PhD study in Singapore
Just like every other study programs abroad, a PhD student by studying for a PhD degree in Singapore can gain new outlooks, new skills, and new social and cultural interactions. Postgraduate courses in Singapore are taught in English, which is the mother tongue of most of the Singaporeans. Singapore provides an excellent research environment: world-class and top universities and research institutes (Two of Singapore’s universities are among the world’s top 100 higher education institutions), an international research community, famous graduates from universities in Singapore and state-of-the-art laboratory facilities provided by the government. Educational opportunities and job opportunities are available for international students in Singapore after their graduation.
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Fees and scholarships
PhD tuition fees and miscellaneous fees in Singapore
The Singapore dollar (S $) is the official currency of Singapore. PhD tuition fees consists of several parts:
- Application fee (not all universities charge this fee): $ 15-40
- Tuition fee (only once): Approximately $ 50
- Postgraduate / PhD tuition fee per year: S $ 22,000-30,000 depending on the institution and subject of study, PhD in Medicine, Dentistry and Nursing may be much more expensive compared to other disciplines.
- Service fee (per year) $ 10-20
- Computer costs (per year) $ 10-20
- Health insurance (per year): varies depending on the institution and plan
- Examination fee (only once) $ 200-500
PhD Scholarships and Grants
Grants for doctoral studies in Singapore: grants and scholarships are available for graduate students from foreign universities and institutions. Graduate scholarships all have eligibility criteria, are highly competitive and generally awarded based on academic excellence. Scholarships often cover tuition fees as well as research costs associated fees. Which include:
- NUS Scholarships are awarded to independent graduates for doing research which will lead to higher education at university.
- Asian Scholarship (for Asian nationals including Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam).
- A * STAR Scholarship: For Singaporeans, people who are residing in Singapore and Asian Citizens
- DSO PhD Research Award (for Singapore citizens only)
- Singapore International Graduate Award (SINGA) in collaboration between the * STAR, NUS and NTU
- Scholarships and grants awarded by universities to PhD studies in Singapore
Other forms of grants and scholarships available include student loans and part-time jobs for graduate or undergraduate student. If you want to work part-time at your institution or outside of it, make sure that your visa allows paid work and that the institution where you are doing your PhD does not have any rules or regulations against it. Graduate students who need to pay for their tuition (excluding those who receive scholarships, grants and external funding) may also apply for a loan under the Tuition Fee Loan (TFL) scheme. The maximum loan amount is 90% of the tuition fees payable by Singapore citizens. These are available in local banks and the loans are applied for through your institution.
Applying for a PhD in Singapore
Decisions about PhD applications and admission are mostly made by the relevant faculty/school after careful evaluation of all applications. Assessment and evaluation is based on a combination of factors such as degree and record, letter of recommendation (references), standard test scores, and relevant work experience. Other factors may include potential contributions to the academic and professional areas in the future, and the importance of academic preparation for the chosen course. The PHD program in Singapore typically lasts about 4 years with a minimum of 2 years (full-time) and a maximum of 5 years (part-time). Both part-time and full-time PhD programs are available for doctoral studies. Most graduate programs will admit students twice a year, in August and January, each time having a specific application deadline. Future students do not need to contact potential supervisors before applying, but it may be helpful if you have a specific research topic that you want to do a research on.
Admission requirements for doctoral studies in Singapore
Generally, getting admission into a Ph.D. requires having a good degree in the relevant field or at least having a master’s degree or an equivalent degree in the relevant field. Candidates must demonstrate readiness for graduate study and may be required to submit entry examination scores (e.g. GRE, GMAT, GATE). Achieving the minimum entry requirements isn’t a guarantee of admission, because the number of qualified and eligible applicants often exceeds the number of places available.
Language requirements
Students whose mother tongue is not English must demonstrate proficiency in English in the form of TOEFL or IELTS as part of the admission criteria. The Malaysian University English Test is also sometimes accepted.
PhD structure
Doctoral studies tend to be relatively structured at local universities. Successful applicants will be accepted as research students in the first stage. The first year generally includes compulsory courses, research methods, and specific subjects (the number of courses depends on the subject and the university). All PhD students must then undergo a clinical examination based on the training courses offered in the first year of the PhD. They are approved and certified as PhD candidates after being approved by a panel. Students are expected to complete all of these early stages within a specified period of time, averaging 1.5 years for a full-time PhD and up to 2 years for a part-time PhD. The “thesis defense” is a doctoral examination. Once a PhD student has submitted his or her thesis, a date will be set for the thesis defense, which includes an open seminar exhibition, followed by a close fellowship examination (usually a three-person board/panel).
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