Admission Requirements
The normal minimum criteria for admission as a research Master's or PhD candidate are indicated below. However, meeting them does not imply automatic acceptance in the respective programme.
In general, the University requires:
- Normally an NUS Honours degree (Merit/Second Class and above) or equivalent (e.g., a four-year Bachelor's degree with at least an average grade of B) in a relevant discipline; or
- In exceptional cases, a Bachelor's degree in a relevant discipline with at least two years of relevant work experience, subject to approval by the Faculty and Board of Graduate Studies, on a case-by-case basis; and
- TOEFL/IELTS, where applicable.
All applicants should consult the website of relevant Departments/Programmes for specific departmental requirements.
In general, the University requires:
- Normally 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, where applicable.
All applicants should consult the website of relevant Departments/Programmes for specific departmental requirements.
Applicants whose native tongue and medium of university instruction is not in English should submit the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or IELTS (International English Language Testing System) score as evidence of their proficiency in the English language. As such, only if the applicant meets both criteria, i.e. native tongue is not in English AND medium of university instruction is not in English, must they submit the TOEFL/IELTS. However, as some Departments/Programmes may be more stringent in their requirement, please check the website of the respective Department(s)/Programme(s) you are applying to or contact them directly if you are unsure.
The minimum TOEFL iBT* score required is 85 for the internet-based test (with a minimum score of 22 for the writing section). Alternatively, an IELTS or *IELTS Indicator result of 6.0 is required.
*TOEFL iBT® Home Edition and IELTS indicator is accepted.
Note that some Departments/Programmes may set higher requirements than those stated above.
TOEFL and 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.
The Educational Testing Service (ETS) has indicated that score reports are valid only if our University receives them directly from ETS.
Applicants are strongly encouraged to send an electronic copy of their TOEFL/IELTS score report instead of a hardcopy. Please arrange to have your report sent to us at the appropriate address indicated at the testing organisation’s website.
The Faculty's TOEFL institution code is 9081.
Master's
All Master's applicants to the following Departments/Programme must submit the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) report:
- Psychology
- Social Work
The Departments/Programme have not instituted any minimum requirements but the General Test has to be taken. Applicants 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.
The GRE Board policy states that scores are reportable for five years and score reports are valid only if our University receives them directly from Educational Testing Service. The University Code is 0677.
The GRE® General Test at Home is accepted as well.
PhD
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.
Applicants 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.
The GRE Board policy states that scores are reportable for five years and score reports are valid only if our University receives them directly from Educational Testing Service. The University Code is 0677.
The GRE® General Test at Home is accepted as well.
Note: Competition for admission to our graduate programmes is very keen. Applicants who have more evidence of academic achievement may want to consider submitting them to strengthen their applications, eg, GRE scores, evidence of research experience or journal publications.