The Programme
Coursework Requirement
- 4 courses with at least 2 courses taken from graduate programmes offered by the department.
- Of the 4 courses, student must take a core course, SW6770 Graduate Research Seminar.
- Student must obtain a minimum Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.00.
Other Mandatory Courses
- Where applicable, obtain a satisfactory grade in the graduate English course at advanced level.
Thesis Examination
- Thesis must be submitted before the end of candidature for examination.
The maximum candidature for both full-time and part-time candidates is 3 years.Â
Admissions
Admission Requirements
Candidates seeking to enrol for a Master of Social Sciences (Social Work by Research) should have the following qualifications:
- An NUS Honours degree (at least Distinction / Second Class Upper Division) or equivalent (e.g. a four-year Bachelor's degree with an average grade above B) in social work, subject to approval by the Faculty, on a case-by-case basis; or
- A Bachelors degree in social work 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; and
- Graduate Examination Record (GRE), where applicable.
- TOEFL/IELTS, where applicable.
GRE Scores
Applicants (except graduates from the NUS, NTU, SMU and SUTD) must submit the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test report. The 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. For more information on the GRE General Test and to register for the test, please visit http://www.ets.org/gre.
English Language Proficiency
Applicants whose native tongue or 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.
| Minimum Score Required | |
| TOEFL | IELTS (Academic) |
| 580 (paper-based) | 7.0 |
| 237 (computer-based) | |
| 85 (internet-based), with minimum score of 22 for the writing section | |
TOEFL and IELTS are only valid for two years after the test and the validity should not expire before the beginning of the application period for the research programme. The Faculty's TOEFL institution code is 9081.
The Educational Testing Service (ETS) has indicated that score reports are valid only if our University receives them directly from ETS.
General Information
Please refer to https://fass.nus.edu.sg/prospective-students/graduate/research/application-information/ for general information on application periods, application materials and fees.
There is one intake per academic year, in August.
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Application Period Application period for the August intake opens from 16 May to 1 November (in the year preceding the intake). |
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Application Outcome All applicants will be informed by 31 May (for the August intake). |
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Application Process Applications for graduate research programmes can be made online here. You are encouraged to decide on your thesis advisor(s) in consultation with faculty who are interested to supervise your project. More information on application can be found here. |
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Application Documents Supporting documents required during application are:
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Graduation
To successfully graduate with a Master of Social Sciences (Social Work by Research), students are expected to achieve the following:
- Complete and pass 4 courses (at least 75 % of the total unit requirements must be at level 5000 or 6000, including an essential course SW6770).
- Where applicable, obtain a satisfactory grade in the graduate English course at advanced level
- Submit and pass a Thesis
- Obtain a minimum Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.00
For more information on the programme requirements, please click here.
Fees and Scholarships
Information on the tuition fees can be found here.Â
Scholarships
Scholarships are available. Please refer to the website here for a list of scholarships, the criteria, and components of scholarship value.Â
Applicants can apply for scholarships by indicating the scholarship they would like to be consider for on their application form.
NUS Research Scholarship
The NUS Research Scholarship will carry a monthly stipend plus tuition fee subsidy, i.e., the scholar's tuition fee will be paid for by the University. No travel or other allowances are provided.
The stipend is as follows:
|
Nationality |
PhD |
Master |
|
Singapore Citizen |
$3,200 |
$3,200 |
|
Singapore Permanent Resident |
$2,800 |
$2,400 |
|
International Student |
$2,500 |
$2,300 |
*With effect from 1 August 2015, Central Provident Fund (CPF) contributions shall be provided at a rate pegged to the prevailing employer's contribution rate set by CPF, on top of the monthly stipend received.
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 two years for Master candidates.
Admin
| Position | Name | |
| Master & PhD (Research) Coordinator | Assoc Prof Srinivasan Chokkanathan | swksrini@nus.edu.sg |
| Master (Coursework) Coordinator | Assoc Prof Irene Ng | swknyhi@nus.edu.sg |
| Graduate Diploma Coordinator | Assoc Prof Irene Ng | swknyhi@nus.edu.sg |
| Field Placement Director | Assoc Prof Peace Wong | swkwyj@nus.edu.sg |
| Graduate Field Placement Coordinator | Ms Sophie Cheng | sophie.cheng@nus.edu.sg |
Examination Matters
- No notices
Student Project/ Research
- Research Ethics Guidelines
- Claim for Student Research Projects
- 1. Guidelines on Student Project Fund
- 2. For reimbursement of claims, students are to complete and submit the following forms (hard and soft copies) to the respective administrator at the Department General Office at AS3 Level 4 for payment processing.
- i) Request for Payment Form (the fields that need to be filled up are highlighted in YELLOW)
- ii) Student Project Expense Claim Form