National University of Singapore (NUS)-King’s College London (KCL) Joint PhD
About the Joint PhD Programme
The National University of Singapore (NUS)-King’s College London (KCL) Joint PhD programme is a joint degree programme (JDP) offered by the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine (NUS Medicine) and King’s College London (KCL), Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine (KCL-FoLSM) and Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN).
The JDP focuses on training PhD students in Biomedical Sciences. This JDP, through the interaction of PIs and students from both institutions and cultures, allows students to develop a questioning mind, a well-rounded character, a constructive and responsible mindset to become a global citizens with a resourceful and enterprising spirit and strong communication skills.
There will be opportunities for JDP students to gain valuable cross-cultural experience between the two institutions and develop a strong appreciation of global issues.
Students will be registered in one home university, but guided in their work by faculty from both universities, and examined to the standards of both. They will graduate with a joint degree qualification, earning a certificate which bears the crests of both universities
Programme Features
The joint PhD programme is a research-intensive programme, with a coursework component, in a global setting. Students will acquire knowledge, communication skills, and abilities by taking relevant courses, participating and presenting in seminar talks, journal clubs and conferences, engaging in research discussions with PIs and laboratory mates, actively doing experiments, learning to write publications, reports, thesis and research grants, and developing well-rounded mindset and leadership.
Programme Requirements
Two (2) faculty members, one from each university, will be identified as the joint thesis advisor for the research of every student in the JDP. The thesis advisors should be identified at the onset of a student’s programme. The student will be considered a student of the department to which the joint thesis advisor of the home university belongs. Students will be registered at both NUS and KCL, and are expected to meet the joint degree programme requirements as specified by their home institution to graduate with a joint PhD degree from both institutions. Students are required to spend at least 12 months at the partner institution.
Curriculum Structure
Candidates admitted to the JDP will undertake research under the supervision of staff members from the School for their period of candidature, at the end of which, they submit a thesis for examination. In addition, they are required to fulfil a coursework component comprising of a total of 24 Units for two core courses and elective courses (at Level-5000 & 6000) for graduation.
Students admitted to the JDP will undertake research under the supervision of staff members from the School for their period of candidature, at the end of which, they submit a thesis for examination. In addition, they are required to fulfil a coursework component comprising of a total of 24 modular credits comprising of two core courses and elective courses (at Level-5000 & 6000) for graduation.
To be confirmed a PhD candidate, a student is required to pass a PhD qualifying examination within two years from the date of admission.
Students deemed weak in English by the School would also have to sit for the Diagnostic English Test and take additional English Language courses conducted by the Centre for English Language Communication.
Candidature Period
A student’s period of candidature will commence at the beginning of the semester at the student’s home institution. Students are expected to earn their doctoral degree after four to five years of full-time study.
The minimum residency requirement for NUS students is eighteen (18) months and the maximum candidature is sixty (60) months. Students are required to spend at least twelve (12) months at the partner institution. They are required to spend the last six (6) months before submission of their thesis at their home Institution.
Residency requires:
a) Payment of fees
b) Satisfying all curricular requirements of the programme of study
c) Satisfying other departmental requirements such as teaching assistance
Continuation and Graduation Period
Please refer to the Continuation Requirements here.
Admission Requirement
Please refer to the Admission Requirement here.
Research Projects
Please refer to here for the list of research projects for the Joint NUS-King’s College London PhD Programme.
Intake, Application Deadlines and Interviews
Please refer to the information on Intake, Application Deadlines and Interviews here.
Scholarships and Financial Aids
Please refer to the Scholarships and Financial Aids here.
For suitably qualified candidates, they will be provided with a once-off return air-fare by the most economical and direct route for their research attachment at KCL.
Tuition Fees and Others
Please refer to the Tuition Fees and Others here.
Other than the return airfare provided, NUS does not provide students embarking on the research attachment at KCL with any cost of living. Students are responsible to source for their own accommodation in London and bear the cost of living on their own for their stay at KCL.
