MSc in Statistics - Department of Statistics & Data Science

MSc in Statistics
Professional Training in Statistics and Data Science

The Department of Statistics and Data Science at NUS is consistently ranked among the top Statistics departments in the world according to the QS World University Rankings. Part of our mission is to be a leader in education, and to train statisticians and data science professionals who can bring an understanding of data and evidence-based decision-making to the roles they will fill. Our MSc graduates find jobs in banking and finance, business and marketing, medical and health sciences, manufacturing and engineering, research and academic institutions, and in many other fields. Our exciting curriculum equips you both with fundamental knowledge in statistical theory and data science principles, as well as practical knowledge of specialized techniques in a wide range of areas in our elective courses. The MSc in Statistics is ideal for those looking to further their careers as industry statisticians or data scientists, or wanting a solid foundation for an entry into research.

We look forward to welcoming you to our programme!

Associate Professor David Nott (Programme Director)

NUS will adopt three new academic terminologies from 1 August 2023 – “Module” will be renamed “Course”, “Modular Credit (MC)” will be renamed “Unit”, and ‘Cumulative Average Point (CAP)” will be renamed “Grade Point Average (GPA)”. For more information, please click here (undergraduate) or here (graduate).

Last updated 24 May 2025

Admissions Criteria

A Bachelor’s (Honours) degree or a 4-year Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics, Engineering, Statistics, Biostatistics, Quantitative Finance, Computer Science, Physics, Economics, etc.
A candidate whose medium of instruction in their undergraduate program is partially or not in English will be required to provide the following:
- Test of English as Foreign Language (TOEFL) – Minimum score: 85 (internet-based test)
- International English Language Testing System (IELTS) – Overall minimum score: 6
Candidates with 3-year degree or degree in other major areas or qualifications may be considered on a case-by-case basis, subject to approval by the Graduate Programme Committee.

Application Period and Requirements

Early Admission Round (August AY2026 intake)
Application Period: 16 May 2025 to 15 July 2025

Instruction for Application:

All applicants should apply online via the Graduate Admission System.
Applicants should browse the User Guide before applying.
All supporting documents must be uploaded (in clear PDF format with no password protection) by the application closing date. English translations should accompany supporting documents that are not in English.
Name all your supporting documents in English before uploading to the Graduate Admission System.
Applicants no longer need to send us hardcopies of the supporting documents as these documents can be uploaded into application portal for retrieval.
Applications without application fee payment or with insufficient application fee amount will not be processed.
Applications and/or payment received after the closing date will not be processed for that intake.

The programme only has 1 intake per academic year in August.

Supporting documents:

Academic Records
- Official Bachelor Degree Transcript
  - Official Chinese copy and English translated copy (only for applicants from Chinese universities)
- Certified Bachelor Degree Certificate/Scroll, OR
- Student Status Letter (for applicants who have not yet graduated from their undergraduate studies at the point of application) containing enrolment status and candidature period, i.e., start and expected completion date
Official ID:
- Singapore NRIC (front and back copy) for Singapore Citizens or Singapore PR applicants
- Clear and complete passport information page for International applicants
CAP/GPA ranking certificate (if applicable)
Valid TOEFL/IELTS scores:
- Applicants whose native tongue and medium of university instruction is not completely in English should upload the official score sheet of TOEFL (≥85) or IELTS (≥6.0) as evidence of their proficiency in the English language.
- TOEFL/ 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.
- We do not require applicants to request ETS to send the official hardcopy IELTS/TOEFL test scores from the test centre to the programme.
Documentary Proof of Financial Support
- All applicants must submit documentary evidence of their ability to support their study.
- International applicants must submit documentary evidence of their ability to support their study (i.e., bank statement of at least S$52,000 or its equivalent)
- Applicants who are sponsored by an individual or organisation will need to provide a letter from the sponsor with details of the sponsorship.
- Applicants who are working in Singapore and are applying for admission to our part-time programme may upload a copy of their recent payslip.

Important Notes:

Referee Reports, Personal Statement and Statement of Purpose are not required for application to the programme. Submission of Resume/CV is optional.

We regret that we do not acknowledge receipt of applications, and are unable to answer queries related to the status of applications and the chances of admission. This is to ensure that all applications are processed promptly.
No candidate may concurrently be a student for more than one degree or register as a NUS candidate and of another university/institute.
Applicants must produce originals of all documents when requested if admitted to the programme.
The University has not engaged any external agencies to undertake graduate student recruitment on its behalf. Candidates interested in our graduate programmes are advised to apply directly to the University and not through any agents. Candidates who apply through agents will not have any added advantage in gaining admission.
Inaccurate, false information or omission of necessary supporting documents or no payment of application fee will render your application invalid. The University reserves the right to reject applications that are incomplete or inaccurate. Persons admitted on the basis of inaccurate or false information may be expelled.

Application Outcome

All applicants (early and regular admission rounds) for August AY2026 will be notified latest by 30 June 2026.
Only the shortlisted applicants will be advised further. The result of application evaluation is final and no appeal will be entertained.

Graduation Requirements

To graduate from the Programme, each candidate is required to read and pass five core courses, and five elective courses.

A minimum Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.00 is required for graduation.

Candidature

This Programme is offered as a full time programme and a part time programme.

For full time students, the minimum and maximum periods of candidature are 1 year and 2 years. For part time students, the minimum and maximum periods of candidature are 2 years and 4 years.

Note: Most of the courses will be offered in the evening so that the Programme can be completed on a part-time basis.

Programme Structure

Please note the below information is for AY2025 intake and after.
The course list below may be updated rather regularly and subject to changes.

Core Courses — Students must complete all 5 Courses. (Total: 20 Units)
Course Code	Course Title	Units	SSG-funded
ST5201X	Statistical Foundations of Data Science	4 Units	Χ
ST5202X	Applied Regression Analysis	4 Units
ST5203	Design of Experiments	4 Units
ST5209X	Analysis of Time Series Data	4 Units
ST5211X	Sampling from Finite Populations	4 Units
Elective Courses – Students are required to complete any 5 courses. (Total: 20 Units) *Up to two elective courses (8 Units) may be replaced by level 5000 courses from other departments, subject to approval from both departments.*
Course Code	Course Title	Units	SSG-funded^#
ST5188	Advanced Data Science Project	4 Units	Χ
ST5207	Nonparametric Regression	4 Units	Χ
ST5210	Multivariate Data Analysis	4 Units	√
ST5212	Survival Analysis	4 Units	√
ST5213	Advanced Categorical Data Analysis	4 Units	√
ST5218	Advanced Statistical Methods in Finance	4 Units	√
ST5221	Stochastic Processes and Applications	4 Units	√
ST5225	Statistical Analysis of Networks	4 Units	√
ST5226	Spatial Statistics	4 Units	√
ST5227	Applied Statistical Learning	4 Units	√
ST5229	Deep Learning in Data Analytics	4 Units	Χ
ST5230	Applied Natural Language Processing	4 Units	Χ
ST5290	Data Science Industry Project	4 Units	Χ

^# SSG funding for courses is limited in duration and subject to availability.

Fees

Application Fee:

S$100 (inclusive of GST)
Non-refundable and non-transferable fee (payable upon submission of application via Graduate Admission System)

Offer Acceptance Fee:

Non-refundable and non-transferable fee (payable upon offer acceptance)*
For more details, please refer to fee structure in Tuition Fee section.

*Please note that requests for refund or transfer will not be entertained under any circumstances.

Tuition Fee:

International candidates: Please see the fee structure for August AY2026 intake.
Local candidates: Please see the fee structure for August AY2026 intake.

Miscellaneous Student Fees:

Compulsory and payable for every semester
More information can be found on the NUS Office of the University Registrar website

The University reserves all rights to review fees as necessary and adjust accordingly without prior notice.

FAQ

1. I am interested in this programme but I do not have a degree in the area of statistics. Am I eligible to apply?

You are welcome to apply for the programme during the application period. All applications will be assessed based on relevant background knowledge and work experience with respect to the course. Applicants without a background in statistics but with sufficient knowledge to embark on the M.Sc. Statistics by Coursework programme may also be considered favourably.

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

You are welcome to apply for the programme during the application period. Your application and relevant documents will be reviewed by our Admission Committee on a case-by-case basis.

3. Must I sit for TOEFL/IELTS test?

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

For details on test centres and test dates, please check the websites of TOEFL and IELTS.

4. 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?

If you have been offered a place in the programme and have paid the offer acceptance fee, you may request for deferment by sending us an email. Please note that all deferment requests are subject to approval by the department and faculty, and you will be notified of the outcome in due course.

5. I have been admitted to the programme but due to unforeseen circumstances, I have problems continuing with the programme. Can I withdraw from the programme?

If you wish to withdraw from the MSc Statistics coursework programme, you may do so by sending us an email stating your reasons. Please note that the offer acceptance fees or other fees payable for the programme are non-refundable and non-transferable. Kindly note that all withdrawal requests are subject to approval by the department and faculty, and you will be notified of the outcome in due course.

6. Am I eligible for staff concession if I am a full-time NUS staff member?

As this is a self-funded programme, students enrolled in our M.Sc. Statistics by Coursework programme will not be eligible for staff concession.

7. Am I eligible for the CPF Education Loan Scheme (CELS)?

Students enrolled in our M.Sc. Statistics by Coursework programme are not eligible for CPF Education Scheme (CELS) as it is only applicable to full-time undergraduate students. For more information, please visit the CPF website.

8. Am I eligible for the Post-Secondary Education Account (PSEA) scheme?

The PSEA Scheme is administered by the Ministry of Education (MOE) and is open to all eligible Singaporeans. Please refer to the MOE website to check your eligibility for PSEA.

For more information on using your PSEA funds to pay for tuition fees, please visit the NUS Graduate School’s website, available at this link.

9. Are there any scholarships available for this programme?

Yes, there are some scholarships available for applicants to apply for or explore on their own. Please find the information below:

NUS ASEAN Master’s Scholarship
The NUS ASEAN Master’s Scholarship is a continuation of the DiscoverNUS scheme. It is an exclusive bond-free scholarship that covers full tuition fees for the normal candidature period of a Master’s Degree programme at NUS. The scholarship may be offered only to candidates who have met all the following requirements:

Hold citizenship in Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand or Vietnam,
Have completed an undergraduate semester at NUS under the DiscoverNUS scheme,
Have earned an undergraduate degree from one of the partner universities in their country, and
Have been offered a place in one of the designated Master’s Degree programmes at NUS.

A separate application to be considered for the scholarship is not necessary.

Recipients of the scholarship may not concurrently hold any other scholarship, fellowship, bursary, grant, award or allowance without notifying NUS. If a recipient withdraws from the University and/or terminates the scholarship prematurely, NUS reserves the right to impose repayment of all scholarship monies disbursed.