In Malaysia, several universities offer sociology in combination with anthropology. The general entry requirements are a credit in Bahasa Malaysia at SPM level with at least two principal passes chosen from a comprehensive list of subjects in the STPM viz General Paper, Bahasa Malaysia, History, Geography, Malay Literature, Economics and Mathematics. The choice of school is paramount for people who aspire to become sociologists. Students should select schools that have sufficient research facilities and offer appropriate areas of specialisation. The ability to handle independent research is vital for sociologists.
Intellectual curiosity is an essential asset.
Researchers must possess inquiring minds and an intense desire to find explanations for the phenomena they observe. Like other social scientists, sociologists must be objective in getting information about social institutions and behaviour. They require analytical skills in order to marshal data effectively and reach valid conclusions and must be both careful and systematic in their work. Because communicating their findings to others is such an important aspect of the job, sociologists must be able to formulate the results of their research in such a manner that others will readily comprehend. Employment of sociologists is expected to increase only slightly through the mid 1990's.