NUS Graduate School
NUS Graduate School
for Integrative Sciences and Engineering
for Integrative Sciences and Engineering
BRIEFING ON THE
THESIS EXAMINATION PROCESS
NUS Graduate School
for Integrative Sciences and Engineering
What we expect of an NGS PhD graduate
• Has carried out excellent research
• Has demonstrated interest in interdisplinary issues
• Takes an analytical approach to problems
• Has deepened his/her knowledge
• Shows knowledge and curiosity about major issues in related
subject areas
• Adheres to the highest ethical standards in research
• Serves as a role model for future generations
NUS Graduate School
for Integrative Sciences and Engineering
How does the examination assess it?
• Review of relevant literature
• Clear and coherent data
• Significant results
• Critical discussion and ability to present clearly your and
others’ data
• Ability to defend results upon cross – examination
NUS Graduate School
for Integrative Sciences and Engineering
AGENDA
Submission of Thesis Exam
Format of Thesis Exam
General Guidelines on Format of Thesis
Process of Thesis Exam
Criteria of External and Internal Examiners
Nomination of Examiners
Examination format
Outcome of examination
FAQ
NUS Graduate School
for Integrative Sciences and Engineering
Submission of Thesis for Examination
1. Deadline of submission
- By the max. period of candidature
2. Extension of candidature
- Application submitted through supervisor
- Preferably 3 months before expiry of candidature
- For AGS students, approval has to be given by both NGS and
A*STAR
NB : For AGS students, No guarantee that A*STAR will extend
funding, but very important to alert them early.
NUS Graduate School
for Integrative Sciences and Engineering
Submission of Thesis for Examination (cont’d)
3.Fees payable
Date of Submission Tuition Fees Payable
By the end of instructional week 2 Exempted
During first half of semester
Sem 1: 4th Week to 30 September Half of fees for the semester
Sem 2: 3rd Week to 31 March
During second half of semester
Sem 1: October to end of semester Full fees for the semester
Sem 2: April to end of semester
4. Thesis Exam Fees
- For PhD students, it costs S$535.
For AGS Students
A*STAR will reimburse fees related to thesis examination. Please consult A*GA for details.
For NGSS Students
NGS does NOT reimburse the Thesis Exam Fees. It is borne by the students
NUS Graduate School
for Integrative Sciences and Engineering
Format of Thesis Examination
Final Thesis
A B
Consists a detailed Consists an introduction,
introduction/literature review, conclusion and published (or
description and critical analysis accepted) papers (plus some
of the student’s research work extra details of methods)
in conventional, bound form. - papers are in Tier 1 journals
(defined by NUS)
- student undertook most
The 3 C’s – Clear, (75%) or all of the research
Coherent, Critical described in the papers
NUS Graduate School
for Integrative Sciences and Engineering
General Guidelines on Format of Thesis
1. General Information
Any work carried out BEFORE your enrolment in NGS cannot be used
for submission in a thesis examination.
2. Thesis Title
Not differ from the original approved title
If there is significant difference, must apply for a change of title at least
ONE month before thesis is submitted
(Form can be downloaded from NGS website)
NUS Graduate School
for Integrative Sciences and Engineering
General Guidelines on Format of Thesis (cont’d)
3. General Formatting
No Description Remarks
A Word limit 40,000 words: include footnotes but exclude appendices, bibliography,
statistical tables, etc
(For extension of limit, a written request stating reasons must be submitted
to NGS office, through the supervisor). Length is not necessarily evidence
of productivity
B Page Size White A4 paper
C Margins Left: 1.5 inches; Others: not less than 1 inch each
D Font • Size : 11 to 12 points
• Type : Times Roman & Helvetica
• Same font type and size to be used for entire thesis
E Line Spacing Text should be double-spaced except Captions, Footnotes, List of
Figures/Tables to be single-spaced
F Footnotes Appear at the bottom of each page and NOT at the end of the chapter
G Reference Style Use either name of numbers but be consistent
NUS Graduate School
for Integrative Sciences and Engineering
3. General Formatting (cont’d)
No Description Remarks
H Page • All pages must be paginated except Title page
numbering • Main body should be numbered in arabic numerals from 1 onwards
• Numbering to be consecutive, and include all maps, diagrams, etc
• Published materials submitted with the thesis whether bound in or not, should
not be included in the pagination but MUST maintain same margins, font type
and size
I Sequence of Content of thesis should follow this order
content • Title page
• Acknowledgements
• Table of contents
• Summary
• List of Tables
• List of Figures
• List of Illustrations
• List of Symbols
• Main body of thesis
• Bibliography
• Appendices
NUS Graduate School
for Integrative Sciences and Engineering
General Guidelines on Format of Thesis (cont’d)
4. Summary Page
Must contain a summary page of NOT more than 500 words written in
the English Language. This must be bound in with the thesis.
5. Title Page / Thesis Cover and Spine
Refer to the sample layout shown in Annex A of the Handouts
6. Language
Check for Correct Spelling and use of English. This is ESSENTIAL!
NGS recommends UK spelling.
USA spelling is also okay but be consistent
NUS Graduate School
for Integrative Sciences and Engineering
Process of Thesis Examination
1. Student, to decide with supervisor, on the route of thesis
examination. A is the usual route
2. Supervisor to nominate thesis examiners at least 2 months before
thesis is expected to be submitted for examination
- Nominate 5 examiners, either (3 internal and 2 external
examiners) OR 2 internal and 3 external examiners)
3. Student to submit thesis for examination
4. Student to undergo an Oral Defence (Examination) in Singapore.
NUS Graduate School
for Integrative Sciences and Engineering
Nomination of Examiners (cont’d)
• NGS would review and approve the names of the
appropriate examiners.
• Thesis Examination who reads and assess the
students’ thesis could comprise either 2 internal and
1 external examiners OR 1 internal and 2 external
examiners.
NUS Graduate School
for Integrative Sciences and Engineering
Criteria of External Examiners
External examiners should be proposed to NGS by the Thesis Advisory
Committee and must meet the following criteria for approval:
1. Internationally-recognized scientists in the field as identified by the usual criteria
(research output, citations, etc) who have at least attained at least the level of Associate
Professor or the equivalent.
2. From leading universities or research institutions.
3. Not from NUS nor from the institution in which the candidate is performing all or a
substantial part of his / her research work, if different from NUS
4. Not related (in any way) to the candidate or the supervisor
5. Not a member of the TAC.
6. Not an adjunct staff of the Department/RI from which the candidate originates.
Do NOT communicate with examiners (either internal or external) directly.
If you wish to say something to them, please go through the NGS office.
NUS Graduate School
for Integrative Sciences and Engineering
Criteria of Internal Examiners
1. Internationally-recognized scientist in the field identified by the usual criteria
(research output, citations, etc) and at least Associate Professor level or
Equivalent
2. Not related (in any way) to the candidate or the supervisor
3. May be a member of the Thesis Advisory Committee (except for the
supervisor), although if the TAC member has been highly involved in the
supervision of the thesis, this should be avoided.
The internal examiner is NOT acting as a representative of the
institution or candidate but as an unbiased independent examiner
with local knowledge.
NUS Graduate School
for Integrative Sciences and Engineering
Format of Thesis Examination
• Thesis will be read by 3 examiners
- Examiners are given a maximum of 2 months to complete the
examination of the thesis and to submit an evaluation report (and
will be reminded periodically)
• After all examiners’ reports are received,
- If there are NO/MINOR amendments, oral examination will be
scheduled in as soon as possible (aim 6 weeks)
- If MAJOR revision is recommended, candidate MAY be asked to
revise and resubmit the thesis for further examination before the
oral examination is scheduled
NUS Graduate School
for Integrative Sciences and Engineering
Format of Thesis Examination
• Oral Examination comprises the following
- Open Seminar, of approximate 40mins (together with examiners) (NEW!)
- Question & Answer Session, of approximate 15 - 20 mins
- Closed-Door Examination (with examiners only)
• At the Oral Examination, the candidate should
- Give a brief overview of the thesis
- Discuss key findings and new contributions made to the field
- Justify the methodology and theoretical framework used; and
- Analyze the implications of study for future research or applications
- Possess critical ability and presentation skills
NUS Graduate School
for Integrative Sciences and Engineering
Format of Thesis Examination
Note
• The Oral Panel will be chaired by the students’ Thesis Advisory
Committee (TAC), along with the internal examiners, who will form
the examination panel.
• In some cases, NGS will nominate additional NGS supervisors to
particpate in the examination.
• External examiner(s) may also be present but this is not mandatory
• All students undergoing their Oral Examination have to physically
present themselves for the session. This is also applicable to
students who accept and start on their overseas employment will
have to make arrangement to return to Singapore for the
examination.
NUS Graduate School
for Integrative Sciences and Engineering
Format of Thesis Examination
Possible Results of the Examination
(a) awarded PhD without further examination
(b) awarded PhD subject to minor revision to thesis
(c) awarded PhD subject to amendments of a more substantive nature
(d) not awarded PhD but be permitted to resubmit thesis in a revised form after a
further period of study and research
(e) not awarded PhD
For Decisions b, c and d, the examiners should decide how the revised thesis will be
managed and will construct a report, to be communicated to the candidate.
For decision e, they will construct a report emphasizing the finality of the decision and the
reasons for it. We anticipate that in most cases, the examiners’ reports can be given
directly to the candidate, but in some editing may be required.
NUS Graduate School
for Integrative Sciences and Engineering
Outcome of Thesis Examination
You will be considered for award of the PhD degree
- If minor/major revisions are incorporated in the thesis to the
satisfaction of the supervisor(s) and the Oral Panel Members; and
- After the uploaded electronic thesis has been verified by NGS
- Award will be made at a degree-awarding ceremony
- Letter to state that you have met all the award criteria will be
available immediately
NUS Graduate School
for Integrative Sciences and Engineering
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. For the Optional Route of Thesis Examination, what is the
recommended number of published papers?
A1. A minimum of 3 published papers would be advisable, unless the
paper is in an absolutely top-listed journal such as Nature, Science, Cell
or PNAS. However, there isn’t a maximum number. Papers should
normally be first-authored by the student.
Q2. Is Co-first authorship considered a first-authorship?
A2. Yes.
NUS Graduate School
for Integrative Sciences and Engineering
Frequently Asked Questions (cont’d)
Q3. Where can I obtain a list of Tier 1 journals?
A3. Please seek advice from your supervisor as he/she will have
access to the relevant information.
Q4. If I am submitting my thesis through the typical route,
is a publication required?
A4(i) No, although we would normally expect students to have
published work in good journals, conferences proceedings, etc.
Is the position of authorship important?
A4(ii) Yes. It must indicate that the student did 75% of the work. The
thesis should focus on your own work.
NUS Graduate School
for Integrative Sciences and Engineering
Frequently Asked Questions (cont’d)
Q5. On choice of external examiners, if I am attached to an RI, does that
mean my choice of external examiners must NOT be someone from my
RI?
A5. Yes. The external examiner should not come from the same RI /
Department as the student.
Please refer to the detailed FAQ attached in the handouts.
NUS Graduate School
for Integrative Sciences and Engineering
END OF SESSION
• THANK YOU