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Study in Singapore
Singapore's safety, low crime rates, and high standards of living are well renowned, offering international students an ideal environment for graduate study. And when it's time to put away the books, a myriad of sports, entertainment, and other fascinating sights and sounds are available to relax your mind and fill your senses. With surprises awaiting you at every corner of the island, you'll never want to leave!
Autonomous Universities
Being autonomous, these universities can differentiate themselves and pursue new heights of excellence in education, research and service whilst receiving substantial government funding.
Both of the above universities have collaborations with top foreign universities.
The Singapore Management University (SMU)
This university offers a broad-based business curriculum modelled after that of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
Private Universities – Comprehensive
This university provides university education to working professionals and adult learners by adopting a flexible learning approach to enable its learners to balance their careers, family and studies.
Private Universities/Institutions – Specialised
Widely recognised as one of the most innovative and influential business schools, INSEAD's unique global perspective and multicultural diversity are reflected in all aspects of its research and teaching. The INSEAD-Wharton Alliance combines INSEAD's resources with those of Wharton’s to deliver business education and research across a global learning network.
University of Chicago Graduate Business School
The University of Chicago Graduate Business School created the world’s first Executive MBA program in 1943 to provide senior managers and executives with the most up-to-date management education. The same program is now available in its Asia campus in Singapore.
S.P. Jain Centre of Management
S. P. Jain centre of Management is the international initiative of S. P. Jain Institute of Management and Research, Mumbai, which is ranked among the top ten business schools in Asia and India. S. P. Jain offers an Executive MBA program and a truly Global MBA program conducted jointly from both the campuses in Dubai and Singapore.
UNLV University of Nevada, Las Vegas
The Harrah Hotel College of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas is recognised as one of the leading hospitality programs in the US. UNLV Singapore offers a fully accredited Executive Masters degree in Hospitality Administration.
LASALLE-SIA College of Arts and the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts are the private institutions providing post-secondary education in the arts. Both LASALLE-SIA and NAFA offer publicly funded diploma degree programs. The institutions also offer offshore or externally accredited degree programs which are not funded by the government.
Living in Singapore
Population: 4 million
Demographics: Diverse population of Chinese, Malay, Indian and other races, covering a wide spectrum of religions, cultures, and languages living harmoniously together. The synergistic mix of ethnic groups offer international students a wide spectrum of choices for living and playing in Singapore.
Climate: Singapore has a warm and humid climate all year-round, with temperatures ranging from 23 to 33 degrees centigrade. Sunshine is the norm, with occasional rain, especially during the year-end periods.
Cost of Living
The standard of living in Singapore is amongst the highest in Asia. Compared to countries in western continents, the cost of living here is relatively low, and basic items like food and clothing are very reasonably priced. An international student in Singapore spends on average about S$750 to S$2,000 a month on living expenses. This amount of course, varies depending on your individual lifestyle and course of study.
These estimated cost ranges below give a rough guide of the basic expenditure an international student may incur per month:
Expense |
Cost per Month |
| Accommodation | $200 - $1,500 |
| Utilities | $50 - $80 |
| Food | $300 - $450 |
| Public Transport | $20 - $100 |
| Telecommunications | From $30 |
| Books & Stationery | $30 - $100 |
| Medical Hospitalisation Insurance | $5 - $300 (depending on insurance policy) |
| Personal expenses | $100 - $200 (clothes, toiletries, entertainment, haircut, miscellaneous) |
Currency
The local currency is Singapore dollars and cents. Other than the Singapore dollar, the US and Australian dollar, Yen and British pound are also widely accepted, at major shopping centres and restaurants.
A 5% Goods and Services Tax (GST) is imposed on all purchases. Tipping is not practised in Singapore as most hotels and restaurants already levy a 10% service charge on bills.
Major credit cards are generally accepted by establishments, including American Express, Diners Card, JCB, MasterCard and Visa.
Another widely-used method of payment is NETS, which allows you to make payment with your Automated Teller Machine (ATM) card.
Banking
Most banks handle travellers' cheques and change foreign currencies. Passports are required when cashing travellers' cheques. A nominal commission may be charged. Apart from banks and hotels, you may change money at outlets which display the sign "Licensed Money Changer".
Most banking hours are usually from Mondays to Fridays, 9.30am - 3pm and Saturdays, 9.30am - 11am/1pm. Some banks offer late night banking and have extended hours on Saturdays. Some banks in Orchard Road even open on Sundays. It is best to check with individual banks on their operating hours.
You may need to open a savings or checking account while in Singapore. You will need to bring a minimum initial deposit (usually $100) if you are below 21 years of age, as well as your passport and Student's Pass/ letter of admission to your educational institution. Upon opening your account, you will be given an ATM card which gives you the added convenience of being able to withdraw money from any ATM machine operated by your bank. The ATM card also entitles you to make payment via NETS (Singapore's cashless payment system).
You may receive additional funds using bank drafts made out in Singapore dollars and drawn from a Singapore bank. These may be credited to your account and withdrawn in one to two days. Cheques drawn on banks with no branches in Singapore may take up to three weeks to clear.
