Admissions Policy

The objective of the MPP programme's admissions policy is to select a diverse group of students who have not only outstanding academic ability but also the potential for career growth and who are committed to public service. The selection procedures are stringent as the programme is an intensive professional course of study leading to positions of responsibility.

Candidates accepted into the programme will normally be older than the average graduate student. Although those with less experience will be considered, the MPP candidate preferably should have at least two years' experience in a public service environment.

Graduates of the programme are likely to pursue careers with national, regional or international governments; nonprofit organisations; the media; public sector planning firms; international corporations; and other agencies devoted to the public interest.

Criteria for Selection

Intellectual Distinction - Demonstrated by prior academic achievement, recommendations, analytic training and examples of written work.

Personal Character and Leadership Capabilities - Demonstrated by prior achievements in extracurricular, civic or community activities and employment history through recommendations.

Eligibility

To be considered for the Master in Public Policy programme, you must have:

• a National University of Singapore (NUS) honours degree (at least 2nd Upper) or an equivalent degree, such as a 4-year Bachelor degree with an average grade of B or better; or
• a good Bachelor degree and passed the School’s placement test.

Other qualifications and experience may be accepted subject to approval by the NUS Board of Graduate Studies. Applicants should preferably have some background in economics and mathematics.

Note: These minimum requirements do not imply automatic admission into the programme.

Standardised Test Scores

If your native language is not English or your undergraduate degree programme was not conducted in English, you must submit your test scores for the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or IELTS (International English Language Testing System).

• 580 on the TOEFL paper-based test
• 237 on the TOEFL computer-based test
• 85 on the TOEFL internet-based test
• 6.5 on the IELTS test

Scores for the TOEFL and IELTS are valid for 2 years.

For more information about the TOEFL or IELTS, and for instructions on registering, please contact the Educational Testing Service, Rosedale Road, Princeton, NJ, 08541, U.S.A (for TOEFL) or visit the websites www.toefl.org (for TOEFL) and www.ielts.org (for IELTS).