How to Apply to Art and Design at the University of the Arts Singapore (UAS): LASALLE and NAFA Run Their Own Admissions and UAS Confers the Three-Year Degrees, with Requirements and Timelines for Gaokao, Canadian High School and Transfer Students

The University of the Arts Singapore (UAS) is Singapore’s first arts university, founded on an alliance of LASALLE College of the Arts and the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA). UAS welcomed its first undergraduate and postgraduate cohort in August 2024, with degrees offered by both colleges conferred by UAS. This guide covers how applying works at UAS level and how the two colleges divide the work; see our separate LASALLE and NAFA guides for programmes, portfolios and fees. It is for students at high schools in China, students at Canadian high schools (including BC and Vancouver students), and transfer students.

1. UAS and its two colleges

• UAS is a private university formed by the LASALLE–NAFA alliance and supported by Singapore’s Ministry of Education, with funding for eligible subsidised bachelor’s students.
• UAS validates, confers and awards the degrees; the two colleges remain separate legal entities with their own identities, and design and deliver the programmes.
• Where you study: all programmes run at the existing LASALLE and NAFA campuses; UAS’s central administration is at the National Design Centre, which hosts Common Curriculum modules, counselling and career support. UAS has no campus of its own.

2. How to apply

• No central UAS application: UAS says each college manages its own applications and admissions and sets its own criteria. Apply on the website of the college that offers your programme.
• How the work is split: UAS degree programmes are offered by LASALLE and NAFA, and fees, application fees, portfolios and interviews follow each college’s programme pages. UAS’s bachelor’s page filters programmes into “Degree programmes at LASALLE” and “Degree programmes at NAFA” (the list loads by script and was not read in full for this guide).
• Intake: one intake a year, in August. The FAQ says applications close once all seats are filled.
• Pages not yet updated: the UAS admissions page and FAQ still say applications are open for August 2026, and the bachelor’s page still carries a 2025 notice. Check the colleges for August 2027 dates.
• International students: the UAS international page covers student services; contact the college admissions offices about applying.

3. Programme length and Common Curriculum

• All bachelor’s programmes are three years full time; there are no part-time bachelor’s programmes.
• UAS Common Curriculum: the IN-depth module (interpretive, narrative and collaborative skills) and the Career Skills module, taken in joint LASALLE–NAFA classes, plus the Industry-Based Learning module, are non-credit-bearing graduation requirements for all UAS bachelor’s students.

4. Admission rules in the UAS FAQ

• Below the minimum academic requirement: you may appeal; each case is considered with your portfolio, references and relevant work experience.
• Below the minimum English requirement: you can still apply; a successful applicant gets a conditional offer and must submit proof by the admissions deadline.
• Direct entry to Year 2: applicants who meet the academic, portfolio/audition and interview requirements may be considered for direct entry into Year 2.
• Outcomes: usually emailed within four weeks of your portfolio interview, sometimes longer.
• You cannot reapply to the same programme in the same academic year.
• Singapore A-level results can be combined.

5. Students at high schools in China

• UAS does not publish Gaokao requirements; entry requirements follow the college you apply to, so see LASALLE’s or NAFA’s admissions pages.

6. Students at Canadian high schools

• UAS does not publish BC or other provincial requirements; see the entry requirements of the college you apply to, or ask its admissions office.

7. Transfer students

• The UAS FAQ only mentions the direct entry to Year 2 above; credit recognition and documents follow the college you apply to.

8. Fees, Tuition Grant and scholarships

• Fees: UAS says fees vary by college, programme, level and duration; see the colleges’ programme pages.
• Tuition Grant: check eligibility with the colleges. The FAQ says Singapore citizens and PRs who had a Tuition Grant for a polytechnic programme can take one up again for selected UAS bachelor’s programmes.
• UAS-wide awards: the NAC-UAS Arts Scholarship, SHEIN-UAS Bursary, Emma Yong Bursary and CHARLES & KEITH Creative Talent Scholarship. The two read for this guide are for Singapore citizens and PRs only:
  • NAC-UAS Arts Scholarship: for named programmes such as Art Histories and Curatorial Practices and International Contemporary Dance Practices; the page still refers to the August 2026 intake;
  • CHARLES & KEITH Creative Talent Scholarship: for final-year fine art degree students, SGD 10,000 for one academic year.
• Each college’s own scholarships, merit awards and bursaries are open to all UAS students, based on academic results and arts achievements; see the colleges’ scholarship pages.

Checklist

Students at high schools in China:

• Choose a LASALLE or NAFA programme first, then apply on that college’s website; there is no central UAS application
• Prepare that college’s portfolio and interview; expect an outcome about four weeks after the interview

Students at Canadian high schools (including BC and Vancouver):

• Apply to the college that offers your programme; ask its admissions office how BC grades are assessed
• If your English score is not yet high enough, you can still apply for a conditional offer

Transfer students:

• With relevant study and a portfolio, ask the college whether you can enter Year 2 directly

Sources: University of the Arts Singapore, About us; Admissions; FAQ; Bachelor’s programmes; International students; Scholarships and financial assistance; NAC-UAS Arts Scholarship; CHARLES & KEITH Creative Talent Scholarship. Some UAS pages still refer to the August 2026 intake; for August 2027 entry, check LASALLE and NAFA.