National University of Samoa

About National University of Samoa

NUS began in 1984 with a University Preparatory Year class and subsequently expanded into a broad national tertiary institution. Samoa Polytechnic was incorporated into NUS in 2006, bringing academic and technical provision within the same statutory university. The institution continues to operate under its current name and maintains active teaching, student administration and online learning services in 2026. The university's main academic organization includes six faculties: Arts, Business and Entrepreneurship, Education, Health Science, Science, and Technical Education. Its official site also identifies the School of Nursing, School of Medicine, School of Maritime Training, Centre for Samoan Studies, and Oloamanu Centre for Professional Development and Continuing Education. This range makes NUS relevant to students seeking conventional degrees as well as professionally oriented, technical or continuing-education pathways. The principal location is the Le Papaigalagala campus at To'omatagi in the Apia area. NUS describes its mission in national and regional terms, with particular emphasis on graduate preparation, research and Samoan Studies. Prospective students should treat the university as a multi-pathway institution rather than assume that every subject follows the same admissions model or academic calendar. Programme-level regulations remain the controlling source for entry standards, course combinations, workload and completion requirements.

Admission is programme-specific. The Samoa Qualifications Authority states that learners generally present evidence of completing the Year 12 School Certificate and Year 13 Samoa School Leaving Certificate, while NUS regulations set subject and score requirements for individual pathways. Foundation programmes can provide preparation for degree study, and some programmes admit applicants through relevant prior qualifications or mature-entry provisions. Mature-entry rules shown on current programme pages commonly require applicants to be at least 20 by the specified date and provide evidence of relevant full-time work experience or training, but candidates must check the exact regulation for their intended programme. The official application form requests a certified birth certificate or passport, certified school certificates or equivalents, and certified tertiary qualifications where applicable. Master's-by-thesis and doctoral applicants must also provide a research proposal. Non-original documents must be properly certified, and NUS warns that applications lacking required documents are incomplete. Evidence of immunization is identified as a compulsory enrolment requirement. International applicants should not assume that one English-language rule applies university-wide. The Faculty of Education states that instruction in its programmes is predominantly in English, requires international students to have strong English reading and writing ability, and advises a Samoan-as-a-second-language course. Other faculties may impose different academic or professional requirements. No reliable university-wide 2026 application deadline was found in the reviewed sources. Applicants should use the current application channel and contact Student Administration for programme deadlines, selection steps and certified-document arrangements.

NUS offers study across arts and humanities, business, education, health, science, technology and vocationally oriented fields. Its course catalogue distinguishes foundation and bridging study, undergraduate courses, and postgraduate courses numbered at higher levels. Available qualifications vary by unit and may include certificates and diplomas in addition to the bachelor's, master's and doctoral awards verified for this profile. The Faculty of Science covers science, mathematics and statistics, and information technology and systems. Business and Entrepreneurship includes accounting and economics, tourism and hospitality, office administration, management and marketing. Education provides teacher preparation and postgraduate education. For 2026, the Faculty of Education advertises a new three-year Bachelor in Education (Secondary), with pathways in health and physical education, family life education, music, performing arts, food and textiles, and visual arts. The programme combines education theory, subject pedagogy and three teaching-practice placements. Professional study is also represented through health sciences, nursing, medicine, maritime training and technical education. Some programmes include prescribed sequences, practical training, placements or work experience, so flexibility differs from the major-and-minor structure used in several academic degrees. NUS also supports blended delivery through Moodle and online-study systems, but students should verify whether a specific programme can be completed remotely; the existence of online course infrastructure does not mean every qualification is available online. Applicants should use the official 2026 Calendar and current faculty regulations to check prerequisites, course availability and progression rules. Several programme pages contain regulations amended in different years, making the applicable version important when planning a study sequence.

Key Highlights

• Established by an Act of Parliament in 1984
• Currently registered with the Samoa Qualifications Authority
• Six faculties plus nursing, medicine and maritime schools
• Academic, professional and technical pathways within one institution

Student Life & Environment

Student life is centered on the Le Papaigalagala campus and supported by both university services and the student association. Student Support Services provides counselling, literacy and numeracy assistance, employment development, career counselling, health and welfare support, critical-thinking workshops, social-skills workshops and basic career-skills sessions. Its learning centre includes desktop computers with internet access and study areas in Houses 3 and 4. The National University of Samoa Students Association represents registered students through an executive committee with faculty, school and centre representatives. Its stated services include academic guidance, advice on programme and course selection, advocacy on student concerns, support for student activities, free printing and a study area at the NUSSA Centre. These services offer practical points of contact for students navigating academic or welfare issues. Library facilities provide study space, collections, databases and research support; the Mountainside library also advertises free Wi-Fi for students who register their own devices. NUS has Moodle and an online-study portal for course materials and announcements. No current official source reviewed clearly established university-operated student housing or a meal plan. Students who need accommodation should therefore ask the International Office or Student Administration directly rather than assume that a residential place is included or available.

Location & Surroundings

NUS's principal Le Papaigalagala campus is in To'omatagi in the Apia urban area on Upolu, Samoa's most populous island. The official university address uses Le Papaigalagala Campus, To'omatagi, Samoa, with a postal address in Apia. This places students near the country's main administrative, commercial and service centre while retaining a campus identity distinct from central-city institutions. Academic and support facilities referenced by NUS include the Taputo'i Building, the Mountainside library, the oceanside NUSSA Centre, and student-support study spaces in Houses 3 and 4. These location labels matter when following university directions because official materials sometimes describe facilities by the mountainside or oceanside parts of campus. Samoa's island geography should be considered in budgeting and travel planning, particularly for international students and Samoan students arriving from outside Upolu. The reviewed official sources do not provide a current university transport service, commute-time estimate or residential-housing guarantee. Prospective students should confirm transport and private accommodation arrangements before enrolment, using the International Office or Student Administration for current local guidance.

Costs & Career Outcomes

NUS charges tuition and enrolment-related fees, but no current, complete 2026 fee table with dependable programme-by-programme totals was accessible in the reviewed public pages. An official Samoan government services guide says charges vary by unit or course, while the university directs students to its annual Calendar for detailed fees. Applicants should obtain a written 2026 cost calculation from NUS Finance or Student Administration based on their programme, course load and citizenship status. No amount should be inferred from an older calendar or from similarly abbreviated universities in other countries. Students should budget separately for books and supplies, transport, internet or devices, document certification, and accommodation and food. The reviewed official sources did not verify a current NUS residence charge, meal plan or guaranteed campus housing. The university lists scholarship information and external opportunities, but eligibility, award value and deadlines vary; students should assess each scheme independently rather than treat scholarship support as automatic. Career preparation is supported through Student Support Services, which offers employment-development programmes, career counselling, graduate-employability workshops and basic career-skills training. Several professionally oriented programmes also incorporate teaching practice, workplace learning or other applied components. These features may help students build experience, but the reviewed sources do not publish verified graduate employment rates, salary outcomes or employer-placement guarantees. Career decisions should therefore be based on the curriculum, professional recognition and current labour-market requirements for the intended field.