Admissions, Fees & Scholarships
Main Admission Requirements
The minimum entry requirement for admission into this programme is a Bachelor degree with good honours in a relevant discipline. Candidates should be keen to pursue research at the intersection of IT and business.
Other Requirements
Referees Reports
At least two academic referees’ reports are required for each application.
TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) - International Test
Applicants must demonstrate proficiency in the English language. Applicants whose medium of instruction for their Bachelor degree is not in English are required to submit TOEFL (international test) scores.
SMU’s TOEFL institution code is 9014. Test taken within 2 years will be accepted.
For TOEFL registration, visit this website
IELTS (International English Language Testing System)
Students may choose to substitute TOEFL scores with IELTS scores. For applicants whose medium of instruction at the Bachelor’s level was not English. The tests must be taken within 2 years before the proposed date of admission.
For IELTS registration, visit this website.
GRE (Graduate Record Examinations)
Except for special approval granted by SMU, all applicants are required to take GRE or GMAT. GRE/GMAT (may be waived for SMU, NTU, NUS and SUTD graduates).
SMU’s GRE institution code is 2861. Test results obtained within 5 years will be accepted.
For GRE registration, visit this website
GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test)
Students may choose to substitute the GRE scores with GMAT scores. GRE/GMAT (may be waived for SMU, NTU, NUS and SUTD graduates). However, applicants whose Bachelor degree is not in one of the listed disciplines may still be requested to submit GRE Computer Science score even with GMAT submission.
The GMAT code for this programme is F8D-Z4-04.
Test results obtained within 5 years will be accepted.
For GMAT registration, visit this website
Programme Fees
- Please refer to SMU PhD Programme Fees for detailed and latest breakdown of fees.
- Students under SMU Scholarship will be waived from Registration and Tuition Fees.
Scholarships and Financial Aid
SMU Presidential Doctoral Fellowships in Computing
The SMU Presidential Doctoral Fellowship in Computing is provided to exceptionally qualified students who are offered candidatures into SMU’s PhD programmes. The Fellowship also recognises existing PhD students who are outstanding in their studies.
The Fellowship is a one-year award that is renewed annually, for up to four years. The award provides a higher monthly stipend than a Full Scholarship, as shown in the table below.
| Citizenship | Monthly Stipend2 |
|---|---|
| Singapore Citizen1 | SGD $5,000 |
| Singapore Permanent Resident | SGD $4,000 |
| Foreign Student | SGD $3,750 |
1 With effect from 1 August 2015, Central Provident Fund (CPF) contributions shall be provided at a rate pegged to the prevailing employer’s contribution rate set by CPF, on top of the monthly stipend received.
2 The released PDF monthly stipend rates are only applicable to intakes starting from 1 Aug 2018. For cohorts that joined prior to this date, please refer to SMU Presidential Doctoral Fellowships for the rates.
SMU Full Scholarships
The SMU Full Scholarships cover registration and subsidised tuition fees (see SMU PhD Programme Fees for details). As a scholarship recipient, you will receive a monthly living stipend (as shown in the table below according to your citizenship before and after passing your qualifying exam (QE). These scholarships are renewed yearly, conditioned on good academic performance, for the first 4 years of your PhD candidature.
Beyond the scholarship duration, you may receive continued support through research assistantships and teaching assistantships (see Financial Assistance Schemes in Year 5) or industry grants at SMU.
Monthly Stipend:
| Citizenship | Before QE | After QE |
|---|---|---|
| Singapore Citizen1 | SGD $2,800 | SGD $3,300 |
| Singapore Permanent Resident | SGD $2,400 | SGD $2,900 |
| Foreign Students | SGD $2,200 | SGD $2,700 |
1 With effect from 1 August 2015, Central Provident Fund (CPF) contributions shall be provided at a rate pegged to the prevailing employer’s contribution rate set by CPF, on top of the monthly stipend received.
Industrial Postgraduate Programme
The Industrial Postgraduate Programme (IPP), supported by the Economic Development Board (EDB), aims to develop a pool of postgraduate research talent in Singapore. The programme provides postgraduate students with industry-relevant training in both the academic and corporate Research and Development (R&D) environments. At the end of the training, graduates will take on R&D roles in the industry.
SG Digital Scholarship (Postgraduate)
The SG Digital Scholarship (Postgraduate) is an industry scholarship that empowers individuals interested in pursuing tech or media-related studies at the Masters or PhD level. Individuals pursuing postgraduate studies in specialised tech or media-related areas such as Artificial Intelligence, Quantum Technologies, Immersive Media, and Film Studies can chart their future with this scholarship.
SG Digital Scholarship (Postgraduate - Cybersecurity Track)
The SG Digital Scholarship (Postgraduate - Cybersecurity Track) is an industry scholarship that enables you to pursue Master’s and PHD level studies and take the next big step in your passion for Cybersecurity.
Both scholarships are available for both full-time and part-time Masters programmes.
A*STAR Graduate Scholarship
A collaboration between A*STAR, Nanyang Technological University (NTU), National University of Singapore (NUS), Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) and Singapore Management University (SMU), the A*STAR Graduate Scholarship (AGS) enables you to undertake research at an A*STAR Research Institute and register your PhD candidature at NTU, NUS, SUTD or SMU. The scholarship finances up to four years of your PhD studies in Singapore.
A*STAR Computing and Information Science (ACIS) Scholarship
The ACIS Scholarship is open to Singaporeans and other nationals intending to take up Singapore citizenship. The ACIS Scholarship provides a competitive stipend, on top of other allowances, and full tuition fees support for up to four years of PhD studies.
AI SINGAPORE (AISG) PhD Fellowship Programme
The AISG PhD Fellowship Programme is part of AISG’s Research programme which supports top Artificial Intelligence (AI) research talents in pursuing their PhD in Singapore-based Autonomous Universities (AUs). The objective of the Programme is to nurture and train local AI talents to be able to perform advanced fundamental AI research and produce state-of-the-art AI algorithms, models and systems. Eventually, AISG hopes that these talents will contribute to the other pillars of AI Singapore, the local AI eco-system and the society. The AISG PhD Fellowship Programme welcomes all nationalities to apply.
Vingroup Young Talent Scholarship
The Vingroup Young Talent Scholarship is the first scholarship established at SMU that will provide full financial support for Vietnamese students pursuing a postgraduate programme at SMU. The mission of the Scholarship Program is to find talents and develop them further and provide them with rewarding opportunities so that they have the ability to lead and advance the development of science and technology in Vietnam in the future. For Vietnamese students pursuing the Master of Science in Computing/ Master of Philosophy in Information Systems/ PhD in Information Systems or Computer Science programme, the scholarship covers full tuition fees as well as partial miscellaneous fees and living allowance* during the recipient’s period of study.
*Terms and conditions apply.