately from FCUC’s internal admissions decision. International intake fees include the EMGS components and visa charges as part of the total programme fee.

Application contact: enquiry@firstcity.edu.my, with the admissions line on +603-7735 2088. The university website is firstcity.edu.my, and applications can also be submitted through partner education counsellors and platforms such as StudyMalaysia, EduAdvisor, and Uni Enrol that integrate with the FCUC admissions system. Office hours are 8:30am to 5:50pm Malaysia time.

Scholarships at FCUC are awarded primarily on academic merit at the point of entry, with bursary tiers ranging from approximately RM 3,000 per year (CGPA 2.0 entry) up to RM 8,000 per year (CGPA 3.7 entry). Sibling discounts and need-based bursaries are also available. Federal funding pathways such as PTPTN are accepted for eligible programmes. Prospective students should request the current scholarship schedule from the admissions office at the time of application.

First City UC’s Design and Built Environment Specialty

The Faculty of Design and Built Environment is the strategic centre of First City University College and the basis for its national reputation. The faculty’s gravitational weight in the institution’s curriculum, faculty composition, and facility investment is unusual among Malaysian private university colleges, most of which spread investment evenly across business, computing, and design verticals or weight toward medicine, engineering, or business.

The faculty’s flagship programme is the BA (Hons) Interior Architecture and Design, accredited by Lembaga Arkitek Malaysia. The programme curriculum addresses the design and development of internal spaces, the relationship between architectural context and designed interior, materiality, lighting, spatial planning, and the regulatory framework within which Malaysian interior practice operates. Graduates exit with eligibility for MIID registration and a pathway toward professional architectural registration via further LAM-accredited postgraduate study where applicable.

The Diploma in Interior Design sits below the degree as a 2.5-year sub-degree pathway, also MIID-recognised, and is the volume programme that takes SPM and O-Level holders into industry-ready interior design practice without the longer degree commitment. Diploma graduates can articulate into the BA (Hons) programme with credit transfer where the entry CGPA is met.

Beyond interior design, the faculty runs:

• BA (Hons) Graphic Design with curriculum covering visual communication, typography, brand identity, editorial design, digital media, and motion graphics.
• BA (Hons) Furniture and Product Design with focus on industrial design methodology, prototyping, materials selection, and the Malaysian and regional furniture export industry context.
• BA (Hons) Fashion Marketing combining design literacy with brand management, retail strategy, and the Malaysian and ASEAN fashion industry context.

The faculty’s facilities are weighted toward applied production rather than purely classroom teaching: design studios, a precision prototyping 3D printer laboratory, a fashion studio, a broadcasting studio (shared with the communication faculty), and an electronic prototyping laboratory. This investment posture is unusual among Klang Valley private institutions and is the operational basis for the faculty’s industry connectivity.

Faculty staff are drawn substantially from active practitioners and members of LAM, MIID, and Majlis Rekabentuk Malaysia (MRM), which means students encounter teaching that is rooted in current practice rather than purely academic theory. The teaching staff composition is partly responsible for the placement track record of FCUC design graduates into Malaysian design practices, real estate developers, retail and hospitality groups, advertising and brand agencies, and fashion houses.

Compared to design programmes at institutions such as Limkokwing University of Creative Technology, which positions on creative technology more broadly across digital media, fashion, and architecture, FCUC’s specialty centre of gravity is the built environment and interior practice end of the design spectrum. Compared to the design components of broader-curriculum institutions such as Taylor’s University and Sunway University, FCUC’s faculty weighting and facility investment in design is proportionally larger relative to the rest of the institution.

First City UC vs City University Johor and Other Selangor Design Schools

Prospective students searching for “First City University College” sometimes encounter results for City University Malaysia, including its Johor Bahru campus. The two institutions are entirely separate and should not be confused.

First City University College (FCUC) is a private university college located in Bandar Utama, Petaling Jaya, established in 1990 as Kolej Swasta Bandar Utama, rebranded First City UC on 2 December 2015. It specialises in design and built environment programmes with LAM-accredited interior architecture as the flagship. It is owned by the First Nationwide Group, the developer of Bandar Utama township.

City University Malaysia is a different private university, headquartered in Petaling Jaya, with branch campuses including City University Johor Bahru Campus at Jalan Bakar Batu near Kota Southkey, plus campuses in Kota Kinabalu and Cyberjaya. The institution was established in April 1984 as Petaling Jaya Community College and granted full university status in 2016. It runs a comprehensive curriculum across faculties including Allied Health Sciences, Business and Management, Architecture and Built Environment, Information Technology, Education and Liberal Studies, Engineering, Hospitality and Tourism, and Creative Industries. It is owned by U.C.I Education Sdn. Bhd. under the Selia Group.

The two institutions share no ownership, no campus, no curriculum, and no faculty staff. They are sometimes confused in search results because both contain the words “City” and “University” and both have a Petaling Jaya presence. The prospective student should verify the institution name, campus address, and MQA registration code before applying.

For students specifically seeking design and built environment programmes in Selangor, the institutional landscape includes:

• First City University College (Bandar Utama, Petaling Jaya): LAM-accredited interior architecture, MIID-recognised interior design diploma, plus graphic design, furniture and product design, fashion marketing.
• Limkokwing University of Creative Technology (Cyberjaya): broad creative technology curriculum across architecture, design, fashion, communication, and digital media.
• Taylor’s University (Subang Jaya): integrated design programmes within a comprehensive university curriculum.
• Sunway University (Bandar Sunway): integrated design programmes within a comprehensive university curriculum.
• The One Academy (Petaling Jaya): specialist art and design college without university college status.
• Dasein Academy of Art (Kuala Lumpur): specialist art and design college without university college status.

Among this group, FCUC and Limkokwing are the two institutions with university college status (FCUC) or full university status (Limkokwing) whose curriculum is gravitationally weighted toward the design verticals, rather than design as one of many faculties within a comprehensive curriculum. The choice between them typically comes down to discipline mix (FCUC weights toward built environment and interior practice; Limkokwing weights toward digital media and creative technology) and campus location (Bandar Utama versus Cyberjaya).

First City University College Contact and Practical Information

First City University College’s principal address is No. 1 Persiaran Bukit Utama, Bandar Utama, 47800 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia. The campus phone number is +603-7735 2088, and the general enquiry email is enquiry@firstcity.edu.my. The official website is firstcity.edu.my, and the institution maintains an active Facebook presence under the handle @firstcityuc. Office hours are 8:30am to 5:50pm Malaysia time, Monday through Friday.

The closest rail stop to the campus is the Bandar Utama MRT station on the Putrajaya Line (MRT2), which opened in 2023 and significantly improved campus accessibility from central Kuala Lumpur and from the wider Klang Valley network. The 1Utama Shopping Centre adjacent to the campus connects directly to the MRT station, providing covered walking access from rail to retail to campus. Bus services from Pasar Seni LRT and Kelana Jaya LRT also serve the Bandar Utama interchange. By road, the campus is approximately 20 minutes from central Kuala Lumpur via the Sprint Highway, the LDP, or the Penchala Link, depending on origin.

For prospective students weighing FCUC against alternative private design programmes in the Klang Valley, the institutional positioning rests on three variables: the LAM-accredited interior architecture programme and MIID-recognised diploma pathway (which carry professional registration eligibility); the design-weighted faculty staff drawn from LAM, MIID, and Majlis Rekabentuk Malaysia practitioners (which provides industry connectivity); and the Bandar Utama township location adjacent to 1Utama (which supplies the day-to-day retail and transport infrastructure that an isolated campus does not provide).

In summary: First City University College is a private university college in Bandar Utama, Petaling Jaya, established in 1990 as KSBU and rebranded First City UC on 2 December 2015 from KBU International College, owned by the First Nationwide Group developer of Bandar Utama township, with its institutional centre of gravity in the LAM-accredited and MIID-recognised design and built environment faculty. The 13-acre campus sits adjacent to 1Utama Shopping Centre with direct MRT access, and the Diploma in Interior Design starts from approximately RM 32,860 total for Malaysian students.