Working adults who have rich professional experience but do not have a university degree will now have an opportunity to gain admission into selected full-time undergraduate degree programmes offered by the National University of Singapore (NUS). Under a new admission pathway called Advance@NUS, an applicant’s work experience will play an important part in the selection process. This initiative aims to encourage adult learners to improve their future career prospects by broadening and deepening their knowledge base.

Administered by the NUS School of Continuing and Lifelong Education (NUS SCALE), Advance@NUS has launched its inaugural admission cycle on 2 March 2020. This new pathway will admit suitable adult learners for full-time undergraduate degrees in Business (Business Administration and Accounting), Engineering (Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, and Chemical Engineering) and Arts and Social Sciences.

NUS expects to admit up to 100 working adults in the inaugural admission cycle for Advance@NUS. Students admitted via this pathway are eligible for the Ministry of Education’s Tuition Grant Subsidy. The admission cycle for Advance@NUS will close on 31 March 2020.

Adult learners admitted under Advance@NUS will take classes alongside other NUS undergraduate students.

“Advance@NUS is a new initiative by NUS to encourage working adults to complement their practical work experience with academic rigour. We envisage a positive multiplier effect from Advance@NUS – adult learners can fulfil their personal aspirations of getting a degree, and the younger undergraduate students will have much to gain from our adult learners’ rich industry experience, maturity, and motivation,” said Professor Susanna Leong, NUS Vice Provost (Masters’ Programmes & Lifelong Education) and Dean of NUS SCALE.

Advance@NUS: Admission Requirements

To apply for admission into NUS through the Advance@NUS pathway, applicants should be at least 25 years old at the time of admission as of 1 July of the application year, and possess a minimum of four years of full-time work experience. All Advance@NUS applications will need to include the following:

• Work History: Applicants will need to provide information about his/her current and past employment. This may include designation, work responsibilities, and professional achievements.
• Referees: The applicant will be required to provide two referees, including at least one supervisor (the other referee can be a supervisor or a colleague). The referees will be asked to provide information about the applicant’s job performance, strengths and weaknesses as well as any other information that will help to determine the applicant’s suitability for the full-time undergraduate programme chosen by the applicant.
• Personal Statement: Applicants will be asked to write a statement that describes his/her motivation for pursuing the undergraduate degree as well as his/her work achievements. The focus of the Personal Statement may vary according the programme.
• Educational History: Applicants will need to present his/her educational qualifications, such as Polytechnic Diploma (including grades for five courses completed), Advanced Diploma, International Baccalaureate, GCE ‘A’ Levels and other relevant credentials. An applicant may also submit his or her SAT score, if available. As is the case for any Polytechnic Diploma holder who applies to NUS, incoming students with Polytechnic Diplomas may be granted Advanced Placement Credits in relevant modules for up to a maximum of 40 Modular Credits, which is equivalent to one year of undergraduate study.
• Additional Qualifications/Requirements: Some undergraduate degree programmes may have additional requirements such as proficiency in mathematics (e.g. for Engineering and Business courses) or good writing skills. A refresher course may be offered to successful applicants, if needed.