Programme Overview

The Overseas Entrepreneurship Programme (OEP) provides a unique opportunity for NTU undergraduates to gain entrepreneurial experience outside the classroom. Students are offered internship roles in technology-based start-ups in global innovation hotspots, and work closely with founders to contribute to the business. Through OEP, students will gain a global perspective of business and markets, build valuable business contacts, and develop the skills to build and run a start-up. NTU is an appointed partner of the Innovators Academy under Ministry of Education's Global Innovation Alliance initiative of which OEP is a part of.

Eligible students are funded up to S$10,000.

*Terms and conditions apply. Subject to changes

*Applications will be processed on a first-come first-served basis, so please apply early for a faster response.

Student Participation

The overseas exposure in OEP presents opportunities to create new business ideas through observation and interaction with the local business community. Students will be provided mentorship in helping them create a business idea while on internship overseas. Students are required to submit and present a business proposal upon their return.

Students are strongly encouraged to attend local entrepreneurship events like hackathons, innovation competition, and fireside chats with local entrepreneurs. This would help them integrate into the startup ecosystem and hone their entrepreneurial skills while learning from the best in the business, Students will be grouped to organise an entrepreneurial event every 6 months in the host country as part of their OEP internship.

Students who are keen to find out more can download our brochures - English | Chinese.

Participating Countries

China (Shanghai and Shenzhen), Germany, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam and United States.

For companies interested to partner with OEP, please refer to our brochures - English | Chinese.

Internship Roles Available

For a list of indicative roles available, please click here. 

Please note that the roles you see in the link are indicative and subject to change at any time. They can only be assessed by NTU accounts.

Brochures

To find out more, please download our brochures - English | Chinese
Learn more about the OEP course outline and assessment criteria here: 6-month OEP | 12-month OEP

For companies interested to partner with OEP, please refer to the OEP Corporate brochures - English | Chinese

Academic Credits

Entry Requirements

• Current NTU full-time undergraduate students who have completed at least 2 semesters in NTU and at least one remaining semester of study upon return without exceeding their maximum candidature (depending on course curriculum). Students are encouraged to apply for OEP during their penultimate or final year.
• Passion for entrepreneurship and willingness to take on the challenge of working overseas in a changing start-up environment.
• Possess the maturity to thrive in a foreign and highly competitive environment as you will be dealing with founders and important stakeholders.

• Students are allowed to clear their internship credits using OEP, though subject to OEP’s and the faculty’s approval.
• Students are required to complete at least one entrepreneurship module before embarking on OEP
• For scholars, please check with the scholarship administrators with regards to your eligibility to participate in the programme.
  
• No extension of candidature will be allowed as students are advised to plan their modules in advance.
• Confirmation of placement in OEP is subjected to appointments offered by the startups.

Application and Interview

OEP sends students overseas twice a year - January and June.

Please fill out the application form here. Together with your application, you also need to submit:

1. An essay of not more than 300 words telling us about:
   
   • your entrepreneurial aspirations and what you hope to achieve by going on OEP
     
   • your personal passion and mission statement
     
   • a time when you failed at something and how you overcame it​
     
2. Your resume
   
3. Full degree audit

After submitting your application, you will be notified via e-mail if you have been shortlisted for an interview. Do check your NTU email inbox regularly for the outcome of your application and the selection interview.

Financial Aid and Grants

There will be a subsidy for Singaporeans and Singapore Permanent Residents to cover air tickets, travel and health insurance, visa expenses and medical check-up. Terms and conditions apply.

Overseas Student Programme Loan (OSP Loan)

Full-time undergraduates of all nationalities, including recipients of scholarships and bursary, may apply for the OSP loan. Students must apply for the OSP Loan under the OEP. All enquiries regarding the loan should be directed to OAFA via [email protected].

Please click here for more information.

Enterprise Singapore (ES​G) Global Ready Talent Programme (GRT) Grant

The GRT grant provide funding for eligible internship programme to developing countries.

OEP locations currently supported by GRT grant include China (Including Taiwan and Hong Kong), Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam.

OEP interns may receive GRT grant amount of up to S$5,600 for a 6-month internship (terms and conditions apply)

To be eligible for the grant, a student must

1. be a Singapore Citizen or Permanent Resident
   
2. not hold any external scholarships or awards

Students who have received and accepted the offer for the GRT Grant must complete and submit a report to OEP within 2 weeks after the completion of their internship.

1. Do I get to choose the company to intern for?

Students will not get to choose the internship company from a list.

The OEP team will propose internship companies and roles that align with each student’s profile and discuss preferences with them. We will then send the resumes to the agreed companies to see if they are interested in interviewing the students.

Please note that internship placements are not guaranteed, as they depend on market conditions and the companies’ evaluation of each candidate’s fit.
 

2. Can I use OEP to clear my internship requirement?

Yes, students can clear their PI requirement using OEP (subject to final approval by their school).

Students are required to pay school fees during the semester where they are using OEP to clear their PI requirement. If students choose to go for 1-year OEP, they can clear their PI requirement for the first 6 months and then take an LOA for the remaining 6 months.

3. Can I go for OEP after I have cleared all my modules?

No, you will need to be an undergraduate in NTU when you depart for OEP. You will still need to have some modules left to clear in NTU in order to be eligible. This applies even if you have not taken your final exams.
 

4. Can I apply early to secure a spot for a future batch?

No, selection will only be done for the batch being offered in the current application window.
 

5. I am a graduate student, can I apply for OEP? 

No, OEP is currently only open to NTU undergraduates.