FAQ

General

The NTU-University Scholars Programme (NTU-USP) is one of the five Signature Programmes in NTU that is committed to providing an intellectually rigorous environment for students to explore realms that complement their major areas of study at their respective schools. Our programme aims to develop independent thinkers, nurture empathetic leaders and to foster an engaged community. We do this through a highly interdisciplinary curriculum, exciting co-curricular activities and immersive cultural experiences in Singapore and overseas that supplement your core curriculum and general education programme.

NTU-USP has a multi-disciplinary focus to its curriculum structure which is different from the other Signature Programmes. For example, NBS Global Leaders Programme (NGL) focuses on Business, CN Yang Scholars Programme (CNYSP) on Science and Turing AI Scholars Programme (TAISP) focuses on Computing and Data Science. NTU-USP is suitable for students from all Colleges except College of Medicine, while the other programmes are focused on specific Colleges. 
NTU-USP is not a programme on its own. Scholars remain in their home degree programme while concurrently pursuing NTU–USP curriculum and co-curricular enrichment activities.

Admissions

Programmes from the five Colleges, except Medicine and most double degree programmes, are compatible with NTU-USP. The only double degree that is compatible with NTU-USP is Accounting and Business by the College of Business. Please refer to our website here for the full list of eligible programmes. 

NTU-USP is not a stand-alone programme. You will need to choose your preferred major when applying to NTU. Some of your modules will be replaced with NTU-USP core and elective courses. 

NTU-USP recruits about 60 scholars per year. 

You are required to indicate your interest in NTU-USP when submitting your application to NTU. In the Admissions Application Portal, you will find an option to select and rank your programme interests in order of preference.

If you are keen on NTU-USP, we strongly encourage you to list it as your First Choice to reflect your priority and interest. 

Please note that only shortlisted applicants will be contacted directly via email and/or WhatsApp with further details on the selection process. As such, do ensure that your contact information provided in the application is accurate and up to date.

You can apply during any admissions year but will need to indicate your interest in the scholarship programme when submitting your NTU applications. Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted directly via email and/or WhatsApp with further details on the selection process. 

If you have been accepted to NTU and wish to apply for NTU-USP, you may wish to send us an email via [email protected].

If you have accepted another University, you should apply to NTU and indicate your interest in NTU-USP. You may follow up with us by writing to us at [email protected].

You will be assessed based on your academic, outstanding co-curricular portfolio and overall fit. This will include an interview and writing a 500 word essay. Your interest in NTU-USP’s Club is also important and you should check our social media handles to learn more about the various club activities. 

Yes, there will be a written test either before or after the interview. You will be required to write a 500-word essay, and a laptop will be provided. 

It will depend on the programme that you are transferring to. If the programme is not compatible with NTU-USP, you will need to withdraw from NTU-USP. If the programme you will be transferring to is compatible with NTU-USP, you will still be part of NTU-USP. 

No, NTU-USP is not a residential college programme. Nonetheless, should you choose to stay in a hall, you will have guaranteed accommodation as part of your scholarship benefits.

Yes, you can take up a minor if you have enough Academic Units to read one. For more information on a minor and how to declare your interest, please visit this link.  If you do not have enough Academic Units to read a minor, you will need to seek approval from the NTU-USP office and consult your school for approval to overload before applying for a minor. 

Yes, NTU-USP admits international students.

Scholarships

The NTU-USP is a programme that takes in small number of academically excellent students with monetary and non-monetary benefits. Compared with the Nanyang Global Scholarship that NTU offers, the NTU-USP Scholarship comprises of the same financial benefits but with heavily subsidised Study Abroad opportunities, core and electives modules that are specially planned and produced by faculty fellows across NTU for NTU-USP scholars, and more.  

Application to NTU-USP is open to all degree programmes, however, application to CN Yang is only open to students undertaking science or engineering programmes. 
Application to NTU-USP is open to all degree programmes, however, REP is a programme in itself and you will be required to take their programme, instead of being able to choose what you want to major in, outside of engineering and science. 

NTU-USP students may receive various type of scholarships. Apart from NTU-USP scholarships, some NTU-USP students are recipients of the NGS, ASEAN or MOE scholarships. Many students hold external scholarships like PSC, SPH etc. There is a small number of NTU-USP students who do not hold scholarships too.   

The scholarship will cover a candidature period of 4 years (up to a maximum of 8 semesters). You will not be covered by the scholarship should you wish to extend your candidature. 

Yes, your school fees after the Singapore tuition grant will be covered under the scholarship.

Yes, you are welcome to apply to NTU-USP with an external scholarship.
No bond is attached to the NTU-USP Scholarship for Singapore citizens. However, a three-year bond is applicable to all Singapore PRs and international students under the MOE Tuition Grant Scheme. You need to remain working in Singapore for 3 years. 

Students with an external scholarship will not be offered a NTU-USP scholarship. However, you can be accepted into the NTU-USP as a scholar without a scholarship. You will continue to benefit from your existing scholarships. 

Curriculum

Each NTU-USP student is required to complete 4 core modules and 2 or 4 prescribed electives, depending on your home programme.

Please refer to our website for the listing here.

Class sizes are small and seminar-style to maximise interactions and foster creative opportunities. Our classes heavily encourage active participation and student-professor interaction across a range of interdisciplinary topics.

Yes, in general you will still be able to take other non-NTU-USP electives, depending on your home programme. 
Generally, no. The NTU-USP modules do not add on to your workload as the total number of AUs required for you to graduate will be the same as students who are not part of NTU-USP and in the same home programme as you. However, there are few exceptional programmes where NTU-USP students many need to clear additional AUs. 

You will need to maintain a GPA of no lower than 3.5.

Overseas Learning

It is a heavily-subsidised programme where NTU-USP will cover for the student to spend a semester away at one of our seven overseas university partners to gain a global edge, global networking, invaluable insights and to experience a new culture. 

Our current partner universities are:

  1. Australian National University (AU)
  2. University of Melbourne (AU)
  3. University of Edinburgh (UK)
  4. King’s College London (UK)
  5. University of St Gallen (CZ)
  6. University of Pennsylvania (USA)
  7. Bryn Mawr College (USA)

Study Abroad is an NTU-USP exclusive programme where scholars get to enjoy a heavily-subsidised semester offshore at one of our seven partner universities. 

The Global Education and Mobility (GEM) Programme, NTU's exchange programme, however, is open to all NTU students and our scholars will also get to enjoy priority placement ahead of other students. 

All Year 1 NTU-USP scholars will undertake a core module called Sustainability and Space – Travel Overseas Programme for Scholars (TOPS). This module allows first year scholars to investigate multi-disciplinary issues in another country, usually regional.  

Some of the elective modules offered by the NTU-USP provides students the chance to travel to another country for research-based fieldwork, effectively bringing their textbooks to life. For example, our scholars travel to Chiang Mai/Taiwan for the module, SP0051 Astronomy to visit an observatory for star-gazing activities. 

Student Life & Hall Accommodation

Yes. Although guaranteed, you will need to make a formal application for the hall stay.

Definitely! As long as you are able to manage your time well and continue to meet curriculum requirements.

There is never a dull day in NTU-USP! A typical day of our scholars' varies from attending thought-provoking lessons to chilling out in the CresPion canteen, to hanging out in the Signature Programmes lounge. You can visit this link to find out more here. 

No, it is not compulsory as this is not a residential programme. However, should you choose to stay in a hall and have applied within the deadline stipulated by the Hall Office, you will have guaranteed accommodation as part of your scholarship benefits.

That is definitely feasible! We have many students and alumni who launched their startups/social ventures/social projects while studying! You just need to manage your time well and plan for your modules in advance. Our alumni, Edward Yee, started GivFunds, a social venture that provides interest-free loans for changemakers in South Asia, while studying in NTU-USP! He studied at the University of Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar. One of our current second-year NTU-USP student, Adrian, also started his own community initiative “Five Cents Project”! You can view his story here. 

Career

Aside from NTU-USP’s interdisciplinary programme, NTU-USP also offers diverse opportunities to students and encourages them to explore beyond their comfort zones and hone leadership skills along the way. With this exposure, we hope that our students will grow to become independent, empathetic and thought-provoking leaders of the future who will be part of an engaged community. 

NTU-USP students usually work with their home programme or the NTU Career and Attachment Office for internship matters. However, NTU-USP does work with some organisations to provide similar opportunities. In addition to this, NTU-USP Alumni occasionally reach out to recruit current NTU-USP students to intern at their organisations.