Master of Psychology (Clinical) - Draft - Department of Psychology

Master of Clinical Psychology

Overview Duration and Course Structure Curriculum Summary Clinical Placements Research Components Graduation Requirements Admission Procedures and Requirements Fees FAQs

Overview

The Master of Clinical Psychology degree in NUS Department of Psychology is a two-year 24-month full-time coursework programme based in Singapore. It provides entry level training for graduates who seek a professional career in Clinical Psychology. with a separate stream to obtain a Forensic Psychology specialisation. This programme is based on the scientist-practitioner approach, builds on up-to-date theoretical and empirical knowledge, and aims to provide opportunities to develop core competencies necessary for clinical practice. It is taught through coursework, research, and practical placement components.

At the start of their application, candidates must choose whether to enrol in the Clinical or Forensic stream. Graduates from either clinical or forensic streams will register as clinical psychologists under the Allied Health Professions Council (AHPC) registration framework in Singapore.

Since the programme's inception in August 2008, more than 200 students graduated from our Master of Psychology programme to become qualified, practising clinical psychologists!

Why Pursue a Career in Clinical Psychology?

Clinical psychologists are psychologists with specialized training and knowledge in the assessment, diagnosis, biopsychosocial formulation and psychological treatment of a range of psychological difficulties and mental health conditions. They work in different settings, including hospitals, general medical practices, community health centres and other community or VWO services, private practice, universities and other settings. Clinical psychologists work with children, adolescents, adults and older adults. They are also involved in designing and implementing a wide range of prevention and mental health promotion programmes, and in clinical research, consultation and leadership. The contribution that a professionally trained clinical psychologist can make to the health and quality of life of a large number of individuals affected by mental health issues across the life span can be significant.

For more information on careers in clinical psychology, see:

Specialisation: Forensic Psychology

Clinical psychologists who specialise in forensic psychology work closely with the legal system and authorities. Drawing on the same skills as those described above, clinical forensic psychologists work in courts, forensic community services, correctional settings, the criminal justice system, as well as civil and family courts. They similarly work with people across the lifespan and enhance their wellbeing while navigating the legal system, as well as to assist legal decisions with clinical forensic opinion.

For more information on careers in Forensic Psychology, see:

Clinical Psychology in Singapore

With mounting international awareness of the impact of mental health on public health, clinical psychology is a growing field in Singapore. There has been a widespread demand for clinical psychology services in the last 10 to 15 years. The Ministry of Health – through its National Mental Health Blueprints - has prioritised the development of mental health manpower as a key focus area for Singapore in the last 10 years and into the future.

Specialisation: Forensic Psychology

This relatively new field in Singapore has seen growing demand due to the increased awareness of mental health and it's impact on legal cases. Clinical forensic psychologists provide expert opinion and services where forensic services require clinical input- workplaces are typically courts, prisons, ministries, hospitals and forensic community services.

How do I know if Clinical Psychology is for me?

Clinical psychology can be both a demanding and rewarding field. Clinical psychologists need to have excellent communication skills and an empathic understanding of others. There may be times when the clinical psychologist would be required to work with individuals experiencing considerable distress and he/she will need to make complex, and sometimes difficult, decisions keeping the client’s and community’s best interests in mind. Maturity and the ability to respond well following constructive feedback, as well as good interpersonal skills and working well with others, are necessary attributes for potential clinical psychologists.

For more on whether clinical psychology is for you, see:

Specialisation: Forensic Psychology

On top of the abovementioned high levels of maturity and interpersonal skills, objectivity, responsiveness and composure are additional skill sets for the clinical forensic psychologists. Complex decision-making and navigation of ethical and systemic challenges are the norm.

Duration and Course Structure

Duration

The normative (and minimum) period of study is two years on a full time basis and the maximum period of candidature is four years.

Course Structure

Coursework Component
Seven coursework courses will be required for all students. Coursework will be conducted over two semesters, each lasting 13 weeks (August-December and January-April). More information about these courses is available here.
Practical Component (Clinical Placements)
Students will be required to undertake three placements under the supervision of qualified clinical psychologists, with each placement lasting 6 months (January-June and July-December).
Research Component
The research component of the programme entails a graduate research methods course (PLC5008) and the research thesis (PLC5010) submitted towards the end of the second year. Students will work on their research project under the supervision of a member of the NUS psychology faculty. Both components are examinable and students are expected to successfully complete them.

Curriculum Summary

Course Title	Course Code	Year	Semester	Course Unit	Programme Components
Psychological Assessment	PLC5001	1	1	4	Coursework
Adult Psychopathology	PLC5002	1	1	4	Coursework
Health Across the Lifespan	PLC5003	2	1	4	Coursework
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy	PLC5004	1	1	4	Coursework
Child Psychopathology	PLC5005	1	1	4	Coursework
Ethics and Professional Issues	PLC5006	1	1	4	Coursework
Advanced Psychological Practice	PLC5007	2	1	4	Coursework
Graduate Research Methods and Statistics	PLC5008	1	2	4	Research
Research Project	PLC5010	2	1 & 2	16	Research
Clinical Placement 1	PLC5011A	1	2	8	Practical
Clinical Placement 2	PLC5012B	2	1	8	Practical
Clinical Placement 3	PLC5013C	2	2	8	Practical

Number of Courses	Type of Training	Course Unit
7	Coursework: Scientific Foundation of Clinical Psychology (39%)	28
3	Practical: Practice Skills for Clinical Competence (33.3%)	24
2	Research: Research Skills and Evidence-Based Practice (27.7%)	20
12	Total	72

Clinical Placements

Students will undertake three clinical placements, with each placement lasting 6 months.

The first placement usually takes place at the Clinical and Health Psychology Centre (CHPC) — our in-house training clinic. The remaining two placements will typically be undertaken externally with various hospitals, community agencies or private practices in Singapore.

During clinical placements, students will be under the close supervision of qualified and experienced Clinical Psychologists. The emphasis in clinical placements is on enabling students, through supervised practice and opportunities, to develop core competencies in assessment, formulation, intervention, and other core skills. These competencies are monitored and evaluated at mid-placement, and at the end of the placement by the supervising clinician, who assigns a PASS or FAIL mark for each placement. Interns need to successfully complete (i.e., PASS) all three placements to graduate.

For more general information on core competencies in clinical psychology, see http://www.apa.org/ed/graduate/competency.aspx.

Our programme has been running since 2008 and we have developed strong partnerships with 40+ different settings/ sites and 100+ external supervisors. We are thus able to offer a range of general and specialist practice opportunities with different age groups across the lifespan and in different sectors.

Examples of hospitals who have offered clinical placements to our interns in the past and currently include the Institute of Mental Health, National University Hospital, KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Changi General Hospital, Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, Singapore General Hospital, Tan Tock Seng Hospital and Rehabilitation Centre, and others. Our students have also been on clinical placements with teams and services by Ministry of Social and Family Development, Ministry of Defence, and Singapore Prison Service. Community settings, such as Family Service Centres, Disability/ Special Needs Voluntary Welfare Organisations, the Community Psychology Hub and Children’s Home have also provided clinical placements for our interns, as have several private settings and hospitals.

Research Components

Research is an essential part of professional development and practice. Applied clinical research is thus a key part of the NUS Master of Psychology (Clinical) Programme and constitutes around a significant portion of the curriculum.

There are two research courses in the programme:

Graduate Research Methods and Statistics course (PLC5008); and
Research Thesis (PLC5010) submitted towards the end of the second year, which is made up of a literature review (approximately 4,000 words) and an empirical paper that presents the research study in a format suitable for potential submission to a peer-reviewed journal (5,000 to 6,000 words).

Students will work under the supervision of at least one member of the NUS psychology faculty on their research. Our NUS psychology faculty members have broad and diverse areas of research expertise, allowing students to pursue their research in different areas, including but not limited to neuropsychology, autism, trauma, anxiety disorders, disability-related research, emotional regulation and child psychopathology.

Graduation Requirements

Coursework Courses

Interns must successfully complete all courses to graduate from the programme. If they fail any taught course, they can repeat that course when it is next offered, with the exception of the clinical placement courses (see below for clinical placement graduation requirements).

GPA Requirements

The minimum Grade Point Average (GPA) for fulfilment of this degree requirement is 3.0 (out of a maximum of 5.0).
The grades of all 12 courses will be considered together in assessing whether the student has met the degree requirement. Students must also have at least a B- for each course.
A student's GPA must not fall below 2.5 for two consecutive semesters or 3.0 for three consecutive semesters. A student who fails to maintain the minimum GPA as stipulated will have her/his candidature terminated. For any semester in which the student's GPA falls below 3.0, she/he will be issued a warning. If, in the following semester, the student's GPA again falls below 3.0, but above 2.5, she/he will be placed on probation.

Clinical Placement Requirements

The programme places considerable emphasis on the development of core professional and clinical competences. For this reason, students who receive a failing grade for any clinical placement will need to repeat a placement of a similar nature. Students who receive two failing grades for the same placement, or for any two of the three clinical placements, will be discontinued from the programme regardless of GPA.

In cases where there is evidence of a significant failure in duty of care to clients seen under supervision, incompetency or gross misconduct, the clinical faculty retains the right to terminate a placement at any time. In such cases, the placement will be considered a failure.

Total number of Direct Client Contact hours accrued by the end of the 3rd placement must be minimally 360 hours.

Examination/ Continuous Assessment

Students are evaluated across all components of the programme through written and/or oral assignments and examinations, depending on the course and lecturer. Their development and performance in the clinical placements are evaluated during mid and end-placement reviews. Students' research is evaluated through the two research components of the course (course and research project).

Maximum Candidature

The maximum candidature for the Master of Psychology (Clinical) programme is 4 years.

Admission Procedures and Requirements

In the next AY2026/27, the NUS Clinical Psychology Programme has two intakes (August 2026 and January 2027) and entry is very competitive.

The application period for both intakes starts from 1 November to 15 January.

IMPORTANT:

Please note you can only apply for ONE intake, either for August 2026 or January 2027 intake.

Applicants who are interested to be considered for both intakes do not need to submit application for both intakes. You can be considered for both intakes by applying for the August 2026 intake but you must indicate on the supplementary application form that you wish to be considered for the January 2027 intake as well. However, if you apply for the January 2027 intake, you will not be considered for the August 2026 intake.

Admission Procedures

Only applications that meet the minimum requirements will be considered. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that the required documents have been submitted duly – incomplete applications will NOT be reviewed.

Shortlisted applicants will be invited to a selection interview.

The online application form can be accessed at the following link only during the application period from 1st November to 15th January each year for both intakes.

https://fass.nus.edu.sg/prospective-students/graduate/coursework-programmes/application-process-gradcoursework/

Summary of Application Timeline

Application period

Selection Interview for shortlisted candidates

Notification of successful outcome

Notification of unsuccessful outcome

August Intake

From 1 November to 15 January

Late February

March - April

By 30 April

January Intake

April - May

By 31 May

Key Admission Requirements

All applicants must demonstrate readiness for full-time graduate study for a period of two years full-time (4 semesters) and must meet the following minimum requirements:

General academic achievement

1.1 Hold a good Honours degree (second class and above) or equivalent (e.g. a four-year Bachelor's degree with at least an average grade of B or equivalent) in psychology or a closely related discipline (e.g. counselling, applied psychology, etc.) from a recognized university. Honours degree completed in 3 or 4 years will be considered.

We do not accept applications from students who are in the final year of their undergraduate studies and have not yet graduated.

For any other permutations (e.g., conversion programmes), submit your application and the admission panel will review your application in its entirety.

1.2 Hold a good Masters in a sub-discipline of psychology or a closely related discipline (e.g. counselling, applied psychology, etc.) from a recognized university. In such instances, we may consider the applicant, even if they have a second lower Honours degree.

Research experience

Successful completion of an Honours research thesis, demonstrating evidence of core research skills and ability to complete a research project. Candidates without an Honours thesis will need to provide other essential evidence of research experience and competencies (i.e. conducted independent research study, worked subsequently as a research assistant; published research work in peer-reviewed journals; completed a research project/thesis in a subsequent postgraduate course; etc.), which will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

Referee Reports/Letters

Other than the 2 academic referee reports required on the FASS website, you are also required to obtain a third referee report/letter commenting on your professional/clinical/research skills.

Highly desirable for applicant to possess

DIRECT CLINICAL work experience (in the past 5 years)

A minimum of ONE YEAR FULL TIME or EQUIVALENT PART TIME (does not have to be continuous employment) of relevant psychology practical/applied and/or relevant clinical research experience (i.e. working as a psychologist, assistant or associate psychologist, therapist, learning support assistant, research assistant or researcher etc.; in applied psychology, psychiatric, special needs, social service or VWO settings), ideally supervised by a Psychologist/Clinical Psychologist. Both the duration and quality of the work undertaken are considered in the overall evaluation.

Candidates with less than 1 year of full time (or equivalent part time) direct clinical work experience are discouraged from applying.

Other Requirements

English Proficiency

Provide evidence of meeting NUS language requirements (see below) if English is not a candidate's first language, and the tests must have been taken not earlier than two years before the proposed date of admission:
IELTS score of 6.0; or
85 for the internet-based TOEFL (with a minimum score of 22 for the writing section); or
580 for the paper-based TOEFL; or
237 for the computer-based TOEFL

Diagnostic English Test

All successful applicants are required to take the Diagnostic English Test. Students will be placed on a graduate English course or be exempted from the course, depending on their performance in the proficiency test. A Masters student is required to achieve an intermediate level of proficiency (at least grade C) in the English courses.

Outcome of Application

The outcome of the admission process is final and appeals will not be entertained.

Only shortlisted candidates for interview will be notified latest by last week of February. If you are not contacted by then, that means you have not been shortlisted.

If you are not shortlisted, please refer to our website on the admission criteria to help you understand how your application can improve if you choose to apply in the future.

Due to the large number of applications received, the administrator will only respond to matters about outstanding application materials. All other queries about status of application, etc. will not receive a reply. We seek your kind understanding on this matter.

Fees

Tuition Fees (inclusive of prevailing GST):

AY2026/27

SGD 83,850

*The tuition fees may be subjected to slight changes.*

Tuition Fees shown above are for 2-year full time programme.

Please refer to the following URL NUS Lifelong Learning for Alumni for more information on Tuition Fee Rebate for NUS Alumni (20%) with effect from AY2024/25 onwards.

Tuition Fee Rebate is 10% for Non-NUS Alumni Singapore citizens and PRs.

Skills Future Credit:

All Singaporeans aged 25 and above can use their $500 Skills Future Credit from the government to pay for a wide range of approved skills-related courses. Visit the Skills Future Credit website to choose from the courses available on the Skills Future Credit course directory.

Scholarships:

Applicants can apply for the scholarships listed below:

*Kindly note for NUS scholarships, only applicants who had secured a place in the programme will be eligible to apply. Applicants may also check with their respective organization about any scholarship opportunities.

FAQs

1. What are clinical psychologists?

A: Clinical psychologists are specialists in the assessment, diagnosis and treatment of psychological problems and mental illness. They are located in private practice, hospitals, universities, general medical practices, community health centres and mental health services.
Clinical psychologists work with children, adolescents, adults and older adults. They are also involved in designing and implementing a wide range of prevention and mental health promotion programmes. Thus, the contribution of a professionally trained clinical psychologist can have a large impact on the health and quality of life of a large number of patients across the life span.

2. How do I know if clinical psychology is for me?

A: Clinical psychology can be both a demanding and rewarding field. Clinical psychologists need to have excellent communication skills and it helps to have an empathic understanding of others. There may be times when you would be required to work with depressed, distressed and possibly aggressive people. Maturity and the ability to take constructive criticism are necessary attributes for potential clinical students.

3. How is the NUS Clinical Psychology Programme structured?

A: As with other countries, the NUS Clinical Psychology Programme follows a scientist- practitioner model. This means that students will be required to complete coursework, a thesis, and supervised clinical training practicum.

4. What are the entry requirements for the Master of Psychology (Clinical) Programme and how many people will be accepted for each intake?

A: The Clinical Psychology Programme will accept a relatively small number of applicants each year and entry will be extremely competitive. The minimum entry criteria are a good Honours degree and/or advanced graduate degree in psychology or a closely related discipline.

5. What would be considered as closely related disciplines?

A: Examples of closely related disciplines include:

Applied Psychology
Counselling Psychology
Educational Psychology
Psychotherapy / Psychological Therapies
Social Work

6. What can I do to improve my chances of acceptance?

A: Apart from meeting the minimum academic requirements, applicants can greatly enhance their applications through psychology, volunteer or other clinical work experience. Attendance of clinical workshops, observation programmes, and publication in peer reviewed journals and/or other clinically related activities following graduation are also desirable.

7. What will happen after I submit my application?

A: This is what usually happens:
(a) All applicants will be evaluated to ensure minimum admission requirements have been met on a case-by-case basis.
(b) Shortlisted applicants will be contacted for face-to-face interviews in Singapore.
(c) Acceptance/rejection letters or email will be sent to applicants.

8. If shortlisted, can the interview be conducted via zoom or must it be in person?

A: If you are an overseas applicant, the interview can be conducted via zoom. However, if you are residing in Singapore, then the interview should be conducted in person.

9. How many referees are needed?

A: As stated on the FASS website, 2 academic referees and 1 professional referee are needed for applying to the Master of Psychology (Clinical) programme.

10. Can I go beyond 3 references?

A: No, the maximum number of references submitted via the system is 3. This is to ensure fairness to all applicants.

11. If I cannot find 2 academic referees, can I replace them with professional referees instead?

A: Yes, you may but the referee report may not be suitable for your professional referee as the questions are more geared towards academic performance. So, your professional referee can choose to upload a letter of recommendation instead.

12. Can I be exempted from TOEFL/IELTS if I studied in a university which uses English as a medium of instruction?

A: You need to satisfy both criteria in order to be exempted from TOEFL/IELTS, one of the criteria is specified above and the second criterion is you have to be a native speaker in your country of origin. That is, English is the first language in your country of origin.

13. Can work experience be cumulative?

A: Yes, but they should be relevant to be counted.

14. Are the course tuition fees shown on the department website before or after rebate?

A: Before rebate.

15. Are there any scholarships or financial support for students in the programme?

A: There is the newly launched NUS Health and Well-Being Scholarship in 2021 for Singaporeans and PRs who have been offered a place in the programme. On the other hand, there are competitive external scholarships available from MOHH (Healthcare Graduate Studies Award) and NCSS (Social Service Scholarship) for successful applicants to the programme. Singapore citizens aged 25 and above can also use Skills Future Credit to offset part of the tuition fees.

16. Does the programme meet the requirements to practise as a clinical psychologist in Singapore?

A: Yes, the programme is designed to meet the forthcoming minimum standards for clinical psychology training currently being considered by the Ministry of Health (MOH).

17. Is the clinical programme accredited with the Singapore Psychological Society or other accrediting bodies?

A: Presently there is no formal accreditation of clinical programmes via the Singapore Psychological Society (SPS). Graduates from our programme are eligible for SPS full membership and the Singapore Register of Psychologists. Do note that these bodies may have other criteria to be met. Please visit the SPS website https://singaporepsychologicalsociety.org/ for information on their criteria.

18. Can I do the Master of Psychology (Clinical) programme part-time?

A: At present, the master's programme only admits full-time students.

19. What is the job market like for clinical psychologists after I graduate?

A: There is currently a need for trained mental health professionals including clinical psychologists in Singapore. It is expected that graduates will be able to secure posts upon graduation.

20. Is the programme eligible for the 40% tuition fee rebate for Singapore citizens and PRs?

A: No. It is eligible for the 10% tuition fee rebate for Singapore citizens and PRs (non-NUS alumni) and 20% tuition fee rebate for NUS alumni.

This is because the Master of Psychology (Clinical) programme is self-funded and the graduate coursework is intensive in nature with 3 blocks of 6-month placement totaling up to 18 months of back-to-back practicum. The programme fully subsidises the clinical placements that every student needs to undergo for professional training to be a Clinical Psychologist. Therefore, the operating cost of the programme is relatively high compared to other graduate coursework programmes.

21. How many intakes are there in a year?

A: With effect from AY2025/26 onwards, there will be 2 intakes a year for the Master of Psychology (Clinical) programme.

22. When is the application period for each intake?

A: The same application period applies to both intakes, that is from 1 November to 15 January. The interview period is also the same for both intakes.

23. Do shortlisted candidates for admission need to pay an acceptance fee?

A: Yes, if the candidate has been offered admission and wishes to accept the offer, he/she would be required to pay the acceptance fee (SGD 5,000 without GST) by the acceptance of offer deadline.

24. Can I be considered for both intakes?

A: Yes, if you applied for the August intake, please indicate that you wish to be considered for the January intake too on the supplementary online application form.

However, if you applied for the January intake, you will not be considered for the August intake.