The National University of Singapore [NUS] offers 40 scholarships each year to nationals of ASEAN* member countries to take full-time course-work graduate degrees at NUS. Singapore citizens and permanent residents are ineligible. These awards, known as the NUS Graduate Scholarship for ASEAN nationals [NUS GSA], are financed by the People of Singapore and the University. The scholar has no obligation or bond to NUS or Singapore but is expected to complete the graduate degree and return to the home country.

*(ASEAN comprises the 10 nations of South East Asia – Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.)

The NUS GSA is only for full-time course-work graduate degrees** conducted at NUS and designated for the scholarship . Candidates receiving other awards will be disqualified from the NUS GSA.

**(The NUS GSA is not for Research or Doctorate [Ph.D.] programmes. The NUS Research Scholarship is available for these programmes.

Application for the NUS GSA
Application for the NUS GSA is decentralized to each NUS Faculty/ School and integrated into the application for each designated graduate degree. Therefore, the application period and due date for the designated graduate degree is applicable to the NUS GSA. There are, however, different application periods and due dates for each designated graduate degree.

Candidates should contact the Administrator of the respective NUS Faculty/School for more information. Contacts of the Administrators at the NUS Faculties/Schools are given in these web pages.

Designated Graduate Degrees
The following NUS Faculties/Schools conduct full-time course-work graduate degrees designated for the NUS GSA:

• Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences
• Faculty of Engineering
• Faculty of Law
• Faculty of Science
• School of Computing
• School of Design & Environment
• Division of Graduate Dental Studies
• Division of Graduate Medical Studies
• Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy

Details of the designated graduate degrees and the administrators are given in these web pages.

Applying for a designated graduate degree
To obtain the application material please write (by post, fax or E-mail) to the appropriate Administrator. Candidates must clearly state their full name, postal address and the designated graduate degree they are interested in and send it to the following address:

Administrator
Department of XXX
Faculty/School of XXX

Please click here for a list of the mailing address of all the Faculties/Schools.

Candidates should carefully read the instructions and conditions in the application material for the designated graduate degree. A candidate must ensure that the application form, supporting documents and other requirements are fulfilled, completed and submitted before the due date for the designated graduate degree.

Other Eligibility Criteria
There is a limited number of NUS GSA available each academic year and, therefore, it is awarded on a very competitive basis. Only exceptional candidates will be considered. In addition to the eligibility requirement of nationality, a candidate must have:

• an excellent academic record and has been or will be admitted by a NUS Faculty/School to pursue a designated graduate degree:
  • A candidate should be in the top 10% of the class.
  • Admission may be in either Semester 1 (commencing in July) or, where available, Semester 2 (commencing in January).
• a good command of the English language:
  • an excellent academic record and has been or will be admitted by a NUS Faculty/School to pursue a designated graduate degree:
    • A candidate’s English language proficiency will be determined by
      • the Test of English as a Foreign Language [TOEFL] score of at least 550 for the paper-based test or 213 for the computer-based test or 80 for the internet-based score; or
      • the International English Language Testing System [IELTS] result of at least 6.0; or
      • such other qualifications as determined by the NUS Faculty/School.
    • If the NUS Faculty/School specify a higher TOEFL score (e.g. 600 for the paper-based test or 250 for the computer-based test) or IELTS result (e.g. 7.0) as a minimum requirement for a designated graduate degree, the higher score or result will apply.
    • The organisations conducting the respective tests are:
      TOEFL
      Educational Testing Service [ETS]
      PO Box 6151
      Princeton NJ 08541-6151
      USA
      Tel: (609) 951-1100
      or contact your local United States Information Service IELTS
      University of Cambridge Local Examination Syndicate [UCLES]
      1 Hills Road
      Cambridge CB1 2EU
      United Kingdom
      Tel: (01223) 55-3311
      or contact your local British Council
  • The TOEFL and IELTS are internationally established standards to compare the English language proficiency of candidates from diverse backgrounds and disciplines. This is regardless of whether the English language is the native language or medium of instruction for the candidate, as these do not ensure that the candidate:
    • has a very good command of the English language;
    • will cope and benefit from the designated graduate degree (usually conducted in the English language); and
    • is an outstanding candidate for the NUS GSA.
  • Except where other qualification has been determined by the NUS Faculty/School, the TOEFL score or IELTS result is required since the NUS GSA is awarded on a competitive basis, where all candidates are compared against a common benchmark.
  • Please note that:
    • other English language ‘proficiency tests’ are unacceptable, as they are inconsistent and are not of international standards or comparable to TOEFL or IELTS;
    • tests that claim to be predictions, estimations, simulations, equivalents, practices, etc. of the TOEFL or IELTS are invalid;
    • the ETS Institutional Testing Program cannot be used for admission; and
    • TOEFL score or IELTS result are only valid for 2 years after the test and should be valid at the beginning of the application period for the designated graduate degree.
• a minimum of 2 years of relevant working experience as at the application due date:
  • The years of working experience may be cumulative over different periods of time; and
  • The scope of working experience should be within the discipline of the designated graduate degree.

A candidate will not be considered for the NUS GSA if:

• the candidate does not fulfil the nationality and the 3 eligibility requirements at items 9(a), (b) and (c); or
• the candidate’s application is incomplete or received after the due date.

Visit official website.

• A*STAR Pre-Graduate Scholarship, NUS Graduate School, Singapore
• ASEAN Graduate Scholarship, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
• ASEAN Scholarships for Indonesia by Ministry of Education, Singapore
• ASEAN Foundation Research Scholarship, National University of Singapore
• ASEAN Master Scholarships, University of Nottingham, UK
• NUS MBA Awards - National University of Singapore
• Newcastle University ASEAN Scholarship for Indonesia, UK
• Master Scholarships, Chulabhorn Graduate Institute & ASEAN Foundation, Thailand
• MSc in Strategic Studies, International Relations at Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
• NTU-MBA Scholarship, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore

Disclaimer: Every effort has been made to ensure the above information is current and correct. However, applicants should contact the appropriate administering body before making an application, as details do change frequently.