The 2-year Master in Public Policy (MPP) Programme is designed for young professionals, with up to 5 years of work experience, who seek rigorous education and training in public affairs. The programme provides students with a strong foundation in policy analysis, programme evaluation and management in the public, private, and not-for-profit sectors and prepares them for professional careers related to public service. It is devised to meet the needs of government departments and public agencies for highly skilled professional policymakers and analysts. Therefore the MPP programme intends to prepare graduates for entry to the profession of public service. As a result the common modules have elements that are intended to make the graduate ready for their first day of work in the public sector, with a view developing over the next few years. To do this, the School emphasizes the ability to conduct and understand research, life-long learning, problem solving and teamwork skills, along with the understanding of public service, and economics. MPP graduates go on to work in many settings: from national, state, and local government to think-tanks, consulting firms, multilateral institutions, and non-profit organisations.

Taught by our eminent faculty who come from some of the most prestigious institutions globally, the small class size of 60 students facilitates dynamic interaction between professors and students, and amongst the students themselves. A prestigious network of partner institutions worldwide allows qualified Master students a unique opportunity to spend a year abroad pursuing a double degree or spend a semester abroad on exchange.

MPP students come from more than 25 countries around the world; they are drawn from the public, private and not-for-profit sector, with international students constituting roughly 80 percent of the student body.

A sample cohort includes candidates in positions such as Communication Officer, UNDP, Malaysia; Analyst, Goldman Sachs; Analyst, Australian Department of Defence; Associate, Ernst & Young; Research Associate, Harvard University; Radio Producer, UN Mission in Sudan; Senior Assistant Director, Ministry of Trade and Industry, Singapore and Junior Diplomat, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Indonesia to name a few.

The LKY School also offers students a wide range of professional development services through career panels and employer information sessions, networking events with alumni and professional skills workshops. Graduates of the LKY School go on to distinguished careers all over the world in multilateral, government and non-profit sectors.

Please click here to view the tuition fees*, and other applicable fees**.

*Full fees are payable if students have previously enjoyed a government subsidy or sponsorship by the Singaporean government agency for a graduate programme.

**Please note that fees are subject to change

In addition to the program fees, the School estimates general costs of living to be:

N/B: The costs have been derived based on a conservative estimate of a reasonably comfortable lifestyle. The actual amount could be higher or lower depending on the individual student’s expenditure and lifestyle pattern.

More than 50 percent of the LKY School students study on merit based scholarships. All students can apply for the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (LKYSPP) and Chang Yung-Fa scholarships. Furthermore, prospective students can also apply for more scholarships based on nationality.

Applicants for financial aid simply need to complete (as part of the general application process) the Financial Aid Application Form which requires the applicant to indicate maximum of 3 scholarships he/she chooses. Upon successful admission to the LKY School, more specific information on grants will be communicated to the financial aid applicant. Students can also work as research or staff assistants, either within the School or with external institutions across Singapore.

Please click here for more information on financial aid.

Candidates accepted into the programme will normally have up to 5 years of work experience and the average age is mid-20’s. Although bright fresh graduates will be considered, the MPP candidate preferably should have displayed interest and/or experience in a public service environment.

Admission requirements are as follows:

• NUS honours degree (minimum 2nd Upper) or an equivalent degree (i.e. Bachelor dgree with an average grade of B or above)
• Valid TOEFL or IELTS test scores (only for international applicants without a degree from an English-medium institution in Australia, Canada, Ireland, NZ, UK or the US); a score of at least 580 on TOEFL paper based test / 85 on TOEFL internet based test or 6.5 on IELTS preferred
• Completed application form
• Complete CV
• 3 essays
• 3 references
• Application fee
• Official transcripts and certificates/diplomas

In general, the School looks for evidence of intellectual distinction, personal character and leadership capabilities (as demonstrated by extracurricular, civic or community activities, employment history and recommendations).

Application for MPP 2013 is now closed.

The 2 -year MPP programme has 5 unique features:

1. MPP students have the option of deepening their understanding of a specific field by focusing on one of five areas of specialisation:
   • Development Studies
   • Economic Policy and Analysis
   • International Relations and Security Studies
   • Social and Environmental Policy
   • Public Management and Governance
2. MPP students can apply to “double degree” programmes with Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA), the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), the Institut d’Etudes Politiques de Paris (Sciences Po), University of Geneva, Peking University or the University of Tokyo. While admission is highly competitive, accepted students spend one year at the LKY School and the second at the partner institution (application to the double degree partner is made at the end of the first semester at LKY School). Upon successful completion of the programme they will be awarded two degress from the respective institutions. The school also offers double degree programmes with NUS Faculty of Law and NUS Business School.
3. MPP students can also benefit from exchanges in the second year with more than a dozen world class universities including Georgetown University, Tsinghua and University of St Gallen. Accepted students spend one semester at the partner institution.
   
   Our Student Exchange Partners include:
   

   America	Georgetown University, Georgetown Public Policy Institute, USA University of Toronto, School of Public Policy and Governance, Canada Centro de Investigación y Docencia Económicas, A.C., (CIDE), Mexico
   Europe	Hertie School of Governance, Germany Bocconi University, Italy University of St Gallen, Switzerland The Graduate Institute, HEI, Switzerland Moscow State Institute of International Relations University, Russia
   Asia and the Pacific	National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS), Japan Tsinghua University, China Seoul National University, Graduate School of International Studies, Korea Korea Development Institute, Korea Korea University, Korea University of Malaya, Malaysia
   Africa & the Middle East	The American University in Cairo, School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, Egypt

   
   
4. To obtain direct practical experience, MPP students must undertake a public policy or management study, called the Policy Analysis Exercise (PAE), for a client in the public, private, or non-profit sector.
5. MPP students also have the option of pursuing an internship in the public, private or not-for-profit sector in the summer or winter break. The School actively engages with leading think tanks, consulting firms, multilateral institutions and non-profit organizations to help facilitate internships for students.

The MPP program is full time and fully taught in English.
The curriculum will consist of:

• Common Curriculum (24 MCs)
• Modules in a chosen Specialization (20 MCs)
• Free Electives (20 MCs)

MPP Electives:

Please click here for our list of electives, categorized broadly into five specialization areas. Aditionally, students have the option of enrolling in up to three graduate modules offered in NUS at large.

Joyce Cuff at (65) 6516 5357 or
Regine Wong at (65) 6516 4845

You can also email your queries to