Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy PhD Scholarship

Benefits & funding

• LKYSPP PhD Scholarship monthly stipend: SGD 2,800 for Singapore citizens, SGD 2,400 for permanent residents, SGD 2,200 for international students.
• A further SGD 500 per month is added after a student passes the PhD Qualifying Examination.
• CPF contributions are paid on top of the stipend for Singapore citizens. The typical award period is three years.
• The School’s scholarship page lists the stipend only and does not state whether tuition is waived.
• NUS Research Scholarship: full waiver of tuition fees plus SGD 3,800 / 3,400 / 3,000 per month for citizens, permanent residents and international students, with the same SGD 500 increase after the qualifying exam, for up to four years. International holders complete the Graduate Assistantship Programme.
• President’s Graduate Fellowship: full waiver of tuition fees plus SGD 4,800 / 4,400 / 3,900 per month, a one-time settling allowance of S$1,000 and up to S$750 airfare for newly registered international students, and a Research Incentive Award after the qualifying exam. Tenable up to four years and awarded on nomination by the School.
• Annual PhD tuition without a waiver, for reference: S$12,300 subsidised for citizens, S$15,550 for permanent residents, S$23,250 for international students; the non-subsidised rate is S$39,800 to S$41,800.
• There is no application fee for the PhD programme.
• No bond and no service commitment attach to the LKYSPP PhD Scholarship.

Eligibility

• Open to all nationalities: Singapore citizens, permanent residents and international students.
• A good Master’s degree in a relevant discipline, or a Second Class Upper Honours degree or equivalent. Relevant disciplines include public policy, public administration, economics, political science and social science.
• The scholarship page states a relevant Master’s degree and a preference for at least two years of work experience. The work experience is a preference, not a requirement.
• An academic background in social science and a demonstrated interest in international affairs.
• The GRE is optional but strongly encouraged, and evidence of quantitative, verbal and analytical strength weighs in the assessment.
• An English test is required only where the bachelor’s or master’s degree was not taught fully in English and no GRE score is submitted: IELTS Academic 7.0, or TOEFL iBT 100 for tests taken before 21 January 2026 and 5.0 on the revised scale for tests taken on or after that date.
• Applicants holding qualifications from Australia, Canada, India, Ireland, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, the UK or the US are exempt from the English test.
• Two academic referee reports are required.

Application process

1. 1
   Identify a potential supervisor at the School whose research interests match the proposed topic.
2. 2
   Prepare the research proposal, statement of intent, writing sample, CV, transcripts and degree scrolls, plus GRE or English scores where they apply.
3. 3
   Apply for admission through NUS GradApp between 1 August and 10 December for the following August intake.
4. 4
   Indicate interest in the scholarship inside the same admissions application; there is no separate scholarship form.
5. 5
   Arrange for two academic referees to submit their reports.
6. 6
   The School reviews applications and nominates candidates for the President’s Graduate Fellowship. Admission and award decisions are issued together, ahead of the August intake.

Program timeline

1. Applications open for the August 2027 intake

   Aug 1, 2026

2. Application deadline

   Dec 10, 2026

3. Semester 1 intake begins

   August 2027

4. End of Year 1, end of Year 2 and Year 3 Semester 1

   PhD Qualifying Examination assessments

5. Year 4

   PhD thesis and oral defence, with completion expected in four years