How to Apply to Life Sciences and Medicine at Nanyang Technological University: The Four-Year BSc in Biological Sciences, Chinese Medicine, the Biomedical Sciences and BioBusiness Double Major, the Five-Year MBBS and the Duke-NUS Pathway, with Admission and Prerequisite Requirements for Singapore Citizens and PRs, International Applicants (Including Chinese Gaokao Students) and Transfer Students

At Nanyang Technological University (NTU), life sciences undergraduate programmes are mainly offered by the School of Biological Sciences (SBS) in the College of Science, and the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine (LKCMedicine) runs the MBBS. 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. Bioengineering, Chemistry and Biological Chemistry are mentioned only where they overlap; the admissions pages used here do not list undergraduate pharmacy or nursing programmes.

1. Life sciences and medicine degrees

• BSc (Hons) in Biological Sciences: a four-year direct honours degree. NTU describes it as broad-based training in biological sciences that can include technology and business elements, and the programme page highlights exchange with over 150 partner universities, a compulsory internship, an optional final year project and an optional minor in any discipline. Graduation needs at least 132 Academic Units (AU) for AY2025 and AY2026 entry (131 AU for AY2018 to AY2024). Invited high performers can join the Accelerated Bachelor Programme and finish in 3.5 years, strictly by invitation.
• Biological Sciences with a second major: the degree list shows Biomedical Structural Biology, Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacology, Future Foods, Data Analytics, Sustainability and Entrepreneurship; the Food Science and Technology second major has been discontinued (last offered in 2023). The College of Science page footnotes that the Entrepreneurship second major is not offered upon admission but to Year 2 students, and the Laboratory Medicine specialisation (a work-study degree) to Year 3 students. Whether the other second majors can be chosen at entry is not stated on the pages used here, so ask the school.
• Double majors: Biological Sciences and Psychology; and the Double Major in Biomedical Sciences and BioBusiness (four years, at least 140 AU for AY2025 entry onwards; students must keep a CGPA of at least 3.5 throughout or move to the single BSc in Biological Sciences). The College of Science page also names cross-school combinations such as Psychology with a second major in Biological Sciences and Materials Engineering with a second major in Medical Biology, which are only named here.
• Bachelor of Chinese Medicine (Hons): four years, taught in English and Mandarin, covering biomedical sciences such as anatomy, physiology and pathology alongside Chinese medicine diagnostics, medications and acupuncture, with extensive clinical training and overseas internships at Chinese medicine universities; NTU says graduates are expected to work as physicians in TCM clinics and hospitals in Singapore, as clinical scientists, or in research.
• MBBS (Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine): five years: Years 1 and 2 integrated science in a medical context, Year 3 core clinical medicine, Year 4 medicine for all stages of life and diverse settings, Year 5 preparing for practice. The admissions pages used here do not give a separate policy for international applicants; see sections 2 and 6.
• Other related degrees: BSc in Chemistry and Biological Chemistry (School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology) and Bioengineering (College of Engineering), not covered here.
• Accreditation and length: the pages do not mention external accreditation for the Biological Sciences degree; for Chinese Medicine they say the programme aims to produce Singapore-trained Chinese medicine professionals, and registration requirements are not given on the pages used here, so ask the school.

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

• Choose programmes on the form: the application process page says you can select up to 5 programmes; the College of Science page lists Biological Sciences, Chinese Medicine and the Biomedical Sciences and BioBusiness double major as programmes in their own right and does not describe a common college year followed by allocation.
• Grade profiles: the indicative grade profile page gives the 10th and 90th percentile A-Level profiles (3 H2 and 1 H1) as AAB/C to AAA/A for Biological Sciences (the page assumes a C in General Paper and Project Work), with polytechnic GPAs of 3.64 to 3.97 and 217 places taken up in AY2025-26; Chinese Medicine ABC/B to AAA/A, GPA not shown because the sample is small, 39 places; the College of Science double major programmes together AAB/B to AAA/A, GPAs 3.82 to 3.99, 152 places; Medicine AAA/A, 189 places. The page does not state which year the data is from, so treat it as a guide; it says an asterisk means extra assessments such as interviews, selection tests or portfolios, and Biological Sciences, Chinese Medicine, the double majors and Medicine all carry one.
• MBBS: the important dates page says applying to LKCMedicine needs a personal statement and two online referee reports in addition to the application; for A-Level applicants the personal statement is due 19 March 2027 and the referee reports 24 March, and for the IB 19 March and 22 March. The MBBS selection criteria for international applicants (interviews, aptitude tests) are not given on the pages used here, so check the LKCMedicine website. Gaokao applicants awaiting results cannot apply to LKCMedicine in that exercise.
• 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)

• Biological Sciences and the Biomedical Sciences and BioBusiness double major: the programme pages say “at least an H1/SL or equivalent pass in Mathematics and a good H2/HL/A-Level or equivalent pass in Physics, Chemistry or Biology”.
• Bachelor of Chinese Medicine: the same mathematics and science requirement, plus at least an O-Level/SL or equivalent pass in Chinese Language; the page also links a document on special medical conditions to read before applying.
• International applicants: the programme pages only say “equivalent” and do not list subjects and grades by country; the SBS entry requirements page only points to NTU’s general requirements and does not list subjects and grades by country. Check NTU’s minimum subject requirements for your qualification.
• Beyond the subject requirements, you must meet the general admission requirements for your qualification; the Canada page says Science and Medicine programmes need Grade 12 Calculus and Vectors, Calculus, or Pre-Calculus (or an equivalent university-preparatory course).
• Mathematics placement test: not published. Course exemptions: applicants who accept a Biological Sciences place are assessed automatically, eligible students are told before the first semester, and up to three Year 1 courses can be exempted; you may decline an exemption without penalty. The page lists: A-Level H3 Chemistry (Distinction or Merit) for Foundations of Chemistry I and II, H3 Biology (Distinction or Merit) for Molecular and Cell Biology I, other H3 subjects case by case; NUS High School Chemistry with an overall CAP above 4.50 through an exemption test for the two chemistry courses; IB students with a subject grade of 7 may take the exemption test, and exemption is granted only to those who pass; International Chemistry Olympiad medallists through the test; polytechnic diplomas case by case for up to 3 Year 1 core modules. Exempted courses show as “EX”, do not count towards CGPA but count towards graduation units; the chemistry exemptions do not apply to the second majors in Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacology or Biomedical Structural Biology. The page does not state any AP credit rule.

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. Medicine (LKCMedicine) is listed separately: for subsidised students SGD 36,100 for citizens and SGD 51,850 for PRs (before GST), SGD 80,850 for ASEAN international students and SGD 91,250 for other international students (GST included at 9%), with no non-subsidised option. The table does not say which of Biological Sciences, Chinese Medicine and the other programmes are lab-based.
• 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.
• School of Biological Sciences scholarships: the SBS pages used here do not describe scholarships specific to the School; check the school and university scholarship pages.

9. Length of study, internships and the medicine pathway

• Length: four years for Biological Sciences, Chinese Medicine and the double majors; five years for the MBBS.
• Internships and overseas learning: the Biological Sciences page lists a compulsory internship but the duration and type of host are not given on the pages used here, so see the school’s internship page; it also describes exchange with over 150 partner universities. The Biomedical Sciences and BioBusiness double major includes one semester in Europe at Copenhagen Business School (Year 4 Semester 1) and NTUpreneur’s Overseas Entrepreneurship Programme of up to six months in start-up hubs such as San Francisco, Boston and Berlin; the Laboratory Medicine specialisation is a work-study degree run with Singapore healthcare clusters. Chinese Medicine offers overseas internships at Chinese medicine universities.
• NTU-Duke-NUS Medicine Pathway: NTU says graduates of selected SBS BSc programmes or the Bachelor of Chinese Medicine may apply directly to Duke-NUS Medical School’s Doctor of Medicine (MD), if they meet its final admission criteria. Eligible programmes are the double majors, the Bachelor of Chinese Medicine, Biological Sciences with a second major (except Entrepreneurship) and CN Yang Scholars. Applicants need strong results in a qualification such as the A-Level, IB, NUS High School Diploma, polytechnic diploma or (for international applicants) the SAT or ACT, leadership and community service records, and completed National Service if applicable; cycle 2 also needs strong Year 1 results. Applicants first accept an SBS offer; applications open on 1 June each year, by invitation only, with recommendation letters and a personal statement, followed by interviews, with outcomes in mid-August. NTU says the pathway does not guarantee entry to the MD: students must reach a CAP/GPA and an MCAT score comparable to the incoming MD class (MCAT scores by September of the year before entry), show clinical and service experience, and attend the interview.

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.
• How credits from other institutions are transferred after admission, and any GPA or required chemistry or biology requirements, are not published; ask the school.

Checklist

Singapore citizens and PRs:

• A-Level: at least H1 Mathematics plus a good H2 Physics, Chemistry or Biology (Chinese Medicine also needs Chinese Language); General Paper and Project Work pass; polytechnic diploma applicants apply 1 to 21 February 2027
• Choose up to 5 programmes; pay the SGD 15 fee; meet the Mother Tongue policy; for medicine add a personal statement and two referee reports

International applicants:

• Check the subject requirements (Mathematics plus a science; Chinese Medicine also Chinese); 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; confirm credit transfer with the school after admission

Sources: Nanyang Technological University, College of Science undergraduate admissions; Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine admissions; SBS undergraduate page; SBS degree programmes; BSc Biological Sciences; BSc Biomedical Sciences and BioBusiness; Bachelor of Chinese Medicine; SBS course exemptions; NTU-Duke-NUS Medicine Pathway; 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 credit structures apply to the matriculation years stated on each page). Check NTU for the latest details.