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Graduate Admission System (GDA2)

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Welcome to the NUS Faculty of Law! At this stage, you will probably be mulling over your choice of courses and universities. As you contemplate your options, let us acquaint you with the NUS Law Advantage and tell you what it is that makes our law school special, and why we want you to be a part of our community.

You would most likely want to read a JD if you want to practise law in Singapore, subject to the "Qualified Person" requirements imposed by the Legal Profession (Qualified Persons) Rules. NUS Law is ranked the #11 law school in the world by Times Higher Education (THE) 2024, and #1 in Asia by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) 2024. We offer a comprehensive range of specialisations in areas such as Corporate and Financial Services Law, Intellectual Property and Technology Law, and International Arbitration and Dispute Resolution, taught by over 70 full-time faculty members and over two dozen adjunct faculty members.

Each year, a number of visiting professors from some of the top universities in the world, including Harvard, Yale, Oxford, Cambridge, the LSE, Melbourne, Seoul National University and University of Hong Kong among many others, also offer elective courses taught intensively over three weeks, thus increasing the richness of your academic experience at NUS Law.

The JD, whether in the 2-year or 3-year programme, is made up of a number of prescribed compulsory courses and elective courses which may be chosen from a number of specialisation clusters.

Compulsory courses

The compulsory courses aim to:

Elective courses

The elective courses allow students to pursue their interest in a particular field of law. They may select from a broad and diverse range of subject clusters, including Asian Legal Studies, Corporate and Financial Services Law, Intellectual Property and Technology Law, International and Comparative Law, International Arbitration and Dispute Resolution, Maritime Law, Private Law, Law and Society, and Research and Skills.

The SEP offers an excellent opportunity for students to spend either one or both semesters of their third year at a foreign university. We have partnerships with leading law schools in Australia, Canada, East Asia, Europe, New Zealand, United Kingdom and the United States. Presently, more than one third of our third-year LLB students have the opportunity to participate in a SEP. Overseas student exchange opportunities are available to the JD students in the 3-year programme. Overseas student exchange will not be available in either the accelerated JD programme or the 2-year JD programme.

One of the most intense and valuable educational experiences a student can have is to represent NUS in an international mooting competition. The Faculty of Law has an unparalleled track record in international mooting competitions .

Successful completion of the JD programme leads to the award of the following classes of degrees: JD (Highest Distinction), JD (Distinction), JD (Merit) and JD. Please click HERE .

For purposes of seeking admission to the Singapore Bar, students must attain at least a JD (Merit) to be considered a Qualified Person under the Legal Profession (Qualified Persons) Rules. Please click HERE .

The application period will commence on 1 September and end on 15 October for admission in August of the next calendar year. For detailed information on how to apply, please visit https://law1a.nus.edu.sg/admissions/app_periods_forms.html .

Admission Criteria

Prospective applicants should possess the following academic qualifications to be considered for admission:

Those completing their first degree by early July of the year of admission (August intake) may also apply.

English Requirement

Applicants whose university degree is from English-medium institutions in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States will not be required to submit proof of English language proficiency. All others will be required to submit a minimum TOEFL iBT Total score of 100 or minimum IELTS (Academic) overall band score of 7.5. If your degree was conducted entirely in the English medium and you wish to seek a waiver of this requirement, please submit your request together with supporting documents, and it will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

(Note: NUS only accepts TOEFL iBT scores from a single test date, not MyBest scores. TOEFL iBT Special Home Edition test scores may be accepted.)

Other Requirements

Two academic referees will be required. Two recommendation letters from the employer can be accepted as an alternative if the applicants have left school for some years. The referee reports or recommendation letters are to be submitted online by your referees.

All applicants should furnish (i) a personal statement; and (ii) a one to two-page curriculum vitae, setting out their educational history and work experiences (if any).

Written Test and Interview

All shortlisted applicants must undergo a written test and an interview. Details will be provided to shortlisted applicants in February 2025. Written Test: Thursday, 20 February 2025 Interviews: Friday, 21 February and Saturday, 22 February 2025

More details are available at https://law1a.nus.edu.sg/admissions/admin_requirements.html .

Other Relevant Links

• Office of Students Affairs
• Singapore Institute of Legal Education (Admission to the Singapore Bar)
• Part B of the Singapore Bar Examinations
• Practice Training Period

Let us bring you on a tour around our campus to see the environment of our beautiful campus, our facilities and the wide range of student clubs and interest groups you can be part of!

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