How does the MQA rule on PhDs impact lecturer hiring in Malaysian universities?

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The MQA PhD rule makes Malaysian universities require PhDs for new lecturer hiring, which can block experienced candidates without a PhD in the specific department from even being interviewed.

In most Malaysian universities, both private and public, a PhD in the relevant field has become a near-mandatory filter for hiring new staff, and the MQA rule introduced two to three years ago formalised this expectation. The impact is immediate at the screening stage: even if someone has taught for years in a related area, they can still struggle to get an interview if their PhD is not in the specific department they are applying to.
The PhD requirement is used as an early screening filter
Universities often look first at whether a candidate holds a PhD in the particular field they will teach, and they can use this as a screening criterion before any deeper evaluation. Under the MQA rule, the PhD requirement applies to both private and public universities when hiring new employees.
Experience in teaching may not compensate for a non-matching PhD
The rule can still disadvantage candidates who have extensive teaching experience, such as eight years teaching Business or Journalism courses, if their PhD is not related to the department they are applying to. In practical terms, the article describes that such candidates may have trouble even reaching the interview stage.
The screening effect can exclude Masters-level lecturers
The hiring approach also affects candidates who only hold a Masters degree and may have strong communication and classroom skills, but are not well-published or do not meet the PhD requirement. Because some universities may refuse to interview a Masters holder for a Bachelor-level course solely due to the absence of a PhD, the pool of potential lecturers can narrow.
Combined with publication filters, it increases barriers to entry
The article places the MQA PhD rule alongside publication-based screening, including the use of H-index and publication records that many private institutions have adopted. It argues that together these criteria can exclude lecturers who are capable of teaching and supporting students throughout a semester, even in disciplines where top publishing may not match teaching excellence, such as journalism, video production, teaching, graphic design, and related practitioner fields.

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How does the MQA rule on PhDs impact lecturer hiring in Malaysian universities?

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