NUS Business School is the business school of the National University of Singapore. It offers a 17 month long MBA program. The school consists of six academic departments, including the Department of Accounting, Department of Finance, Department of Marketing, etc. Ranked #1 by the QS World University Ranking 2020 in Asia, NUS Business School is one of the top business schools in the Asia-Pacific region. The school has also been ranked #15 by the Financial Times in its Global MBA Ranking 2020. Established in 1965, the school has given many business leaders around the world. Some of the notable alumni of the NUS business school include Adam Khoo (Entrepreneur, Author), Colin Tan (CEO & Founder, Rentlord UK), Philip Yeo (Chairman, SPRING Singapore), & Min-Liang Tan (CEO & Founder, Razer USA). NUS School MBA Program is one of the most elite degrees. It is also famous for its small class size of around 120 students every year. A typical class consists of students from more than 25 countries, with the average age of students being 28 years old. In this article, we shall let you know everything you need to know before applying for the NUS School MBA Program.
Curriculum
The NUS School MBA program is a 17-month long program, but it can be completed in 1-year as well. The MBA program is so flexible that there is also an option to extend your MBA to another semester to get it completed within 24 months. There are a total of 5 MBA specialization program, including a specialization in Finance, Marketing, Healthcare Management, Strategy & Organization, & Real Estate. The curriculum consists of 10 core modules, & 7 elective modules. It is further divided into academic core courses/academic elective courses & experiential core courses/experiential elective courses.
The core courses include academic subjects like Corporate Strategy, Financial Management, Financial Accounting, Managerial Economics, & Marketing Management. And experiential learning subjects like MBA survival kit & MBA consulting project. The academic electives include subjects on Marketing, Digital Business, Consulting, Analytics & Operation, etc. while the experiential elective topics include Tech Launch, Lean Launchpad, Singapore Biodesign fellowship, etc.
The curriculum also includes the Global Exchange Program, where students can opt to study a semester in NUS’s 62 partner institutions, including Columbia Business School, Kellogg School of Management, Yale School of Management, ISB Hyderabad, IIM-A, B, C & L. NUS also offers double degree MBA programs, where students can opt to study in one or more universities in more than one location. Some of the NUS’s famous double degree program consists of NUS MBA-Yale Masters of Advanced Management, NUS-HEC Paris double-degree program, & NUS-Peking University double-degree Program.
Eligibility
- Bachelor’s in any discipline
While there is no minimum cutoff mentioned for the NUS school MBA program, the school prefers candidates with excellent academic records in any undergraduate field from reputable institutions.
- Work Experience:
A minimum of 2-year of work experience is required to apply for the NUS School MBA program. The average work experience of a typical MBA class stands at 6-years.
- Test/Exams:
A valid GMAT or GRE score is required for the candidates applying in the NUS business school. The school doesn’t have any preference between them both. The average GMAT of a typical MBA class is 670. Applicants are also required to take the English Language Test, such as TOEFL & IELTS if the medium of instructions in their undergraduate study was not in English. A minimum of 100 scores is required for the TOEFL Internet-based test, & a 6.5 score band is required for IELTS.
The one-year tuition fee for the NUS School MBA Program is SGD 65,000 (that’s around 35 Lakh Indian rupees). An acceptance fee of SGD 10,700 needs to be paid upon the acceptance of the offer. It later gets adjusted in your total tuition fees. The monthly estimated expenses of an international student for one year MBA program come at approximately SGD 18,400. It includes accommodation (SGD 9,000), meals (SGD 5,400), health care (SGD 400), personal expenses (SGD 2,700), & miscellaneous expenses of SGD 900. Please note that the actual living expenses depend on an individual’s lifestyle.
NUS Business School offers more than SGD 1.3 million worth of scholarships every year to its incoming MBA students. There is no separate application required for the same. All the applicants are considered for the awards. Almost all the awards & scholarships provided by the NUS are merit-based. Here are some most popular scholarships that the school offers:
- The NUS MBA study awards are a type of scholarship which is awarded to deserving students with excellent academic & professional achievements and demonstrated leadership skills.
- The NUS entrepreneurship scholarships are awarded to candidates who have shown keen interest in entrepreneurial ventures.
- Other such scholarships include The NUS MBA scholarship for emerging country leaders, The NUS MBA women-in-business scholarship, Lam See Chew memorial scholarship in social Entrepreneurship & philanthropy, etc.
Other than these scholarships, loan options are also available to fund your NUS School MBA program. One of the most popular loan options is Prodigy Finance.
A record 94% of the students seeking employment got placed within 3-months of the graduation from NUS Business School in 2018. The median annual base salary received by the class was SGD 90,000, with an average signing bonus of SGD 18,223. Reportedly, the NUS alumni get a 131% salary raise after 3-years of graduation.
The top three industries who hired the majority of the students in 2018 include:
Technology 26%
Financial Services 22%
Consulting 20%
Some of the top employers include:
IBM
Google Inc.
AT Kearney
McKinsey & Company
Bain & Company
Amazon
Goldman Sachs
JP Morgan
Unilever
- Online Application
Including,
Transcripts
Resume
GMAT/GRE score
English Language Test
2 Letter of Recommendations
3-4 Essays
Financial supporting documents
Application Fee of SGD 100
- Interview
If your application gets shortlisted, you will receive an interview invite from the school. The interview can either be in person or through a video call. The interview is blind, where the interviewer doesn’t have access to your application or essays. The interview lasts for 20-30 minutes and consists of general MBA questions. It may also contain some behavioral/situational questions. NUS believes in the value of honesty, integrity, & commitment. So make sure your interview reflects all of the above.
After your interview, a feedback form is submitted by the interviewers to the admissions committee. And based on your application & interview feedback form, your candidacy for the NUS School MBA Program is finalized.
The NUS Business School comes up with different essay questions every year, which are somewhat similar in context. Last year in 2019-20, the following essays were asked by the school from its applicants:
Essay 1
The NUS MBA offers a highly transformative educational experience. What kind of transformation are you working towards in your professional and personal self? (250 words)
Essay 2
Describe the type of leader you are right now, and the qualities of a leader you aspire to be. How would The NUS MBA help you cultivate those qualities? (250 words)
Essay 3
Share a situation in your personal or professional life, where your value system was put to the test. How did you react, and what did you learn from it? (250 words)
Essay 4
Tell us about your intermediate (3years) post-MBA career goal, describing your industry, function, and country of choice and a plan on how you would achieve this goal. (250 words)
Remember that NUS looks for leaders who can make a powerful impact in the world. Your essay should demonstrate your leadership skills, and how you are planning to make a valuable contribution to the NUS community. Be thorough & clear about your post-MBA goals. Do not sound confused or unsure. You must have a clear plan of what you are planning to do right after your MBA. With such a small class size and rigorous selection process, the NUS School MBA Program is very much competitive & difficult to get into. But if you can dream it, you can make it.
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