Universiti Malaya (UM) Admission Guide for International Students

About Universiti Malaya, and who this guide is for

Universiti Malaya (UM) is Malaysia's oldest university and one of its five public research universities, based in Kuala Lumpur. It teaches a wide range of fields, with well-known faculties in medicine, engineering, law, computer science, business and the sciences.

This guide is for international and Indian students who want to apply to UM directly. It explains the main undergraduate and postgraduate routes, English requirements and the student-pass step. Every fee, cut-off, deadline and score threshold changes each year, so treat any numbers here as pointers and confirm current details on um.edu.my.

Undergraduate entry routes

International students usually enter UM's bachelor's programmes on the strength of a recognised pre-university qualification. An external foundation year, from UM or another recognised provider, is a common route for students who have finished Class 12.

Each faculty sets its own subject prerequisites and minimum grades, and competitive programmes such as medicine can ask for more. Because these requirements are programme-specific and reviewed every intake, check the exact qualification and grade needed for your course on the official UM admissions pages before you apply.

• GCE A-Levels
• STPM
• International Baccalaureate (IB)
• A recognised foundation or matriculation programme
• A relevant diploma (for advanced standing, where accepted)

Postgraduate routes: coursework and research

At postgraduate level UM offers both coursework master's programmes (structured and taught) and research degrees — master's and PhD by research — where you work with a supervisor on a thesis. Research applicants normally need to identify a research area and, in many cases, a potential supervisor.

Entry typically rests on your bachelor's results (and, for a PhD, your master's) plus programme-specific requirements. Funding, assistantships and scholarships are separate from admission and are not guaranteed — confirm what is available, and the current entry criteria, on um.edu.my.

English-language requirements

UM teaches many programmes in English and asks international applicants whose first language is not English to show proficiency, commonly through IELTS, TOEFL or PTE Academic. Some programmes may accept other tests, such as the Duolingo English Test, but acceptance and the required score vary.

There is no single UM-wide score — postgraduate and competitive courses can set higher thresholds. Verify the exact test and minimum score your programme accepts on the official site before booking a test.

How to apply to UM, and the fees to expect

Applications are made online through UM's admissions portal. You will usually upload academic transcripts and certificates, your passport, English test results and any programme-specific documents, and pay a non-refundable application fee.

Tuition varies widely by faculty and level, and international fees differ from local fees. UM publishes current fee schedules on its website — use those, not third-party figures, and budget separately for living costs, insurance and the student-pass charges.

You can apply to UM yourself. No agent or website can guarantee you a place, a scholarship or a visa — treat any such promise as a warning sign, and rely only on official UM channels for offers and payments.

After your offer: the EMGS student pass

International students need a Student Pass to study in Malaysia. After you accept a UM offer, the application is processed through Education Malaysia Global Services (EMGS), the agency under the Ministry of Higher Education that handles student passes and the required medical screening.

This is general information, not immigration advice, and the process, fees and documents change. Follow the steps UM's international office gives you and verify current requirements on educationmalaysia.gov.my before you travel or pay anything.

Accreditation and quality

UM's programmes are accredited through the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA), the national body that quality-assures higher education in Malaysia. You can confirm a specific programme's accreditation status on the MQA register.

Accreditation matters if you plan to use the degree for further study, professional registration or employment — in Malaysia or back home — so check both MQA recognition and any professional-body requirements that apply to your field.