Singapore is a country that offers the best of both western and eastern worlds. It is one of the most stable economies in the world. Singapore consistently ranks high for providing an extremely efficient and safe environment for international students to study and gain a world-class higher education experience. Here are some of the top reasons to study in Singapore.
Ranked among top universities in the world, Singapore is home to many leading educational institutes across various streams. According to QS World University Rankings 2022, 2 Singapore universities NUS and NTU, feature in the top 20 leading universities of the world.
They are particular about recruiting top talent as professors and research staff. The faculty at leading universities in Singapore are known to be highly reputed and are cited often for their research and other contributions made to their respective fields.
Demographically Singapore has its roots in multiculturalism. Various ethnic communities have contributed to the development of the island nation as we know it today. The government and its policies are centered on encouraging the integration of various races and communities that help create a peaceful and welcoming environment for international students to study and stay in Singapore. There are three major ethnic groups in Singapore- ethnic Chinese, Malays, and ethnic Indians. Malay, English, Mandarin, and Tamil are the four official languages in Singapore, of which Malay is the national language.
Singapore has a bilingual language policy whereby English is used as the main language for education in schools and colleges. Students have the option of being taught in a second language which may be Malay, Mandarin, or Tamil. Widespread use of English makes Singapore a favourable study abroad destination for Indian students.
Though Singapore is considered one of the more highly expensive nations in the world, being closer home it can be an affordable option compared to the US, Australia, UK, or other European nations. Subsidized tuition fees, scholarships, savings on international travel spend all add up to make Singapore a more lucrative option for Indian students.
Being a major commercial hub in Asia, all the major multinationals have their presence in Singapore. Most of the South –Asian regional headquarters of MNCs are located in Singapore. International students find ample job opportunities in both established corporations as well as start-ups.
Singapore is a popular international travel destination for Indians. Besides this, Singapore is a strong emerging developed nation that has the world’s one of the busiest air routes. Changi Airport is known to handle steady traffic of travellers every day making it one of the best-connected airports globally. All major Indian air-carriers fly to Singapore from various parts of India at an affordable cost.
Also Read: Top MBA Universities in Singapore
Singapore’s Higher Education is managed by the Ministry of Education (MOE). All private institutions are required to be registered with the Council for Private Education (CPE).
There are Local, Private, and Foreign Universities in Singapore. Autonomous universities and transnational campuses offer a wide range of master courses focused on taught and research programmes.
Singapore has six autonomous universities (AUs):
Leading Foreign Universities with campuses in Singapore
International universities that offer courses in collaboration with Singapore universities
Masters study in Singapore is generally referred to as “graduate study”. The duration of the course may vary between one to two years with full/part-time options. There are two types of Master’s Degree:
The most common academic Masters degrees are the Masters in Business Administration (MBA), Master of Science (MS), Master of Arts (MA) and Master of Law (LL.M). Universities have the autonomy to offer a flexible model and curriculum to their students. For instance, some universities mandate full-time academic units to be completed in a specific time period while others may require a student to gain certain credits per semester to study the course in a more flexible manner.
Top Masters Programmes in Singapore are in the field of:
Public universities in Singapore generally have two intakes: August and January
Private institutes offer multiple intakes throughout the year in January, February, July, August, September, and October.
GATE- Graduate Aptitude Test
An advantage for Indian students wanting to pursue Masters in Engineering from Singapore is that GATE is acceptable in some of the leading universities in Singapore such as the National University of Singapore (NUS) and the Nanyang Technological University Singapore (NTU).
GRE and GMAT
Courses in Master of Science (MS) in Singapore will mostly require applicants to submit their GRE scores. Students opting for business-related courses are generally required to apply with their GMAT scores, in some cases universities might accept GRE scores too.
Language Proficiency Test
To pursue a Master’s Degree in Singapore, students have to prove their English language proficiency irrespective of the course. Most universities will accept IELTS or TOEFL scores. In cases where the applicant’s medium of education in school and graduation, has been English, universities can offer exemptions at their discretion.
Also Read: Why Study in Singapore
An MBA in Singapore is available with both full-time and part-time options. A full-time MBA can take between 12-18 months to complete. Many top universities also offer Executive MBA options for experienced professionals. MBA in Accounting (data and analytics), Professional Accountancy (MPA), Business Analytics & Operations, Digital Business, Global Healthcare Management, Operations & project management, Agile supply Management, Energy & Sustainability, Health & Safety Leadership, Marketing Management, and Hospitality Management are a few popular steams of MBA in Singapore.
Tuition Fee of top MBA institutes in Singapore
MBA salary of top B-schools in Singapore
Both coursework and dissertation graduate programmes are offered at local universities through their own campuses and in collaboration with leading foreign university campuses in Singapore.
Programmes offered in collaboration with foreign universities can lead to a dual/joint degree for the students upon completion of the course.
MSc in Electronics, Computer Science, Mechanical, Chemical, Electrical and Civil Engineering, Green Electronics, Industry 4.0, Data Science & Machine Learning, Pharmaceutical science & technology, Intellectual Property Management, Bioengineering and Financial Engineering are some of the key MSc courses offered in Singapore universities
PhD in Singapore typically take 4 years to complete, depending on the subject. PhD in Accounting, Computer Science, Information Systems, Economics, Business and Psychology are some research-based degree programmes offered in Singapore.
PhD programmes are structured to be a combination of taught and research-based curriculum. First-year focuses on taught segments, which is followed by Qualifying Examination (QE). Post clearing QE supervised research commences, where students have to submit their dissertation/thesis within three years.
Tuition Fee of leading universities in Singapore, subject to GST
There are various types of financial aids granted by universities in Singapore for international post-graduate students in form of scholarships:
Working while studying is an option in Singapore. With a valid student pass students can work upto 16 hours a week during their regular college study period.
Post completion of course, Singapore has ample of job opportunities to offer. Being Asia’s leading commercial and technology hub there is no dearth of companies ready to intake students with good GPA and other academic scores.
Universities regularly arrange and participate in job fairs, where students get to meet representatives of international and local businesses. Students present their resumes and have discussions with the company representatives. Successful candidates are then called for an interview for further evaluation.
Singapore has a high standard of living and the cost of living is high, however, with ample growth opportunities and proximity to home, Singapore, in the long run, proves to be a more cost-efficient study abroad destination for Indian students. A large Indian community acts as an added advantage.
Singapore is one of the best countries in Asia to study with universities offering an international standard of education with an esteemed panel of faculties. The government and regulatory bodies are committed to make Singapore a global hub for higher education and thus are quick to innovate and adapt to changes.
Due to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic, there is a regular advisory issued by universities pertaining to courses and international student travel and stay. Please refer to individual university/college websites for the latest updates.
So, if you have convinced yourself about pursuing a Master’s from Singapore, act now. Or you can always reach us at Manya. Our team of Admission Advisors will be happy to help you, always, as they do for many other aspirants like you. For more information, call our Study Abroad Helpline 1800 102 4646
