How to Get a Recognised University Degree in Malaysia

The Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) degree is a recognized undergraduate course in Malaysia. This course is offered by the University of Malaya. It is the only university in Malaysia offering this course. Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) offers a medical science-focused program with a strong international outlook. also has an excellent track record among the top universities in Asia Pacific region and ranks as one of Asia’s leading medical schools. The Ministry of Higher Education, Malaysia, is the government body that is responsible for recognizing and issuing recognized university degrees. The International Medical Science University (IMSU) was formerly known as The University Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM). IMSU has been accredited by the Ministry of Higher Education, Malaysia, to award an MBBS degree in Malaysia.

EMS University College is a recognized institution situated in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and has been awarded by the Ministry of Higher Education, Malaysia to offer an MBBS degree. Kuala Lumpur is the first city in Malaysia to have a recognized university for medical degrees. It has a lot of implications for medical students. Kuala Lumpur may be the first, but it won’t be the last. The recognition of Kuala Lumpur University as a ‘recognized university’ will have many effects on other universities in Malaysia and will impact the quality of medicine being taught in Malaysia. University Malaya is the country’s oldest university which is recognized nationwide. It was founded in 1948 and it has over 90,000 graduates.

University Malaya has been ranked globally as a top-100 university with some of its programs accredited internationally by the UK. In 2016, The Times Higher Education (THE) ranked University Malaya as the best in Malaysia. There are three ways to get your degree recognized by the Malaysian Medical Council (MMC) and become eligible to apply for certain jobs:

• Attending an approved university and getting your degree certified;
• Applying for a transfer certificate from an approved university;
• Being enrolled in a course provided by an approved university.

Malaysia is one of the countries where a recognized university degree is not a requirement to work in the medical field. Maktab Perguruan Diraja Malaysia, or MPDM, has been recognised as a university with its own specific qualifications for the medical profession. MPDM was established in 1886 and continues to remain an integral part of the Malaysian education system.

After our nation’s independence from Britain in 1957, Malaysia started looking into educational options for its growing population of skilled and qualified graduates. MPDM was then established as a government-owned institution that would offer higher education on par with international standards. There are recognised universities in Malaysia for MBBS degrees. As a result, recognised university for MBBS degree in Malaysia have the same quality of education and training as any foreign medical school which has been proven abroad. The best known and the oldest university in Malaysia, University Malaya is recognised as the first university to be founded in the country. It offers a wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate courses across subjects like arts, engineering, law and medicine.