Minimum mark 60%
Level Undergraduate
Language/s English
Agreement Scope University-wide - restrictions listed under academic information (check with your department regarding compatibility with your degree programme)
Exchange Places 1 full year place for 2026/27
Students may also be interested in the GEM Trailblazer Summer Programme. For more information on this opportunity please email global-opportunities@york.ac.uk
About:
A young, dynamic, research intensive university, Nanyang Technological University (NTU) has 33,000 undergraduate and postgraduate students. It is in the top 10 technological universities in Asia and is the fastest rising university in the world. Its strengths are in science and engineering, with a special emphasis on biosciences, business, communication and computing.
Contact at Nanyang:
Ms Pauline Ho for all inbound enquiries, please write to GEM-Trailblazer@ntu.edu.sg
50 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore, 639798
Highlights:
As a fast growing university, NTU offers a range of disciplines beyond science and engineering, with strengths in the humanities, arts, business, entrepreneurship and education. In the last 10 years, the School of Humanities and Social Sciences has become the largest school in NTU, with four programs ranked in the world’s Top 50. NTU’s National Institute of Education is the only national teacher training institute in Singapore, and makes a vital contribution to the country’s highly successful education system making it one of the most successful educational systems in the world due to the sound educational policies and research in the shaping of curriculum and management practices for schools.
NTU's cosmopolitan campus is the largest in Singapore and considered one of the most beautiful in the world. It has 57 Green Mark-certified (equivalent to LEED-certified) building projects comprising more than 230 buildings, of which 95% are certified Green Mark Platinum. Besides its 200-ha (500-acre) lush green, residential campus in the western part of Singapore, NTU also has a second campus in the heart of Novena, Singapore’s medical district. It offers state of the art teaching and learning facilities as well as leisure activities and a wide range of eating experiences. NTU’s population is a mix of students and academics from more than 100 countries, meaning students get plenty of international experience and exposure to business and industry.
NTU is placed 13th globally in the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings 2020. In engineering and technology, NTU is ranked 8th worldwide in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2020. Mirroring this success is the College of Science, whose young chemistry department is placed 4th in the US News & World Report’s Best Global Universities Rankings 2019.
Location:
The island of Singapore’s total land area is just 718.3 square km!, And at just one degree above the equator, the city-state enjoys year-long temperatures that range from 24.0°C to 34.0°C and an average daily relative humidity of 61-65%. Most Singaporeans are descendants of immigrants from the Malay Peninsula, China or the Indian sub-continent. While they have gradually acquired a distinct identity as Singaporeans, many still retain their customs, practices and festivals in an interesting mix of the modern and traditional ways.
From its botanic gardens, rainforests and wetlands to its exceptional shopping and eclectic food scene, Singapore is one of Asia’s top destinations. It’s also a world leader in research and innovation, with a number of highly ranking universities and an excellent student life. Singapore is an easy jump of point for the charms of Malaysia and Indonesia, including beaches, rainforests and orangutans. Singapore is where foodies, explorers, collectors, action seekers, culture shapers, and socialisers meet!
Courses / Modules:
You may choose your courses from this list of undergraduate courses available by schools and year of study.
Please note the School of Computer Science and Engineering, and Nanyang Business School are not open to exchange students.
Course requests will be considered based on prerequisites, availability, vacancies and clashes in timetable. Please note that some NTU courses (e.g. Accountancy, Economics, Sociology etc.) are extremely popular and therefore, you must be prepared that you will not be able to read those highly popular course(s) and be flexible in your study plan.
Credit (Full-time Load per semester):
15 - 20 NTU credits = 60 York credits
The above full-time load is indicative only. Applications for academic credit are assessed by the relevant faculty/department at York based on: study load, contact hours, assessment requirements and level of study.
Teaching Periods:
Semester 1: August - December
Semester 2: January - May
Access NTU calendar.
Language:
Classes at NTU are taught in English.
You may be required to provide evidence of your English language ability if English is not your first language.
Accommodation:
All exchange students would be guaranteed on-campus housing as long as the online housing application is submitted before the stipulated deadline.
Students seeking off-campus housing should begin their search well in advance of their arrival in Singapore. Students are recommended to search in Estates near NTU such as: Boon Lay, Jurong West and Jurong East.
Orientation / Welcome week:
All incoming exchange students are encouraged to attend a half-day orientation briefing usually held 3-days before the commencement of Teaching Week. The exact date shall be advised in the GEM Trailblazer Exchange/Study Abroad Portal.
The briefing will provide you with information on course registration, campus resources, health services and adjustment matters.
Support Services:
NTU offers medical and insurance schemes and has an in-campus medical centre. There is also a Student Wellbeing Centre, which provides counselling on mental health, study techniques and relationships
Visas:
Information from the High Commission of the Republic of Singapore in London.
Health insurance:
It is compulsory for all exchange students to be covered under the NTU student insurance schemes, namely Group Personal Accident Insurance (GPAI), Group Hospitalisation & Surgical Insurance (GHSI) and Medical scheme, even if students have already bought similar insurance in their home country. The cost of these student insurance schemes is included in the compulsory administrative fees.
Travel insurance:
If you are approved by the University of York to participate in this program, you will be covered by the University's Travel Insurance Policy. This is a complimentary policy to cover you for the duration of your University of York mobility experience. Please refer to the Insurance website for all travel insurance queries. You may be required to obtain health insurance valid during your exchange.
Administrative fees:
Estimated compulsory payments: SGD 250 per semester for undergraduate exchange students. Compulsory miscellaneous fees include administrative costs; IT facilities; sports;
amenities; student health service; insurance, etc. Students should ensure they have sufficient monies to pay for these compulsory payments upon arrival / registration at NTU.
Matthew, Chemistry, Year Abroad 2019/20
"I had never been out of Europe before this, now I have been to Singapore, Malaysia, Cambodia and Australia and have learnt a lot about Asian customs and lifestyles. I have also learnt a lot from my time studying and my lab work that I have completed. The difficult part was adapting to my new life in the first few weeks. Singapore is culturally very different, and it took me some time to get used to that. I am proud of the way I was able to explore most of the island and travel round the city with ease, as this is not something I had experienced before."
Please note: these tips have been provided by students who have studied abroad in Singapore - Global Opportunities recommends that you use these as a guide only and do your own research on what is best for you.
Money and Banking:
Monzo
At first, I was going to get a bank account with HSBC, however, most British students that I talked to used a Monzo card, which I ended up using as well. It is a British bank which is great for students who are abroad. I would definitely recommend at least searching Monzo online because it saved me quite a bit of money. However, getting a bank account abroad is also a good choice.
Staying Connected:
I got two 6 month long temporary sim cards and just topped them up as and when
If possible, I would recommend getting a sim abroad and putting it into your phone. This is especially useful if your phone can take multiple sim cards. However, my phone had only one sim port so I chose to get a cheap phone in the UK and then put the sim that I purchased abroad in that phone. However, having one phone which can take the sim is much easier so if possible, that is what I would recommend.
Food:
Canteens on campus are super cheap, like £2 or £3 per meal. Restaurants are very expensive, so is alcohol.
NTU is quite far from the city centre so the campus is full of places to eat. They have lots of canteens which serve a wide range of dishes including Singaporean food. There are also a few fast food restaurants and several grocery stores such as ‘7/11’ and ‘Giant’. There are some good eating spots outside of campus such as the hawker’s centre in the station called ‘pioneer’
Hawker’s centres are very good and a good alternative to the expensive restaurants there.
Paperwork and bureaucracy:
I regularly checked my email as any essential information was likely to be there.
Bureaucracy is very different in Singapore. If you're expecting a document or waiting for something, just email and ask them about it, otherwise you'll be waiting forever. I got sent all over the city trying to sort out my student visa.
NTU paperwork requires a passport type photo for your ID with a completely white background so make sure that your picture fits the requirements as many British passport type photos have grey backgrounds (this doesn’t refer to the photo in your actual passport).
What I wished I'd known...:
Using whatsapp to make friends and talk to everyone, this is key. Nobody uses Facebook or texts.
I wish I’d known more about the accommodation before getting there - such as no wifi in the rooms, which was quite daunting to realise on the first day.
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