One of the most direct admission route to NUS is through the NUS Research Scholarship. To apply for this, you should first decide on your primary PhD department, and fill in the Application Form online. You may apply to the Department of Physics or Chemistry depending on your proposed Research Supervisor. Do note that it is compulsory to pass PhD qualifying examination(s) during the course of your PhD. The format and passing criteria of the PhD qualifying examination are determined by the Department that you are admitted into.
The links below will give the application procedures (and deadlines) to each of these Departments.
Physics Department
http://www.physics.nus.edu.sg/student/pros_graduate.html
Chemistry Department
https://www.chemistry.nus.edu.sg/education/prospectiveStudents/ProspectiveGraduates.htm
Do note that admission to the Department, in the first instance as Graduate Student, is separate from the admission to the Research Group of your proposed Research Supervisor. Therefore it is important to contact us as soon as you are ready to discuss the possibility of admission to ONDL. Upon successful admission to the Department, you will be awarded the NUS Research Scholarship which covers Tuition Fees and your Cost of Living. After you have accepted this offer, NUS will send you the application form for Student Visa to study in Singapore. You need to complete this. You can then begin your PhD studies in August or January depending on the semester you have been admitted.
You may find work in related multinational technology companies in Singapore or overseas, or move to adjacent areas in banking, finance, management consultancies, education, public policy, law, media and private entrepreneurship. You may also consider to carry on related research in any of the Universities or Research Institutes here and overseas.
1. What is the procedure to be admitted into ONDL as a PhD student?
You should register your interest with one of the Research Supervisors at ONDL, who will then direct you to apply for admission to the Department. At the same time, we will organise an interview to ensure that there is a proper match between your interests and expectations, and ours. As the PhD is a 4-year journey, we think that establishing such a match early is key to your success.
2. What can you expect at ONDL?
Our PhD students come from a diverse scientific and cultural background. We do not require any of you to have prior knowledge of our research, but common sense, a passion for discovery and a capacity for challenging work are essential attributes.
New PhD students in our group are typically placed under the mentorship of a senior scientist to be trained in research methodology and the operation of our essential research tools. This will likely take 1-2 years, during which you may be set on a variety of projects that may or may not be related to those of your mentor. After you have successfully completed your apprenticeship, you will take on your own research projects.
Senior PhD students will be required to take ownership of equipment, and contribute to the administration of the Research Group, for which a small renumeration is paid.
3. I do not have a Physics or a Chemistry degree, can I still apply to ONDL?
Yes. Some of our past PhD students had Electrical Engineering or Materials Science & Engineering degrees. We will provide advice on a case-by-case basis.
4. I am interested to apply to the Physics Department as a PhD candidate. What are the topics that I should prepare for the written qualifying examination before conversion?
The comprehensive written examination is a CLOSED book four-hour paper consisting of all open-ended questions. The coverage for the paper is standard undergraduate Physics.
For more information, please visit the Physics department website.
5. I am interested to apply to the Chemistry Department as a PhD candidate. How should I prepare?
Please visit the Chemistry department website.
