To transform the way people think and work through education, research and service – that is the mission of the National University of Singapore (NUS). From its beginnings as a small college 100 years ago, it has been playing a pivotal role in training the leaders of Singapore and the region. In the last few decades, NUS has cemented its status as a global leader in higher education and is considered one of Asia’s top universities.  

The Department of Economics at NUS is ranked as the best Economics department in Asia and among the top 20 in the world. It is home to over 50 faculty members whose expertise spans all the major areas of the discipline. Since it attracts some of the keenest young minds from Singapore and the rest of the world, those who win a place on its programmes benefit not only from the expertise of the faculty but also from the calibre of their classmates and the intense but friendly atmosphere of intellectual enquiry.  

The Department offers a full range of programmes, from undergraduate to doctoral level studies. Lectures and classes are held on the Kent Ridge campus, which provides up-to-date facilities for study and recreation in verdant surroundings.       

Studying in NUS also gives students a chance to explore one of the Asia’s most dynamic cities, where people of different cultures and ethnicities live side by side, where companies from all over the world set up offices, and where innovative public policies are tried out.         

A major programme offered by the Department of Economics at NUS is its Master of Economics programme. This is a taught programme that can be completed in one to one and a half years. Students immerse themselves in cutting-edge economic analysis and quantitative methods by taking 10 courses. The student number on each course is capped, in order to encourage class interaction.  

Successful applicants to the programme are typically from leading universities, with top qualifications in economics or a related field (such as finance, accounting, mathematics, physics). 

There are two tracks available on this programme. 

Armed with a broad range of market-relevant competencies, NUS graduates can confidently pivot to diverse sectors and areas of work. A recent graduate, Ivan Bernardo, works as a Central Bank Associate at the Philippines central bank and is also a part-time lecturer in economics at the University of the Philippines. He tells us why he chose NUS and the difference it has made to his career:

The careers of a policy researcher and an educator are demanding roles, but Bernardo sees it as “an opportunity to give back to society and an exploratory engagement for the future of my career.” 

“While various universities within the Philippines and around the world offer training in the field, it is only NUS that can boast its unique advantage as a world-class university at the centre of Southeast Asia’s economic transformation. I believe that exposure to the changing landscape of SEA and the cross-cultural nature of the university … contributed to significantly enhancing my understanding of (economic) development … The Master of Economics programme … has competitively positioned me to career pathways that enables me to utilise my background and experiences.”