Overseas Postgraduate Scholarships (OPS)
- About
- Eligibility & Selection Criteria
- Supported Fields of Study
- Value of Scholarship
- Service Commitment
- Application Process
- Contact Information
About
SMU’s Overseas Postgraduate Scholarship is a prestigious scholarship that aims to attract and encourage talented young Singaporeans to embark on an academic career by providing financial support for an overseas PhD/terminal degree programme as well as academic guidance and mentorship.
The scholarships may be awarded to applicants who
- have just completed undergraduate studies
- have completed a Bachelor’s degree or a Master’s programme and/or have worked for some years
- are currently enrolled in a PhD programme overseas
On successful completion of the PhD/terminal degree programme, the scholar will be considered to join SMU’s faculty as an Assistant Professor on the tenure track.
Eligibility & Selection Criteria
- Singapore citizens
- Graduates with good Bachelor’s or Master Degrees in, but not limited to accountancy, business, computer science, economics, engineering, law, mathematics, statistics and/or social sciences
- Excellent academic record plus a high degree of proficiency and motivation for a research area that is strongly aligned with SMU’s core areas of excellence
- A keen interest in an academic career at SMU
Supported Fields of Study
The following fields of study will be supported for PhD studies or a terminal degree in the case of Law:
|
- Accountancy |
- Economics |
Value of Scholarship
The scholarship provides
- Full tuition and compulsory fees
- Monthly stipend
- Overseas maintenance allowance
- Return economy airfares
- Conference and fieldwork grants
- Overseas medical insurance
Scholars will also each be assigned a SMU faculty mentor throughout their course of study and have opportunities to participate in faculty development programmes.
The scholarship is tenable for a period of five years.
Service Commitment
5 years in SMU after completion of PhD / terminal degree studies. Mid-term awardees will have a service commitment of 1 year for every year of sponsorship.
Application Process
Interested candidates are required to complete and submit the Overseas Postgraduate Scholarship Application Form to START_OPS_Coordinator@smu.edu.sg along with the following:
- Personal statement describing area(s) of research interest and motivation for pursuing an academic career at SMU
- A sample of writing that demonstrates applicant’s ability to explain and summarise a topic of academic interest
- Detailed CV
- Degree certificates, academic transcripts and relevant GMAT/GRE test scores
- Names and email addresses of three references whom you have approached to provide a referee report on applicant
Candidates currently pursuing or have applied for/enrolled in a doctoral programme should also provide details of their research topic and status of the programme.
Applications may be submitted throughout the year but candidates are advised to submit them at least nine months prior to the intended commencement date of the postgraduate programme.
Shortlisted candidates will first be invited for an interview with faculty from their discipline of interest and upon their recommendation, may be invited to an interview with the Selection Panel. The Selection Panel will typically convene twice a year, in the first and fourth quarters. Decisions on the scholarship award will be based on the interviews and the application materials submitted.
Contact Information
For further information about SMU’s START Overseas Postgraduate Scholarship, please refer to the FAQs or write to our coordinator at: START_OPS_Coordinator@smu.edu.sg
Last updated on 19 Sep 2017.