FAQs
Research Programme
A research programme provides training in a particular subject area through independent investigation, coursework and experimental work, culminating in the submission of a thesis on the research undertaken. A thesis advisor or advisors will be appointed for each candidate. Candidates are required to attend appropriate lectures and sit for written examinations. The specific number of courses required varies by department; the minimum number is four courses for Masters and courses for PhD.
Please refer to the list here.
Applying for a Research Programme
For the Master's research programme they are as follows:
- Normally an NUS Honours degree (Merit/Second Class and above) or equivalent (eg, a four-year Bachelor's degree with at least an average grade of B) in a relevant discipline; or
- In exceptional cases, a Bachelors 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;
- TOEFL/IELTS/GRE, where applicable; and
- Additional departmental requirements, where applicable, eg, GRE and interview. (Please consult departmental websites).
For the PhD programme they are as follows:
- Normally a good Master's degree in a relevant discipline; or
- An NUS Honours degree (at least Distinction/Second Class Upper Division) or equivalent (eg, 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;
- GRE;
- TOEFL/IELTS, where applicable; and
- Additional departmental requirements, where applicable, eg, interview. (Please consult departmental websites).
No, there is no age limit.
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.
Successful candidates may be required to take the Diagnostic English Test at our University and, where necessary, attend the Graduate English Course.
The following minimum TOEFL score is required:
- 85 for the internet-based test (with a minimum score of 22 for the writing section)/590 for *TOEFL ITP Plus for China (with a minimum of 60 for the writing section); or
- 237 for the computer-based test.
Alternatively, an IELTS or *IELTS Indicator result of 6.0 is required.
*In view of COVID-19, TOEFL iBT® Special Home Edition, TOEFL ITP® Plus for China and IELTS indicator will be accepted in the interim until testing centres re-open.
Some Departments/Programmes may set higher limits.
TOEFL/IELTS score reports are only valid for two years after the test and the validity period should not expire before the beginning of the application period for the relevant intake for which you are applying.
If you are applying for the August intake, your TOEFL/IELTS score report should not expire before 16th May of the year preceding the intake, or 1st April of the year preceding the intake for applicants to Economics. Similarly, for the January intake, your report should not expire before 2nd November of the year before the intake.
You may communicate with the organisations conducting the respective tests. Their website addresses and telephone numbers are indicated below:
TOEFL: Educational Testing Service (ETS), USA Tel: 1-609-771-7100 or 1-877-863-3546 Website: http://www.ets.org
or contact your local United States Information Service. The Faculty's TOEFL Institution Code is 9081.
IELTS: University of Cambridge Local Examination Syndicate (UCLES), United Kingdom Tel: (01223) 55-3311 Website: http://www.ielts.org
or contact your local British Council.
Master's
All 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.
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.
In view of COVID-19, the GRE® General Test at Home will be accepted in the interim until testing centres re-open.
PhD
The GRE 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.
There are two intakes per academic year - one in Semester I (August) and the other in Semester II (January). All the departments/programmes offer a Semester I (August) intake. Some departments/programmes also offer a Semester II (January) intake as indicated here:
- Chinese Studies
- Geography
- Japanese Studies
- 15th May - for the January intake
- 1st November - for the August intake
- 1st December - for the August intake (Department of Economics)
Yes, you can do so via https://gradapp.nus.edu.sg/portal/app_manage
All applicants will be informed by 31st May (for the August intake) or 31st October (for the January intake).
Yes, you can. However, you must use separate application forms and attach separate sets of supporting documents for each Department/Programme/degree for which you are applying. The application fee must also be paid for each application submitted. If you are successful in more than one application, you can choose only one programme.
You should submit one of the following documents:
- A bank statement of your finance; or
- A letter of confirmation from a sponsor and the sponsor's bank statement; or
- Documentary evidence of scholarship or other award that you have obtained.
The financial statement should indicate a minimum sum as indicated in the table below:
| Programme |
Minimum sum required for fully self-financing candidates |
| Master of Arts / Master of Social Sciences |
S$60,000 |
| Doctor of Philosophy |
S$120,000 |
Payment can be made online via any of the methods below before you submit your online application:
- Credit Card (AMEX, VISA or MasterCard)
- Debit Card (applicants must have a online banking account with either of the following banks - POSB/DBS, UOB or Citibank).
Alternatively, local applicants should make the payment by cheque or by NETS at the Student Service Centre (located at Level 1, Yusof Ishak House) between 8.30am and 5.00pm from Monday to Friday. The cheque drawn on a bank in Singapore, should be crossed and made payable to the "National University of Singapore". Please write your name, postal address and programme applied for on the reverse of the cheque.
International applicants should make the payment by bank draft. The bank draft should be made payable to the "National University of Singapore". The payment must be made in Singapore currency or the equivalent in US dollars. Please write your name, postal address and programme applied for on the reverse of the bank draft.
All the payments must be accompanied by the Application Fee Payment Form.
The following link https://fass.nus.edu.sg/prospective-students/graduate/research/programmes-available/ provides you with links to the websites of the various Departments/Programmes. It is best to communicate directly with the Department/Programme through the contacts indicated in their websites to find out their expectations for applicant research proposals.
Deferment of admission is not encouraged. You are advised to apply only when you are ready. Should an unforeseen situation arise that requires you to defer your admission, you may forward your request, with reasons, to the Head of Department/Programme through the thesis advisor/graduate coordinator.
All full-time graduate students, including research scholars (local and international) and international self-financing students, must subscribe to a medical insurance policy which helps you to pay (in part or full) medical expenses incurred as a result of hospitalisation/accident/mental health treatment. For research scholars, we will deduct the premium from the stipend on a semestral basis.
Details on the insurance scheme are available at the website here.
Scholarships, Fees & Cost of Living
You should indicate on the application form for research programmes, the scholarship(s) for which you would like to be considered.
The University offers Research Scholarships to outstanding PhD & Master's (Singapore Citizens/Permanent Residents only) candidates to pursue a full-time degree at NUS. A limited number of scholarships is available each academic year. They are therefore awarded on a very competitive basis.
Applicants must be university graduates with at least second class honours (upper division) degree or equivalent and, at the time of the award of the Research Scholarship, must have been offered admission to a graduate research programme at the Faculty.
The Research Scholarship is initially awarded for one year. It may be renewed, subject to the scholar’s satisfactory progress, each semester at the University’s discretion. The maximum period of a scholarship is normally four years for PhD candidates & 2 years for Master's candidates.
Please refer to the website here.
The Research Scholarship is initially awarded for one year. It may be renewed, subject to the scholar’s satisfactory progress, each semester at the University’s discretion. The maximum period of a scholarship is normally four years for PhD candidates or two years for Master's candidates.
The PhD top-up will expire at whichever of the following dates is earliest:
- *Two years from the date of award of the top-up; or
- At the end of the fourth year of the graduate candidature; or
- At the expiry of the Research Scholarship.
*With effect from the AY2021 cohort, the cap of top-up for RS for a maximum of two years is not applicable.
Yes. There are other scholarships for PhD students as well as Master's students. Depending on the type of scholarships, a number of them even include other components such as payment of approved fees, annual book allowance, laptop allowance, air travel allowance, settling-in allowance, conference/fieldwork grant. Please refer to the website here for a list of the scholarships, the criteria and components of scholarship value.
Suitable graduate students will be offered opportunities to undertake paid part-work in the form of Graduate Teaching/Research/Assistant Fellowships.
The tuition fees are the same for both part-time and full-time research students. Please refer to the website here for more details on the tuition fees.
Students should take note of the following conditions before submitting the Ad Hoc PSEA Fund Withdrawal form for enrichment*/preparatory programmes:
*Enrichment programmes need to satisfy conditions (i), (ii) and (iv) only.
(i) Programmes (except for Student Exchange Programmes and NOC Overseas College Programmes) must be endorsed by your home faculty Dean’s Office to be relevant to the course you are pursuing. Please click here to download the Endorsement Form for PSEA Application which has to be submitted together with the Ad Hoc Withdrawal form.
(ii) The application form must be submitted together with supporting documents as evidence of the cost for participating in the programme.
(iii) Student club activities that are student-led will not be eligible for PSEA claims. Activities should be organised by NUS.
(iv) One application form must be submitted for each specific withdrawal. Please indicate in the application form the usage category and exact amount to be withdrawn. The application form with any supporting documents must be submitted to the Registrar’s Office within two months from the completion of the programme.
The student should submit the PSEA ad hoc withdrawal form, endorsement form and with supporting documents as evidence within two months from the completion of the programme.
For more information, please visit https://nusgs.nus.edu.sg/post-secondary-education-account/
Please refer to the website here.
The other fees that are payable are the Miscellaneous Student Fees (MSF). Please refer to the Registrar's Office website here for more details on the MSF.
Immigration Matters
For international students who require an entry visa {please refer to the website of the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) at http://www.ica.gov.sg for the list of countries}, the NUS Graduate School will help to apply for a single-journey visa cum in-principle student's pass approval on your behalf. The original approval letter issued by the ICA and your valid passport must be presented to the Duty Officer at the Immigration checkpoint upon arrival in Singapore. No deposit is required by the Immigration Office.
Upon offer of admission by our Faculty to our graduate programme, the NUS Graduate School (NUSGS) will initiate an online application for you with the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA). At the appropriate time, NUSGS will send you some information for you to submit an application online. ICA will then process the application. Upon approval, NUSGS will then send you an in-principle approval letter for you to enter Singapore if an entry visa is required.
On your arrival in Singapore, you will be given a Social Visit Pass valid for two weeks to a month. During this period, you will complete your formalities for the issuance of your Student's Pass at NUS or at ICA. All international students applying for a Student's Pass of six months or more will have to undergo a medical examination. Issuance of the Student's Pass will be subject to the outcome of your medical report.
All international students applying for a Student's Pass of six months or more will have to undergo a medical examination. Issuance of the Student's Pass will be subject to the outcome of the medical report. Those who are found to have active Tuberculosis or HIV infection will not be granted the Student's Pass, and as such, will have to return to their country at their own expense. In view of this, international students may wish to undergo a similar health examination before coming to Singapore.
Contact Persons
You may email such enquiries to the fasbox3@nus.edu.sg.
The relevant email addresses are indicated below:
- Department of Chinese Studies
- Department of Communications and New Media
- Comparative Asian Studies Programme
- Cultural Studies in Asia Programme
- Department of Economics
- Department of English, Linguistics and Theatre Studies
- Department of Geography
- Department of History
- Department of Japanese Studies
- Department of Malay Studies
- Department of Philosophy
- Department of Political Science
- Department of Psychology
- Department of Social Work
- Department of Sociology and Anthropology
- Department of Southeast Asian Studies
- South Asian Studies Programme