MSc in Quantitative Finance (by Coursework) (Prospective Students)

1. An applicant must possess or expect to obtain an Honours degree (or a 4-year Bachelor’s degree) in a discipline with strong quantitative training such as mathematics, statistics, economic, finance, computer science, engineering, physical sciences, or equivalent degrees with strong mathematical background.
2. An applicant whose medium of undergraduate instruction is not English is required to submit TOEFL (with a minimum score of 85 for the internet-based test) or IELTS (with a minimum score of 6.0).

APPLICATION FEES

• SGD100 (online)
• Non-refundable and payable when submitting application materials.

TUITION FEES (FOR THE ENTIRE 10-COURSE PROGRAMME)

• SGD54,000 (August 2023 intake) See instalment plan
• SGD54,000 (August 2024 intake)  See instalment plan
• SGD55,590 (August 2025 intake)  See instalment plan

MISCELLANEOUS STUDENT FEES

• This is set by the University and is compulsory and payable every semester. See table of fees

PER COURSE FEES

• For students who need to repeat a course or who wish to read more than 10 courses to meet the programme or graduation requirements.
• SGD5,400 (August 2023 intake)
• SGD5,400 (August 2024 intake)
• SGD5,559 (August 2025 intake)

NOTES

• All fees quoted above include prevailing GST unless otherwise stated.
• Fees paid are not refundable in the event of non-completion of the programme by the candidate.
• There are penalties for late or partial fee payments.
• Fees are subject to change or inflation.
• Students who wish to read more than 10 courses should note that the per course fees are paid to the course host department and may not be refunded if they decide to drop the extra course(s). The application for the extra course(s) is also subject to approval by the course host department.

APPLICATION FEES

• Application fee is to be paid online via Graduate Admission System (GDA3).
• Fees paid are non-refundable and non-transferable.

TUITION FEES (1ST INSTALMENT)

• Acceptance fee is to be paid online via Graduate Admission System (GDA3).
• Please refer to the instruction found inside your Offer of Admission.
• Fees paid are non-refundable and non-transferable.

TUITION FEES (2ND AND SUBSEQUENT INSTALMENTS) AND OTHER FEES:

• Payment can be made via GIRO for convenience.
• Other acceptable modes of payment include cheque, bank draft/cashier’s order, credit card, internet banking.
• Penalty charges will be levied on late payments.
• Cheque/bank draft/cashier’s order to be made in Singapore currency and payable to “National University of Singapore”.
• Fees paid are non-refundable and non-transferable.

The MSc in Quantitative Finance programme accepts early admission from 16 May 2024 to 15 July 2024. Conducted on a rolling basis, the admission offers will be given from August 2024.

Strong candidates are encouraged to apply for this programme during this early admission exercise.

1. All applicants should apply online via the Graduate Admission System.
2. Applicants should browse the User Guide before applying.
3. All supporting documents must be uploaded (in .pdf format) by the application closing date. English translations should accompany supporting documents that are not in English.
4. Applicants no longer need to send us the hardcopy of the supporting documents as these documents can be uploaded into application portal for retrieval.
5. No changes are allowed once the application is submitted.
6. Inaccurate/incomplete applications will not be processed.
7. Applications and/or payment received after the closing date will not be processed for that intake.
8. No candidate may concurrently be a student for more than one degree or register as an NUS candidate and of another university/institute.
9. Shortlisted candidates may be required to sit for an interview. They will be informed of the details in due course.

SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS

1. Singapore NRIC (for Singapore Citizens or Singapore Permanent Residents)
2. Passport information page (for International applicants)
3. University transcript
   • Applicants should upload the official transcript from each university they have attended
4. Degree scroll or a letter stating you are a full-time student status
5. Valid TOEFL or IELTS score
   • Applicants whose medium of undergraduate instruction is not English are required to submit TOEFL (with a minimum score of 85 for the internet-based test) or IELTS (with a minimum score of 6.0).
   • TOEFL or IELTS scores are valid for two (2) years from the test date and should not have expired at point of application. Expired scores will not be considered for the application.
6. Financial document e.g. bank statement / recent payslip / original sponsor’s letter
7. Referee Reports and Personal Statement are not required for application to the programme

APPLICATION PERIOD

1 October of the previous year to 31 January

CLOSING DATE

• 31 January
• There is only one intake every year for this programme, coinciding with the beginning of the academic year in August.

1. All applicants should apply online via the Graduate Admission System.
2. Applicants should browse the User Guide before applying.
3. All supporting documents must be uploaded (in .pdf format) by the application closing date. English translations should accompany supporting documents that are not in English.
4. Applicants no longer need to send us the hardcopy of the supporting documents as these documents can be uploaded into application portal for retrieval.
5. No changes are allowed once the application is submitted.
6. Inaccurate/incomplete applications will not be processed.
7. Applications and/or payment received after the closing date will not be processed for that intake.
8. No candidate may concurrently be a student for more than one degree or register as an NUS candidate and of another university/institute.
9. Shortlisted candidates may be required to sit for an interview. They will be informed of the details in due course.

SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS

• Singapore NRIC (for Singapore Citizens or Singapore Permanent Residents)
• Passport information page (for International applicants)
• University transcript
  • Applicants should upload the official transcript from each university they have attended
• Degree scroll or a letter stating your full-time student status
  • A degree scroll is a document conferred upon a student after he/she has completed the required courses in the programme and met the graduation requirements for his/her undergraduate/postgraduate education.
  • A degree scroll and a verification letter are two different documents.
• Valid TOEFL or IELTS score
  • Applicants whose medium of undergraduate instruction is not English are required to submit TOEFL (with a minimum score of 85 for the internet-based test) or IELTS (with a minimum score of 6.0).
  • TOEFL or IELTS scores are valid for two (2) years from the test date and should not have expired at point of application. Expired scores will not be considered for the application.
• Financial document e.g. bank statement / recent payslip / original sponsor’s letter
• Referee Reports, GRE Report and Personal Statement are not required for application to the programme

APPLICATION OUTCOME

By 31 May

Academic Calendar 

NUS Bulletin (Course Catalogue) 

How does this programme differ from others, e.g. MSc in Financial Engineering?

1. MSc in Quantitative Finance is offered by three strong academic departments in NUS – Department of Mathematics in collaboration with the Department of Statistics and Data Science and the Department of Economics, while MSc Financial Engineering is offered by the Risk Management Institute, which is a university level research institute.
2. MSc in Quantitative Finance requires students to have stronger background in mathematics and/or statistics.
3. While the compulsory courses in MSc in Quantitative Finance emphasize mathematical methods, understanding and computation that provide students with a strong quantitative foundation, a wide range of elective modules covering mathematical and statistical finance and financial economics are available to its students to broaden their education.

I’m very interested in this programme but I do not have a degree in mathematics or quantitative finance. Am I eligible to apply?

This is up to you to decide. The programme is aimed at providing advanced training in quantitative finance and enrolled students are preferred to have a strong background in mathematics or quantitative finance so that they may follow the syllabus with ease.

I do not have an Honours degree (i.e. only a 3-year Bachelor’s degree or its equivalent). Am I eligible to apply?

As this is a 40-unit programme, applicants are required to possess at least an Honours degree (or a 4-year Bachelor’s degree) for consideration of admission.

I’m interested in energy trading and related areas. Would this programme be useful or relevant?

At the moment, both MSc in Quantitative Finance do not offer any modules specific to the energy market. Nevertheless, there are faculty members in the academic Departments with knowledge and expertise in energy market and students may benefit from their interactions with them.

Must I sit for TOEFL and GRE tests?

TOEFL ascertains a candidate’s English language proficiency and is necessary if English is not your native tongue the medium of university instruction is not completely in English.

GRE test is not required for applying to this programme.
For details on test centres and test dates, check the web sites of TOEFL.

Do you accept copies of test results for TOEFL test?

If you have sat for the test but are worried that the score sheet may not reach us in time, you may email or fax a copy of the test candidate’s score sheet to us first. Processing of applications may be delayed if the required documents are not available during the review.

May I be exempted from sitting for TOEFL test since it is not available in my province/country?

You may replace TOEFL with IELTS or an official certification letter from your institution indicating that the medium of teaching/instruction was English, whichever is available.

Can I submit the test result after the application closing date, if there are no test dates available before the closing date?

You are strongly advised to plan ahead for the test so that the result may reach us before the closing date. In the unfortunate event that the test result can only be submitted after application closing date, they must reach us within two weeks of the closing date.

Must I submit referees’ reports/letters?

Referees’ reports/letters are not required for this programme.

Should I submit original versions of all supporting documents?

It is not necessary to submit everything in original versions especially if you only have one piece of the original document. But you must be able to produce the original version for verification when required.

When will I know the outcome of my application?

You will be notified about three to four months after the closing date.
Do note that we do not acknowledge receipt of applications and are unable to answer queries related to the status of applications and chances of admission.

I have been admitted to the programme but due to unforeseen circumstances, I may not be able to complete matriculation and commence study as planned. Can I defer my admission to the next intake?

You may request for deferment if you have been offered admission or have registered for it. Send us an email to request for a deferment, indicating the new start date. You will be notified of the outcome in due course.

I have problems continuing or completing the programme. Can I drop out from it?

You would need to complete and submit a form for it.

Is there a closing date to apply for deferment, leave of absence or withdrawal?

Request for deferment and withdrawal has to be done by 15 May.

Note that acceptance and/or tuition fees that are paid are non-refundable, even with valid reasons.

Should I apply for full-time or part-time load?

This is up to you to decide. But note that the following groups are only allowed to apply for full-time load basis:

• Not a Singaporean;
• Not a Singapore permanent resident;
• Not holding an employment pass in Singapore.

Anyone else may choose to apply for either for full-time or part-time load.

What is the difference between full-time and part-time load?

Full-time students are allowed to read up to four courses in a regular semester while part-time students are only allowed to read up to two courses in a regular semester.

Can I switch from full-time to part-time (vice versa) during the course of studies?

You would need to complete and submit a form for it. You are also responsible in ensuring that you are indeed eligible to study part-time in Singapore before applying for conversion.

Application is subject to approval, and you are only allowed to convert once.

Can I transfer credits of courses read in another course to this course?

You may drop an email to request for consideration, including your transcript and list of modules intended for credit transfer. This process must be completed before admission to the programme.
Note that cases approved in the past may not be used as precedence for future cases.

Can I pay the tuition fees in other forms of instalment or amounts?

All payments for this programme must follow the stipulated instalment plans.

I need to find out more about the cost of living in Singapore.

The Office of Student Affairs website provides comprehensive information.

I notice that you have another programme called ‘MSc in Quantitative Finance (NUS-SJTU)’. Is this the same as MSc in Quantitative Finance and am I eligible to sign up?

MSc in Quantitative Finance (NUS-SJTU) is essentially the same programme as MSc in Quantitative Finance with some exceptions being that it is offered in collaboration with the School of Mathematical Sciences at the Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU), China. Teaching is conducted primarily on the campus of SJTU. Also, this joint programme is only offered on a part time basis. More information about this joint programme can be found here. Interested applicants can also consider signing up for the joint programme.

I can’t find answers in the FAQs above.

Check out the FAQ page of the Faculty of Science. If you still can’t find the answers, drop us an email.