School of Computing
Research Programmes
The School welcomes graduates with good academic potential and strong interest in research to be a part of the Graduate Programme. A premier research-based programme leading to a doctoral degree, it is available in both the Department of Computer Science and Department of Information Systems and Analytics.
The School of Computing offers the following research degree programmes:
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
- Master of Science (MSc), if the candidate fails the Qualifying Examination but is allowed to complete as a MSc candidate
PhD students admitted to the Department of Computer Science (CS) will follow the structure for the CS PhD programme:
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Structure of Programme (Computer Science) |
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Year 1 |
Semester 1 |
8 Units coursework + CS6101 (Exploration of CS Research) |
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Semester 2 |
8 Units coursework + Research |
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Year 2 |
Semester 1 |
8 Units coursework + Qualifying Examination (QE) |
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Semester 2 |
Research |
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Year 3 |
Semester 1 |
Research + Thesis Proposal + Doctoral Seminar |
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Semester 2 |
Research |
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Year 4 |
Semester 1 |
Research |
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Semester 2 |
Ph.D. Defense (Seminar Presentation + Oral Defense) |
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For CS PhD candidates who are required to complete 24 Units (Units), the courses must satisfy all of the following three conditions:
- At least 12 Units must be at level 6000, and at least another 8 Units must be at level 5000 or above. Only a maximum of 4 Units level 4000 is allowed.
- At least 16 Units must be offered by the CS department. CS PhD students may take at most 8 Units of courses at level 5000 or above offered by other departments.
- At least 4 Units each in any three of the five clusters - Algorithm and Theory, Computer Systems, Knowledge Systems, Media Technologies or Programming Language and Software Engineering. The cluster of courses can be found in this Annex (PhD). Note that courses not listed in the Annex may still be used to meet Conditions (a) and (b).
- At most 4 Units can be CS/CU-graded.
Students should complete all coursework requirements by the end of third semester.
CS6101, Exploration of Computer Science Research aims to introduce CS research students to various CS research areas in the form of study groups. This course will not be considered as one of the level 6000 coursework requirements.
PhD students admitted to the Department of Information Systems and Analytics (IS) will follow the structure for the IS PhD programme:
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Structure of Programme (Information Systems) |
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Year 1 |
Semester 1 |
2 Foundation Courses + 1 Elective Course |
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Semester 2 |
2 Foundation Courses + 1 Elective Course + Teaching PhD Qualifying Examination (QE) |
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Year 2 |
Semester 1 |
2 Elective Courses + Research + Teaching |
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Semester 2 |
2 Elective Courses + Research + Teaching |
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Year 3 |
Semester 1 |
Research + Teaching + Thesis Proposal |
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Semester 2 |
Research + Teaching |
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Year 4 |
Semester 1 |
Research |
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Semester 2 |
Pre-submission Presentation (before thesis submission) PhD Defense (Seminar Presentation + Oral Defense) |
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All IS PhD candidates are required to complete four out of five foundation courses (16 Units), spanning the different streams of IS research. For students who plan to work on economics of IS, design science, or data mining research, they can take relevant elective courses from the Computer Science or Economics departments in the first year. IS Ph.D. candidates will also have the flexibility to select elective courses (24 Units) that are relevant to their own study and research plan. For the elective courses, at least 16 Units must be at level 6000, and at least 8 Units must be from School of Computing.
All PhD candidates are required to achieve a minimum GPA of 3.5 (B grade) for the courses taken.
All PhD candidates must pass their Qualifying Examination (QE) within 18 months after admission. A maximum of two attempts will be allowed.
The PhD Qualifying Examination for IS PhD students will be assessed through the Graduate Research Paper (GRP) after their first year of PhD study. The GRP should highlight the importance and novelty of the proposed research problem, and demonstrates sufficient knowledge of related literature and research methods, with the potential of publications in top journals or conferences.
PhD students taking the CS QE are evaluated based on a research-based paper which should contain critical review of research papers and demonstrates problem-solving abilities of the student, both assigned by the student’s advisor. The QE paper will be assigned according to one of the six research clusters for evaluation (Algorithms and Theory, Artificial Intelligence, Computer Systems, Database and Data Mining, Media or Programming Languages and Software Engineering). Students will be required to give a presentation to the panel.
All students’ Thesis Advisory Committee (TAC) will be set up after passing the QE, and the student should present his/her research to the TAC. This is to ensure that the TAC is in touch with the student’s research progress.
By end of Year 4, candidates are expected to complete their thesis proposal. The thesis proposal should highlight the significance of the research topic, its goal, the approach adopted, and work to be done. It should be precise and convincing to the examiners that the candidate is proposing a novel area of research and the goal is achievable. The thesis proposal comprises of an open seminar presentation (doctoral seminar), followed by a close-door oral examination.
For up-to-date details on the research programmes, please visit: https://www.comp.nus.edu.sg/programmes/#graduate
Please click the following links for details on Financial Assistance and Awards:
President’s Graduate Fellowship (PGF) https://www.comp.nus.edu.sg/programmes/pg/phdcs/scholarships/#pgf
NUS Research Scholarship
https://www.comp.nus.edu.sg/programmes/pg/phdcs/scholarships/#financial
SAP Industry PhD Scholar Programme https://www.comp.nus.edu.sg/images/resources/content/graduates/SAP_PhD_Scholar_Brochure_v02_000.pdf
Singapore Digital (SG:D) Scholarship (Postgraduate) https://www.comp.nus.edu.sg/programmes/pg/misc/scholarships/
Teaching or Research Assistantships
Research scholars who have fulfilled their Graduate Assistantship Programme requirements may apply for teaching assistantships with the Departments. Such assistantships will require them to assist in departmental work such as conducting tutorials/laboratory demonstrations, preparation of teaching materials, invigilating at examinations etc.
Full-time graduate students may also apply for part-time research assistantships to assist the Principal Investigators (PI) with specific research duties.
All appointments are subject to the terms and conditions stipulated under such appointments. International students are also required to abide by the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) guidelines.
Graduate Awards
The following graduate awards are given to encourage and recognise continuous and sustained research excellence in graduate research students:
- Research Achievement Award
- Dean’s Graduate Research Excellence Award
For details, please visit: https://www.comp.nus.edu.sg/programmes/pg/awards/deans/