How to Apply to Physics at Nanyang Technological University: The Four-Year BSc in Physics / Applied Physics, with Physics and Mathematics Both Required at A-Level and IB, and Admission and Prerequisite Requirements for Singapore Citizens and PRs, International Applicants (Including Chinese Gaokao Students) and Transfer Students

At Nanyang Technological University (NTU), undergraduate physics is offered by the School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences (SPMS) in the College of Science. The degree is the Bachelor of Science in Physics / Applied Physics, run by the Division of Physics and Applied Physics. Here is what you need to know for 2027 entry, based on NTU’s official information, for Singapore citizens and permanent residents, international applicants (including Gaokao and international-curriculum students) and transfer students. Mathematics and engineering programmes are mentioned only where they overlap.

1. Physics degrees

• BSc (Hons) in Physics / BSc (Hons) in Applied Physics: full-time, four years. NTU says the Physics curriculum covers a broad range of topics from electromagnetism to quantum mechanics with a balance of theory, experiment and computation, while Applied Physics builds a physics foundation followed by frontier technology topics such as spintronics, nanotechnology, laser physics and advanced materials.
• Credit structure (for 2021 entry and later): 131 Academic Units (AU) in total: core courses 61 AU, prescribed electives for Physics or Applied Physics 13 AU (8 AU if the internship is chosen), the Interdisciplinary Collaborative Core 27 AU (17 AU Common Core plus 10 AU Foundational Core, 15 AU if the internship is chosen) and Broadening and Deepening Electives 30 AU. An A- or better in the Final Year Project (PH4421) is required to be eligible for Honours (Highest Distinction).
• Second majors (SPMS degree list): Physics / Applied Physics with Astrophysics, Data Analytics, Material Physics and Technologies, Sustainability or Quantum Technologies; Applied Physics with Entrepreneurship, Medical Physics or Microelectronics Engineering. The College of Science page flags Astrophysics and Material Physics and Technologies as new second majors.
• Double major in Physics and Mathematical Sciences: listed on the SPMS degree list and the College page; only named here, so see its own page for requirements.
• Accreditation and length: the pages do not mention external accreditation for physics (such as an Institute of Physics accreditation); it takes four years.

2. How admission works: you apply to the major directly

• Choose majors on the form: the application process page says you can select up to 5 programmes; the College of Science admissions page lists Physics / Applied Physics as a programme in its own right and does not describe a common college year followed by allocation.
• When Physics and Applied Physics separate: the degree page covers both together and refers to “prescribed electives for Physics or Applied Physics”; which one you choose at application, when the split happens and any quotas are not given on the pages used for this guide, so ask SPMS.
• Grade profiles: the indicative grade profile page gives the 10th and 90th percentile A-Level profiles (3 H2 and 1 H1) for Physics / Applied Physics as CCC/D to AAA/A (the page assumes a C in General Paper and Project Work), polytechnic GPAs of 3.42 to 3.89, and 65 places taken up in AY2025-26. The page does not state which year the data is from, so treat it as a guide. The page says an asterisk means extra assessments such as interviews, selection tests or portfolios; Physics / Applied Physics carries an asterisk in the polytechnic table and the places table but not in the A-Level table, so follow the school’s own notice.
• Selection test: polytechnic applicants (any diploma) must pass an admission test run by SPMS; whether other qualifications face a physics test or interview is not published, so ask the Office of Admissions.
• Changing programme after entry: the transfer page only says current NTU students can apply through the Student Intranet; the conditions are not published, so ask your school.

3. Prerequisites (minimum subject requirements)

The minimum subject requirements on the Physics / Applied Physics degree page:

• Singapore-Cambridge GCE A-Level: passes in both H2 Physics and H2 Mathematics.
• IB Diploma: passes in Physics and Mathematics at Higher Level.
• NUS High School Diploma: major CAP of 2.0 in both Physics and Mathematics.
• Polytechnic diploma: any diploma, subject to passing the SPMS admission test.
• Others (including international applicants): a good grade in Physics and Mathematics at senior high school level, equivalent to the Singapore-Cambridge A-Level or the IB. What counts as a “good grade” is not published.
• Beyond the subject requirements, you must meet the general admission requirements for your qualification.
• Mathematics placement test: not published. Course exemptions: the SPMS exemptions page says exemptions are limited to core and major prescribed elective courses, up to 12 AU, and only for first-year SPMS students; exempted courses show as “EX”, do not count towards GPA but do count towards graduation units; the school emails eligible students in July. The page lists first-year physics courses such as Mechanics, Optics, Vibrations and Waves, Electricity and Magnetism, and Relativity and Quantum Physics, with International Physics Olympiad medallists (including honourable mentions) eligible for exemption; the table has many merged rows, so check the page for the exact course mapping, and it also lists exemptions based on other prior results. The page does not state any A-Level, IB or AP credit conversion, so ask the school.

4. Timeline, application fee and documents (2027 entry)

• One intake a year, with the first term typically starting in late July.
• Application windows depend on the qualification (the international qualifications table on the general requirements page and the important dates page): Gaokao, IB, American High School Diploma or AP, HKDSE, UK A-Levels (CIE, Edexcel, OCR, AQA) and WJEC and others are 15 October 2026 to 19 March 2027; Canada, Australian state certificates, South Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia UEC, Myanmar, the Philippines and other international qualifications not listed separately are 15 October 2026 to 20 January 2027 (for the unlisted ones, documents are due within 3 days after the closing date).
• Application fee: SGD 15 for Singapore citizens and PRs and SGD 25 for international students, non-refundable, payable by PayNOW, VISA or MasterCard; the application is not processed without payment and documents by the deadlines.
• Process: choose the portal for your qualification; complete the online form in English in one session (have your passport number, transcripts and English test score sheet ready); select up to 5 programmes, optionally be considered for the Honours College signature programmes, and say whether you want a tuition grant or financial aid; after submission you receive an application number and log in with your own password to pay, upload documents from the checklist and complete the criminal records declaration.
• Essays and references: the application process page asks for extra materials only for Art, Design and Media (portfolio), Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine (personal statement and referee reports) and the Renaissance Engineering Programme; apart from Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, the pages used for the programmes in this guide do not describe a general supplementary essay. Scholarships need a short essay of up to 250 words and a teacher appraisal (see section 8).
• Standardised tests: the pages used for this guide do not state a general SAT or ACT requirement; English test requirements are in section 6, and AST and AP results are optional extras for Gaokao applicants (section 7).
• Outcomes: timing varies by qualification; for the Gaokao, interview invitations are notified by end June and outcomes by mid July; for the IB end April to end July; for American diplomas or AP and Canadian qualifications mid June to mid July; for UK A-Levels May to end June, and applicants sitting A-Levels in May/June 2027 are not considered in this exercise and should apply in the next.
• Actual results only: NTU says it makes no provisional offers on predicted or pending results; applicants awaiting results must submit actual results within 3 days of release or the application is not processed.

5. Singapore citizens and permanent residents

• A-Level: 3 H2 content-based subjects and General Paper (GP) taken in the same sitting, plus a pass in Project Work. For applicants who sat A-Levels from 2025, the University Admission Score (UAS) uses 3 H2 subjects plus GP, with H1 Mother Tongue or a fourth subject counted only if it improves the score. The application window runs from the day of A-Level results release to 19 March 2027.
• Polytechnic diploma: apply from 1 to 21 February 2027; NTU provides a diploma match generator to see which majors you can consider, and some programmes may call you for interviews or tests.
• NUS High School Diploma: apply from 1 December 2026 to 20 January 2027.
• Mother Tongue: citizens and PRs must meet the Ministry of Education policy; you can still apply if you do not, but you must meet it before graduation unless exempted.
• Tuition: AY2026/27 SGD 8,300 for citizens and SGD 11,600 for PRs (before GST, which MOE subsidises); see the table in section 8 for the programmes listed separately. Citizens receive the MOE Tuition Grant automatically and file a declaration after matriculation.

6. International applicants

• Qualifications: NTU says decisions are based mainly on high school academic performance, and it considers international applicants who have completed, or are sitting, their national high school exams in the year of application.
• International A-Levels: at least 4 subjects at A2 level in a single sitting; subjects from separate sittings are not accepted. Applicants with 3 subjects are considered case by case, except international applicants applying for subsidised fees, because places are limited.
• IB Diploma: you must give NTU direct access to your results via the IBO, by 19 March 2027 for the November 2026 or earlier sessions; May-session candidates can apply by 19 March and submit actual results within 3 days of release (except for Medicine and the Arts and Science education programmes).
• Canadian high school diplomas: British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, Nova Scotia and others need at least 90% in each of five Grade 12 subjects; Ontario OSSD needs at least 90% in each of six Grade 12 U or M courses; Quebec CEGEP needs a two-year pre-university DEC with a final average of at least 90%; Science, Engineering and Medicine programmes need Grade 12 Calculus and Vectors, Calculus, or Pre-Calculus (or an equivalent university-preparatory course).
• English: required for Gaokao, Taiwan GSAT, Korean CSAT, HKDSE, Vietnamese, Thai and Indonesian qualifications and for any qualification where English was not studied at both junior and senior high school or was offered only as a second language. Accepted scores (any one): IELTS Academic 6.5 overall, 6.5 writing, 6.5 speaking; TOEFL iBT 90 (or 4.5 on the new scale) overall, writing 25 (or 4.5), speaking 25 (or 4.5); PTE Academic 55 overall, speaking 55, writing 59; C1 Advanced 170 in each; SAT 1250 total and 600 Reading and Writing; ACT with Writing in a single sitting 30 composite, 30 English, 7 writing; AST English 220. IELTS, TOEFL, PTE, C1 and AST scores must be within two years before the deadline; SAT and ACT are valid for five years. NTU says these scores are generally for Science, Engineering and Computing programmes; highly competitive, non-science, double degree and double major programmes may require more.
• Documents: after you submit, upload documents from the checklist in the application portal; a credential-evaluation body and the item-by-item document list are not given on the pages used for this guide, so confirm them in the checklist or the admissions FAQs.
• Competition: NTU says admission is highly competitive for international applicants, with limited places, standards vary by year and programme, and meeting the minimum does not guarantee admission.

7. Applicants from China

• Gaokao is used: apply with your Gaokao result, which must be at least 80% of the maximum score, with a CSSD Verification Report from CHSI.
• Senior 3 students awaiting results: apply with Senior 1 and 2 transcripts and submit official Gaokao results within 3 days of release or the application is not processed further. Eligible applicants are invited to an interview in July, and the final decision is based on interview performance; admitted students submit the CSSD report when it becomes available. The website says these applicants cannot apply for Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine or the Renaissance Engineering Programme in that exercise.
• No Gaokao: those following the Gaokao curriculum who did not sit it for any reason, or who sit AP on their own, apply in this category with high school graduation results, assessed case by case.
• English: an English test score is required (scores in section 6).
• Optional: AST results in at least three subjects (English, Mathematics and one more; Economics as the third subject restricts consideration to non-engineering and non-science programmes); AP results in at least five tests with 4 or 5 in each. Both must be submitted together with Gaokao results or Senior 1 and 2 transcripts, not on their own.
• Prerequisites: the website says applicants are eligible for all programmes if they meet the minimum subject requirements for international qualifications, i.e. the “International and other qualifications” row in section 3.
• Competitions: medallists in international Olympiads in Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics, Informatics, Astronomy, Astronomy and Astrophysics, Artificial Intelligence and Nuclear Science are considered more favourably for programmes related to their field; other programmes are considered case by case, and an interview may be held.
• Application window: 15 October 2026 to 19 March 2027.
• Interviews: only shortlisted applicants are invited; the others are notified of the outcome later.
• Huikao records: the Gaokao page does not state requirements for them, so ask the Office of Admissions; the website also links to a Chinese-language version of the Gaokao requirements.

8. Fees, Tuition Grant and scholarships

• Tuition (AY2026/27): in the row for “All programmes (except those listed below)”, subsidised ASEAN international students pay SGD 18,050 and other international students SGD 21,400 (including 9% GST, which students bear); non-subsidised students (no tuition grant) pay SGD 40,600 for lab-based and SGD 36,350 for non-lab-based programmes (GST included). Accountancy, business programmes, Medicine and the Renaissance Engineering Programme are listed separately. NTU says full-time undergraduate fees are fixed for the whole candidature under a cohort-based system; the 2027-entry fee table is not yet published on the pages used for this guide, so check the website. The table does not say whether physics is lab-based or non-lab-based and has no separate physics surcharge.
• MOE Tuition Grant: covers the normal duration of the degree, usually three or four years. PRs and international students opt in on the application form, choose whether to accept it with the offer, and sign the Tuition Grant Agreement, which obliges you to work for a Singapore entity for three years after graduation; two sureties (any nationality, aged 21 or above and below 65) are needed. Without it, or if you miss the registration and signing deadlines, you pay non-subsidised fees.
• Scholarships: the application process page says scholarships are open only to applicants who opt for subsidised tuition fees; the scholarship window is the same as the admission window, and you apply after submitting your admission application. The Nanyang Global Scholarship is open to all nationalities and covers subsidised tuition (after the grant), an SGD 6,500 living allowance per year, up to SGD 2,000 per year for NTU hostel residents, a one-off SGD 2,000 computer allowance and up to SGD 8,000 for an overseas programme (new cohorts from AY2025), with no bond apart from the three-year Tuition Grant bond, and enrolment in the Honours College; you must keep a CGPA of 3.5 out of 5.0. The application needs an essay of up to 250 words and a teacher’s online appraisal. Whether you are considered automatically: the page describes a separate scholarship application.
• Physics-specific scholarships: the SPMS pages used here do not describe scholarships for physics students; the School has a separate undergraduate scholarships page on its website.

9. Length of study, internships and the final year project

• Length: four years. First-year SPMS students with a CGPA of at least 4.25 after semester 1 and at least 21 AU earned are invited by email to the Accelerated Bachelor Programme, which allows graduation in 3.5 years; participants must overload every semester and are dropped, without penalty, if their CGPA falls below 4.00 or they cannot finish on time.
• Final Year Project and internship: the degree page requires either the Final Year Project (PH4421) or the Professional Internship (PH4420). The physics internship page says Physics and Applied Physics majors can do a 20-week Professional Internship at an approved external company or organisation (industry, research centre or educational institute, in Singapore or overseas); for students who matriculated in AY2021/22 or later there is also a 10-week Professional Attachment (PH4416, 5 AU) during the Special Terms. Students admitted in AY2022/23 and later may (but need not) do both the Final Year Project and an internship and should plan ahead; for earlier cohorts the two cannot be combined.
• Labs and research: NTU says the curriculum mixes theory, experiment and computation; the laboratory course arrangements are not listed on the pages used for this guide, so see the course information page.
• Exchange: the physics website has a student exchange section whose places and conditions are not given on the pages used here; check the school’s website.

10. Transfer

• Students who have completed at least one term at another university, locally or overseas, apply through the standard process under their high school qualification category and, if accepted, are offered a first-year place.
• Current NTU students who want to change to another undergraduate programme apply through the Student Intranet; the conditions are not published on the pages used for this guide, so ask your school.
• If you used the Tuition Grant before, semesters already used are deducted from the semesters available (for example, 2 semesters used leaves 6 for a four-year programme).
• The deadline follows the application window for your high school qualification.
• The SPMS exemptions page says credits earned elsewhere must be submitted for transfer within the first semester at NTU, after which applications are not accepted; GPA or required calculus or physics sequences are not published.

Checklist

Singapore citizens and PRs:

• A-Level: passes in H2 Physics and H2 Mathematics, General Paper and Project Work; polytechnic diploma applicants apply 1 to 21 February 2027 and pass the SPMS admission test
• Choose up to 5 programmes; pay the SGD 15 fee; meet the Mother Tongue policy

International applicants:

• Check the subject requirements (Physics and Mathematics at H2 or HL for A-Level and IB; good senior high school Physics and Mathematics otherwise); Gaokao 15 October 2026 to 19 March 2027, Canadian diplomas by 20 January 2027
• Gaokao at least 80% of the maximum, CHSI verification report and an English test; Senior 3 students submit results within 3 days of release and attend a July interview
• Pay the SGD 25 fee; decide on the MOE Tuition Grant (three-year work obligation); apply for the Nanyang Global Scholarship in the same window

Transfer students:

• Use the standard process and start in Year 1; submit credit transfers to SPMS within the first semester

Sources: Nanyang Technological University, College of Science undergraduate admissions; SPMS undergraduate degree programmes; SPMS exemptions and accelerated graduation; BSc Physics / Applied Physics; Physics professional internship; Application process; Important dates; General admission requirements; PRC Gaokao requirements; Canada qualifications; Indicative grade profiles; Transfer; Tuition fees and grants; Nanyang Global Scholarship. Information is for 2027 entry (the fee table is for AY2026/27, and the degree page’s credit structure applies to students matriculating in 2021 or later). Check NTU for the latest details.