Master of Science by Research

The Department of Physics, NUS, offers full-time and part-time graduate studies by research leading to the degrees of Master of Science (M.Sc.). 

Graduate students in the Department have a choice of a wide range of research fields. Now, the department has 74 faculty members in which many of them are also members of one of the research centers – “Center for Quantum Technologies”, “Graphene Research Center”, “Nanocore” and “Mechanobiology Institute”, as well as the “Center for Ion Beam Application” and the “Center for Computational Science and Engineering”. It is supported by over 40 research staff, 54 technical/clerical staff and a well-equipped workshop. The Department has extensive facilities with state-of-the-art instrumentation suitable for both fundamental and applied research. Currently the graduate community numbers at about 200 with a good mix of local and foreign students. A friendly and informal atmosphere exists among staff and students as collaborative work with other disciplines and industrial R & D abound.

Candidates enrolled in the Graduate Programme by Research (part or full time) will pursue a rigorous course of study and research leading to a M.Sc. degree or a Ph.D. degree. The M.Sc. programme has a maximum candidature of three years.

Candidates are strongly encouraged to check with Registrar’s Office for any possible official updates.

  • A good relevant 4 years Bachelor degree in Physics or its equivalent
  • NUS graduates should have at least a honours with Distinction
  • The ability to pursue research in the candidate’s proposed field of advanced study
  • TOEFL/IELTS. Applicants whose native tongue and medium of university instruction is not in English should submit the TOEFL/IELTS as evidence of their proficiency in the English language. The minimum TOEFL scores for Internet Based Test (IBT) is 85; or IELTS score of 6.0.

Graduate level coursework, seminar attendance, dissertation, and an oral examination.

Limited financial support in the form of research scholarship is available to outstanding Ph.D candidates. The research scholarship includes a tuition fee waiver and a monthly stipend which is sufficient to cover the expenses of the candidate. Presently, the majority of full-time Ph.D candidates in the Department are supported by research scholarships.

Application for research scholarship can be made using the same form on Application for Admission by ticking the relevant box. No separate application is required.

There are two intakes per academic year; one in January and the other in August.

Please direct all queries regarding graduate admission to Ms. Lau Siew Keok, Maggie

  • Email: phylausk@nus.edu.sg
  • Office: General Office, Blk S12, Level 2, 2 Science Drive 3, Singapore 117542
  • Tel: +65 6516 4395