The island city-state of Singapore is renowned for business, tourism, shopping, and food. It is not an exception when it comes to education. Over the years, Singapore has evolved into a popular option for students seeking academic programs abroad.
EDUCATIONAL STRUCTURE
Singapore offers a unique learning experience that is global yet Asian. The island nation has premium academic institutions and world-renowned universities, local as well as international. Indians looking to study in Singapore have multiple options to choose from. It now rivals Westerns nations with its state-of-the-art academic courses.
Home-grown Universities
Singapore has three local universities: The National University of Singapore (NUS), the Nanyang Technological University (NTU), and the Singapore Management University (SMU).
These university may be local, but they boast of world-class programmes, pedagogy and faculty. NUS and NTU are consistently ranked among the world’s top 100 universities.
National University of Singapore
NUS offers courses in major disciplines such as Sciences, Engineering, Technology, Law, Arts and Social sciences, and Medicine.
Nanyang Technological University
NTU is a research-intensive university that offers business, science, and engineering courses. Around 25 percent of its students are foreigners
Singapore Management University
SMU has a niche focus on Business and Management courses.
FOREIGN UNIVERSITIES IN SINGAPORE
Singapore also houses many renowned foreign academic institutions. They include
- INSEAD
- University of Chicago Graduate School of Business
- Duke University
- ESSEC Business School
- University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV)
- New York University Tisch School of the Arts
- German Institute of Science and Technology
- Shanghai Jiao Tong University
- SP Jain Centre of Global Management
ARTS INSTITUTIONS
The single-city state has two popular art institutions that provide post-secondary education in arts
- Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts — this the country’s pioneer institution for arts studies
- Lasalle College of Arts — it a non-profit private institution
You can obtain details regarding various schools and courses on their respective websites.
EXCHANGE PROGRAMS
International students from across the world can join exchange programs in Singapore’s public universities like NUS, NTU, and SMU.
The three types of exchange are
- Coursework
- Research Project, and
- Work Experience Program.
You can study the program of your choice at the undergraduate/postgraduate level for one or two semesters. But you should meet certain criteria. For example, to be nominated to study at NTU on exchange, you must be a
- full-time students at one of NTU exchange partner institutions, and
- must have completed two semesters of study at the home university, with proof of results.
COURSES OFFERED
Non-Laboratory-based Courses include:
- Accountancy
- Arts & Social Sciences
- Business
- Law
- Mass Communication are some of the non-laboratory based courses.
Laboratory-based Courses include:
- Architecture
- Building & Real Estate
- Industrial Design
- Computing
- Engineering
- Pharmacy
- Science.
ADMISSION PROCEDURES
You can check out the admission procedure and the qualifications you should have on the websites of the respective universities.
SIA YOUTH SCHOLARSHIP
The SIA (Singapore Airlines) Youth Scholarship is a competitive scholarship awarded exclusively to Indian students with good academic records after 10th Standard.
Selected scholars get to attend top junior colleges in Singapore for courses in Arts or Sciences. It is a non-bonded scholarship — which means that at the end of two years, the scholars are free to continue in Singapore or apply for admission in colleges elsewhere. Further education possibilities lay in countries such as the USA, the UK, and Australia.
What are the perks of the SIA Youth Scholarship?
- Annual allowance with hostel accommodation
- Settling-in allowance
- Return economy class air passage
- Coverage of school fees
- Coverage of GCE A Level examination fees (once only)
- Subsidised medical benefits and accident insurance cover
NTU, SMU and NUS also provide scholarships for their various courses.
Lifestyle and other things you should know
Though a tiny island, Singapore is one of the most culturally diverse nations in Asia. It has thriving communities from across the continent and the world. English is widely spoken in the multilingual country.
But the city is one of the costliest in the world.
Government publications like the ‘Students Accommodation Handbook’ can help you find diverse kinds of accommodations. International students are generally not allowed to engage in any form of employment during the validity of their students\’ visas, unless they get a consent in writing from the controller of immigration.