Entry Requirements

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Master's

Applicants with a good NUS Honours degree (second class and above) or an equivalent (e.g., a four-year Bachelors degree with at least an average grade of B or equivalent) are eligible to apply for the Master of Arts.

PhD

A candidate who has a good Master's degree in a relevant discipline can apply for Doctor of Philosophy in Communications and New Media.

Cultural Studies in Asia PhD Programme

As the Cultural Studies in Asia PhD programme is multidisciplinary, there is therefore no specific restriction on the applicant's academic subject background. However, the minimum criteria are as follows:

  • A good Master's degree in a relevant discipline or an NUS Honours degree (at least a Second Class Upper division) or equivalent (e.g. a four-year Bachelor degree with an average grade above B) in a relevant discipline, subject to approval by the Faculty on a case-by-case basis;
  • A deep interest in the Cultural Studies in Asia;
  • An original research thesis proposal;

TOEFL/IELTS

As the medium of instruction is English, applicants whose native tongue AND medium of undergraduate instruction is not in English should submit TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) scores or IELTS (International English Language Testing System) scores as evidence of their proficiency in the English language*. A minimum TOEFL score of 580 for the paper-based test or 237 for the computer-based test or 85 for the Internet-based test (with a minimum of 22 for the writing section); or IELTS result of 6.0 is required. TOEFL or IELTS are only valid for two years after the test and the validity should not expire before the beginning of the application period for the research programme. Applicants are also encouraged to take the TWE (Test of Written English).

In previous semesters, the acceptance rate has been about 10%. Successful candidates usually have very high TOEFL (average 620 out of a total of 677) scores.

*Applicable to both Master's and PhD programme applicants.

GRE

With effect from the August 2023 intake, all PhD applicants will be required to submit their GRE (Graduate Record Examination) scores. Candidates have to obtain an aggregate minimum score of 320 for the Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning sections and a minimum score of 3.5 for the Analytical section.

Students with an excellent academic track record from renowned universities may request a waiver of this requirement by uploading a note in the "Documents Upload" section, providing reasons for waiver.

Application to our Master's Degree programme does not require GRE.

APPLICATION

For more information on graduate application, visit the Faculty of Arts and Social Science's official Graduate Research Programmes page.