Singapore is among the top destinations for international students for many reasons. The country is popular for its multicultural society, being home to people from all walks of life. It also offers a vibrant city life, with such impressive urban structures and highly recommended tourist spots.

Within the facade of its impressive infrastructure planning, the city-nation is also among the world’s developed countries in terms of economy and quality of life. As a student, being in a safe country surely matters, like how it is in Singapore. Finally, the country’s education is far from being subpar. While the country has only six universities, three of these are among the most prestigious in the world.

Below, we talk about a few of the best public health universities in Singapore.

Top Universities for Public Health in Singapore

1. National University of Singapore (NUS)

Established in 1905, the National University of Singapore is the most prestigious institution for higher education in the country. It is also among the top universities, not just in Asia, but globally. In fact, it took the 11th spot in the 2022 QS World University Rankings. As a comprehensive research university, NUS offers degree programs across various fields at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels. It has 17 faculties, with most housed on the main campus. Other colleges and schools are located on two campuses in Bukit Timah and Outram.

Recognized as one of the best public health schools in Singapore, NUS offers the Master of Public Health degree through the Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health. The program aims to teach knowledge and skills, equipping professionals to solve public health problems of the modern world. NUS ensures that students receive comprehensive teaching and research experience through the National University Hospital, NUS Business School, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, and faculties of Engineering, Arts, and Social Sciences.

Through the program, students explore and develop competencies in specific fields, such as Epidemiology, Health Policy and Systems, Social and Behavioral Systems, and Qualitative and Quantitative Methods. Besides these, students are also expected to graduate with cross-cutting competencies, such as communication, leadership, ethics, professionalism, and teamwork. The program is available for part-time and full-time studies. Full-time students must complete the program in one and half years, while part-time students have until two years to finish their degree.

2. Yale NUS College

Yale NUS College was founded in 2011 through the collaboration between the National University of Singapore and Yale University. The liberal arts college was the first in the country and among the first ones in Asia. Additionally, it was the first educational institution Yale has built outside its home turf in New Haven, Connecticut. The college offers undergraduate degrees across five major fields: Arts and Humanities, Mathematical, Computational and Statistical Sciences, Philosophy, Politics, and Economics, Psychology, and Environmental Studies. In these study areas, nearly 50% of students are international students.

The college also uniquely offers a concurrent degree program (CDP) in Public Health. This five-year program awards graduates with a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree from the Yale-NUS, and a Master of Public Health degree from Yale University. Students learn through community-based practice, research, and coursework. They can also choose to concentrate in Public Health fields, such as Biostatistics, Environmental Health Sciences, and Chronic Disease Epidemiology.

Moreover, students of this excellent public health school must take the first semester of their fourth-year studies at Yale School of Public Health. They also need to do this during their entire fifth year at the program. Besides that, students are also expected to take immersive education through related internships during the summer semester between the fourth and fifth years. As for coursework, students take classes at the Yale-NUS and the Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health at the National University of Singapore.

3. Management Development Institute of Singapore

The Management Development Institute of Singapore is one of the academic institutions in the country that offers a Public Health degree. The institute was established in 1956, making it the oldest non-profit vocational university in the country. It offers degree programs across study areas, such as engineering, business management, hospitality management, and fashion design. There are also preparatory courses here for students aspiring to complete basic education and proceed to college.

In collaboration with the Northumbria University in the United Kingdom, the institute offers the Master of Public Health degree program. It aims to teach students analysis and synthesis of public health theories, as well as policies and practices. This helps them provide knowledge with regards to public health key areas, such as protection, improvement, and services. The program requires full-time studies, taking 12 months to complete.

To join the program, prospective students must be at least 21 years old and have an undergraduate degree in a related field in health or health sciences. The program also accepts applicants of at least 30 years old as long as they have eight or more years of career experience in the public health or healthcare management field. For both cases, the institute requires applicants to have a 6.5 IELTS score. In lieu of that, applicants must present a letter from a previous college or university affirming that their highest qualification was taught in English.

4. Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT)

The Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT), also known as Singaporetech, was founded in 2009. It is an autonomous university that was the first to practice applied learning. The institute offers degree programs across its five clusters, namely, Chemical Engineering and Food Technology, Design and Specialized Businesses, Engineering, Infocomm Technology, and Health and Social Sciences.

SIT is recognized as one of the best public health universities in Singapore. Since there are limited Public Health degree programs in Singapore, international students can also take Health Sciences courses. The Singapore Institute of Technology offers a Master of Clinical Research in Health Sciences, a unique program that aims to involve students in health services research, particularly in design and methodologies. This program takes two to four years to complete. After this, students can proceed to Doctor of Clinical Research in Health Sciences which takes up to six years to complete.

5. Curtin Singapore

Curtin Singapore is a trademark of Curtin University, an Australian-based academic institution. Built-in 2008, Curtin Singapore caters to both local and international students, offering degree courses in Business, Humanities, and Health Sciences. As such, it offers a Public Health-related program, the Master of Science in Health Practice, Clinical Leadership Major.

The program aims to train future health professionals for leadership in the healthcare setting. In essence, such education is critical for professionals looking to explore health policy-making and healthcare services. Unlike with universities, this program is offered only as part-time studies and allows students to complete their degree in 28 months or six trimesters.

 

Hopefully, this guide on the best public health universities in Singapore was helpful. Make sure to also check out the Available Programs for International Students to learn more! 

About the Author: Hyun Lee

Hyun is the founder at Global Scholarships. He has received a full-tuition scholarship at Birmingham-Southern College as well as $1,000 Burger King Scholarship for his undergraduate degree and has been offered a fully funded scholarship consisting of tuition, living stipend, and health insurance for computer science Ph.D. program at North Carolina State University. Read more about his scholarship journey here.

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