The Complete List of 64 Approved FTES Degree Courses (2026 Updated)

Introduction

Under the landmark Sarawak Free Tertiary Education Scheme (FTES), the Sarawak State Government fully covers 100% of tuition fees for eligible Sarawakian students pursuing undergraduate degrees across four state-owned higher learning institutions: Swinburne University Sarawak, Curtin University Malaysia, University of Technology Sarawak (UTS), and i-CATS University College.

To align state education spending with Sarawak’s Post COVID-19 Development Strategy 2030 (PCDS 2030), the Ministry of Education, Innovation and Talent Development (MEITD) has approved 64 designated degree programs.

Below is the updated categorization of the approved degree fields across all four institutions.

Breakdown by Field of Study

                                  ┌──> STEM & Engineering (Energy, Chemical, Civil, Mechatronic)
                                  │
[ 64 Approved FTES Programs ] ────┼──> Digital Economy & Tech (Cyber Security, Data Science, Software)
                                  │
                                  ├──> Health, Life Sciences & Agrotech (Medicine, Biotech, HSE)
                                  │
                                  └──> Business, Law & Finance (Accounting, Finance, Audit Analytics)

Key Degree Offerings by Institution

1. Curtin University Malaysia (Miri)

• Engineering & Energy: Energy Engineering (Honours), Chemical Engineering (Honours), Civil & Construction Engineering (Honours), Electrical & Electronic Engineering (Honours), Mechanical Engineering (Honours), Mechatronic Engineering (Honours), Environmental Engineering (Honours).
• Computing & Technology: Software Engineering, Cyber Security, Computer Systems & Networking.
• Applied Sciences: Applied Geology, Construction Management, Health, Safety & Environment (HSE), Psychological Science.
• Commerce & Finance: Accounting, Finance, Accounting & Audit Analytics, Finance & Marketing.

2. Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak (Kuching)

• Engineering: Civil, Mechanical, Robotics & Mechatronics, Electrical & Electronic, Chemical.
• Computing & Data: Computer Science, Cyber Security, Software Engineering, Data Science.
• Built Environment: Quantity Surveying (Honours).
• Business & Law: Accounting, Finance, Accounting & Finance, International Business, Human Resource Management, Bachelor of Laws (LLB).

3. University of Technology Sarawak – UTS (Sibu)

• Engineering & TVET: Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical & Electronic Engineering.
• Built Environment & Architecture: Architecture (B.Sc Arch), Quantity Surveying.
• Computing: Software Engineering, Network Computing, Mobile Computing.
• Business & Healthcare: Business Administration, Technology Management, Accountancy.

4. i-CATS University College (Kuching)

• Agrotechnology: Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Agrotechnology.
• Engineering & Tech: Software Engineering (Honours), Electrical & Electronics Engineering (Honours), Aerospace Engineering (Honours).

Key Eligibility Rules to Remember

To enroll in any of these 64 approved courses tuition-free, candidates must meet these core criteria:

1. ‘K’ Status MyKad: Must be verified as an Anak Sarawak.
2. First Bachelor’s Degree: Must be your first undergraduate degree qualification.
3. Full-Time Enrollment: Must be admitted into a full-time degree program at one of the four state campuses.
4. No Double Sponsorship: Cannot hold another external scholarship or active PTPTN loan concurrently.