20 June 2017
Foundation programmes that allow post-secondary students to enrol in an overseas university within a year are gaining in popularity.
Singapore’s public universities typically require “A” Levels of equivalent, which take two years to complete.
A handful of local institutions, such as James Cook University and SIM Global Education, also offer similar pre-university foundation programmes, but only for students with O-level passes.
Agents here said they have been helping more students from Singapore to enrol in foundation programmes in recent years.
Most such programmes are just a year long, and there are even shorter programmes of between six and nine months. These programmes are usually offered by universities or private operators.
Students whose pre-university grades fail to make the cut for higher-ranked universities abroad are among those who join them as it gives them a second chance.
Top universities like Oxford or Cambridge usually do not accept students from foundation programmes.