Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) was founded in 1969 and is one of Malaysia’s leading research universities, with a special APEX status from the Malaysian government. In the QS World University Rankings 2027, published in June 2026, it was 128th in the world and second in Malaysia. Its main campus is on Penang Island, and its health campus is in Kubang Kerian, Kelantan.
USM offers more than 60 bachelor’s degrees to international students, in the sciences, engineering, medicine, business and the arts. Its application windows are short, so plan ahead. Here are 10 things you can do to give yourself the best chance, based on Universiti Sains Malaysia’s own guidance and official Malaysian government information.
1. Choose your programme and check its language
USM’s degrees cover everything from aerospace engineering and computer science to medicine, dentistry, management and fine arts. Some programmes are taught in Malay, and for these you need a credit pass in USM’s Intensive Preparatory Bahasa Malaysia Programme, so check the language of instruction for your programme before you apply.
2. Apply in the short windows
In its 2025–26 booklet, USM opened applications from 15 June to 15 July for the October intake and from 15 December to 15 January for the March intake. Far fewer programmes take students in March (10, compared with 63 in October, for 2025–26), so most applicants will be aiming for October. Expect the windows to open on similar dates for 2027. Universiti Sains Malaysia: international undergraduate admission.
3. Meet the academic requirements
You need at least 12 years of primary and secondary education and a senior high school certificate, such as A Levels, the IB, the Australian Matriculation or your country’s national high school certificate, or a diploma in a related field. USM doesn’t accept AS, predicted, provisional, mock or expected results. Each programme has its own subject requirements, so check them in the programme details.
4. Meet the English requirement
USM asks for IELTS 5.0, TOEFL iBT 40, PTE Academic 47, MUET Band 3.5, a score of 154 in Cambridge Advanced, Proficiency or Linguaskill Online, or level 107 of the ELS Certified Intensive English Programme. You’re exempt if you’re from a country where English is an official language or studied at an institution that teaches in English. USM recommends its own Intensive English Programme if you need to improve before the test. Practise with our free IELTS, TOEFL and PTE practice tests.
5. Prepare for an interview
Many programmes, including medicine, dentistry, the health sciences, architecture, computer science and some science degrees, need an interview, which USM holds online. Be ready to explain why you chose your programme and how your studies have prepared you for it.
6. Gather your documents
You apply online and need your official certificates, transcripts or mark sheets from each school or college you’ve attended (with official translations if they’re not in English or Malay), your English test result or a letter confirming you studied in English, the details page of your passport and, if you have one, a scholarship letter. A non-refundable processing fee of RM100 applies to every application, paid through USM’s online payment system.
7. Consider USM’s other routes
Besides its main campuses, USM runs offshore and partner programmes, such as a computer science degree with UOW Malaysia KDU Penang and the International Medical Programme with KLE in Belagavi, India. They’re listed separately, with their own fees, so check which campus and partner a programme involves before you apply.
8. Understand the fees
USM charges international students per semester, in US dollars. In its current fee schedule, most arts, humanities and social science degrees cost US$1,562.50 a semester, science degrees US$1,718.75, computer science US$1,875, most engineering degrees US$2,250 and aerospace engineering US$2,750. Medicine costs US$13,750 and dentistry US$11,250 a semester. There are two semesters a year. Universiti Sains Malaysia: international undergraduate fees.
9. Get your student pass through EMGS
To study full-time in Malaysia you need a student pass, which is handled by Education Malaysia Global Services (EMGS). Once you’ve accepted your offer, Universiti Sains Malaysia starts your application and you pay the fees. When it’s approved, you receive an electronic Visa Approval Letter (eVAL), which is valid for six months, and you mustn’t travel to Malaysia before you have it. If your nationality needs one, you then get a single-entry visa from a Malaysian embassy. Complete the Malaysia Digital Arrival Card before you fly. Within seven working days of arriving, you must have a medical screening, and then hand in your passport so the student pass can be endorsed. You can’t switch to a student pass from a tourist visa, and medical insurance is compulsory. USM’s booklet put the visa fees for a new student at about US$450. Education Malaysia Global Services: medical screening and student visa guidelines.
10. Plan for work during and after your studies
On a student pass you can work part-time for up to 20 hours a week, but only during semester breaks or holidays of more than seven days and only in restaurants, petrol kiosks, minimarkets, hotels or on campus. You need prior approval from the Immigration Department, which you apply for through Universiti Sains Malaysia, and you can’t work as a cashier. After a bachelor’s degree or higher, nationals of 32 eligible countries, including India, China, Indonesia, the UK and the US, can apply for a 12-month Graduate Pass, which lets you stay and work in permitted sectors without an employer sponsor. You’ll need a Malaysian citizen earning at least RM1,500 a month to act as your sponsor, and the scheme for Indian and Chinese nationals currently runs only until 31 December 2026, so check whether it has been extended. For longer-term work, you’ll usually need an employer to sponsor an Employment Pass. Education Malaysia: FAQs on studying and working in Malaysia and EMGS: Graduate Pass.
Applying for a master’s or PhD at USM?
USM’s graduate programmes admit international students separately, through its Institute of Postgraduate Studies. Contact a potential supervisor before applying for a research degree, and check each programme’s English requirement, as they can differ from the bachelor’s ones. See our 50 sample SOPs and free GRE practice tests.
Be ambitious, but apply to a balanced list
USM’s popular programmes, especially medicine and dentistry, are competitive, so apply to other options too. Read our guides to Universiti Malaya, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Universiti Putra Malaysia and Universiti Teknologi Malaysia. Our guide to studying in Malaysia explains how the Malaysian system works, and our free study abroad assessment can help you build a shortlist.
Information was taken from Universiti Sains Malaysia’s official international undergraduate admission pages, its International Booklet and programme summary for 2025–26 and its international undergraduate fee schedule, Education Malaysia Global Services, and the QS World University Rankings 2027, and checked in October 2026. Admissions rules, deadlines, fees and immigration rules can change, so always confirm the details on USM’s admissions website before you apply. StudyAbroadMarket is not affiliated with Universiti Sains Malaysia.