PSB Academy said demand for STEAM courses rose 47 per cent over two years, with student numbers climbing from about 3,400 in 2023 to 5,000 last year.
Channel NewsAsia reported on 7 September 2026 that Singapore tertiary schools are shifting classroom time toward arts, design thinking and social sciences as artificial intelligence takes more routine technical work. STEAM adds arts to science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
Chief executive Derrick Chang said technical students now want design thinking and communication skills, while non-technical students need to be comfortable using AI.
What SUTD and SMU are changing
The Singapore University of Technology and Design refreshed its curriculum to draw students interested in economics, business, psychology and philosophy alongside maths and the sciences. Associate head Dr Grace Dixon said humanities subjects help students ask whether a technical fix should be built, for whom, and under what conditions, before they reach for design or AI tools.
SUTD also pointed to a S$35 million investment platform that funds entrepreneurial projects by students and alumni.
Singapore Management University is piloting a dance choreography course that links movement to Singapore culture and identity. Professor of communication management (practice) Mark Chong said pairing dance with intellectual inquiry is meant to build creativity and empathy that AI cannot yet copy.
Working adults and employer demand
About six in 10 Kaplan Singapore students are early or mid-career professionals. Managing director Alex Chevrolle said employers want people who can interpret AI output, turn it into decisions, communicate those insights and work with colleagues to execute them.
EHL Hospitality Business School said courses taken by working professionals rose nearly 40 per cent year on year, with interest clustered around people leadership, AI literacy and business transformation.
PSB Academy is building an Integrated STEAM Hub at Tai Seng, due in 2027. James Cook University Singapore opened a barramundi hatchery so students can practise aquaculture decisions when plans fail in real time.
This is a report of published institutional remarks, not advice on which course to pick.
