Country: Malaysia
Program Name: Malaysia International Scholarship (MIS) 2026
Category: Scholarship
Study Level: Master’s / PhD
Host Organization: Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia
Deadline: 03 April 2026
Malaysia International Scholarship (MIS) 2026 is a scholarship initiative of the Malaysian Government for international postgraduate candidates. The official source explains that the program is designed to attract talented graduates from around the world to continue their studies in Malaysia and supports the country’s aim to become one of the global centres of academic excellence.
Program Purpose
The scholarship welcomes international graduates with strong academic and co-curricular records to continue their studies in leading Malaysian universities and higher education institutions. The source further describes the opportunity as one that combines postgraduate study with exposure to Malaysian hospitality and a world-class higher education experience.
Opening Period
For the 2026/2027 academic year, applications are open from 04 March 2026 until 03 April 2026.
Eligible Applicants
The guidelines state that applicants must come from recipient countries under MIS 2026. Eligible candidates are those who plan to pursue full-time postgraduate study in Malaysia at Master’s or PhD level, as well as those already enrolled in full-time postgraduate study at Malaysian public universities or selected private higher education institutions, provided they still have at least two semesters remaining before completion.
Eligible Countries
MIS 2026 is open to candidates from ASEAN countries and Commonwealth countries, alongside specifically listed countries and territories. These include Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Brazil, Chile, China, Egypt, Georgia, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iran, Iraq, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Libya, Morocco, Palestine, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, South Korea, Sudan, Syria, Tajikistan, Timor-Leste, Tunisia, Turkiye, Turkmenistan, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, and Yemen.
Admission Conditions
Age Limit
Applicants for a Master’s degree must be no older than 40 at the time of application, while PhD applicants must be no older than 45.
Academic Standard
For Master’s study, the required standard is a CGPA of 3.00 or 2nd Class Upper (Honours) or higher at bachelor’s level. For PhD study, applicants must have a CGPA of 3.00 or excellent results at Master’s level in subjects related to the intended doctoral program.
Language Requirement
The English requirement can be met through IELTS with a band score of 6.0 or above, TOEFL paper-based test with a total score of 550 or above, an equivalent score in other TOEFL tests, or an official declaration showing that English was the medium of instruction for the previous degree.
Proposal Requirement
A written research proposal of at least 1,000 words is required only for Master’s by Research and PhD applicants.
Degree Level
The scholarship supports full-time postgraduate study at Master’s and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) levels only.
Participating Universities
MIS 2026 applies to listed public and selected private institutions in Malaysia.
Public Institutions
The public institutions named in the guidelines are Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Universiti Malaya, Universiti Teknologi Mara, Universiti Islam Antarabangsa Malaysia, Universiti Utara Malaysia, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia, Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Universiti Malaysia Pahang, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, Universiti Malaysia Perlis, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin, Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia, and Universiti Malaysia Kelantan.
Selected Private Institutions
The private institutions listed are Universiti Teknologi Petronas, Universiti Tenaga Nasional, Multimedia University, and INCEIF University.
Scholarship Support
The benefits listed in the guidelines are full payment of tuition fees for the entire sponsorship period, with payment made directly to the university, and a monthly living allowance of RM 1,500.00. The allowance is paid every four months after submission of the scholar’s progress report to the Ministry of Higher Education.
Priority Fields
Candidates may apply for any accredited course, with priority assigned to Education; Arts and Humanities; Social Sciences, Journalism and Information; Business, Administration and Law; Natural Sciences, Mathematics and Statistics; Information and Communication Technologies; Engineering, Manufacturing and Construction; Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries and Veterinary; and Health and Welfare, excluding medicine, nursing, and pharmacy.
Documents to Upload
Applications must be submitted through the online system and accompanied by scanned PDF documents. The required materials are a certified passport copy showing nationality and at least six months of validity, certified academic transcripts, English proficiency evidence or an official language-of-instruction letter, two referee recommendation letters, an admission letter where applicable, a curriculum vitae, and a research proposal for Master’s by Research and PhD candidates. The source also specifies that documents not in English must be submitted with certified English translations.
Assessment Criteria
Applications are reviewed on the basis of academic and co-curricular excellence, the strength and potential contribution of the research proposal, especially where Malaysia-related research topics are concerned, and the applicant’s English communication, writing, and reading ability.
Scholarship Conditions
Recipients must remain in full-time postgraduate study, confirm their own university admission, and avoid changing programs without written approval from both the university and the Ministry of Higher Education. They are expected to follow Malaysian laws and institutional regulations, maintain satisfactory progress, and conduct research in Malaysia. The guidelines also note that visa application and related requirements are the responsibility of successful candidates.
