Program Overview

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Ph.D. (Psychology)

Overview

Candidates seeking admission to the programme leading to the Ph.D. (Psychology) degree by research must have obtained either:

• A good Master's degree or equivalent in psychology or a related subject;
• A good Honours degree (at least Distinction/Second Class Upper Division) or equivalent (e.g., a four-year Bachelors degree with an average grade above B) in a relevant discipline, subject to approval by the Faculty, on a case-by-case basis;
• Such other qualifications and experience as the Faculty and Board of Graduate Studies may approve.

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. 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).

Admission is contingent on securing a willing supervisor who is a full-time academic staff member of the department, so it is best that you do that before applying. However, you can also submit a proposal without first securing a supervisor, but in order to maximize your chance of securing one, you should ensure that your research interests (as reflected in your personal statement) overlap well with your proposed supervisors’. If no full-time staff member is willing to supervise you, you will not be admitted. Agreement of supervision from a full-time academic staff member of the department is a necessary but not sufficient condition for admission.

The Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences awards research scholarships for graduate students on a competitive basis. Financial aid from research grants awarded to individual staff members may also be available.

Programme Requirements

GRE Requirements for Graduate Admissions to NUS Psychology

The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test Score is optional. However, do note that evidence of strong quantitative, verbal, and analytical skills through GRE scores, as well as indicators of research skills and experience will significantly strengthen your application.

English Proficiency Requirement for Graduate Admissions to NUS Psychology

International applicants who completed an undergraduate degree from an institution where the language of instruction is NOT English will need to provide TOEFL or IELTS scores. Applicants must have an acceptable score in English proficiency [TOEFL score of at least 580 for the paper-based test, 85 for the internet-based test (with a minimum score of 22 for the writing section) or 237 for the computer-based test; and 6 for IELTS or equivalent].

Programme Requirements

For more information on admissions, please note the following requirements.

Other Information

Some of our faculty supervise graduate students enrolled in the NUS Graduate School for Integrative Sciences and Engineering.

Student Handbook and Other Information/Resources

• Ph.D. Milestones: A Short Guide (for graduate research students admitted after Aug 2010)
• Graduate Student Handbook (for graduate research students admitted in and after AY2017/18)
• Information and resources

Application Materials