How to Apply to NUS and NTU for a Master's. What the Official Pages Actually Say.

Why there is no single NUS or NTU application

Ask ten applicants what NUS requires and you will hear ten answers. Most are right, for different programmes. That is the trap. People copy a friend's GRE score or deadline, and find out in January that it belonged to another programme.

Both universities run master's admissions school by school. NUS Computing, NUS Design and Engineering and the NUS business analytics programme each publish their own window, fee and test rules. NTU works the same way, and its own coursework page says requirements and timelines differ by programme.^[13]

This guide covers master's by coursework, the route most Indian and Gulf applicants take. For rankings and campus life, see our NUS vs NTU comparison. Every date below is for August 2027 entry, except NTU's business analytics, which starts in July 2027. I checked each one on the official pages in October 2026. Dates move every year, so confirm on the programme page before you pay.

NUS and NTU side by side for 2027 entry

This table uses only official NUS and NTU pages, and every cell carries a numbered source at the bottom of the page.

Two cells need a flag. NUS's business analytics site blocked my automated check for the 2027 cycle, so I used its official 2026/27 guide. And NTU's computing FAQ says applications open in November, while the central NTU guide, which lists the 2027-28 dates, says 1 October. Check the programme page itself.

GRE, GMAT and English tests: where applicants guess wrong

NUS Computing is where most applicants guess wrong. Its MComp pages say applicants are to submit GRE or GMAT scores, with minimums of 320 on verbal and quantitative combined plus 3.5 on writing, or a GMAT of 650.^[1] The page does not say what happens if you send nothing, so I would not test it. NTU's computing school goes the other way and says GRE is not required.^[10]

Business analytics treats both as optional at both universities.^[8][12] One detail separates them. NUS's guide accepts home-edition GMAT and GRE scores,^[8] while NTU's business school says it no longer accepts online test scores taken after 31 December 2023.^[12]

For Indian applicants, NUS's design and engineering college says you may skip the English test if your whole degree was taught in English in a country such as India.^[7] For Gulf applicants the picture is less clear. NUS's list names India, Singapore, the UK and the USA among others. It does not name the UAE or any other Gulf state, and it calls itself non-exhaustive. Ask the programme office before you assume a waiver.

NTU is gentler at the edges. Applicants without a test, or below the minimum, may still be considered case by case. NTU also accepts TOEFL scores on the old 0 to 120 scale and the new 1 to 6 scale used since 21 January 2026.^[9] Check test expiry against the closing date, not against today. NUS Computing counts GRE and GMAT for five years and TOEFL or IELTS for two.^[1]

Windows and a realistic timeline

• October to November 2026: book tests and request official transcripts. NUS Computing treats missing semester results as an incomplete application.^[5]
• 30 November 2026: first NTU business analytics round. 31 January 2027: NUS Computing closes.^[5][12]
• 31 March 2027: NTU computing and engineering semester programmes close.^[9]
• Mid-May to end of June 2027: first answers, though NTU's central guide warns results can take up to four months.^{[5][7][9][10]}

My read: apply in the first month, not the last week. NUS Computing says early applicants may be considered for early offers,^[5] and NTU's business school reviews on a rolling basis.^[14] Neither lets you fix an application after you submit it, so the early weeks are for checking, not rushing.^[7][8]

Documents, fees and cash at offer stage

The core set is the same almost everywhere: a passport page, official transcripts, a degree certificate or a letter of expected graduation, a CV, and test reports. NUS Design and Engineering says GRE, GATE, referee letters and CVs are usually not needed unless your programme says so.^[7] NUS Computing asks for at least one referee report, and NUS business analytics asked for two.^[5][8]

NTU wants transcripts showing marks per subject with the grading scale.^[9] NUS Computing wants certified copies carrying the university seal or the registrar's signature.^[5] Application fees are non-refundable, and NUS Design and Engineering will not process an application if payment has not arrived by the closing date.^[7]

The bigger number comes after the offer. NUS Computing's General Track lists tuition of S$76,409 including GST for August 2027, with an acceptance fee of S$7,640.90 credited towards it.^[6] NTU's business analytics lists S$75,210 for July 2027 and a S$20,000 enrolment fee, before GST, that is deducted from tuition.^[12] NTU's computing MSc programmes in AI, cyber security and data science list S$63,220 for students admitted from AY2025.^[11] Confirm the figure for your intake year.

Funding is thin for applicants from India and the Gulf. The pages I read list an NUS tech scholarship, an award with a two-year work bond in Guangzhou, and an NTU business school award limited to ASEAN nationals.^[6][12] Plan for self-funding, then read our guides to scholarship research and education loans.

Common mistakes

• Reading one "NUS requirements" page and applying it to every programme.
• Assuming GRE is optional for NUS Computing because it is optional in business analytics.
• Paying the application fee after the closing date.

Your application checklist

1. Pick two or three programmes, not "NUS" and "NTU".
2. Write down each programme's window, tests and fee from its own page.
3. Book GRE or GMAT only if a page asks, and IELTS or TOEFL if no waiver applies.
4. Request official transcripts and certified copies, then draft your statement and CV.
5. Submit in the first month of the window, pay the fee at once and save every confirmation.

Frequently asked questions

Keep reading