Concurrent Degree Programme
In Singapore, the Master’s degree is increasingly becoming the desired entry level requirement for junior and senior psychologist positions in the Civil Service and the private sector. Our department’s Concurrent Degree Programme [B.Soc.Sci. (Hons.) and M.Soc.Sci. in Psychology] provides psychology majors with the option of making a seamless transition to the Master’s programme, and to secure 2 degrees in 5 years (instead of the usual 6 years if the 2 degrees are taken separately), thereby making them more competitive for industry and graduate school. Graduates from this programme will possess strong quantitative and qualitative research skills, as well as domain expertise in their chosen area of research. To the extent possible, candidates will also be encouraged to attend and present their work at international conferences.
Note:
Students in the Concurrent Degree Programme will not be eligible for undergraduate financial aid (e.g. government bursaries, NUS bursaries) and undergraduate tuition fee loan.
Candidates must successfully complete 176 MCs of coursework, which comprise the following:
- 20 MCs University-Level Requirements (Breadth, General Education, Singapore Studies)
- 28 MCs (Unrestricted Electives)
- 97 MCs (Exposure and Major Modules)
- 16 MCs (Graduate Modules)
- 15 MCs (Integrated Thesis)
In addition to the present graduation requirements for Single Major Honours, the candidate must also pass an additional research module (PL3231/PL328x), PL3239 (Industrial and Organizational 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 module corresponding to their area of interest (PL5303, PL5304, PL5305, PL5306, PL5307, OR PL5308).
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 MCs of modules, 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
- Attend workshops (e.g., on academic writing, presentation, non-experimental research methods, and advanced statistics) prescribed by the department.
- Attend at least 5 departmental research seminars.
- Give one research presentation during the candidacy. Students are also strongly encouraged to present their findings at an international conference.
- 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’ SJAP (based on both undergraduate and graduate PL modules) must not fall below 4.0 over two consecutive semesters.
CAP Computation
The undergraduate CAP is based on the grades for the undergraduate modules (Level 4000 and below) and the integrated thesis, while the graduate CAP is based on the four required graduate modules (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 CAP 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.
|
After |
Exit Scenario and Strategy |
|
Semester 7 |
The candidate would have completed 3 modules at this point and started work on the empirical project. He/she will rejoin the honours track, and either: 1) complete 2 more modules and submit the HT, or 2) complete 5 more modules without a HT to graduate with the B.Soc.Sci. (Hons.). |
|
Semester 8, 9, and 10 |
The candidate would have completed 5 modules at this point and done substantial work on the empirical project. To graduate with a B.Soc.Sci. (Hons.), he/she will need to write up and submit the experimental work completed thus far as a HT. |
CDP Recommended Timeline
|
Semester |
Milestones |
|
7* |
Research: Start work on the Integrated Thesis Coursework (4 modules): |
|
8 |
Research: Continue work on the Integrated Thesis Coursework (2 modules): |
|
9 |
Research: Data collection for the Integrated Thesis should be completed no later than the end of this semester Coursework (1 module): |
|
10 |
Research: Integrated Thesis should be submitted no later than Week 4 of this semester to provide sufficient time for review and minor revisions Coursework (2 modules): |
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 modules (PL1101E, PL2131, PL2132, PL3232, PL3233, PL3234, PL3235, PL3236, and PL3231 OR PL328x),
- Cumulative Average Point (CAP) ≥ 4.0 & Psychology Subject Average Point (SJAP) ≥ 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 modules),
- 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 send the application form along with the supporting documents (see below) or submit them personally to the Department of Psychology.
- Research Application Form
- Sealed Academic Referee's Report (at least two)
- Unofficial NUS Transcript
- Personal Statement (guide)
Department of Psychology
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
National University of Singapore
Block AS4, #02-07
9 Arts Link
Singapore 117570
If you have any questions, please write to psybox2@nus.edu.sg.
Graduation Requirements
Undergraduate Modules
- Pass PL1101E Introduction to Psychology. This will be counted towards the Faculty Core or UE requirements.
- Pass at least 84 MCs of PL modules or PL-recognised modules which include the following:
- PL2131 Research and Statistical Methods I
- PL2132 Research and Statistical Methods II
- PL3232 Biological Psychology
- PL3233 Cognitive Psychology
- PL3234 Developmental Psychology
- PL3235 Social Psychology
- PL3236 Abnormal Psychology
- PL3231 Independent Research Project
- One of the PL328x lab modules
- PL3239 Industrial and Organisational Psychology
- PL4201 Psychometrics and Psychological Testing
- PL4501 Integrated Thesis
- A minimum of 24 MCs at level-2000 or higher (excluding the modules above), with
- a minimum of 20 MCs at level-4000 or higher
- a maximum of one other PL328x lab module not taken in (ix) above
- maximum of 2 PL modules at level-5000.
- a maximum of 2 PL-recognised modules.
Graduate Modules
- Pass at least 16 MCs of PL modules which include the following:
- PL5221 Analysis of Psychological Data using GLM
- PL5222 Multivariate Statistics in Psychology
- PL6770 Graduate Research Seminar
- Core module (PL5303, PL5304, PL5305, PL5306, PL5307, OR PL5308)
Undergraduate Modules
- Pass PL1101E Introduction to Psychology. This will be counted towards the Faculty Core or UE requirements.
- Pass at least 84 MCs of PL modules or PL-recognised modules which include the following:
- PL2131 Research and Statistical Methods I
- PL2132 Research and Statistical Methods II
- PL3232 Biological Psychology
- PL3233 Cognitive Psychology
- PL3234 Developmental Psychology
- PL3235 Social Psychology
- PL3236 Abnormal Psychology
- PL3231 Independent Research Project
- One of the PL328x lab modules
- PL3239 Industrial and Organisational Psychology
- PL4201 Psychometrics and Psychological Testing
- PL4501 Integrated Thesis
- A minimum of 24 MCs at level-2000 or higher (excluding the modules above), with
- a minimum of 20 MCs at level-4000 or higher
- a maximum of one other PL328x lab module not taken in (ix) above
- maximum of 2 PL modules at level-5000.
- a maximum of 2 PL-recognised modules.
Graduate Modules
- Pass at least 16 MCs of PL modules which include the following:
- PL5221 Analysis of Psychological Data using GLM
- PL5222 Multivariate Statistics in Psychology
- PL6770 Graduate Research Seminar
- One elective module [can be 4000, 5000, or 6000 level modules; within or outside of one’s area. In lieu of a content module, the elective can be fulfilled by doing an ISM (i.e. PL5660) with a faculty member who is NOT the primary supervisor]
Undergraduate Modules
- Pass PL1101E Introduction to Psychology. This will be counted towards the Faculty Core or UE requirements.
- Pass at least 84 MCs of PL modules or PL-recognised modules which include the following:
- PL2131 Research and Statistical Methods I
- PL2132 Research and Statistical Methods II
- PL3232 Biological Psychology
- PL3233 Cognitive Psychology
- PL3234 Developmental Psychology
- PL3235 Social Psychology
- PL3236 Abnormal Psychology
- PL3231 Independent Research Project
- One of the PL328x lab modules
- PL3239 Industrial and Organisational Psychology
- PL4201 Psychometrics and Psychological Testing
- PL4202 History and Systems of Psychology OR PL4242 Historical Controversies in Psychology OR PL4245 Data Science for Psychology: Methods and Applications
- PL4501 Integrated Thesis
- A minimum of 19 MCs at level-2000 or higher (excluding the modules above), with
- a minimum of 15 MCs at level-4000 or higher
- a maximum of one other PL328x lab module not taken in (ix) above
- maximum of 2 PL modules at level-5000.
- a maximum of 2 PL-recognised modules.
Graduate Modules
- Pass at least 16 MCs of PL modules which include the following:
- PL5221 Analysis of Psychological Data using GLM
- PL5222 Multivariate Statistics in Psychology
- PL6770 Graduate Research Seminar
- One elective module [can be 4000, 5000, or 6000 level modules; within or outside of one’s area. In lieu of a content module, the elective can be fulfilled by doing an ISM (i.e. PL5660) with a faculty member who is NOT the primary supervisor]