Higher education
18 Nov 2010
On this page
- Short description of the higher education system Types of degrees
- Types of degrees
- Quality assurance and accreditation
- Recent reforms
Short description of the higher education system
Higher education in Singapore is provided by three autonomous universities (National University of Singapore (NUS), Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and Singapore Management University (SMU)), two new public institutes (Singapore Institute of Technology, which opened in 2009, and the Singapore University of Technology and Design, to be opened in 2011) and a range of private universities, many of them affiliated with foreign institutions (such as INSEAD, ESSEC Business School, University of Chicago and the University of Nevada).
In addition, there are five non-degree awarding polytechnics that offer practical training for middle-level professions. The polytechnics are also a significant provider of continuing education and mid-career professional development programmes and services.
Types of degrees
Polytechnics offer one to three-year diploma programmes in design, business, computers, engineering, maritime studies, mass communication, nursing, radiology and technological subjects. University education is based on the three-cycle system, with bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees.
Bachelor’s degrees take three to five years of study, and admission is based on students’ General Certificate of Education A-level results. Master’s degrees require one to three years of postgraduate study following the bachelor’s degree. Doctoral degrees require a minimum of two years following the master’s degree.
Quality assurance and accreditation
The Higher Education Division (HED) oversees the provision of tertiary and technical education in Singapore, as well as the registration of private schools. Its Higher Education Quality Assurance Section manages quality assurance at higher education institutions.
The Ministry of Education has worked out a Quality Assurance Framework (QAFU) for the NUS, NTU and SMU. Under the QAFU, the Ministry set up an external panel to validate universities' self-assessments against their institutional goals and performance targets. The panel conducts on-site validations of each university once every three years, during which it validates the university's self-assessment report and assesses its strengths and weaknesses.
Many private institutions, especially those specializing in medicine and management, use foreign accreditation bodies to accredit their programmes.
Recent reforms
A major reform in the last decade was the granting of autonomy to the NUS, NTU and SMU. Another important strategic development has been the opening up of the system in order to increase the number of university places and graduates in Singapore.
Expansion has been sought mainly in the private sector, particularly by admitting foreign institutions to provide transnational higher education in Singapore. To facilitate this, the government formulated the Global Schoolhouse policy.
This policy stipulates that the government will provide financial support to “world-class universities” to establish operations in Singapore, and sets the aim of attracting 150,000 international students by 2015 to study at both private and state-run education institutions.
