Admissions & COVID-19

FAQs: Admissions & COVID-19

With the continued, evolving COVID-19 situation, we understand your concerns on how this might potentially impact your application and the upcoming August 2020 MBA intake. Here is an update on how The NUS MBA is responding to the situation.

Updates as of 24 April 2020

As the COVID-19 situation continues to escalate in many parts of the world, entry restrictions and border closures are showing little sign of easing soon. The face-to-face faculty and student interactions are one of the most valuable aspects of the programme, of which we strive to maintain. In view of these developments, the School has had to make a difficult, but pragmatic decision, to delay the start of The NUS MBA programme.

In order to allow you sufficient time to plan with more certainty, and adjust your plans in the coming months, we have decided to move the start date of The NUS MBA to January 2021 for both full-time and part-time formats.
We will continue to accept applications for both the full-time and part-time programmes until 15 July 2020. Your completed application and test scores will have to be submitted by then. Applications will continue to be reviewed on a rolling basis.


For candidates admitted to the Aug 2020 intake

You could either:

a) Obtain a deferment by one year, for a place on intake 2021 scheduled to start in August 2021. There will be no refund of acceptance fees if payment has been made. If you have not paid your acceptance fees, you will be required to do so by the stipulated deadline in your offer letter, or

b) Withdraw your admissions into the programme: You will be refunded your acceptance fees if payment has been made. If you wish to be considered for admissions into the August 2021 intake at a later date, you will need to resubmit your application.
*Please note that prevailing fees for 2021 intake will apply.

Please inform us by 15 May 2020 on your decision to commence the programme in January 2021 by sending an email to the admissions team: nusmba@nus.edu.sg
We see no reason for further change to the start date should travel restrictions get lifted, and visa applications can resume by October. We will of course need to revisit plans should the global COVID-19 situation and travel restrictions continue into 2021 and beyond.
The face-to-face faculty and student interactions are one of the most valuable aspects of the programme, of which we strive to maintain. The NUS MBA is known for delivering transformative impact through experiential learning. This would be difficult to replicate in an online environment. This is the key reason for postponing the start of the programme. We will try as much as possible to deliver the programme in a face-to-face format.
We will continue with the planned Jan 2021 intake regardless of class size. Based on the feedback we have received so far, most candidates welcome this move, and we do not expect the class size to be drastically affected. At the moment, it is not likely for both intakes to be combined.
Throughout the programme, career development workshops and industry engagement activities will run regularly, with no compromise, on the new schedule.

We are also offering Jan 2021 students more flexibility in pursuing internship opportunities:
a) Undertake full-time internship during winter vacation (14 Nov 2021 – 9 Jan 2022)
b) Pursue it during the semester on a part-time basis (Aug-Nov 2021 or Jan-Apr 2022)
c) Opt for full-time credit-bearing internship in (Aug-Nov 2021 or Jan-Apr 2022)
d) Extend programme duration by 3 months to participate in summer internship in Year 2 (17 Apr-30 Jul 2022)
Students will still be able to participate in exchange programmes as follows:

– Regular semester-long exchange in Fall (Aug-Dec 2021) or Spring (Jan – Apr 2022)
– Short exchanges in winter (Dec 2021 – Jan 2022)
A student briefing on exchange programmes will be conducted in end January/early February.
You will still be able to apply for the NUS Yale MAM programme with the Jan 2021 start. If the Yale MAM application deadlines remain unchanged, however, you would miss the first round application deadline, but would still be able to apply for the second or third round of application.
Discussions are still in progress with our partner schools on the scheduling of the double degree programmes. We will share an update as soon as it’s available.
Each intakes will be taking different classes with different faculty, so we do not expect faculty resources for each intake to be strained.
FT (AY2020/2021)
Regular semester : Minimum 12 credits, Maximum 20 credits (core modules will be pre-registered by MBA Programme Office)
Special Terms: Minimum 4 credits, Maximum 16 credits (core modules will be pre-registered by MBA Programme Office)
Students who wish to overload to max credits would require approval from Academic Director

PT (AY2020/2021)
Regular semester : Minimum 4 credits, Maximum 12 credits
Special Terms: Minimum 4 credits, Maximum 12 credits
Students who wish to overload to max credits would require approval from Academic Director.
Traditionally, recruitment for MBAs takes place throughout the year. The COVID-19 recovery efforts may positively impact on career opportunities as recruiters prioritise candidates with sound business knowledge, the resilience and leadership skills to navigate businesses through this period of change.

On-campus recruitment usually takes place over Aug-Oct, and the NUS Business School career fair will take place in February or October, so students will be able to participate in both events.
We don’t have visibility into the Circuit Breaker conditions in Singapore over the next few months, and when face-to-face classes and interactions could resume. There is still a possibility that August classes would have to take place online, which is not ideal.

Based on feedback from existing part-time MBA students, the preference is for both full-time and part-time programmes to start at the same time. This would enable both groups of students to maximise opportunities to learn and interact with one another through shared classes and group work.
Part time MBA applicants with 7 or more years of work experience have the alternative of taking the Executive Assessment (EA) in place of the GMAT or GRE. Waivers are granted on an exceptional basis, typically to applicants with 10 years or more of work experience, strong academic track record and excellent interview scores.
Visa application for Jan starts would have to begin in first week of Nov 2020. You will be contacted closer to that time with more details.
Candidates are required to confirm their enrolment into the programme before they can apply for campus housing. Campus housing options are popular and therefore such options may become more limited the later the candidates apply.

Nonetheless, there are ample housing options available outside of campus that are affordable and are within a short travel distance. We will provide a further update when housing applications open.
Discussions are still ongoing with campus housing authorities, we will provide an update as soon as it’s available. In the worst case scenario whereby on-campus housing becomes constrained as a result of this, do not worry, as there are ample housing options available outside of campus that are affordable and are within a short travel distance.
Yes, we will provide an updated welcome pack by 1 October 2020.


For prospective candidates/applicants

No. The extended application deadline of 15 July only applies to The NUS MBA full-time and part-time programmes. The application deadlines for the double degree programmes remain the same as follows:

NUS-PKU MBA: 30 March 2020
NUS-HEC MBA: 30 April 2020
S3 Asia MBA: 30 April 2020
Yes, scholarships are still available, but they are limited at this stage of the admissions process.
No. Applications for the Aug 2021 intake will open in Aug/Sep this year.
We have extended the application deadline further to 15 July 2020 for both full-time and part-time formats. Your completed application and test scores will have to be submitted by then. Applications will continue to be reviewed on a rolling basis.
We understand the difficulty in obtaining these documents. Candidates may furnish them as soon as it is possible to do so.
No. The online, proctored tests that GMAC and ETS have developed mirrors the standards of the in-person taken tests.


NUS MBA is a journey of self discovery, culture immersion and leadership improvement. The most valuable asset I learnt is “leading from who you are”.
YANG XIAO LU
China, Class of 2017
2015 Intake, Full time