Singapore MBAs draw stronger interest amid global visa tightening and career shifts
HR firms say such degrees are most valuable for those in senior leadership roles, even as more mid-career professionals explore them to future-proof their careers
[SINGAPORE] Singapore’s business schools are seeing a rise in demand for their Master of Business Administration (MBA) programmes, with some reporting stronger or earlier-than-usual interest ahead of the 2026 intake, amid tighter visa regimes in Western countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom.
Human resources (HR) firms say they are also seeing more candidates express interest in pursuing an MBA; Robert Walters Singapore noted that recent retrenchments have pushed many professionals to rethink their long-term pathways.
Of the five institutions approached by The Business Times, three – the National University of Singapore (NUS), James Cook University Singapore (JCU) and Singapore Management University (SMU) – reported higher interest in their MBA programmes.
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