The USM main campus used to be a rubber plantation owned and managed by a Scot named Fleming, who was granted an area of 1,024 hectares in 1909.

It was not until the 1950s that the Maguindanao princess, Bai Hadja Fatima Matabay Plang, started the movement to establish the Mindanao Institute of Technology (MIT).

She was supported in this venture by Datu Udtog Matalam, then governor of Empire Province, Cotabato, and by congressman Salipada Pendatun (who later became house speaker).

[citation needed] In addition, the university maintains laboratories for its teacher training programme and special short courses.

USMARC is the national research center for corn, sorghum, and fruit crops; the regional center for rice and other cereals, livestock and farming systems, water resources, applied rural sociology, cut flowers, and ornamental plants; and a cooperating station for coconut and vegetable crops.

Provision of extension services takes the form of training various clientele groups, most of whom are farmers; technical assistance to sectors; social laboratory projects; demonstration farms; consultancy services and public education, through personal contacts and mass media (radio, print, and video).

Research areas include rice and corn; buffalo, cattle and sheep; swine; poultry; durian, lanzones, mango, calamansi and other citrus fruits; coconut, banana, marang, guyabano, rambutan, and pineapple.

USM maintains affiliations and links to both local and international government, non-governmental organizations (NGO), private-sector companies and academic institutions for research, development, extension and teaching.