The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) programme at the Asian School of the Environment (ASE) offers a rigorous and interdisciplinary training experience that integrates multiple disciplines such as environmental science, ecology, technology, human-environment interactions, and social sciences. This four-year programme combines graduate coursework and a doctoral thesis, all under close faculty mentorship. Students develop advanced research skills through hands-on investigation and interdisciplinary collaboration, building a deep understanding of complex environmental systems. Graduate coursework enhances analytical, technical, and communication abilities, while a focus on leadership and innovative problem-solving prepares graduates to become leaders in academia, research, policy, and industries worldwide.
Should you have any programme enquiries, please contact ASE's Academic Admin Team at aseacadteam@ntu.edu.sg.Before applying, please contact individual ASE faculty members to discuss potential PhD opportunities and identify a suitable faculty supervisor. You may explore our research areas and learn more about our faculty members through the ASE website.
The following are minimum admission requirements. Meeting these criteria does not guarantee admission, as selection is competitive.
- A bachelor’s degree with minimum Honours (Distinction) or Second Class (Upper) Honours in a related science, engineering, or social science programme.
- A TOEFL (internet-based) score of 5.0 or more, or IELTS score of 6.5 or more, is required for international applicants for whom English is not their first language and/or graduates of universities in which English is not the medium of instruction. Test dates must be within 2 years or less from the date of your application. Special arrangements can be made for selected applicants to sit for NTU’s English Proficiency Test (EPT) in place of TOEFL/IELTS.
- Both full-time and part-time candidatures are available. Students are expected to complete the programme within a maximum candidature period of 5 years.
PhD students are required to complete 18 Academic Units (AUs) of coursework to graduate, equivalent to approximately six graduate-level courses.
Students holding a relevant master's degree may apply for course exemptions of up to 3 AUs (equivalent to one graduate-level course) for substantially similar courses completed previously. To be eligible, the course must have been completed within five years of the exemption application.
The PhD programme is designed to be completed within four years of study. The roadmap below highlights the major milestones that students are expected to achieve during their candidature, under the guidance of their faculty supervisor:
| Year 1, Semester 1 | ✅ Establish your Thesis Advisory Committee (TAC)
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| Year 1, Semester 2 | ✅ Continue your exploratory research project |
| Year 2, Semester 1 | ✅ Complete your exploratory research project |
| Year 2, Semester 2 | ✅ Submit Year 2 Annual Progress Report |
| Year 3 | ✅ Submit Year 3 Annual Progress Report |
| Year 4 | ✅ Continue doctoral research and develop your thesis |
| Final Semester | ✅ Continue doctoral research and develop your thesis |
For more information about our curriculum and the PhD programme as a whole, please visit our main programme webpage here: https://www.ntu.edu.sg/ase/admissions/graduate-programmes/phd.
For more information about our PhD programme, please visit our main programme webpage here: https://www.ntu.edu.sg/ase/admissions/graduate-programmes/phd.