PhD

Degree Requirements Fees and Financial Aid Admission and Application

Degree Requirements

Degree	Doctor of Philosophy
Start of Programme	August (Semester 1 intake only)
Language of instruction	English / Malay
Location	Singapore
Mode of Study	Full-time or Part-time International students must be enrolled full-time. Admission as a part-time student is at the discretion of the Department.
Duration of Degree	Maximum candidature for both Full-time and Part-time : Five (5) years
Residency Requirement	Students must spend at least eighteen (18) months in Singapore throughout the duration of the scholarship. Students who receive NUS Research Scholarship must reside in Singapore throughout the duration of the scholarship. Periods of study leave and overseas fieldwork do not count towards residency requirement.
Coursework Requirements	Complete and pass at least six (6) courses or 24 units, unless exemption has been granted by the University, which include: Three (3) required courses MS5101 Social Science and Malay Studies (4 units) MS5201 Critiques in Malay Studies (4 units) MS6770 Graduate Research Seminar (4 units) Three (3) elective courses, of which a maximum of one (1) MS module maybe at level 4000 (4 units) OR at level 5000/6000 (4 units) OR MS5660 and/or MS6660 Independent Study (4 units)* from other department at level 5000/6000 (4 units) subject to approval from both departments *Note: Students should discuss with their thesis advisors before registering for Independent Study
English Language Requirements	Some students may be required to take the Diagnostic English Test (DET) to determine their English proficiency (Students will be notified in their offer of admission letter). Depending on their DET results, students may be required to take a Graduate English Course(s) or be exempted from taking the course(s) altogether. Students who are required to take the Graduate English Course(s) must obtain at least grade ‘C’ in the course(s) at intermediate level within 2 years of their candidature. Graduate English Course(s) are not counted towards the 24 units required for the PhD degree coursework requirements. ALL students must complete and pass the compulsory course NG5001 Academic Communication for Postgraduate Researchers.
PhD Qualifying Examination (QE)	Students must pass a Qualifying Examination (QE) within the first 2 years of the PhD candidature. A second QE may be attempted within this period if the student fail at the first attempt. Students must fulfill the following before being allowed to sit for the QE. Complete and pass at least five (5) courses with a minimum Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.50; Where applicable, obtain at least grade ‘C’ in the Graduate English Course(s) at the intermediate level; and Other departmental requirements, if any. The QE comprises: Comprehensive examinations as determined by the Department to test the general competence of the student in his/her discipline(s) or field(s); Submission of a 30- to 50-page thesis proposal; and An oral defence of the thesis proposal held before a 3-member panel of the Thesis Committee
Thesis	Students must complete and submit a thesis within the maximum period of candidature. A PhD thesis should not exceed 80,000 words (including footnotes but excluding appendicies, bibliography, maps, charts, statistical tables, graphs, illustrations, etc.).
PhD Oral Examination	Students must present himself/herself for an oral examination on the subject matter of the thesis and related subjects after submission of his/her thesis. The oral examination comprises an oral presentation followed by an oral defence/open discussion.
Minimum Grade Requirements	Students whose Grade Point Average (GPA) falls below 3.50 (but ≥ 3.00) in any semester will be issued an academic warning. Students whose Grade Point Average (GPA) falls below 3.50 for 2 consecutive semesters will be place on probation. Students whose Grade Point Average (GPA) falls below 3.50 for the third consecutive semester will be issued a letter of dismissal and denied re-admission. Students whose Grade Point Average (GPA) falls below 3.00 in any semester will be placed on probation. Students whose Grade Point Average (GPA) falls below 3.00 for 2 consecutive semesters will be issued a letter of dismissal. Note: Students may be issued an academic warning or placed on probation or issued a letter of dismissal for poor performance in the PhD QE, research thesis or other programme requirements.
Award of Degree	A student will be recommended for award of degree if he/she has met the following requirements: Completed and passed six (6) courses (refer to coursework requirements above); Obtained a minimum Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.50; Passed the PhD Qualifying Examination (QE); Passed the PhD thesis; Passed the PhD Oral Examination; Completed and passed NG5001 Academic Communication for Postgraduate Researchers; Where applicable, obtained at least grade ‘C’ in Graduate English Course(s) (refer to English language requirement above); and Other departmental requirements, if any.

For enquiries on the PhD programme, please email us at fasbox58@nus.edu.sg.

Fees and Financial Aid

Tuition Fees

The annual tuition fees for government-subsidised graduate by research programmes are available here. The tuition fee subsidy from the Government of Singapore is administered by the Ministry of Education (MOE) and is offered to all eligible students. Students need not apply for the MOE Subsidy if they are eligible.

The University's fees are reviewed yearly and thus, subject to revision. The fees for the Academic Year will be made available every March or April of the year.

Please refer to the fees according to your year of admission (e.g. if you were admitted in August 2021, please refer to fees for students admitted in AY2021/2022). Tuition fees are billed by semester.

Students who are full-time NUS staff members may be eligible to apply for staff concession on the tuition fees of part-time, government-subsidised graduate programmes. Information on the staff concession is available at the Staff Portal.

Mandatory Miscellaneous Student Fees

Mandatory miscellaneous student fees payable per semester are available here. All students registered on a full-time or part-time basis are charged the miscellaneous student fees. The miscellaneous student fees are due at the same time as the tuition fees.

Please refer to the fees according to your year of admission (e.g. if you were admitted in August 2021, please refer to fees for students admitted in AY2021/2022).

All full-time graduate students (local and international) are required to subscribe to the University's medical insurance scheme which covers:

Personal Accident Insurance Coverage
Hospitalisations, Surgical and Mental Health Insurance Scheme
Outpatient Specialist Care

Information on this scheme is available on UHC website.

Research students who have submitted their thesis will still be required to pay the Health Service Fee as long as the student remains as full-time and has not been conferred the degree.

Further Information

Detailed information: Fees for Graduate Programmes
MOE Tuition Fee Subsidy Eligibility Guidelines
Service Obligation Scheme

Financial Aid

Candidates applying for the PhD programme are welcomed to apply for the following:

For enquiries on tuition and miscellaneous fees or financial aid, please contact the NUS Graduate School.

Admission and Application

Admission Requirements

Candidates seeking admission to the programme leading to the Doctor of Philosophy degree should have:

A good Masters degree in a relevant discipline; or
An NUS Honours degree (at least Distinction/Second Class Upper Division) or equivalent (e.g. a 4-year Bachelors degree with an average grade above B) in a relevant discipline, subject to approval by the Faculty, on a case-by-case basis;
Applicants whose native tongue and medium of university instruction is not English should obtain an IELTS (International English Language Testing System) score of 6.0 or the following TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) scores:
1. 85 for the internet-based test (with a minimum score of 22 for the writing section); or
2. 580 for the paper-based test; or
3. 237 for the computer-based test.
The GRE (Graduate Record Examination) is optional. However, do note that evidence of strong quantitative, verbal, and analytical skills through GRE scores, as well as indicators of research skills and experience will significantly strengthen your application.

Application for Admission

The University has not engaged any external agencies to undertake graduate student recruitment on its behalf. Candidates interested in our graduate programme are advised to apply directly to the University and not through any agents. Candidates who apply through agents will not have any added advantage in gaining admission and the University reserves the right to reject such applications without giving reasons.

Application Period	16 May to 1 November
Start of Programme	August
How to Apply	Step 1: Identify a research topic. Step 2: Complete and submit the online application form via the Graduate Admission System during application period. You may refer to the online application system user guide. Step 3: Pay the application fee online via the Graduate Admission System. Applications without application fee will not be processed. Incomplete applications with missing supporting documents will not be considered.
Application Fee	S$50.00 (inclusive of GST) for online application. Application fee is not refundable.
Outcome of Application	Applicants will be notified via e-mail by end of May. Requests for early notification of outcome of application will not be entertained.
Communication with Applicants	The University will correspond with you via e-mail during application process to convey messages such as requesting for outstanding documents, interview notification etc. It is very important that you provide a valid and correct e-mail address in your application form and check the e-mail account regularly. The University will not be responsible for undelivered e-mails and their consequences.

Completed/Incomplete application received after the application deadline (i.e. received on 2 November) will be considered for the next intake.

Important:
Due to the large number of applications received each year, we regret that we will not be able to attend to enquiries on the status of applications or receipt of documents. If you are concerned about the delivery of your documents, please send them via registered mail or courier.

Rejection of Application

Inaccurate or false information or omission of material information or no application fee payment will render your application invalid. The University has not engaged any external agencies to undertake graduate student recruitment on its behalf and it reserves the right to reject without giving reasons, applications submitted through any external agencies and applications that are incomplete or inaccurate. Persons admitted on the basis of inaccurate or false information may be expelled.