Graduate Studies – FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Admission Requirements

For more details, please refer to the admission requirements page, which includes information on general admission criteria, language requirements, and Akademische Prüfstelle (APS) certificate requirements.

TOEFL and IELTS results must be no more than 2 years old at the time of your application. If your results exceed this 2-year period, you will need to retake the test.

You are eligible to apply to our Master programmes as long as you are in your final year of Bachelor studies, and have obtained at least 6 semesters’ worth of grades and credits (for a 4-year/ 8-semester Bachelor’s degree programme) or at least 4 semesters’ worth of grades and credits (for a 3-year/ 6-semester Bachelor’s degree programme).

However, you must complete your Bachelor’s degree programme with no pending examination results on or before 30 June of the year that you are joining us, in order to be in time for enrolment. If you cannot graduate or obtain all your examination results before that, you may have to defer your studies.

The credit system is usually a system adopted by each university to calculate the number of teaching hours per module. Usually, each module is given a certain number of credits and each student needs to fulfil a minimum number of credits before they are allowed to graduate. The Grade Point Average (GPA) is a calculation based on the grades that you have obtained for each module.

Application

For more details, please refer to the Graduate Studies Application, which includes information on how to apply, step-by-step application guide, and required documents.

We are now using a new portal. As such, if you have created an account with us before AY18/19, please create a new account.

Yes, it is.

By submitting an online application, your information is transferred to us and you will be assigned an application number. We will use this application number and the details provided to communicate with you throughout the application process.

Before you submit the hardcopy documents of your Bachelor’s degree certificate and Bachelor degree academic transcripts to our office, they must be correctly notarised. If they are not notarised, they will not be accepted, and your application is not complete and will not be processed.

You may obtain the notarisation (a round seal) from the awarding university, a public notary, or an embassy (German embassy preferred). The round seal must be originally stamped on the document. Photocopied or printed seals are not acceptable. Documents that do not bear a seal on the document itself, but are submitted in a sealed envelope, are also not acceptable.

You must ensure that your documents are correctly notarised before submitting them to us.

PayPal (Credit/Debit Card)

Once your application is submitted, a payment option will appear to cover the processing fee. The service is hosted by PayPal, but a PayPal account is not required. You can make a payment using your credit or debit card, just like a regular online payment. If you prefer not to create a PayPal account, simply select ‘Checkout as Guest’.

Yes, you will need to. The processing fee applies to each application. Therefore, if you apply for multiple programmes, you will be required to pay the processing fee for each programme separately. For example, if you apply for two programmes, you will need to pay the processing fee twice, and so on for additional applications.

Yes, we recommend that you tailor documents such as your motivation letter, reference letter, and CV to the specific programme you are applying for.

However, you can submit a single set of notarised Bachelor’s degree certificate and academic transcripts. When submitting your documents, please inform us that you have applied for multiple programmes and that these documents should be shared across all your applications.

If you are unable to pay via PayPal, you may ask a friend overseas to assist with the payment.

Please note that without payment of the processing fee, your application will be considered incomplete and will not be processed.

If you make the payment via PayPal, you will receive an automatic receipt from PayPal to your email once the payment is completed. Additionally, TUM Asia will send you a receipt once we have processed your payment.

The timeline for releasing the results of your application depends on various factors, such as the completeness and quality of your application, as well as when it was submitted. Processing times may vary for different applications, but we will inform you of the outcome as soon as our professors have made a decision. We kindly ask for your patience during this period.

Once we have received your complete set of softcopy documents, we typically communicate the result of your application within 4 to 8 weeks after the screening process is completed. In some cases, it may take longer than 8 weeks, but rest assured, we will keep you informed. We appreciate your understanding.

Acceptance of the Offer of Admission

Please carefully review the terms and conditions of the Offer of Admission and its related documents to ensure you are fully informed before acknowledging your acceptance. Once you have read through the documents, you may accept the offer on the portal.

Please note that your seat in the programme will only be reserved once we have received the registration fee payment by the specified deadline.

If you are unable to meet any of the deadlines, please contact us at admission@tum-asia.edu.sg with your reasons, and we will do our best to assist you.

Yes, it is. The registration fee is a part of the entire tuition fees.

The underpaid amount is likely a result of bank charges, particularly if you made the payment via telegraphic transfer. When initiating the transfer, your bank (or both the sending and receiving banks) may impose administrative fees. As a result, the full amount may not reach us, even if you paid the correct sum.

We recommend checking with your bank to confirm the administrative fees, and adjusting the payment amount accordingly. Please note that you are responsible for covering all bank charges.

Yes, please enter the details of the transaction and upload the proof of payment to the portal. This information will help us in identifying your payment correctly. After we have received your payment, you will be issued a receipt.

Please note the withdrawal and refund policy below.

Date of Receipt of Applicant's Online Submission of Withdrawal from Programme Refundable Percentage of Tuition Fees Paid
Within Initial Period^
75%
More than 60 calendar days before Programme Commencement Date*
50%
Between 60 to 31 calendar days before Programme Commencement Date (both days inclusive)
25%
Between 30 – 1 calendar day(s) before Programme Commencement Date (both days inclusive)
0%
On or after Programme Commencement Date
0%

The registration fee is non-refundable.

^”Initial Period” shall mean the period of seven (7) calendar days from the date of signing the Student Agreement and accepting the offer in the application portal; For example, if STUDENT signs the contract and accepts the offer on 1 Mar 2023, the Initial Period ends on 7 Mar 2023, 2359 hours SGT. Any withdrawal from the Programme during the Initial Period will allow the STUDENT to receive a refund of 75% of the Tuition Fees paid. In any event the STUDENT decides to withdraw from the Programme during the Initial Period, TUM ASIA shall, as soon as practicable after the STUDENT’S notice of withdrawal to terminate the Agreement, refund to the STUDENT 75% of the Tuition Fees, less any applicable bank and administrative charges. The Initial Period shall take precedence over all other refund provisions of this Clause 4.2. For example: If the Student Agreement is signed 30 days before the Programme Commencement Date and subsequently withdrawn within the Initial Period, TUM Asia will refund 75% of the Tuition Fees instead of the generally applicable 0%.

Please note that verbal and email withdrawals will not be accepted. Offered candidates must withdraw online via the admissions portal.

*The “Programme Commencement Date” is deemed as 1 August of each calendar year, regardless of Start Date of the course. Please refer to Schedule A of the offer letter for the total tuition fees. TUM Asia reserves the right to update the refund policy without prior notice.

Yes, you may. Please indicate your intention to defer your studies via the portal.

Arrival Preparation in Singapore

SOLAR stands for Student’s Pass Online Application & Registration. You will need to obtain the SOLAR login details from TUM Asia in order to submit an application for the student pass. This is applicable to international students only. TUM Asia will provide the SOLAR login details to you by email in June or July.

ICA typically takes about two weeks to process a student pass application. However, processing times may vary for certain applications, which is beyond our control. You are advised to check the portal regularly to track the status of your application.

Starting from 27 February 2023, ICA will no longer issue physical Long-Term Pass (LTP) cards. Instead, only digital LTPs will be issued. This applies to Long-Term Visit Passes, Student Passes, and Dependant Passes issued by ICA and the Ministry of Social and Family Development. For more information, please refer to this link.

Also, please refer to Question 3 regarding the In-Principle Approval (IPA) letter.

Once your student pass application has been approved by the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) of Singapore, please inform us at admission@tum-asia.edu.sg. You can then download your In-Principle Approval (IPA) letter, which you will need to enter Singapore with a valid passport. The IPA letter serves as evidence of your visa approval, and you should not need to apply for a separate entry visa. However, we recommend confirming with the nearest Singapore Embassy to ensure that no additional steps are required.

Living in Singapore

TUM Asia does not provide on-campus accommodation, so students will need to arrange their own housing. Many of our students initially opt to stay in student hostels when they first arrive in Singapore. Once they settle in and make new friends at the university, they often choose to rent and share private apartments with classmates. For more information on living and exploring Singapore, visit our dedicated page on Discovering Singapore[link].

TUM Asia does not provide or allocate accommodation for students. Whether you are studying in Singapore or in Germany, you will need to arrange your own housing based on your budget and personal preferences. This independent process allows you to choose a living environment that best meets your needs.

To assist you, the Office of Admissions will share a list of recommended housing agents and hostels during the pre-matriculation process for those enrolled in our Master’s programmes. Please note, however, that TUM Asia is not responsible for any transactions made between students and housing providers.

In accordance with the Ministry of Manpower’s regulations, international students enrolled at any listed Institute of Higher Learning, including TUM Asia, and holding a valid student pass are permitted to work up to 16 hours per week.

However, we strongly advise students not to rely on part-time work as a primary financial source to support their studies. Our Bachelor’s and Master’s programmes are rigorous and intensive, requiring a high level of focus and commitment. We encourage students to prioritise their academic responsibilities to ensure their success.

On average, international students in Singapore can expect to spend between S$1,500 and S$3,300 per month on living expenses. This range may fluctuate based on individual lifestyle choices and the specific demands of your course of study. You can use the EDB’s cost of living calculator to estimate your approximate expenses.

Studying With Us

The programmes at TUM Asia are taught entirely in English, and knowledge of the German language is not required for enrolled students.
Students are required to sign in for class attendance. We strongly discourage intentionally skipping classes, as it can negatively impact your learning and academic progress.

For joint Master’s programmes:
Classes will be held at the SIT@SP building, NTU, or NUS, with laboratory sessions conducted at NTU and/or NUS.

For pure TUM Master’s programmes:
Classes will be held at the SIT@SP building.

For the Master’s programmes, all students are required to complete both an internship and a Master’s Thesis/Dissertation in their final semester. Students have the flexibility to undertake their internship and thesis at a university, research institute, or company, with opportunities available worldwide, including at the TUM main campus in Germany.

No, TUM Asia does not guarantee placement in any company or institution for internships. It is the responsibility of students to actively search for suitable internship opportunities. While TUM Asia provides support and guidance, such as assistance during the search and advice during internship briefings, students are ultimately expected to take the lead in finding internships that align with their interests and career goals.

Students who hold Industrial Scholarships typically complete their internships with their sponsor company, though the details are negotiated directly between the student and the company.