Universiti Malaya (UM) is Malaysia’s oldest university. It traces its history to a medical college founded in Singapore in 1905 and has been in Kuala Lumpur since 1962. In the QS World University Rankings 2027, published in June 2026, it was 56th in the world, its highest-ever position, and first in Malaysia. Its main campus covers 922 acres in the heart of Kuala Lumpur.
UM teaches almost all its degrees in English, and its applications for the March 2027 intake are open now. Here are 10 things you can do to give yourself the best chance, based on Universiti Malaya’s own guidance and official Malaysian government information.
1. Choose your programme and intake
UM has two intakes for bachelor’s degrees: Semester I, which starts in October, and Semester II, which starts in March, although not every programme is offered in both. Most degrees take three and a half or four years. All programmes are taught in English unless stated otherwise, but some at the Academy of Islamic Studies, the Academy of Malay Studies, the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences and the Faculty of Languages and Linguistics are taught in Malay or other languages. You can apply for a programme only once per intake, and you can’t change your application after you submit it, so choose carefully.
2. Apply by 30 January 2027 for March, or by late August for October
International applications for the March 2027 intake are open from 7 September 2026 to 30 January 2027. For the October 2026 intake, applications ran from 9 February to 30 August 2026, but the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery closed earlier, on 9 June, so expect similar dates for October 2027. You apply online through the MAYA portal and pay a non-refundable fee of RM500 per application. Universiti Malaya: how to apply.
3. Apply with final results
You need a pre-university qualification, such as A Levels, the IB, the Australian Matriculation, a senior high school certificate or a recognised foundation programme. UM doesn’t accept AS, predicted, provisional, mock, trial or expected results, so apply once you have your final grades. Your transcripts and certificates must be certified by your school or an embassy, and any not in English or Malay need an official translation. Chinese nationals with a Chinese high school certificate must also send verified gaokao results averaging at least 80 per cent.
4. Meet the subject requirements
Each programme sets its own requirements. For mechanical engineering, for example, UM asks international applicants for at least a B in A Level Mathematics and Physics, 30 points in the IB with at least 5 at Higher Level or 6 at Standard Level in two subjects, an ATAR of 80, or a senior high school average of 75 per cent with at least 65 per cent in maths and physics. Electrical and chemical engineering applicants mustn’t be colour blind. Check your programme’s page carefully before applying.
5. Meet the English requirement
For engineering, UM asks for IELTS Academic 5.5, TOEFL iBT 46, PTE Academic 51, MUET Band 4.0 or 160 in a Cambridge English exam, and some programmes ask for more. Results must be less than two years old, and UM doesn’t accept IELTS for UKVI, the IELTS Indicator, the TOEFL iBT Home Edition or TOEFL ITP. If you apply without an English result, you may get a conditional offer, but it can’t be used for your visa until you meet the requirement. Practise with our free IELTS, TOEFL and PTE practice tests.
6. Prepare for an interview or test
Some programmes, including law, pharmacy, dentistry, architecture and the education degrees, need an interview, an entrance test or both. If you’re shortlisted, UM will email you the details, but it doesn’t give interview dates in advance, so check your email and the application portal regularly. If you haven’t heard anything, your application is still being reviewed.
7. Deal with UM directly and be honest
You must deal with UM directly about your application, as it doesn’t let third parties act for you without your written consent. You can book an online consultation with UM’s recruitment team to ask about programmes and requirements. Any false or misleading document will get your application rejected immediately.
8. Understand the fees
UM publishes total tuition fees for each degree. For international students in 2026, they were RM132,100 for a four-year engineering degree, RM89,200 for computer science, RM77,100 for economics or business administration and RM673,200 for the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery. Fees don’t include 6 per cent sales and service tax. New international students also pay UM’s international student processing and visa fees, which came to about RM5,451 for a one-year visa for most nationalities in UM’s July 2026 schedule. Campus accommodation isn’t guaranteed, so budget for renting off campus too. Universiti Malaya: Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering.
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 Malaya 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. UM’s visa office handles the eVAL application and student pass endorsement for you. 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 Malaya, 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 UM?
UM’s master’s and doctoral programmes admit international students through the same MAYA portal, with intakes in October and March. Most are taught in English, and if your previous degree was taught in English you can ask for an English waiver. Research degrees usually need contact with a potential supervisor first. See our 50 sample SOPs and free GRE practice tests.
Be ambitious, but apply to a balanced list
UM is Malaysia’s most competitive university, so apply to other options too. Read our guides to Universiti Sains Malaysia, 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 Malaya’s official how-to-apply, FAQ, programme and international student pages, its international booklet and processing 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 Universiti Malaya’s admissions website before you apply. StudyAbroadMarket is not affiliated with Universiti Malaya.