Introduction
Welcome to Graduate Studies at the Department of Sociology and Anthropology !
Our graduate programme is designed to prepare you for scholarly research, teaching, or applied work. We consistently rank among the top Sociology and Anthropology departments in Asia and the world. With over 35 faculty members, our curriculum covers major areas of sociological and anthropological inquiry.
We offer a comprehensive PhD programme where students undertake intensive training on the Sociology track or the Anthropology track. Our programme emphasizes both quantitative and qualitative research and represents diverse theoretical traditions. Your graduate journey will be guided by a professor acting as your thesis supervisor and academic mentor. The department offers a broad range of research and teaching expertise by our faculty members, all of whom have acquired and honed their research skills at top universities around the world.
Furthermore, we offer the Master of Social Science (Sociology) degree aimed at Singaporean students who would like to advance their disciplinary research training either after a fruitful stint in the working world or to prepare for their doctoral studies in pursuit of an academic career. The Masters programme also welcomes international students. Here, you will experience an intense two years of deep exploratory research into new knowledge territories guided by professors who are passionate about society and its manifold domains.
This is the crossroads you have been looking for. If any of the above paths appeal to you, feel free to contact me at puk@nus.edu.sg to learn more about our graduate programme.
Associate Professor Bussarawan (Puk) Teerawichitchainan
Graduate Studies Chair
Calling Singaporeans Passionate about Society and Culture
Our PhD and Master of Social Science programmes also cater to the new directions pointed out by the Government of Singapore to get more Singaporeans trained in the critical thinking and research skills of social sciences and humanities. Singaporean applicants with public sector or industry experience and who would like to continue to advance in their professional careers are especially welcome.
This is not entirely new to the programme. Many of our graduates have chosen to enter or return to the private and public sectors, to bring the skills and knowledge learned from their PhD and Master degrees to bear on society and culture. These graduates are carving out new frontiers in fields as diverse as international banking, health promotion, prison services, community arts, and museum curation.
Think of it as an opportunity to take a sabbatical from your work, to retool and enhance your capabilities as well as to refuel and inspire your spirit for a new phase in your career development. Become a sociologist, go native as an anthropologist, return and infuse society and culture with new spirits.
Welcoming International Students
The Sociology/Anthropology PhD programmes welcome international students as a mainstay of our learning community. Many of our international graduates are now academics in their respective home countries as well as pursuing careers in academia around the world. Current graduate students come from a variety of countries in East Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and Europe.
Our selection process favours applicants with well thought-through proposals for dissertation research that match the research interests and expertise of our professors. You might want to contact individual professors who are prospective thesis advisors for your dissertation research, but you should demonstrate that you know their work and interests with some depth.