# **WHAT USEIC CAN DO FOR YOUR INSTITUTION**

-   **USEIC plans and organizes US university fairs twice a year (March
    and October) in Singapore. The fairs are well attended and are a
    perfect avenue for meeting large numbers of prospective students.
    USEIC will also arrange a series of secondary school visits for fair
    participants. Watch for event details and registration materials on
    our USEIC web site.**

-   **For representatives who prefer to travel alone or in small groups,
    the USEIC office will assist you with logistics. We have an
    extensive contact list of secondary school counselors. Additionally,
    our school mailing list can be used to send flyers announcing the
    details of your visit. Your visit will also be announced on our
    USEIC web site. The USEIC library can seat up to 50 people, and may
    be used for information sessions, meet the parents functions, or
    alumni events. We will make every effort to make your visit as
    productive and stress free as possible. Contact our office directly
    for details.**

-   **Our USEIC Partnership Program offers you an opportunity to
    highlight your institution without travel. Your school materials
    will be prominently displayed in our library and membership area for
    six months. We will also link your web site to the USEIC site. See
    our web site for further details about the Partnership Program.**

# UNITED STATES EDUCATION INFORMATION CENTER

**12 PRINCE EDWARD ROAD \# 01 -- 03 BESTWAY BUILDING POD A**

**SINGAPORE 079212 REPUBLIC OF SINGAPORE**

**TEL: (65) 6223 4566 FAX: (65) 6223 4533**

**EMAIL: <director@useic.org>**

**The Singapore Education System**

**Secondary School Curriculum**

Some schools may allow students to bypass the GCE O level exams (the
Integrated Program system) and advance directly to Higher level
examinations. These students will have no secondary school results until
they sit for the Higher level exams. Students will have individual
school reports for secondary school years 1 through 6. No national
examination results will be available until the student completes the
Higher level examinations.

**Junior College Curriculum**

-   Two-year academic pre-university program structured similarly to the
    I.B. program

-   All students take the General Paper (writing and current events) a
    Mother Tongue Exam (Chinese, Malay or Tamil), and Project Work at
    Higher 1 (H1) level plus 3 H2 level content subjects and an
    additional contrasting content subject at H1 level

-   Top students may take additional H2 or H3 level subjects

-   In the year 2006, approximately 15,000 students entered the 15
    Junior Colleges

## **Polytechnic curriculum** 

-   Three-year diploma course

-   Emphasis on project work, real-world applications, practical
    training

-   Programs are geared to economic and industrial trends in Singapore

-   In the year 2006, approximately 20,000 students entered the five
    Polytechnics

**Information you may find useful as you talk to students in Singapore
...**

Approximately 4,200 Singaporean students are study in the U.S. Each
year. Fifty-eight percent are undergraduates, and 50% are concentrated
in just 20 universities.

**Special considerations**

-   Most Singaporeans consider themselves native speakers of English.
    The language of instruction of all schools, from kindergarten
    through the universities, is English.

-   All male Singaporean citizens must serve 2 years of National Service
    (NS). Normally this service is completed after junior college or
    after the polytechnic education. Boys who enroll in a university
    program before they turn 17-1/2 are allowed to defer their National
    Service until after they complete their degree. Some may ask if they
    can defer their admission by up to two years. We recommend a large
    course deposit should you offer a two year deferral.

-   Students take final exams in November and are then out of school.
    Many students will ask if they can enroll at your university in
    January. Final results are not available until February.

**Top issues for students from Singapore:**

## Cost \* Acceleration to degree \* Prestige / ranking / recognition 

**University admissions in Singapore**

-   Law, medicine, and dentistry are undergraduate programs in
    Singapore.

-   A basic bachelor's degree usually takes three years. Top students
    are invited for a fourth year to pursue an honors degree. No general
    education or core courses are required.

-   Admission is by academic results only and space is limited.

-   Students are admitted to a particular course of study, and it is not
    easy to change direction.

**Recent trends in education in Singapore:**

-   Government initiatives in biotechnology and life sciences

-   Some schools have implemented an Integrated Program where students
    bypass the GCE O level exams, and sit only for H level exams after 6
    years of secondary school.

-   Some secondary schools have introduced the I.B. program.

Please note that the Singapore academic year begins in January. Students
take national exams in November and are then out of school. Final
results of these national examinations are not available until February
of the following year. Students will apply using their predicted
results. The local university academic year begins in August.

A complete directory covering all levels of public education in
Singapore is available online at:

<http://www.moe.gov.sg/corporate/edu_info_booklet/edu_info_booklet.htm>

**For more information, contact USEIC:**

Karen Kaylor, Director

[director@useic.org](../../../../Local%20Settings/Temporary%20Internet%20Files/Content.IE5/ZY1CP3VZ/Singapore%20Education%20System%20REVISED.doc)

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