Programme at a Glance
Intake and Application
Overview
The National University of Singapore (NUS) Master of Science (MSc) in Applied Biomedicine (MSc-ABM) is offered by the Division of Graduate Studies in the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine (NUSMed).
The MSc-ABM, perhaps the first programme of its kind in Asia, has a critical role to play in light of the recent pandemic and future healthcare crises. The MSc-ABM equips students with skills to combat emerging infectious diseases, develop vaccines and immunotherapies, as well as design drugs. It aims to develop students in their critical and analytical thinking in the complex and evolving healthcare landscape; training them to be resourceful and adaptable independent learners and leaders in the biomedical workforce. The programme also aims to impart the following skill sets and knowledge to students:
Students in the programme can choose to generalise or pursue one of three specialisations:
By arming students with the necessary skills and knowledge, the MSc-ABM will provide a steady supply of skilled professionals to the healthcare and biopharmaceutical industries—in particular research institutes, ministries and hospitals where the disciplines of infectious diseases management, vaccine development/immunotherapy and drug discovery/development are critical.
Why This Programme?
Get more from an integrated Master’s Degree programme focused on biomedical topics critical to the post-pandemic scientific community.
Prepare to be an agile and enterprising healthcare talent with good management potential, through the programme's bio innovation and leadership courses.
Leverage on Singapore's lessons and successes in managing the COVID-19 pandemic, which add new and unique perspectives to the programme.
Application Period
An Academic Year (AY) at NUS consists of two semesters and a special term (which occurs during the Semester 2 Vacation, and is divided into two parts of six weeks duration each):
For the MSc-ABM programme, there is one application period for each AY:
| Programme | Intake | Application Dates |
|---|---|---|
| MSc-ABM | Semester 1 (Aug Intake) | 1 Oct to 30 Apr of intake year |
Note: Shortlisted candidates will be notified within two months of the closing of the application period. Applicants are encouraged to submit their applications early as offers of admission may be made to suitable candidates before the application period closes, subject to approval from the selection committee.
Admission to the NUS MSc-ABM programme is granted on a competitive basis as places in the programme are limited. Applicants should possess the following minimum requirements:
| Academic | M.B.,B.S degree or a relevant Bachelor’s Degree (with Honours) in Life Sciences (e.g. Biochemistry, Cell Biology, Molecular Biology), Bioengineering, Biotechnology or Health-Sciences-related discipline Note: Alternatively, candidates with other qualifications and relevant industry experience may be considered on a case-by-case basis, subject to approval by the Programme Committee |
| Skill/Experience | Not applicable |
| English Language | Applicants whose native tongue and medium of university instruction is not completely in English: Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) minimum score of 85 (Internet-based), or International English Language Testing System (IELTS) minimum Academic score of 6.0 Note: TOEFL / IELTS scores are valid for two years from the test date and should not have expired at point of application. Expired scores will not be considered for the application. |
| Other | Not applicable |
Candidates may visit the official Educational Testing Service (ETS) website for scheduling of TOEFL/GRE tests.
Note: Applicants are responsible for ensuring that application information and all supporting documents are truthful and correct. NUS reserves the right to verify information provided as part of an application. False or misleading information in an application (including but not limited to test scores, resumes, certificates, transcripts, etc.) is grounds for admission rejection, revocation and/or dismissal from the University.
The NUS MSc-ABM programme is offered on the following basis (with estimated time to complete the programme indicated below):
| Full-time | 12 months |
| Part-time | 24 months |
Note: International applicants must be accepted into an approved full-time course in Singapore to apply for a Student’s Pass. For more information, refer to the Singapore Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) website.
The MSc-ABM is a 40-Unit coursework-based Master’s Degree programme with a Capstone Project option and a coursework option.
The Capstone Project option comprises:
Compulsory core/essential courses (12 Units) with Capstone Project (8 Units), and
Elective courses (20 Units)
The coursework option comprises:
Compulsory core/essential courses (12 Units) with two additional core/essential courses (8 units), and
Elective courses (20 Units)
Core/Essential Courses
Students must complete four compulsory core courses (12 Units) — ABM5001, ABM5002, ABM5003 and BMI5101B — and either ABM5004 (8 Units), or both MDG5102 (4 Units) and MDG5229 (4 Units).
| Course Code | Course Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| ABM5001 | Leadership in Biomedicine | 2 |
| ABM5002 | Advanced Biostatistics for Research | 2 |
| ABM5003 | Biomedical Innovation & Enterprise | 4 |
| ABM5004 | Capstone Project | 8 |
| BMI5101B | Advanced Biomedical Informatics | 4 |
| MDG5102* | Techniques in Biomedical Research | 4 |
| MDG5229* | Advanced Topics in Signal Transduction | 4 |
* Only students who do not wish to take up the Capstone Project can register for these courses.
Elective Courses
Students must complete 20 Units of Elective Courses, and have the option to specialise (i.e. choose and complete five courses from a single track, as described below) or not (i.e. choose and complete five courses from across any of the three tracks).
Vaccinology and Immunotherapy Specialisation
| Course Code | Course Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| ABM5101 | Applied Immunology | 4 |
| ABM5102 | Vaccine Development and Its Modern Applications | 4 |
| ABM5103 | Advanced Technologies in Immune Therapeutic Development | 4 |
| ABM5104 | Microbiome-Aging-Immunity Crosstalk | 4 |
| MDG5207 | Clinical Immunology and Immunotherapeutics | 4 |
Drug Discovery and Development Specialisation
| Course Code | Course Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| ABM5105 | Drugs Used in Infectious Diseases | 4 |
| ABM5106 | Anticancer Therapeutics | 4 |
| MDG5204 | Advanced Topics in Pharmacology | 4 |
| MDG5232 | Current Practices in Biotechnology | 4 |
| MDG5233 | Current Topics in Drug Design and Development | 4 |
Infectious Diseases Management Specialisation
| Course Code | Course Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| ABM5102 | Vaccine Development and Its Modern Applications | 4 |
| ABM5105 | Drugs Used in Infectious Diseases | 4 |
| ABM5107 | One World, One Health: Ecosystems, Animals and Us | 4 |
| MDG5246 | Infectious Diseases: Principles & Research Methods | 4 |
| SPH5201 | Control of Communicable Diseases* | 4 |
| SPH5205 | Urban Outbreak Management* | 4 |
| SPH5206 | Urban Field Epidemiology* | 4 |
* Students can register for only one of these three courses
Note: For more information about the courses listed above (as well as other courses offered in the current academic year), please visit NUSMODS.
To graduate from the NUS MSc-ABM programme, students must meet the following requirements:
| Programme and/or Specialisation | Read and pass a total of 40 Units, comprising: 20 Units of Core/Essential Courses (including either ABM5004 or both MDG5102 and MDG5229), and 20 Units of Elective Courses (all from one track for specialisation, or across two or more tracks without specialisation) |
| Course and/or Qualification | Not applicable |
| Grade Point Average (GPA) | Minimum 3.0 (out of maximum 5.0)
Please see also the University’s minimum standards for Continuation and Graduation Requirements. Specific programmes may implement stricter or additional requirements. |
| Other | Not applicable |
The University reserves all rights to review fees as necessary and adjust accordingly without prior notice.
| Tuition | S$52,921.00
(excluding GST) /
|
| Application | S$50.00 (including 9% GST) Non-refundable and non-transferable |
| Acceptance | S$5,000.00 (including 9% GST) Payable upon acceptance of offer Non-refundable and non-transferable Will be credited towards tuition fees |
| Miscellaneous Student Fees | As published by Office of the University Registrar
Payable every regular semester |
Scholarships & Financial Assistance
The scholarships and financial assistance schemes presented here are examples of the kinds of funding from the University as well as third-party sponsors that might be available to eligible NUS Master's Degree (Coursework) programme students and applicants.
The information provided is subject to change, and warranties cannot be provided as to its completeness or accuracy. Students and applicants are strongly encouraged to conduct their own research, and refer to the relevant sponsors and/or websites for more detailed and up-to-date information.
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NUS Master's Degree by Coursework Tuition Fee Rebate
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