Widad University College

About Widad University College

Widad University College is a private university college in Kuantan, Pahang, with a 25-plus-year operating history and approximately 14,000 graduates delivered through its programme portfolio. The institution was originally established with the opening of the Institute Fitra on 24 December 1997, with the initial student groups including TESL (Teaching English as a Second Language) and Accounting Matriculates registered in June 1998.

The institutional history runs through multiple branding phases. The early Institute Fitra and Kolej Shahputra era established the institutional foundation. The University College Shahputra (UCSA) era marked the transition to university college status. The mid-2016 rebrand renamed University College Shahputra to Widad University College and Kolej Shahputra to Widad College, reflecting the broader Widad Business Group institutional positioning while preserving the underlying ownership and operational continuity.

The institutional ownership context is Shahputra Education Sdn Bhd, a private Bumiputera company that has been the foundation of the institution’s continuity across multiple branding phases. The broader Widad Business Group provides the institutional context for the Widad education entities and the broader Group operations.

The institutional positioning rests on the East Coast Pahang location, the broad programme portfolio across healthcare and business specialisms, and the long operating history that has produced a substantial alumni network within the East Coast peninsular and broader Malaysian higher education context.

Location of Widad University College in Kuantan

Widad University College is located in Kuantan, Pahang. Kuantan is the capital city of Pahang and the principal urban centre of the East Coast peninsular Malaysia. The city sits along the South China Sea coast with the broader Pahang state geography stretching west into the central peninsular highlands.

Access to Kuantan is via the Karak Highway and the East Coast Expressway (LPT) from the Klang Valley, providing road connectivity from central Kuala Lumpur in approximately 3 hours. Kuantan Airport serves regular flights from Kuala Lumpur and selected secondary destinations, providing air access for the Pahang and broader East Coast catchment.

The Kuantan location places Widad within the East Coast peninsular educational corridor, providing accessible higher education for the Pahang and broader East Coast student community. The economic context of the Kuantan region includes the principal Malaysian deepwater port at Kuantan Port (the Eastern terminus of the East Coast economic corridor), the Gebeng Industrial Estate (one of Malaysia’s principal petrochemical clusters), and the broader Pahang services and tourism economy.

Programmes at Widad University College

Widad University College offers programmes across multiple academic areas:

The medicine and allied health sciences division is the institutional flagship area, covering medicine, nursing, pharmacy, and the broader healthcare disciplines. Healthcare programmes carry MQA accreditation and additionally professional body recognition through the Malaysian Medical Council (medicine), Pharmacy Board Malaysia (pharmacy), Nursing Board Malaysia (nursing), and the relevant healthcare professional regulators.

The business administration and accounting division covers the standard business school programme portfolio at Diploma, Bachelor, and where applicable postgraduate level.

The information technology division covers IT, computing, and software development programmes.

The engineering division covers applied engineering disciplines.

Programme delivery spans Foundation, Diploma, Bachelor, Master, and PhD levels. The institution has delivered nearly 14,000 graduates over its operating history, providing a substantial alumni network across the East Coast peninsular and broader Malaysian professional sectors.

The MQA-accredited programme list at any given time is published on the Malaysian Qualifications Agency public register under the institutional entry.

Fees, Admissions, and Accreditation

Widad University College’s fee positioning typically falls in the affordable to mid-tier range of the Malaysian private higher education market, reflecting the East Coast operating context which generally runs lower than the central Klang Valley fee benchmarks.

Entry to Foundation and Diploma programmes requires SPM, O-Level, or equivalent qualifications. Entry to Bachelor programmes requires the appropriate pre-university qualification. Healthcare programmes (medicine, pharmacy, nursing) carry additional subject prerequisites typically requiring science subject credits at SPM level and the appropriate STPM, A-Level, or accepted Foundation pathway.

International applicants should plan for the Education Malaysia Global Services (EMGS) student visa pass.

Widad University College operates under Malaysian Ministry of Higher Education registration corresponding to its university college status under the Private Higher Educational Institutions Act 1996. The institution is listed on the Malaysian Qualifications Agency public register, with individual programmes carrying their own MQA accreditation references and additional professional body recognition where required.

Contacting Widad University College

• Location: Kuantan, Pahang, Malaysia
• Website: widad.edu.my
• Founded: 24 December 1997 (originally as Institute Fitra)
• Previous Names: Institute Fitra; Kolej Shahputra; University College Shahputra (UCSA)
• Renamed to Widad University College: Mid-2016
• Owner: Shahputra Education Sdn Bhd
• Group Context: Widad Business Group
• Alumni: Approximately 14,000 graduates over operating history
• Programme Areas: Medicine and allied health sciences (flagship); business administration and accounting; IT; engineering

For programme details, current fee schedules, intake timelines, and application requirements, the authoritative reference is the institution’s own published materials at widad.edu.my and the Malaysian Qualifications Agency public register at mqa.gov.my under the Widad University College entry.