This guide is meant to help students that have just collected their A-Levels and Polytechnic results – now deciding the next path in their life. This article features the 2nd in place university in Singapore – Nanyang Technological University also known as NTU.
Read also: The Ultimate Guide to NUS – All You Need To Know
This article will bring you through the NTU’s IGP, what you can expect at the school and some freshie tips that will help you get through your university years.
University Application Series: The Traditional Three
About forty per cent of ‘A’ Level and diploma graduates from polytechnics apply and get into universities. Behind the National University of Singapore, the Nanyang Technological University and Singapore Management University are the second and third most popular universities respectively.
While both universities are very large and have a diverse set of faculties, both of them occupy specific niches that correspond to what you want to do when you graduate.
Nanyang Technological University
Nanyang Technological University (NTU)
Known for its specialties in life sciences, geographical sciences and engineering, NTU is meant for those who are more STEM at heart. It’s actually the largest campus in Singapore, with a sprawling 200 hectares.
Just like NUS and most local universities in Singapore, NTU follows an Indicative Grade Profile system where the eligibility and chances of success in applying to these universities depend on.
The Overall Popularity of The Course
Courses like Medicine and Computer Science tend to be the most competitive courses in Nanyang Technological University, while Engineering courses tend to have a lower IGP compared to these courses. The popularity of the course does not depend on the academic requirements of each course, since it may just mean there is a bigger faculty of professors, classroom sizes etc. for each faculty.
These means don’t feel turned off by the low-grade requirements for NTU, as it has no reflection on the teaching ability and the prestige of the course.
In fact, Engineering is one of the niche specialties of NTU, and engineering students have the research opportunity to work with MIT in the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research Technology centre.
NTU’s IGP
For more information about NTU’s IGP for the AY 2020/2021, visit their official website here.
Below is the indicative admissions grade profile for NTU for the AY 2020/21 (A Levels):
Below is the indicative admissions grade profile for NTU for the AY 2020/21 (Polytechnic Students):
Tips for Freshie entering NTU – How To Survive Your Freshman Year
These tips are general for all freshies coming to NTU, applicable to all courses.
1 – NTU Hall
NTU is not exactly located in a favourable location, it is located far West of Singapore, making it rather inconvenient for many students. Many may find the commute to be tiring and long and would so prefer to stay on campus to save time from travelling.
Hence, it is important to know more about the hall life in NTU and the types of accommodations they offer. There are a total of 24 halls of residence in NTU, housing more than 12,000 students on campus.
Here’s the link to all you need to know about the Halls in NTU.
2 – NTU Campus Bus
NTU’s main campus covers 200 hectares (490 acres) of land, making it the largest university campus in Singapore. There are free shuttle buses within the campus to bring students and visitors around.
NTU offers 4 different bus routes for students, and they are mainly the Red, Green, Blue and Brown campus buses. The Brown campus buses are only available on weekends also known as the Campus Weekend Rider.
Many students will commute on the Green campus bus as it is the only campus rider that fetches students from Pioneer MRT into NTU. Whereas the Red and Green buses are usually ridden by students that reside in NTU’s hostels.
Find out more about the shuttle bus routes in NTU here.
3 – MOOC
NTU’s MOOC also known as Massive Open Online Course allows students to take free courses on selected MOOC platforms.
Here’s the catch – Students that enrol themselves into NTU’s pre-approved courses may have their credits transferred to their programmes to fulfil their degree audit (mainly the Major PE, GER PE or GER UE requirements.)
To check what credits you will need for your own course of study, you can visit your degree audit to find out more.
Visit the official NTU website on MOOC to find out more about MOOC.
4 – NTU Subreddit
The NTU subreddit is buzzing with useful freshie tips and small discussion for students to engage in. It is a great place for students in NTU to stay in the know with school stuff such as exams, results, scholarships, internships and so many more!
Follow NTU’s subreddit to keep yourself updated too!
Research Centers in NTU:
NTU is actually filled with many, many different research centres. This makes sense since it’s a large research university, first and foremost. This means most of the professors, postdoctoral fellows and even students are focused on applying the knowledge taught in courses in new research opportunities. We’ve chosen some cool and unique research centres in NTU.
Earth Observatory
Suitable for: Environmental Science, Geography and Environmental Engineering Majors
What Does It Do?: Researching on volcanic eruptions, earthquakes and climate science. The Earth Observatory does a lot of work on Asian natural disaster regions including Indonesia and Malaysia. Those who like to do regional scientific research, this might be a good opportunity for you.
NTU Cybersecurity Research Institute
Suitable for: Computer Engineering, Engineering and Business Studies Majors
What Does It Do?: The government and private is ramping up efforts for cybersecurity defense in Singapore, especially after large privacy breaches occurring recently. This includes setting up a new government agency and investing in new scholarship opportunities for students. Cybersecurity is a lucrative and promising new career if you’re thinking of entering Computer Engineering in NTU or elsewhere.
Ageing Research Institute for Society and Education (ARISE)
Suitable for: Sociology, Anthropology, Linguistics, Computer Engineering and Business Studies Majors
What Does It Do?: For those who are more socially-minded, and want to tackle one of Singapore’s largest public policy problems in the 21st Century, this is a great opportunity. ARISE investigates the economic and social impact of an increasingly ageing population in Singapore, and researches potential solutions.
