Duke-NUS Medical PhD Admission Requirements

Admissions
Graduate Programmes
Admissions Requirements

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, they 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 references, typically from professors, mentors and/or employers
Relevant research experience is looked upon favourably
Applicants are also required to meet the "Other Requirements" below

**With effect from August 2024, all PhD (IBM) applicants will be required to submit their GRE (Graduate Record Examination) scores. However, students with excellent academic track record from renowned universities may request for a waiver of this requirement.

GRE waiver requests for the 2026 intake will be processed once applications open for the new admissions cycle. Please follow these steps to submit your request after June 1st:

Register and start an application for PhD (IBM) application at https://admissions.duke-nus.edu.sg/apply/
Contact the Admissions Office at admissions@duke-nus.edu.sg, with a copy of your CV and transcripts to support the waiver assessment.

(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 (Optional)**
3 – 5 references, typically from professors, mentors and/or employers
Applicants are also required to meet the "Other Requirements" below

** With effect from 2025 Intake, standardized test scores such as the GRE are optional for PhD (QBM) application. Do note that evidence of strong quantitative, verbal, and analytical skills through GRE scores, will significantly strengthen your application.

Submission of GRE Test results

If a self-reported GRE test score is submitted to support your PhD application, an official test score will become a required component of your application. The GRE General Test results must be received by Duke-NUS before the application deadline. Submitted scores should not be more than 4 years old at the time of admission. When you take the exam, please have your scores sent directly to Duke-NUS with the Designated Institution (DI) code of 4915. Information on the GRE can be found on the ETS website.

Other Requirements

World Education Service (WES) Report for undergraduate transcripts

Given the many applications we receive from universities around the world with unique grading systems, we require students who are from undergraduate institutions outside of Singapore or the US to submit their transcripts to both Duke-NUS and World Education Services (WES) for a credential evaluation in order to help us assess applicants fairly and consistently when reviewing their academic records.

Please opt for the US Equivalent WES International Credential Advantage Package (ICAP) with a course-by-course report. A detailed report by WES will be sent directly to Duke-NUS. Please visit www.wes.org for further details.

Applicants from Canadian universities may contact the Admissions Office at admissions@duke-nus.edu.sg to see if a WES report is required for your application.

English Language Proficiency

Results of TOEFL or IELTS

Applicants who previously studied in a non-English speaking curriculum will be required to present documented evidence of their competence in written and spoken English by submitting their results of TOEFL or IELTS exams.

To meet the English requirement for our programme, the following are the minimum scores that should be achieved:

600 (for TOEFL paper-based test) or
85 (for TOEFL internet-based test) or
an overall band score of 7.0 (for IELTS)

The TOEFL score or IELTS result is only valid for 2 years after the test and should be valid by the end of the application deadline for the programme.

Applicants should email a scanned copy of the official TOEFL/IELTS scoresheets to admissions@duke-nus.edu.sg during the online application period. IELTS scoresheets must display your Test Report Form Number.

For verification purposes, candidates are also requested to nominate our Institution to access your results online/electronically as follow:

TOEFL iBT: Designated Institution (DI) code of C974 through ETS Data manager
IELTS: Select IELTS Indicator ‘Duke-NUS Medical School’ through IELTS Test Report Form (TRF) Verification Service

There is no need to post the hardcopies of the results to us.

If you are still unsure on whether you are required to submit a TOEFL/IELTS test score, please contact the Admissions Office at admissions@duke-nus.edu.sg to seek clarification before the application period closes.

Completion of National 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/Commitments

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. All accepted applicants are expected to complete their existing commitments (e.g. scholarships, contract work, etc.) prior to matriculation into 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.

Duke-NUS Medical PhD admission requirements and pre-requisites