Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM)

Universiti Sains Malaysia, or USM for short, is the second-oldest university in Malaysia and a public research university. One of the country's leading universities, USM was established in June 1969 as a statutory body with its own constitution. The university is the only APEX (Accelerated Programme for Excellence) university in Malaysia and holds a special status granted by the Ministry of Higher Education. Universiti Sains Malaysia has three campuses: a main campus on the island of Penang, a health campus in Kelantan, and an engineering campus in Nibong Tebal.

With nearly 30,000 undergraduate and graduate students, USM is one of the largest universities in Malaysia by enrollment. A university that advocates for sustainability issues, USM has 26 units and offers undergraduate and postgraduate education as well as research-based studies to both local and international students.

The university provides housing for approximately 75% of its students. These dormitories, also known as student hostels (Desasiswa in Malay), are located within the campus. Cafeterias where students can both socialize and eat are found throughout the university grounds. 

Applicants wishing to apply to undergraduate programs offered by Universiti Sains Malaysia must meet the following admission requirements:

• 4-year high school diploma
• Strong GPA, or
• International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma, or
• GCE A-Level / IGCSE A-Level diploma, or
• Completion of Advanced Placement (AP) courses and exams relevant to the field of the undergraduate program being applied to, or
• SAT/ACT exam scores, or
• Admission to a university in Turkey offering a 4-year undergraduate degree and completion of the first year of the undergraduate program
• English language proficiency certificate

Applicants wishing to apply to graduate programs offered by Universiti Sains Malaysia must meet the following admission requirements:

• 4-year university degree
• Strong GPA
• English language proficiency certificate
• CV
• Letter of recommendation
• Statement of purpose
• GRE/GMAT scores may be required depending on the specific admission requirements of the department applied to.

Applications for undergraduate study are open year-round; however, you must still register by July at the latest for the first semester (Fall semester).