• The page of your passport bearing the passport number and your particulars; if you do not have a passport, please enclose citizenship/birth certificate (for citizens of other countries)
• Singapore NRIC or citizenship certificate (for Singaporeans)
• Re-entry permit (for Singapore permanent residents)

• Bachelors and/or Masters degree scroll(s)/certificate(s).
• Degree certificates and other diplomas or certificates.

Transcripts of academic records from each university or college attended
Applicants who are graduates from this University can submit photocopies of their result slips or official transcripts of their academic records together with their applications. Applicants who are graduates of other universities will have to request official transcripts from their university/universities.

Please ensure that the university's grading scheme is included in the scanned copy that you upload to your online application. 

Only transcripts received in the following prescribed manner will be accepted:

1. Applicants who are graduates of other universities will have to request official transcripts from their university/universities.
2. The transcript(s) must be enclosed in an official sealed envelope with its flap bearing the security seal of the university and the signature of the Registrar or his/her representative (with the designation indicated on the envelope).
3. The envelope(s) containing the transcript(s) must be submitted, unopened, together with the Transcript Request Form directly to the appropriate mailing address as indicated below at Point 5 Submission of Application from the issuing university. If you have attended more than one university, you should make photocopies of the Transcript Request Form as required. Download the Transcript Request Form HERE.

Recommendation from two referees

Your recommendations from the two academic referees are to be submitted via the online admission system. You should check with your referees and obtain their institutional e-mail address. E-mail addresses from domains other than ".edu" may be subject to additional screening and filtering. Even if you have not submitted your online application, you can choose to trigger the email to your referees once you have assigned them to your application. Click on the “Send Email to Referee” link in the online application system to trigger the email notification.

If not, after your online application is submitted, an automated e-mail will be sent to your referees inviting them to complete their recommendations online. Your referee reports will be sent to us directly via the online application system so there is no need for you to send separate recommendations to us.

Referees will be given 14 days to submit his / her referee report after receiving the email notification.  You are advised to remind your referees to submit their reports when the deadline is nearing and the report status remains as “pending submission”.

Only if your referees are unable to access the online system should you ask them to complete the paper-based report. The referees' report must be forwarded to you in sealed envelopes with the flap of each envelop bearing the signature of the respective referees. These envelopes must be forwarded, unopened, with the other application materials, to the appropriate mailing address as indicated below at Point 5 Submission of Application. Download the Referee Report Form HERE

If either one of your academic referees is your potential supervisor, you are strongly encouraged to submit a third referee’s report.

Research Proposal
One set of research proposal at least two pages long on A4-size paper is required. Candidates are to visit the respective department website for the appropriate format required. Some departments may instead require a statement of purpose. If you are applying for admission to the Department of Chinese Studies please submit your proposal in both English and Chinese.

In order to facilitate easier access of faculty members’ research expertise for potential applicants to our research programmes, candidates are encouraged to make use of the Directory of Research which can be accessed here.

You can upload your statement of purpose/research proposal at the “Documents Upload” section of the Graduate Admission System. 

TOEFL or IELTS Score Report
Applicants whose native tongue and medium of university instruction is not English should submit TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or IELTS (International English Language Testing System) scores as evidence of their proficiency in the English language.

The minimum TOEFL score required as as follows:

• Internet-based test (iBT): Minimum score of 85 (with minimum of 22 for the writing section)
• Computer-based test (CBT): Minimum score of 237
• A minimum IELTS score of 6.0 is required.

You are strongly encouraged to send an electronic copy of your TOEFL/ IELTS score report instead of a hardcopy.  Please arrange to have your report sent to us at the appropriate address indicated at the testing organisation’s website.

Notes:

Please note that some Departments/Programmes may set higher requirements than those stated above.

TOEFL/IELTS score 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 programmes.

Some successful candidates may still be required to take the Diagnostic English Test at our University and, where necessary, attend the Graduate English Course. The Educational Testing Service (ETS) has indicated that score reports are valid only if our University receives them directly from ETS. The Faculty's TOEFL Institution code is 9081. The Department Code that you use will not affect the delivery of your report to our Faculty.

Other English language 'proficiency tests' will not be accepted for this purpose;

Tests that claim to be predictions, estimations, simulations, equivalents, practices, etc, of the TOEFL or IELTS are invalid;

The ETS has stated that their Institutional Testing Program cannot be used for admission.

GRE
Applicants (except NUS/NTU/SMU graduates) applying to the following departments are required to submit GRE score reports:

• Department of Political Science
• Department of Psychology
• Department of Social Work

The departments/programme have not instituted any minimum requirements but the General Test has to be taken.

Please note that the GRE scores are valid for five (5) years from the test date.

Please quote our University's code (0677) and the specific Department codes. You are strongly encouraged to send an electronic copy of your GRE score report instead of a hardcopy.  Please arrange to have your report sent to us at the appropriate address indicated at the testing organisation’s website.

For more details, please visit http://www.ets.org/gre/revised_general_institutions/score_use.

Documentary Evidence of Financial Support

International applicants who are not applying for our scholarship or who have indicated that you would still like to be considered for admission in the event that you are unsuccessful for our scholarship, must submit documentary evidence of the ability to support your study, e.g., a bank statement.  The financial statement should indicate a minimum sum as indicated in the table below:

The minimum sum, which has been rounded off to the nearest ten thousand, takes into account the following, for 50% of the normal duration of the programme:

1. Living expenses of S$18,000;
2. Tuition fees; and
3. Miscellaneous Student Fees

Those who are recipients of the NUS Tuition Fee Allowance will be required to submit a financial statement which should reflect a minimum sum of S$18,000 (Masters programme) or S$36,000 (PhD programme).

Please note that the normal duration of the programme is two and four years respectively for the Masters and PhD programme.  Some candidates may and will take a longer time.  If you are granted admission on a self-financing basis, you will have to be prepared to finance yourself for the entire duration of the programme.  You can expect the total cost of the programme to be approximately S$70,000 (Masters) to S$130,000 (PhD) if you are on the service obligation scheme.  If you are not on the service obligation scheme, the total cost of the programme is approximately S$80,000 (Masters) to S$180,000 (PhD).   

Those who are sponsored by an individual or organisation will need to submit a letter of confirmation from the sponsor and other documentary proof like a bank statement, evidence of scholarship or other award obtained. Those who are working in Singapore and applying for admission to our part-time programme may submit a copy of your recent payslip.

You can upload these documents at the “Documents Upload” section of the Graduate Admission System. 

Other documents like the application form for the Joint PhD programmes, HYI-NUS Joint Doctoral Scholarship, FASS Scholarship in Buddhist Studies, etc. You can upload these documents at the “Documents Upload” section of the Graduate Admission System

All applicants should consult the website of relevant Departments/Programmes for specific departmental requirements.