Foundation Tuition Online: Foundation in Science and Foundation in Arts
Online classes for one-year university foundation programmes, in the science and business subjects most foundation students take.
Founder & Head of School, Afterkelas
Afterkelas teaches foundation programmes online to students at Malaysian public and private universities, in Foundation in Science and Foundation in Arts. University tutors run live classes, 1-to-1 or in small groups, working from the student's own course outline.
Subjects we teach for Foundation
Science-track students share Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and Biology before they specialise; business-track students take Economics and two accounting courses. Each subject below has its own page with the topics MQA's curriculum guidelines set out and a worked question.
Foundation Mathematics I and II: functions, matrices, calculus and statistics first, then polynomials, vectors, complex numbers and probability distributions.
Foundation Physics I and II: circular motion, gravitation, matter, fluids, oscillations and waves, then electricity, magnetism, heat and thermodynamics.
Foundation Chemistry I and II: stoichiometry, atomic structure, bonding, equilibrium and thermochemistry, then acids and bases, electrochemistry, kinetics and organic compounds.
Foundation Biology I and II: cells, respiration, genetics and development first, then biodiversity, ecology, photosynthesis and the physiology of plants and animals.
The two accounting courses of a foundation business track: Financial Accounting, from concepts to financial statements, and Management Accounting, from costing to budgets.
Essentials of Economics for foundation business and humanities students: demand and supply, consumer and producer theory, market structures and factor markets.
One standard, many programmes
Every foundation programme in Malaysia is accredited by the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA), and its 2019 curriculum guidelines set a common structure: 50 credits over one year, in two or three semesters. Within that structure each university writes its own courses, so names, course codes and the order of topics differ between a public university's foundation centre and a private university.
Tutors therefore start from the student's own course outline and past assessments, and use the MQA topic lists on these pages as the shared map.
Science or arts
Foundation in Science shares a common core of Thinking Skills, Basic ICT, English I and II, Mathematics I and co-curriculum, then a core of Mathematics II, Physics I, Chemistry I and II and Biology I. Students then specialise: physical sciences take Physics II, Engineering Mathematics and Introduction to Programming, while life sciences take Biology II, Biochemistry and Introduction to Psychology.
Foundation in Arts keeps the same common core, with Mathematics. The business core is Essentials of Economics, Introduction to Law, Introduction to Management, Introduction to Marketing, Financial Accounting and Management Accounting; the humanities core swaps marketing and the accounting courses for psychology, sociology and writing and research skills. Two optional courses complete the year.
Coursework and the final exam
Courses are assessed through coursework, such as tests, assignments and, in the sciences, lab reports, together with a final examination. Each university sets its own weighting, so the tutor reads the course outline to see where the marks are.
A tutor can explain the ideas behind an assignment or a lab report and check the student's understanding, but the work submitted is the student's own.
A short year with no slack
A foundation year runs as two or three short semesters, and completing it while meeting the degree's entry requirements is what opens the way to undergraduate study. A weak first semester leaves little time to recover, so tuition works best when it starts in the first weeks, not after the first set of results.
A question, worked through
A Mathematics I question on matrices, a topic every foundation track shares. Finding the inverse is the method the question asks for.
Question
Use the inverse of a matrix to solve the simultaneous equations 2x + y = 5 and x − y = 1.
- Write the system as AX = B, with A = [[2, 1], [1, −1]], X = [x, y] and B = [5, 1].
- The determinant of A is (2)(−1) − (1)(1) = −3, which is not zero, so A has an inverse.
- A⁻¹ = (1 ÷ −3) × [[−1, −1], [−1, 2]] = [[1/3, 1/3], [1/3, −2/3]].
- X = A⁻¹B: x = (1/3)(5) + (1/3)(1) = 2 and y = (1/3)(5) − (2/3)(1) = 1.
- Check in the original equations: 2(2) + 1 = 5 and 2 − 1 = 1.
Answer x = 2, y = 1.
Frequently asked questions
How is Foundation different from Matriculation or A-Level?
They are different routes into a degree. Foundation is a one-year programme each university designs within MQA's standards; Matriculation is the Ministry of Education's own programme; A-Level is an international qualification graded by Cambridge or Pearson. Which one suits depends on the degree and the universities the student is aiming for.
Do you follow my university's syllabus?
Yes. Course names and the order of topics differ between universities, so the tutor works from the course outline and past assessments the student shares, with MQA's guideline topics as a shared reference.
When should foundation tuition start?
In the first weeks of the first semester. A foundation year has only two or three short semesters, so a weak start leaves little time to recover.
Can you help with assignments and lab reports?
With the understanding behind them, yes: the tutor explains the concepts, the calculations and what the marking criteria ask for. A tutor does not write assignments or lab reports, since they are assessed as the student's own work.
Can one subject be 1-to-1 and another in a group?
Yes. A common arrangement is private classes for the course pulling the results down and a small group for one that needs steady practice. The advisor suggests a mix after seeing the course outline and the latest results.
How much does foundation tuition cost?
The fee depends on the format (1-to-1 or a small group), how many classes a week and the tutor, so there is no single figure. Send an academic advisor the university, the programme and this semester's courses on WhatsApp, and you will get the current packages and a quote, usually within one working day.