The defining lead for contemporary arts education. 

LASALLE is a founding member of the University of the Arts Singapore (UAS).

Learn more about UAS

LASALLE College of the Arts is a globally ranked* institution for Art & Design and Performing Arts, and a founding member of the University of the Arts Singapore.

Anchored in Singapore, rooted in Asia and connected to the world, LASALLE offers one of Southeast Asia's most comprehensive range of specialist Diploma, BA (Hons) and MA programmes in creative disciplines.

For more than four decades, LASALLE has shaped artists, designers, performers and cultural leaders who challenge conventions, create new possibilities and transform the world around them. Its award-winning faculty fosters an interdisciplinary, practice-led culture where artistic excellence meets critical inquiry, experimentation and courageous imagination.

LASALLE advances the role of artists in society and cultivates creative voices capable of shaping culture, strengthening communities and imagining futures yet to be realised.

*Globally ranked 67th for Art & Design and top 100 for Performing Arts (QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026).

CRAFTING THE FUTURE OF THE ARTS

LASALLE’s Strategic Plan

The Strategic Plan 2026–2036 sets out how LASALLE will become a more connected, distinctive and enterprising institution—grounded in the transformative power of the arts and confident in its role as a defining lead in contemporary arts education.


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The legacy of a visionary

Our founder, Brother Joseph McNally

The late Brother Joseph McNally (10 August 1923–27 August 2002) founded LASALLE College of the Arts with a belief that the arts could shape lives and societies. A passionate advocate for the creative arts in Singapore, his legacy continues to inspire the students and educators who walk through our gates, each carrying forward his spirit of imagination and purpose.


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Brother Joseph McNally in striped shirt and tie smiling warmly while resting his head and hand on an abstract wooden sculpture against a dark background.

A journey towards excellence

1984

Brother Joseph McNally established the St Patrick’s Arts Centre, which offered a diploma education in Painting, Ceramics, Sculpture and Music.

1987

27 students graduated as some of the country’s first diploma holders in the creative arts.

1993

An agreement was formalised with Australia’s RMIT University for its Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts to be awarded to graduates of the College’s Fine Arts programme.

1994

The first cohort of BA (Hons) Fine Arts degree students graduated with degrees conferred by RMIT.

1998

Dr Tony Tan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence, announced the government's plans to upgrade Singapore's arts institutions. With the upgrade, the College receives financial support from the Ministry of Education.

2004

Awarded Accredited Institution status by the Open University, UK. With this, the College could now offer degrees designed and developed in Singapore to support the creative industries in Singapore.

2005

The first cohort of students graduated with BA(Hons) and MA degrees developed by LASALLE and validated by The Open University, UK.

2006

The Puttnam School of Film is launched by Academy Award-winning film producer, Lord David Puttnam. It offered the first BA (Hons) Film Programme in Singapore. In this year, the MA Art Therapy Programme was launched -the first of its kind in South-east Asia.

2010

Launched the MA Asian Art Histories Programme - the first of its kind worldwide.

2011

Awarded both EduTrust and Enhanced Registration by the Council for Private Education.

2012

In February, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong presided over the ceremony to mark LASALLE's historic partnership with Goldsmiths, University of London, to launch 14 publicly-funded undergraduate arts degree programmes. LASALLE launched the Public Lecture Series with the aim of creating a platform for distinguished and future-looking leaders to engage with the arts community in Singapore. In the same year, LASALLE Senior Fellow and former Dean of Fine Arts Milenko Prvacki is awarded Singapore's highest arts accolade, the Cultural Medallion.

2013

The first cohort of students graduated with BA(Hons) and MA degrees developed by LASALLE and validated by Goldsmiths, University of London. In the same year, the MA Arts Pedagogy and Practice Programme was launched; the College now offers a range of 30 programmes (Diploma, BA (Hons) and MA).

2014

Celebrated 30 years with a gala event in November, where Guest of Honour, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, delivered an inspiring speech about the growing importance of the arts in Singapore.

2015

The first local homegrown institution to be awarded the EduTrust Star, Singapore's highest mark of recognition for excellence in private education. It is also the first local education institution ever to be granted all four categories of internationally benchmarked Business Excellence Certifications by SPRING Singapore, for overall quality, service, people, and innovation.

2016

Adopted a schools-based academic structure, with eight Schools and a new cross-disciplinary position of Dean of Learning, Teaching and Research, to further the College's strategic growth. In the same year, the MA Creative Writing Programme was launched, Southeast Asia's first taught Masters in Creative Writing.

2019

Awarded the EduTrust Star, Singapore's highest mark of recognition for excellence in private education, for the second time running.

2021

Singapore’s first publicly-funded private university of the arts, the University of the Arts Singapore (UAS), is formed by an alliance between LASALLE College of the Arts and the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts.

2024

LASALLE welcomes its first cohort of students who will graduate with a UAS degree, and celebrates 40 years of creative excellence with a gala night graced by President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and his spouse, Ms Jane Ittogi.

Vintage photography of two men pose beside the LASALLE Mountbatten Campus sign in the 1990s, with colourful school buildings and parked cars in the background.
Vintage photography of LASALLE leadership and dignitaries clapping beside a commemorative bronze sculpture fountain on campus, dressed in academic robes and formal attire.
Vintage photography of a group of men in formal attire, including a central figure gesturing while walking, touring a LASALLE campus corridor with potted plants and soft lighting.
Vintage photography of artists and metalworkers welding and assembling a large outdoor sculpture under a red-and-white canopy, with Brother Joseph McNally observing the process.
Vintage footage of Brother Joseph McNally warmly greeting a woman at an exhibition, surrounded by smiling guests in a gallery setting.

The campus

1985

The St Patrick’s facility was complemented by a second campus at Telok Kurau to cater to increasing enrolment. The institution was renamed LASALLE College of the Arts.

1986

LASALLE’s first gallery, the Earl Lu Gallery, was inaugurated. It quickly establishes itself as a leading venue for contemporary art and art discourse.

1988

Minister of State for Finance and Foreign Affairs (former) Mr George Yeo was conferred as Patron of LASALLE.

1992

The Goodman Road campus was opened, housing the Schools of Fine Art, Music and Drama.

1993

Singapore Airlines contributed S$15 million to the construction of new buildings to unite the College’s diverse activities under one campus. The College was renamed LASALLE-SIA College of the Arts.

2003

The College undertook development of a new city campus that will grow to accommodate over 2600 students in 30-plus programmes.

2004

The Earl Lu Gallery was re-named Institute of Contemporary Arts Singapore, dedicated to exhibition and research activities of international and Asian contemporary art.

2007

LASALLE moved to its new city campus at 1 McNally Street. The Institution is re-branded LASALLE College of the Arts.

2008

Awarded two architectural awards: The prestigious Building of the Year award at the 9th Singapore Institute of Architects’ Design Awards and the President’s Design Award.

2009

Official Opening of the city campus. It also received its third architectural award, the PUSH Award 2009 conferred by the Singapore Institute of Architects.

2011

The Ngee Ann Kongsi Library, named in recognition of the organisation’s generous donation to the College, is officially opened by Finance Minister Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam.

2013

Additional school premises were acquired; 5,000 sq m of studios and workshop spaces at Winstedt Campus complement core teaching at McNally Campus.

2019

The Ngee Ann Kongsi donates $50 million to the development of a new building at the McNally campus which consolidates all LASALLE’s activities into a world-class infrastructure to nurture the next generation of young talents.