URA Undergraduate Scholarship: 2026 Profile for City-Shaping Strategists
Download printable cheat-sheet (CC-BY 4.0)03 Oct 2025, 12:55 Z
TL;DR
URA funds your local or overseas planning degree, adds overseas exchanges and internships, and expects you to lead city-shaping projects through a multi-year bond. Anchor your application on a passion for urban policy, demonstrate analytical and design strengths, and show how you will contribute to Singapore's long-term planning agenda.
Scholarship Snapshot
- Status: Applications typically open December-March ahead of AY25/26 admissions (last verified 2025-10-03)
- Official Listing: URA Scholarships Overview
- Who It Supports: Singapore Citizens entering approved built environment, urban planning, geography, economics, or related degrees in local or overseas universities
- Development Pathway: Structured attachments across URA's conservation, urban design, policy, and research teams with mentorship from senior planners
- Bond: 4 years for local study; 6 years for overseas pathways
Award Components
- Full tuition and compulsory fees at approved local or overseas universities
- Monthly maintenance allowance and pre-departure grant (for overseas scholars)
- Return economy airfare, insurance coverage, and funding for approved study trips or exchanges
- Vacation internships and job shadowing across URA divisions, plus cross-agency attachments with MND family agencies when relevant
- Sponsorship for leadership courses, GIS certifications, or overseas fieldwork connected to planning practice
Eligibility Highlights
- Strong A-Level, IB, NUS High, or Polytechnic records with evidence of analytical and spatial reasoning capability
- Demonstrated passion for city-making through studio work, urban research, design competitions, or community placemaking initiatives
- Leadership experience in CCAs, service-learning, or civic projects that reflect resilience and collaboration
- Clear alignment with URA's mission to plan for a sustainable, inclusive, and vibrant Singapore
- Willingness to undertake psychometric assessments, written tasks, and multi-round interviews with senior planners
Application Roadmap
- Research URA's Long-Term Plan Review and key master plans to articulate how your interests align with national planning priorities.
- Submit the online application with academic transcripts, personal statement, portfolio (for design-related courses), and referees.
- Complete selection exercises, which may include case discussions on land-use trade-offs or scenario planning.
- Attend internship-style dialogues with URA mentors to understand rotational pathways before final matching.
- Review bond conditions carefully-local placements average four years while overseas scholars typically commit to six-and confirm acceptance.
Preparation Playbook
- Develop a compelling portfolio showcasing mapping work, data visualisations, or community engagement projects.
- Follow URA, MND, HDB, and NParks updates to stay informed about current planning initiatives and challenges.
- Build familiarity with planning tools such as GIS, parametric modelling, or urban analytics; highlight certifications or self-initiated learning.
- Plan for internships or field studies that align with URA's focus areas-heritage conservation, innovation districts, or coastal resilience.
Useful Resources
- mailto:ura_scholarship@ura.gov.sg
