Admission Requirements

Admission Requirements for Graduate Research Programmes

Prospective student should have a relevant Bachelor’s degree with honours at least Second Class Lower or its equivalent. Candidates applying for University’s Scholarships (NUS Research Scholarships or President’s Graduate Fellowships) or EngD/PhD programmes are expected to have a Bachelor’s degree with honours at least Second Class Upper.

Note that possession of these qualifications does not guarantee admission. Admission decisions are based on multiple considerations, including the number and quality of applicants and the capacity of the programme applied to.

TOEFL/IELTS/GRE Tests

Doctor of Philosophy / Doctor of Engineering

From AY2023/2024 onwards, ALL applicants of the Doctor of Philosophy and Doctor of Engineering programmes are required to submit their Graduate Record Examination (GRE) test scores, as part of the application. Candidates are to obtain the following minimum scores for GRE:

  • GRE score of 320 (Verbal & Quantitative Total) and 3.5 (Analytical).


Candidates whose undergraduate language of instruction is not English must take the TOEFL or IELTS. Candidates are to obtain the following minimum scores:

  • TOEFL score of 85 for Internet Based Test (IBT); or
  • IELTS (Academic) or IELTS Indicator* score of 6.0.


Master’s by Research [Master of Engineering]

Candidates whose undergraduate language of instruction is not English are required to submit at least one score of TOEFL or IELTS, as part of the application. Candidates are to obtain the following minimum scores:

  • TOEFL score of 85 for Internet Based Test (IBT); or
  • IELTS (Academic) or IELTS Indicator* score of 6.0.

Tests score submission validity period :

  • GRE Validity: 5 years (after test date)
  • TOEFL Validity: 2 years (from date of test)
  • IELTS Validity: 2 years (from date of score issued)

Applicants who graduated from English-medium universities and have yet to sit for the tests, may be required at the discretion of the Head of Department or Vice-Dean (Graduate Programmes), NUS Engineering to undergo such tests to assess their suitability for University study and to appear for interviews.