Established as the second university in the country in 1969, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) was first known as Universiti Pulau Pinang. In 1971, the present university campus 416.6 hectare site at Minden, approximately 9.7 km from Georgetown.​ Universiti of Sains Malaysia - offers courses ranging from Natural Sciences, Applied Sciences, Medical and Health Sciences, Pharmaceutical Sciences to Building Science and Technology, Social Sciences, Humanities, and Education. These are available at undergraduate and postgraduate levels to approximately 30,000 students at its 17 Academic Schools. USM also has 17 dedicated research centers for a wide range of specializations which include archaeology, medicine and dentistry, molecular medicine, science and technology, Islamic development and management studies, and policy research and international studies.
Since the beginning, USM has adopted the School system rather than the traditional Faculty system to ensure that its students are multi-disciplined from their exposure to other areas of study by other Schools. It also encourages students to be active in extra-curricular activities given the myriad of clubs and societies available. As a Research Intensive University recognized by the Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia (MOHE) , USM offers educational and research opportunities to students and staff.