ADMISSIONS
Master of Arts in Urban Design
APPLICATION TIMELINE (AUG 2025 INTAKE)
There is one intake per academic year. Applications to the Master of Urban Design programme for the August 2025 intake is now open from 1 October 2024 to 28 February 2025. For early consideration, students should aim to submit their applications by 30 November 2024, and outstanding candidates can expect to receive an offer as early as January 2025. Applicants who submit after December 2024 can expect to receive offers in March and April 2025.
While most offers will be made to early applications by March 2025, some may still receive an offer at a later date. The Department takes care to look at the applications as a cohort and will review all submitted applications together where necessary.
Click here to apply!
ADMISSION ELIGIBILITY
For admission as a candidate for the Master of Urban Design programme, a person must have obtained one of the following qualifications prior to enrolment:
- A Bachelor’s degree or above in design-based built environment disciplines (architecture, urban/spatial planning, landscape architecture, environmental design), OR
- A Bachelor’s degree or above in a related discipline (e.g. real estate, transport planning, building environment, project management, human geography).
Relevant professional experience will be considered favorably in the selection process.
SUBMISSION MATERIALS
The application should comprise the following:
– Official transcripts from all undergraduate or graduate studies attended. The cumulative grade ranking should be included in the transcripts if it is available at the applicant’s institution.
– A detailed curriculum vitae with no more than two A4 pages.
– A design portfolio to showcase the applicant’s excellence in built-environment design and placemaking.
– On the content page or the beginning of each project, please declare: 1) the date period; 2) nature of the project (e.g. academic, professional); 3) names of all collaborators; and 4) the instructors / employers (names, positions and affiliations). The declaration will not mediate the admission result, but a portfolio without declaring true, correct and complete information is unacceptable and will not be considered.
– For group works or professional works, the applicant’s contribution should be stated clearly. For any image not created by the applicant (including those from collaborators), the image source should be given.
– The portfolio should be in a PDF format, no more than 20 A4 (210mm*297mm) pages. Please note that in the online admission system, the total size of your uploaded documents should not exceed 10 MB.
– Evidence of relevant professional experience, including internships (if any).
– A Statement of Purpose outlining the reasons for applying to the MAUD programme at NUS. The ideas in the statement should be clear and specific. The statement should be no more than 1000 words.
– Two letters of reference.
LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY
Applicants whose first language is not English are required to demonstrate their English proficiency by means of TOEFL / IELTS test scores. Applicants may be waived from this requirement if they completed their degree programme taught entirely in English, situated in an English speaking country, for example (non exhaustive list) Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, United Kingdom, USA.
To meet the English requirement for the MAUD programme, the minimum score expected is:
– IELTS: A minimum 6.5 overall band score (no less than 6 for each section).
– TOEFL iBT (at a test centre)/Home Edition: A minimum score of 92 (no less than 23 for each subsection).
– TOEFL iBT Paper Edition: A minimum score of 580.
INTERVIEW
Shortlisted candidates may be invited to appear for an interview. Where an applicant is not based in Singapore, the interview will take place via video call.
Important notice from the University: It is mandatory for candidates to complete and submit the online applications personally. Candidates interested in our graduate programmes are advised to apply directly to the University and not through any agents. Candidates who apply through agents will not have any added advantage in gaining admission and the University reserves the right to reject such applications without giving reasons.
For latest updates on application deadlines, detailed application instructions, application fees and FAQs please visit the college’s admission website: https://cde.nus.edu.sg/graduate/graduate-programmes-by-coursework/application-to-graduate-coursework-programmes/
