PhD in Population Health and Health Services

The programme combines coursework, journal clubs and original research to prepare students for independent research careers.

*PQE: PhD Qualifying Exam

*Core Modules can be waived at discretion of the mentor on a case-by-case basis. 

Coursework

Students complete core modules during the first two years of study while developing their doctoral research.

Core areas include:

• Implementation Science
• Health Economics
• Research Methods
• Artificial Intelligence and Data Science

Students will also complete one graduate-level elective offered by Duke-NUS or the National University of Singapore that aligns with their research interests.

Journal Club

Students participate in regular Journal Club sessions where they critically evaluate current research in population health and health services.

Doctoral Research

The majority of the programme is devoted to an original research project under the guidance of an academic supervisor and research committee.

Graduation Requirements

To graduate, students are expected to demonstrate original contributions to the field through scholarly publications and dissemination.

Requirements include:

• One publication published or accepted in a Q1 peer-reviewed journal
• Two publication-ready manuscripts suitable for submission to Q1 journals
• One presentation at a national or international scientific conference
• Successful completion and defence of the doctoral thesis

Graduates will be well positioned to become leaders in healthcare research and innovation.

Career pathways include:

• Academic researcher
• Health services researcher
• Population health scientist
• Healthcare innovation leader
• Implementation scientist
• Health policy advisor
• Clinical research leader
• Government and healthcare agency researcher

Graduates are expected to continue advancing healthcare through research while remaining closely connected to clinical practice and health system improvement.

Admissions Requirements

The minimum admission requirements are

1. At least two years of professional experience in healthcare, health services or population health. Previous exposure to research. A Master's degree or relevant graduate certificate is advantageous.

2. WES Reports and GRE scores are not required.

3. Test scores for the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) score of 85 or IELTS (International English Language Testing System) score of 7 must be submitted for all international applicants except those whose undergraduate or graduate degrees are from NUS, NTU, SMU or SUTD, or from English-speaking countries such as Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Admissions Process

The start date of the inaugural intake PhD in Population Health and Health Services is Jan 2027.

The application period is open from August 18, 2026 to Oct 31, 2026. Apply for PhD in Population Health and Health Services HERE.

Suitable candidates will be invited for an interview.

Candidates are also required to provide the following supporting documents to complete their application:

Official Transcripts

Applicants should reach out to their respective institutions to request for their electronic official transcripts to be sent directly to Duke-NUS at admissions@duke-nus.edu.sg. 

Letter of Reference

You are also required to provide at least 2 references in support of your application to the PhD (PHHS) programme. Please fill in your referees’ details in your online application. Upon doing so, an email request with a link to the referee report will be sent to your referee.

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 language requirement for our programme, applicants must achieve one of the following minimum total scores:

• TOEFL paper-based test: 600
• TOEFL internet-based test (exams taken before 21 January 2026): 85
• TOEFL internet-based test (exams taken on or after 21 January 2026): 5
• IELTS: Overall band score of 7.0

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

listed applicants will be invited for an interview with the programme's Admissions Executive Committee.

Tuition Fees

S$14,200 per semester

S$28,400 per academic year

The programme is self-funded. Eligible applicants may explore external funding opportunities, including the National Medical Research Council (NMRC) Research Training Fellowship and other institutional funding schemes.

Non-clinician researchers from Singapore Health Services (SingHealth) may also contact SingHealth Centre for Population Health Research and Implementation (CPHRI) at cphri@singhealth.com.sg to enquire about available funding opportunities