Admission Requirements for PhD

In alignment with our education mission, we review all applicants holistically. We also consider evidence of scholarly work such as research favourably. While we do not set pre-determined cut-offs for GPA and GRE scores, these should reflect an academic background that is able to withstand the rigours at Duke-NUS.

The Admissions Committee reviews all application material, reference letters, and interviewer comments carefully to better understand each applicant. We seek to identify those with the traits and skills that will help them succeed as scientists. The Admissions Committee seeks applicants who are academically capable team players and who have demonstrated a strong interest in research.

There is no restriction on re-application.

Pre-requisites for PhD Programmes

(I) PhD in Integrated Biology and Medicine

All applicants must have completed, or be in the final year of, a bachelor or honours degree
Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test results
3 – 5 recommendation letters, typically from professors, mentors and/or employers
Relevant research experience is looked upon favourably

Applicants are also required to meet the "Other Requirements" below.

(II) PhD in Quantitative Biology and Medicine

Depending on your intended concentration area,
- Biostatistics and Health Data Science: a master’s degree or a bachelor’s degree in a quantitative discipline (Statistics/Biostatistics/Math/Computer Science/Epidemiology).
- Computational Biology: a bachelor’s degree in biological, computational, or quantitative discipline.
All applicants must have completed, or be in the final year of, a bachelor or honours degree
Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test results
3 – 5 recommendation letters, typically from professors, mentors and/or employers.

Applicants are also required to meet the "Other Requirements" below.

Other Requirements

English Language Proficiency

Results of TOEFL or IELTS are required only if English was not the language of instruction during undergraduate studies. English is the language of instruction at Duke-NUS. Applicants whose medium of instruction during undergraduate studies was not English must submit either TOEFL (Test of English as Foreign Language) scores or the IELTS (International English Language Testing System) scores as evidence of their proficiency in the English language. The following are the minimum scores that should be achieved:

• 600 on the TOEFL paper-based test; OR

• 85 on the TOEFL internet-based test; OR

• an overall band score of 7 on the IELTS

Duke-NUS does not accept TOEFL or IELTS scores earned more than two years ago. Please visit our FAQs section for further queries on admissions requirements.

Completion of National/Military Service

At present, Duke-NUS does not have a deferment policy for admitted students. As such, male Singapore Citizen and Singapore Permanent Resident applicants are expected to have fulfilled their National Service (NS) obligations before matriculation. For international applicants required to serve in their home country’s military, a few points should be kept in mind. While “Leave of Absence” (LOA) is in place for a number of academic, research, and personal reasons, this is contingent on approval by the Student Promotions Committee. Generally, LOA is not granted for fulfillment of National/Military Service obligations. Additionally, to be eligible for medical registration, the Singapore Medical Council requires a doctor to begin year-one of residency training within 1 year of graduating from medical school. This makes the immediate post-graduation period an unsuitable time for serving the typical 2-year military commitment. Given these specifications, it is strongly recommended that full-time National/Military Service is completed, or is in the process of being completed, before applying to Duke-NUS.

Completion of an Existing Bond

We require all applicants to Duke-NUS who have previously accepted scholarship offers with service commitment expectations, to directly confirm with their respective sponsoring organization(s) whether or not they are eligible to join Duke-NUS.

Please note that all information provided by the Admissions Department is for information purposes only and does not constitute a legal contract between Duke-NUS and any other person or entity unless otherwise specified. The terms of admission (e.g. tuition fees and the service commitment agreement) and these admissions documents are subject to change without prior notice with input from Duke-NUS stakeholders including the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Education and NUS. Although every reasonable effort is made to present accurate information at the time of publication, Duke-NUS gives no warranties and accepts no responsibility or liability for the accuracy or completeness of the information provided.