NUS Bulletin AY2020/21

The research degree provides training in a particular subject area through independent investigation, study and experimental work, culminating in the submission of a thesis on the research undertaken. A supervisor or supervisors will be appointed for each candidate. Candidates are required to attend appropriate lectures/seminars and sit for written examinations.

The following Masters and Doctoral degrees are awarded upon completion of the research programme:

• Master of Arts;
• Master of Social Sciences; or
• Doctor of Philosophy (PhD).

Teaching and supervision of graduate research students are undertaken by the following Departments / Programmes:

• Chinese Studies
• Communications and New Media
• Comparative Asian Studies
• Cultural Studies in Asia
• Economics
• English Language and Literature
• Geography
• History
• Japanese Studies
• Malay Studies
• Philosophy
• Political Science
• Psychology
• Social Work
• Sociology
• South Asian Studies Programme
• Southeast Asian Studies

• Curricula Requirements and Curriculum Structure

The following provides a synopsis of the main curricular requirements for both Masters and Doctoral programmes. For details, please visit the websites of the individual Departments/Programmes.

Masters

• • A minimum of four modules. (Some Departments may require more than four. Please consult Department websites for the number and level of modules required.)
  • Masters thesis (maximum 30,000 words, except for thesis in Chinese/Japanese); and
  • English course (intermediate level), where applicable

Doctor of Philosophy

• • A minimum of six modules. (Some Departments may require more than six. Please consult Department websites for the number and level of modules required.)
  • Doctoral thesis (maximum 80,000 words, except for thesis in Chinese/Japanese); and English course (advanced level), where applicable

• Credit & Grade Transfer/Module Exemption

Candidates may apply for credit & grade transfer/module exemption, subject to the approval of the Faculty. Students who would like to request a transfer of credit & grade or seek exemption from taking modules should submit the application(s) within the first semester of study, preferably at the point of admission. Only modules already completed at level 5000 and higher, and relevant to the programme will be considered for possible credit & grade transfer/module exemption. The modules taken must have substantially the same learning objectives, content, and level of sophistication as the corresponding NUS modules from which the student is to be exempted. The modules must have been taken no more than five years before the date of admission. Generally candidates may gain exemption only for NUS level-5000 modules. Level-6000 modules may also be considered on a case-by-case basis. Credit & grade transfer/module exemption is also subject to the following conditions:

• Assessment Modes/Examination Rules

Unless otherwise stated, there shall be one examination for each module to be held at the end of the semester. Candidates are expected to be familiar with the Examination Rules. A breach of any of the examination rules will render a candidate liable to disciplinary action.

A copy of these rules is available at www.nus.edu.sg/registrar/academic-activities/examination

For admission requirements and further details, please refer to https://fass.nus.edu.sg/prospective-students/graduate/research/admission-requirements/; and https://fass.nus.edu.sg/prospective-students/graduate/research/programme-requirements/, respectively.

For a list of scholarships, kindly refer to the following webpage:

• NUS FASS Scholarship