Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA; ; ; ) is a publicly-funded post-secondary arts institution in Singapore, and a constituent college of the University of the Arts Singapore (UAS) from 2024.
NAFA offers courses at high-school / singapore's polytechnic equivalent Diploma, and also Bachelor's Degree and Master's Degree levels. NAFA's diploma programmes provides comprehensive arts and design education appropriate of Singapore's polytechnic-level for students who had successfully completed their secondary school education, which is 10 years of studies in Singapore. As an industry-oriented alternative to a broader-based junior college education in Singapore, NAFA's diploma graduates in Singapore are sought after for work or many continue to complete university degrees. NAFA's Diploma Programme in Singapore admits the majority of their students after secondary school, normally at the age of 16–17, which is after ten years of formal education, similar to the other polytechnics in Singapore. Diplomas in a specialised area of study, for example 3D Design, are awarded after completing 3-years of full-time studies and industry internship.
Demand for its programmes has remained strong, and the school projects a student population of 3,300 by 2024. NAFA offers full-time diploma and degree programmes across three faculties: Faculty of Art and Design comprising the School of Fine Art, School of 3D Design, School of Design and Media, as well as the School of Fashion Studies; Faculty of Performing Arts comprising School of Dance, School of Music, and School of Theatre; Faculty of Interdisciplinary Practices comprising School of Arts Management and School of Interdisciplinary Arts.
The institution also offers a full range of government tuition fees subsidised, 2 to 3-years undergraduate degree programmes for NAFA's diploma graduates in partnership with the prestigious University of the Arts London in England, United Kingdom. Students with GCE A-Level certificates as well as those without a relevant Singapore's polytechnic diplomas will be allowed to enrol in NAFA-UAL's degree programmes for the first time. Diploma courses are aligned with the degree courses offered in partnership with top universities in the world, including Royal College of Music, London (named as the world’s leading institution for performing arts in QS World University Rankings 2022).
NAFA has nurtured 13 recipients of the Cultural Medallion—Singapore's highest accolade bestowed on art practitioners who have significantly impacted arts and culture. Another 15 alumni have been presented the Young Artist Award.
History
NAFA was founded in a two-storey Geylang shophouse in 1938 by Lim Hak Tai, with its first batch made up of 14 students.
In March 2021, Minister for Education Lawrence Wong announced that Singapore's first arts university will be established in an alliance between the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts and LASALLE College of the Arts. The formation of the University of the Arts Singapore (UAS) will see both colleges under the umbrella university be given degree-awarding powers independent of their current foreign partners, where the current long-distance degrees are issued through foreign universities. Singaporeans and permanent residents enrolled in the approved degree programmes at the university of the arts will pay subsidised fees, comparable to the autonomous universities in Singapore.
Academics
Apart from the regular academic requirements, entry into the diploma programme also requires students to fulfil their artistic and design potential aspect through portfolio submission, admission test or audition. The intakes especially for the furniture design major from the 3D design course are deliberately kept small so that each student gets focused attention. Selection is competitive and is subject to the availability of places too.
Diploma students can advance into any Singaporean universities strictly depending on the diploma major the student graduated with, for example the National University of Singapore (NUS) or the Singapore Management University. In 2020 with the opening of the new bachelor of landscape architecture course through the National University of Singapore, prospective students that graduated from NAFA's diploma in design (landscape and architecture) programme will be eligible for up to 28 advanced placement credits without any placement tests, into the bachelor of landscape architecture course.