Graduates

FAQ for MSc by Coursework Programmes

General

Coursework programmes are designed for university graduates who wish to advance their knowledge and careers in their chosen fields of specialization.

The MSc degrees are awarded once the candidates pass the relevant examinations in a prescribed number of courses. Candidates may also undertake a project in lieu of a certain number of courses. Most of the coursework programmes are offered on both full-time and part-time basis.

Students may enroll in the coursework programmes on either full-time or part-time basis.

Apart from the school fees and the minimum and maximum candidature, generally, the main difference is in the maximum number of courses that students may register per semester. Most full-time students may register up to 6 courses per semester and part-time students may register up to 3 courses per semester. However, some programmes may have different restrictions. Please check with the respective departments or their website for details.
Employment Pass (EP) and other Work Pass holders can only study part-time as full-time study requires a Student’s Pass. EP and Work Pass holders who wish to study full-time will have to surrender their work passes and then apply for a Student’s Pass. International candidates who are pursuing the degree on a part-time basis will be required to have a valid work pass to stay in Singapore.

Dependent’s Pass holders are to apply to study full-time instead. You are required to apply for a Student’s Pass. However, if the duration of the course is shorter than the duration of the Dependant’s Pass, you may opt to be issued with a Letter of Consent (LOC) to study. You are encouraged to liaise directly with ICA on this.

Yes, this can be done at the beginning of each semester, before the end of Instructional Week 2. Application must be made by completing the required application form and submit it along with relevant supporting documents, through the department, to the Vice Dean of Graduate Programmes. 
International students on Student’s Pass are not allowed to switch to part-time study, unless they have obtained a valid Work Pass in Singapore. 
Generally, students are allowed to convert between Part-Time and Full-Time studies or vice versa only once during their entire candidature.
We do not offer PhD by coursework. PhD programmes in the Faculty of Science are by research. If you are interested to pursue PhD upon completion of MSc by coursework, you will have to apply for admission into the PhD programme. There is no direct admission for coursework students into the PhD programme.
There is no age limit.
The course fees vary from programme to programme. Please refer to the respective programme websites for the most updated information on course fees.
in general, there are no scholarships available for graduate coursework programmes. However, Singapore Citizens, Singapore PRs and NUS Alumni may enjoy some fee rebate from August 2023/2024 intake students. Please refer to the respective programme websites for the most updated information on course fees and the applicable fee rebate information (details will be available from early June 2023). 
There are various financial aid schemes available. Eligible applicants may apply for the relevant schemes within the stipulated deadlines. To view the schemes available and the eligibility criteria, please refer to
Staff concession is applicable to full-time staff members who are enrolled in government-subsidised NUS graduate coursework programmes on a part-time basis. They should be in service when they submit their application. Eligible staff members may apply for concession via the Office of Human Resources before the start of the applicable semester. For clarification on guidelines and other related enquiries, please contact Office of Human Resources – Compensation and Benefits section.

Admission

There is only one intake per year, which is August Intake:

·       Master of Science in AI for Science

·       Master of Science in Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainability

·       Master of Science in Biotechnology

·       Master of Science in Chemical Sciences

·       Master of Science in Data Science and Machine Learning

·       Master of Science in Data Science for Sustainability

·       Master of Science in Food Science and Human Nutrition

·       Master of Science in Forensic Science

·       Master of Science in Industrial Chemistry

·       Master of Science in Quantitative Finance

·       Master of Science in Pharmaceutical Science and Technology

·       Master of Science in Physics

·       Master of Science in Physics for Technology

·       Master of Science in Statistics

·       Master of Science in Sustainable Chemistry for Energy and Environment

·       Doctor of Pharmacy 

·       NUS-TUM Joint MSc Industrial Chemistry

·       NUS-SJTU MSc Quantitative Finance Programme

Applicants may do so via the online application system. Please refer closely to the applicant guide for step by step guide.
Applicants should reset their password via the online application system login page. Applicants will be required to enter the email address that they have earlier used to register the account with the system and their birthdate. Upon submission of the details, applicants will receive an email containing the link to reset the password. Applicants should follow the on screen instructions accordingly.
There is no need to do so. All supporting documents should be uploaded in the online application system.
All applicants will be informed of their application status latest by end June for August Intake.
Deferment of admission is not encouraged. Applicants are advised to apply when they are ready.
Should an unforeseen situation arise that requires an applicant to defer their admission, they may submit their request, indicating their reasons, through the Department to the Vice Dean of Graduate Programmes. Request will be considered on a case by case basis and subject to approval. 
Yes. Applicants may indicate their choice of preference in the online application portal. The application fee must be paid for each application submitted. If applicants are successful in more than one application, they must choose to only accept and pursue one programme . Concurrent candidature will not be allowed.
Applicants with only a basic degree may consider reading stand-alone courses and work towards a Graduate Certificate before applying to the graduate programme of their choice. For more details on these standalone courses, please refer to the School of Continuing and Lifelong Education (SCALE)’s website
Yes, applicants may still apply for the programme. All applications are assessed for relevance in background knowledge and work experience, with respect to the course.

Most programmes will require TOEFL / IELTS score if the medium of instruction for applicant’s Bachelor’s degree was not conducted completely in English.  Applicants should refer to the admission requirements for the degree that they are applying to.

 

Please use the following codes when applying for the TOEFL tests.

 

TOEFL

·       Institution code – 9087

·       Pharmacy – 47

·       Chemistry – 62

·       Mathematics – 72

·       Physics – 76

·       Statistics – 59

A minimum required score for 
  • TOEFL (internet-based test) : 85 (test taken prior to 21 Jan 2026) or 4.5 (test taken from 21 Jan 2026) ; or
  • IELTS (Academics) : 6.0
Applicants may replace TOEFL with IELTS or an official certification letter from their institution indicating that the medium of teaching/instruction was entirely in English; whichever is available but subject to approval.
GRE score is not compulsory for MSc coursework programmes.
TOEFL / IELTS score reports are only valid for two years after the test and the validity period should not expire before the beginning of the application period for the relevant intake for which applicants are applying.

Applicants should submit one of the following documents:

·       A bank statement of their finance ; or

·       A letter of confirmation from a sponsor and the sponsor’s bank statement ; or

·       Documentary evidence of scholarship or other award that they have obtained.

The financial statement should indicate a total of at least S$48,000 or its equivalent.

(i) What are the documents to be included in the untampered, official university-sealed envelope?

  • Final full transcripts (native and English**)
  • University translated English** degree scroll
  • Graduation fulfilment letter/certificate (native and English**)

**All documents not in English must be accompanied by official certified English translations (e.g. issued by University Registrar Office, Notary Public).

 

(ii) What can be excluded from the University sealed envelope?

  • If the degree certificate and final official transcript are issued on the university’s official document paper or contain clear authenticity features (e.g. an embossed university seal, hand chop official stamp, or hologram), they do not need to be submitted in a sealed envelope.

 

(iii) If my university do not issue official sealed-envelope or hardcopy, how can I fulfil physical sighting/verification of the hardcopy academic documents during Registration Formalities?

  • your University Registrar or equivalent office may submit the official final E-transcripts and Electronic degree scroll / degree certificate directly to Faculty of Science (contact as indicated in Offer Letter footer), or the documents may be transmitted through an official document delivery platform / digital credential service provider (e.g. OpenCerts, Parchment, CHSI/CSSD, Grad Intelligence etc). All submissions are subjected to the Faculty’s assessment upon receipt.

Contacts

For enquires regarding any of our MSc by Coursework programmes, please submit them here.