10 Lesser Known Good Colleges in Singapore
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Planning to study abroad is an exciting albeit a long journey which starts with a dream and an aspiration to reach out to universities outside of the country. Deciding to study abroad is easy…finding the right college is often a herculean task. One of the many reasons why finding the right college becomes difficult is that not all students get through the top universities and if that is not an option…where to go? How to decide which university is good enough and would offer you a better career than the other? This dilemma is there for Singapore as well. Easily a country which thrives on the education sector and its influx of international students, choosing the right college becomes a task. We offer some help. Here’s a list of few colleges/ universities in Singapore that offer you the very best. They might not make the top 10 list…but when it comes to performance, they deliver.
1. Singapore Management University
Set up in the year 2000, the Singapore Management University (SMU) has soon established its dedication to education. Now one of the leading Universities in the country, SMU offers undergraduate, postgraduate, executive as well as professional degrees to over 8000 students from across the world. It has 6 schools namely,
- School of Accountancy
- Lee Kong Chian School of Business
- School of Economics
- School of Information Systems
- School of Law, and
- School of Social Sciences
A distinguished track record, excellent facilities and faculty all add to the many positives of the university. A high placement record and excellent industry interface has further added to the many advantages of Singapore Management University.
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2. PSB Academy
One of the largest private universities of Singapore, PSB Academy offers you excellent infrastructure along with truly world class academic prospects. The university has two campuses – at Delta and Shenton. With nearly 11,000 international students, the university promises a vibrant multicultural experience. The university also has excellent tie ups with some of the best universities of the world like University of Western Australia as well as University of London, etc. These tie ups further ensure a truly global education and opportunities a student seeks when he looks for study options abroad.
3. Singapore University of Technology and Design, Singapore
A collaboration with the Top Ranked University of the World – Massachusetts Institute of Technology, should dispense any doubts you might have regarding the credibility of this institute. Set up with the thought of introducing innovation, technology and design across its courses, the institute was established in 2012, the institute offers the very best of the interface for opportunities. It offers bachelors, dual masters as well as research based programs to students from across the world.
A privately funded university dedicated to adult learner, the University of SIM or UniSIM offers unique opportunities for professionals in Singapore planning to upgrade their diplomas into degrees. It also offers excellent subsidies to its undergraduate applicants, making it an attractive option – which is both internationally accepted and also considerably affordable.
Reputed for its excellence, Ngee Ann Polytechnic is one of the leading institutes of higher learning in Singapore. Accredited and recognized around the world, it offers diploma courses at undergraduate level. A student of Ngee Ann Polytechnic can upgrade the diploma to a degree by later enrolling with the Singapore Institute of Technology, an autonomous university in Singapore which has afficiliations with the top universities of the world. If you are looking for a bachelor’s degree, this could be an essential first step to gaining a truly world class degree.
In league with Ngee Ann Polytechnic, Temasek Polytechnic offers over 50 diploma courses across various subjects and has over 16,000 students from across the world. One of the oldest institutes of higher learning in Singapore, this polytechnic also gives to the option of upgrading your diploma to a degree by gaining admission to SIT.
Established in 1954 to provide technical and vocational diploma courses to individual, this polytechnic has created a niche for itself when it comes to being a distinguished higher education and learning institute. It has a steady reputation amongst the industry, offers the advantage of enrolling to SIT to get a degree. It offers over 50 diploma certificates.
Reputed to be the first educational institution in Singapore to identify and utilize Problem-based Learning approach for all its diploma programs, the Republic Polytechnic has six schools that offers 39 diplomas for different subjects. The six schools namely,
- School of Applied Science
- School of Engineering
- School of Enterprise and Communication
- School of Events and Hospitality
- School of Infocomm
- School of Sports, Health & Leisure, and Technology for the Arts
Recognized across different universities, it also forms part of the polytechnics which make you eligible to get a degree from SIT.
9. Management Development Institute of Singapore (MDIS)
Established in 1956, this private college in Singapore offers quality management education at both graduate as well as undergraduate level. The colleges enjoys affiliations with many top universities including University of Bradford (UK) as well as University of South Wales (UK) for its MBA programs.
Spread over 30 hectares of land, this polytechnic offers state of the art infrastructure to its 15000 students. The institute has a steady reputation amongst the industry and offers certificate diplomas in wide variety of subjects including business and engineering.
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Q: Is Singapore Management University hard to get into?
Q: How can I apply for NUS Singapore from India?
Applications to all the courses offered by NUS are done via online application portals of the university. Check out the steps below to see how to fill undergraduate and postgraduate applications on dedicated portals:
Undergraduate Applicants:
International applicants need to follow these steps to apply to an undergraduate programme at NUS:
Step 1: Visit myaces.nus.edu.sg/uasonline2/catD/catDapplform.do and sign up to apply.
Step 2: Enter personal details and contact information.
Step 3: Enter details of academic qualifications.
Step 4: Enter information on university/tertiary education.
Step 5: Enter the information on all outstanding achievements.
Step 6: Insert the programme details and paste the application material in the boxes provided.
Step 7: In this step, input the following:
- Next-of-kin information
- Personal identification number
- Application fee
- Financial aid
- Other information
- Tuition grant
Step 8: Read the declaration carefully.
Step 9: Press the ‘Continue’ button to complete the application.
Graduate Applicants
International applicants need to follow these steps to apply to a graduate programme at NUS:
Step 1: Sign up on the university’s application portal at inetapps.nus.edu.sg/gda2/Applicant.aspx/Account/SignUp.
Step 2: Click on ‘Create New Application’ and choose the following:
- Programme type
- Faculty
- Programme
- Department
- Specialisation (area of study)
- Source of finance
- Specify in case of ‘other source of finance’
- Academic load
Step 3: Read the instructions from the faculty/department/school carefully.
Step 4: Fill up the information as stepping through the application process.
Step 5: The system will perform an application completeness check for the selected programme.
Step 6: Once the above steps are completed, fill up the declaration section.
Step 7: Click on the 'Submit' button in the declaration page to complete the submission.
Step 8: To make an online payment for the application/acceptance fee and view details of your application (e.g. application status and admission status), click ‘View Application/Make Payment/Submit Reply on Offer of Admission’ at the menu on the left.
Step 9: To make changes to basic programme information for an application, click ‘Edit’.
Step 10: To apply to multiple programmes within the same application cycle and to change the order of preference, please click on the ‘Up’ and ‘Down’ links as required.
Q: Which are the popular courses at Singapore Management University?
Singapore Management University offers a range of undergraduate, graduate, research, and professional degree courses for international students. Some of the popular programs at the university are given as follows:
Others Denote Information Technology, Accounting, International Business etc.
Q: Is NTU Singapore expensive?
The NTU tuition fees is S$36,336.45 for international students. Apart from this, students also need to pay University-level miscellaneous fees The tuition fee for undergraduate courses for Nanyang Technological University is similar to NUS. First of all, students need to pay a non-refundable application fee of S$21.40. After accepting the offer, international students need to pay S$5,000 as non-refundable fee. This deposit fee can be used to offset the first tuition fee payment.
Q: What is the population of MBA students and faculty at INSEAD Singapore?
There are around 20,000+ students and 5,500+ faculty at INSEAD Singapore.
However, it is difficult to be sure about the same because of new admissions taking place.
The INSEAD website states that there are over 145 full-time faculty from more than 30 countries.
The exact numbers may vary depending on the year and the source.
Q: Does INSEAD - Singapore accept Indian students?
Certainly yes, INSEAD - Singapore accepts admission applications from all across the globe including India as well. Indian students applying at INSEAD - Singapore are required to meet the eligibility criteria for the respective choice of course along with a qualifying score in the English language proficiency test like IELTS.
Q: How can an Indian student get admission to INSEAD - Singapore?
As an Indian student, complete the following steps to be admitted to INSEAD in Singapore:
- Academic Qualifications: Ascertain that you have a solid academic background and a bachelor's degree or its equivalent from a reputable institution.
- Work Experience: INSEAD favors individuals with relevant professional backgrounds.
- GMAT/GRE: Get ready for and take the GMAT or GRE because admissions officers frequently want these scores.
- English proficiency: You'll probably need to provide test results as confirmation of your English competence if English isn't your first language
Q: What is the JCU Singapore cost of living for international students?
James Cook University Singapore does not offer on-campus accommodation for their students. However, students can find various types of housing options nearby for accommodation purposes. Listed below is the JCU Singapore cost of living for international students:
Facilities | Cost of Living (per month) | Cost in INR |
|---|---|---|
Accommodation | SGD 550 - 2,000 | INR 33K - 1.2L |
Meals | SGD 450 - 600 | INR 27K - 37K |
Public transportation | SGD 100 - 150 | INR 6K - 9K |
Telecom | SGD 30 - 50 | INR 1.8K - 3K |
Personal Expenses | SGD 100 - 400 | INR 6K - 24K |
Train fare (Daily Average) | SGD 0.92 - 2.17 (per trip) | INR 50 - 150 |
Taxi fare (Daily Average) | SGD 3.20 to 3.90 (per trip) | INR 200 - 250 |
Bus fare (Daily Average) | SGD 0.92 - 2.17 per trip | INR 50 - 150 |
TOTAL | SGD 1230 - 3200 | INR 73.8K - 3.86L |
Conversion Used: 1 SGD (Singapore Dollar) = INR 61.69
Abhineet is armed with varied experiences ranging from teaching in a university and research to counselling students. Working for some time in Germany, and having a passion for travelling, he has gained much interna... Read Full Bio
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According to various sources, Singapore Management University has an acceptance rate of around 45% which makes it moderately selective for international student admissions. Some of the general admission requirements at the university are given as follows:
After the student receives an offer letter, they are required to give the admission interview to be enrolled.