Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine
PhD Programme (CSI)
The Cancer Science Institute of Singapore offers a Graduate Programme in Cancer Biology.
The CSI Singapore Graduate Programme seeks to attract top scientific and medical talents interested in a career in cancer research. Graduate students will have access to world-class facilities dedicated to cancer research and can look forward to working with a dynamic team of globally renowned specialised scientists and clinicians in an intellectually stimulating environment.
This programme also aims to produce high-calibre researchers who are capable of independent research investigation, who will contribute original ideas that advance their specific field of cancer research, and are well-equipped to pursue careers in the field of cancer.
The students are enrolled for the PhD programme at admission and fulfil requirements to graduate with a generic PhD degree. There is no specialisation of the degrees awarded. Students will engage in supervised research with staff members from the Institute for their period of candidature, leading to submission of a thesis to a Board of Examiners.
Only candidates who have fulfilled the criteria for PhD will be awarded the PhD degree.
PhD Programme
- A good Master’s degree in a relevant discipline; or
- A relevant Bachelor’s degree with at least a Distinction or its equivalent; or
- The degrees of Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS); and
- The ability to pursue research in the candidate’s proposed field of advanced study.
Other Requirements
TOEFL/IELTS
As the medium of instruction is English, applicants whose native tongue and medium of university undergraduate instruction are not English must submit TOEFL scores as evidence of their proficiency in the English Language. The minimum TOEFL score required is 580/237/85 for the paper-based, computer-based and internet-based tests respectively. Exemptions will be given to applicants with distinctions in the Cambridge GCE ‘O’ level examination English Language Paper 1119.
For IELTS, the minimum score required is 6.5.
The TOEFL/IELTS scores are valid for 2 years from the test date.
GRE
Applicants must also submit GRE scores to support their applications. A minimum total GRE score of 320 for the verbal and quantitative sections and of 3.5 for the analytical section is required. Exemptions will be given to graduates of NUS, NTU, SUTD and SMU who had graduated with Honors (Highest Distinction).
The GRE scores are valid for 5 years from the test date.
Curriculum Structure and Requirements
Candidates admitted to the graduate programme will undertake research under the supervision of staff members from the Institute for their period of candidature, leading to the submission of a thesis to a Board of Examiners. In addition, candidates are required to fulfil a coursework component comprising the following:
PhD : A total of 24 units comprising four core courses + 2 elective courses (at Level- 5000 & 6000).
To be confirmed as a PhD candidate, a student is required to pass a PhD qualifying examination within two years from the date of admission.
Candidates 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.
All PhD candidates are required to take ES5002 (Advanced Level Writing) regardless of their performance in the Diagnostic English Test.
Residency Requirements and Candidature
Residency requirements
All candidates must spend a minimum period of residence in Singapore as follows:
PhD : 18 months (three semesters)
Residency Requires:
- Payment of fees (not applicable to full-time candidates)
- Satisfying all curricular requirements of the programme of study
- Satisfying other departmental requirements such as teaching assistance
Periods of study leave and overseas fieldwork do not count toward residency. In addition, PhD candidates must be resident during the semester in which they submit their thesis for examination.
Candidature
The following maximum candidature periods are inclusive of periods of approved study leave and leave of absence.
PhD : 60 months
Laboratory Rotation Scheme
All full-time candidates will be subject to a laboratory rotation scheme to identify a suitable thesis advisor. This scheme requires candidates to participate in three laboratory rotations before choosing a thesis advisor. Each rotation will last two months. Candidates should confirm a thesis advisor by the end of the laboratory rotation scheme.
To achieve an even distribution of students among the labs, each supervisor in CSI Singapore will only be allowed to take in one full-time candidate per intake. As such, candidates may not be able to join the lab of their choice.
Continuation and Graduation Requirements
Continuation
For continuation of candidature, candidates have to meet the following Grade Point Average (GPA) set for coursework:
PhD : GPA should not fall below 3.00 for two consecutive semesters or 3.60 for three consecutive semesters.
Termination of candidature would result if a student fails to maintain the minimum GPA as stipulated above.
A PhD student with a GPA falling below 3.60 (but ≥ 3.00) will be issued an academic warning. If the candidate’s GPA again falls below 3.60 in the following semester, he/she will be placed on probation. If the student’s GPA remains below 3.60 for a third consecutive semester, the candidate will be issued a letter of dismissal by the Registrar and denied re-admission.
PhD candidates whose GPA falls below 3.00 for two consecutive semesters will be placed on probation for the first semester, followed by dismissal in the second semester.
A student may also be issued a warning or placed on probation or be issued a letter of termination for poor performance in the PhD qualifying examination, research thesis, or other programme requirements.
Graduation Requirements
- Pass all prescribed core and elective courses with a minimum GPA of 3.60 for the prescribed courses
Pass the Qualifying Examination - Pass the PhD Thesis and Oral Examination
- A minimum grade of C+ for all levels of English course(s), where applicable.
Leave of absence
The University policies on leave of absence shall apply.
Examination rules
The University policies on examination rules shall apply.
Financial support in the form of scholarships is available for qualified candidates.
CSI Singapore PhD Graduate Scholarship
Interviews
All shortlisted applicants will be required to attend an interview.
Application
Application opens from October to mid-January every year. Please visit our website at https://www.csi.nus.edu.sg/web/training-program/graduate-program/for-prospective-graduates/