Candidates must successfully complete 176 units of coursework, which include the following:

• 16 units of graduate courses
• Integrated Thesis

In addition to the present graduation requirements for Single Major Honours, the candidate must also pass an additional research course (PL3231/PL328x), PL3239 (Industrial and Organisational Psychology), and PL4201 (Psychometrics and Psychological Testing).

At the graduate level, candidates will take PL6770 (Graduate Research Seminar), PL5221 (Analysis of Psychological Data using GLM), PL5222 (Multivariate Statistics in Psychology), and a core or elective course (depending on graduation requirements for the respective cohorts).

A key component of this research-intensive programme is the Integrated Thesis, which reflects the candidate’s ability to independently conduct quality research that makes meaningful connections to the extant literature.

Pass at least 176 units of courses, and fulfill the requirements of both the B.Soc.Sci. (Honours) and M.Soc.Sci. (Psychology by Research) programmes.

See "Graduation Requirements" below for each cohort.

Other Requirements

1. Attend workshops (e.g., on academic writing, presentation, non-experimental research methods, and advanced statistics) prescribed by the department.
2. Attend at least 5 departmental research seminars.
3. Give one research presentation during the candidacy. Students are also strongly encouraged to present their findings at an international conference.
4. Where applicable, students have to obtain satisfactory grades (at least grade C) in the graduate English courses conducted by the Centre for English Language Communication at intermediate level.

Continuation Criteria
CDP candidates will be officially enrolled in the programme at the beginning of Semester 7. At this point, they will be classified as research students, allowing them to register for graduate-level courses and to start work on their thesis. Supervisors will also need to submit progress reports at the end of each semester. In order to remain in the programme, candidates’ SJGPA (based on both undergraduate and graduate PL courses) must not fall below 4.0 over two consecutive semesters.

GPA Computation
The undergraduate GPA is based on the grades for the undergraduate courses (Level 4000 and below) and the integrated thesis, while the graduate GPA is based on the four required graduate courses (Level 5000 and above).

Degrees Awarded
Candidates will typically graduate at the end of their 10th semester. On completion of the programme, subject to meeting the graduation requirements, candidates will be awarded with the B.Soc.Sci. (Hons.) and the M.Soc.Sci. in Psychology.

Exit Strategies
Candidates who opt out of the program, or who are unable to fulfil continuation requirements, can graduate with the B.A. or B.Soc.Sci. (Hons.), subject to meeting graduation requirements. Assuming they qualify for the honours degree, their class of honours will jointly depend on their undergraduate GPA and their grade for the honours thesis. If work on the thesis project is in progress, they need to carry out sufficient experimental work to produce a thesis that meets the standards of an honours thesis. To make the exit strategy more concrete and explicit, the table below presents the options for CDP candidates exiting the programme at different stages of their candidacy.

CDP Recommended Timeline

Notes

• Integrated Thesis
  The scope and requirements of the integrated thesis will be identical to that of the Master’s thesis. The word limit for the thesis is 30,000 words, and should conform to APA guidelines. The thesis should reflect the candidate’s ability to independently conduct quality research and to integrate his/her work with existing literature in a meaningful way. The integrated thesis will be evaluated by two internal examiners independently.
• Dedicated CDP Coordinator
  Each CDP candidate will be jointly mentored by their supervisor and the CDP coordinator. The CDP coordinator is a dedicated faculty member tasked with spearheading programs that enhance the training and education of CDP candidates. At the same time, he or she will closely track their progress, and will also meet them at the end of each semester to provide advice on curriculum choices and other guidance.
• Extension of Candidature
  CDP candidates who need to extend their candidature period beyond the 10th semester due to extenuating circumstances may apply for an extension, subject to approval by the Department and the Graduate Studies Division.

Admission to the Concurrent Degree Programme is both competitive and selective. Shortlisted candidates will undergo a rigorous admissions selection process, which includes the following requirements:

• Majoring in Psychology,
• Passed the following essential courses (PL1101E, PL2131, PL2132, PL3102/PL3232, PL3103/PL3233, PL3104/PL3234, PL3105/PL3235, PL3106/PL3236, and PL3231 OR PL328x),
• Grade Point Average (GPA) ≥ 4.0 & Psychology Subject Grade Point Average (SJGPA) ≥ 4.3 (at the time of application),
• Average grade of A- for PL2131, PL2132, and either PL3231 or PL328x (no lower than B+ for any of these courses),
• TWO (or more) recommendation/referee letters,
• Personal Statement and a rank-ordered list of potential thesis supervisors.

Candidates will also be required to attend an interview session.

It is a Faculty requirement that you submit a preliminary research proposal. If you apply to the Psychology Research Graduate Programme, this proposal should be submitted in the form of a personal statement. Instructions on what should go into your personal statement can be found here.

Applicants should examine faculty profiles on the department webpage prior to submitting their application, in order to find out whether their research interests can be accommodated by one (or more) of our staff members. Applicants should then specify their preferred supervisors (in descending order of preference) in their personal statement. Your listed supervisors will evaluate your applications when they reach the department and decide at that point whether they are prepared to supervise you (or not). However, since admission is contingent on securing a willing supervisor, please ensure that your research interests (as reflected in your personal statement) overlap well with your proposed supervisor's, to maximize your chance of securing a supervisor. In view of this, you do NOT have to secure a supervisor prior to submitting your application.

Prospective students who plan to be admitted to the programme in January should submit their applications by 15th May. Those who plan to be admitted to the programme in August should submit their applications by 15th November. Please email the application form along with the supporting documents to psybox2@nus.edu.sg.

• Research Application Form
• Academic Referee's Report (at least two). Applicants should arrange for their academic referees to email the Academic Referee's Report directly to psybox2@nus.edu.sg
• Unofficial NUS Transcript
• Personal Statement (guide)

If you have any questions, please write to psybox2@nus.edu.sg.