Photo: Messenger
Universal College Bangladesh (UCBD) hosted the orientation for the latest batch of students joining the Monash College Diploma (MCD) program. The MCD program provides A Level and HSC students with a direct pathway into the second year of undergraduate degrees at Monash University, one of the world’s top-ranked universities.
The orientation began with opening remarks from Professor Muhammad Ismail Hossain, Dean of Academic Affairs at UCBD, who welcomed the new students and their parents. He said, “We are thrilled to introduce this first MCD cohort of 2025 to UCBD and the Monash University community. In the next nine months, they will complete the first year of their Monash degree before leaving for Australia or Malaysia.”
Ms Azra Karim, Monash University Representative for Bangladesh, and Daniel Lum, Senior Executive, International Recruitment & Development, also joined the session. Ms Azra addressed the students and parents, highlighting the unique opportunity the program presents. “MCD opens doors to a global education without the need for students to leave Bangladesh in their first year; it also saves one whole year of study for HSC students. MCD equips students with the essential knowledge and skills necessary for success at international universities such as Monash,” she shared.
A program overview session was conducted by Dr Sadia Afreen, UCBD Program Coordinator for MCD. She provided essential information on the structure of the program and how the Monash accredited faculty teach the program. Students were also introduced to UCBD’s academic policies, Learning Management System (LMS), and the Monash platforms they use to access the extensive educational resources provided for Monash degree students.
The orientation also included an interactive Q&A session for new students and their parents to learn more about MCD and Monash from the UCBD MCD faculty and current students. This session gave the enrolling students a full overview of academic expectations and resources available to support them and showed how UCBD ensures student success. Every UCBD batch in 2024 achieved a 99% pass rate, with UCBD students achieving higher grades than students at Monash in Australia.
The MCD program is available for Business, Engineering, and Information Technology. MCD allows students to complete their first year in Bangladesh, guided by a faculty team of international university-trained professionals, before moving to the second year at Monash University in Australia or Malaysia. The next MCD intake will be in June 2025.
For further details about the MCD program, including entry requirements and curriculum, visit: https://ucbbd.org/admission/monash-college-diploma-programs-engineering-business-it/#fees.
Messenger/Tushar
