PhD

The Department of History at the National University of Singapore offers degrees by research and dissertation at both the MA and PhD levels. The scope for research is extensive and the interests and backgrounds of the supervising teaching staff are broad and cosmopolitan. Fluency in English is essential, as all work must be presented in that language, but for graduate studies the Department encourages and supports the use of research materials in other languages, especially regional languages.

The Department is particularly strong in Southeast Asian studies. The academic staff includes specialists working on Malaysia and Singapore, Indonesia, Myanmar, Vietnam and Thailand. However there are other faculty members who can also supervise research in Chinese or Japanese history, as well as selected topics in European, American and military history, history of art, business, science and technology. An idea of the scope of the Department may be gained from this list of the department's faculty members and their specialities. You can also take a look at the topics our graduate students engage in.

The University's Central Library has extensive holdings on Southeast Asia written in English, Malay, Chinese, Japanese, Dutch, French, Portuguese and Spanish. There is also a very large microfilm collection containing archival materials from the National Archives in the United Kingdom (previously Public Record Office) and from other European and American collections. Students at the University can also use the library of the Institute for Southeast Asian Studies, and the Singapore National Archives.

The University operates a generous, but highly competitive, scholarship program that covers tuition and living costs for students doing graduate studies in Singapore.

Admission Criteria

Applicants for the PhD programme should have the following qualifications:

  •  a good Master's degree in a relevant discipline; or
  • an NUS Honours degree (at least Distinction/Second Class Upper Division) or equivalent (e.g., a four-year Bachelor's degree with an average grade above B) in a relevant discipline, subject to approval by the Faculty, on a case-by-case basis; and
  • TOEFL/IELTS
  • GRE is optional. However, do note that evidence of strong quantitative, verbal and experience will significantly strengthen your application.

Theses are written in English, and students entering the university are expected to have a reasonable command of the English language. Normally entering graduate students are expected to achieve the min TOEFL score as stated below, although students with a lower score may be admitted on a case-by-case basis. Remedial English training is available for students who need assistance.

TOEFL or IELTS Score Report

Applicants whose native tongue and medium of university instruction is not English should submit TOEFL (Test Of English as a Foreign Language) or IELTS (International English Language Testing System) scores as evidence of their proficiency in the English language.

Please check here for more information.

Graduate Record Examination (GRE)

GRE is optional. However, do note that evidence of strong quantitative, verbal and experience will significantly strengthen your application.

Applications

Applications to pursue the programmes must be submitted online.  There is a non-refundable fees of SGD$50 (inclusive of GST) for each application. The application and fees must be respectively submitted and paid by the relevant deadlines. Refer to the application period below:

Intake Application Period Outcome
Sem 1 16 May
(in the year preceding the intake) to
1 November
(in the year preceding the intake)		 By late May

For more information on the application process and the supporting documents required for MA programmes, please check here.

Fees

Please refer to this link for more information on fees.

Graduation Requirements

Students are required to complete the following with a minimum GPA of 3.5:
• NG5001 (from Cohort 2022 onwards)
• NG5002 (from Cohort 2024 onwards)
• HY6101 Historiography: Theory & Archive;
• HY6770 Graduate Research Seminar;
• 4 other courses;
• Pass all components of Qualifying Exam (QE);
• A thesis of not more than 100,000 words; and
• Oral examination on the subject matter of the thesis after submission of thesis.

At least 75% of the total units requirements must be at level 5000 or 6000. Students are to read no more than 1 level 4000 course, subject to the approval of the department. The coursework requirements includes HY6770 Graduate Research Seminar that will be graded on a “satisfactory”/”unsatisfactory” basis.

Duration of Candidature

University education at NUS is demanding, intensive, and rigorous, and thus requires a high degree of commitment.

Research candidates pursuing full-time studies are expected to commit themselves to at least 40 hours per week of study. The University does not encourage full-time students from taking up employment during term time that might interfere with their studies.

Candidates may be admitted as full-time or part-time students. However, international students pursuing studies on a Student's Pass must pursue their studies on a full-time basis. All candidates should note that commitments from employment will not be accepted as valid reasons for absence, uncompleted work, late submission of work, or poor performance, and may lead to exclusion from certain full-time programme.

The maximum periods of candidature for both full-time and part-time candidates are 60 months.

Residency Requirement

Candidates must spend a period of residence in Singapore for a minimum of 18 months for the PhD during their candidature.

Please note that candidates who are awarded NUS scholarships must reside in Singapore throughout the duration of the scholarship award.

Qualifying Examination

A PhD student will, as part of our PhD programme, have to take and pass a PhD Qualifying Examination (QE) which comprises the following:

  • a written component, in the form of a response to a set of questions crafted by the Examination Committee;
  • the submission of a 20- to 25-page thesis prospectus; and
  • an oral defence of the student's written response and thesis prospectus before an Examination Committee

More details can be found here.