Apart from world class infrastructure, high quality living, strong economy, political stability, culinary delights, vivacious city life and various adventure activities, Singapore provides various higher education courses at much more affordable prices as compared other countries like UK, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, etc. It is growing as one of the leading hubs of education in the world.
Singapore offers a plenty bachelor’s as well as master’s degree courses in all disciplines. It not only provides top notch teaching infrastructure but high quality methodology to increase student’s potential and make them more efficient. A degree from Singapore is globally recognized and offers a wide range of job opportunities to students across the World.
Also, Singapore’s government and educational institutes offers various scholarships for international students. Various exchanges programmes are also conducted by Universities of Singapore and other countries. Good and inexpensive hostel and home stay options also make Singapore an attractive option for international students to study abroad.
The top universities in Singapore are Nanyang Technological University (NTU), National University of Singapore (NUS), Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) and Singapore Management University (SMU), in no particular order. Information Technology, Management, Finance/Accounting and Engineering are a few popular courses Indian students pursue in Singapore.
Admission process for the universities in Singapore:
Singapore government universities generally have two intakes i.e. August and February, with the private institutes offering multiple intakes in January, February, July, August, September and October. The intake season for polytechnics is usually April and September. You should start your admission process around six months before the application deadline.
Typically, applications for admissions open in October. You should be done with your language and aptitude tests by three months before the deadline, if mentioned otherwise. The last three months should be dedicated to filling out the application form properly.
The average GMAT score accepted across universities is 520 and above 600 for the top colleges. Average GRE score is 145 for Verbal, 160 for Quantitative and 4.0 for Writing.
Suggested: Work Opportunities in Singapore
Finances required to study in Singapore:
The tuition fee varies according to different universities, courses and the city. The tuition expenses in Singapore for an undergraduate course might be up to S$12,000 to S$15,000 per year for an undergraduate course. And if you are thinking of applying to a postgraduate course, the cost would be approximately S$18,000 to S$25,000 per year.
An international student in Singapore spends on an average about S$750 to S$2,000 a month on living expenses. This amount varies depending on individual lifestyle.
Starting salary with no work experience is about $35000 which goes up to about $60000 after 5 years of work experience.
However in Singapore there is a working pass issue where they will give Singapore nationals first preference for the jobs and only then will the remaining jobs be given to international students
Student Visa process:
New applications for a Student’s Pass must be submitted at least one month and not more than two months before the commencement of the course. Applications must be submitted through the Student’s Pass On-Line Application & Registration (SOLAR) system.
After the degree program is over, international students can submit an application for a one-year Visit Pass to ICA (Immigration & Checkpoints Authority of Singapore), if they want to look for employment opportunities in Singapore. This can be done online through e-VP.
You can work part-time for up to 16 hours per week. Work permits are not required for those who want to work during holidays, as they can work full-time without any visa restrictions.
Work Visa:
In Singapore, if you accept a job offer before you complete your studies then the employer needs to apply on your behalf for the employment pass. If you do not secure a job before the completion of the course, you can apply for an ‘approval in principle work visa’ which allows you to stay for a limited time while looking for a job simultaneously.
An employment pass is valid for only a few years (between three to five years). The visa is linked with the job that you are doing, so long as you are gainfully employed by the employer the work visa is in effect.
