Admission

The MA (Creative Writing and Publishing) Programme admits students once a year in August except for its inaugural intake in January 2024. 

The admission requirements are as follow:

  • A good bachelor’s degree or equivalent
  • Applicants whose native language is not English are required to have an IELTS* overall score of at least 7; or a TOEFL Score of 100*.
  • Candidates may be interviewed to assess their suitability for postgraduate studies and for a holistic assessment of their academic capacity.
  • No prior course work or training in creative writing or publishing is required.

 

*Online test scores:

Online test scores are not acceptable for admissions.

Application period for August 2026 intake
1 November 2025 - 31 March 2026

 

1.    Create an Online Profile

Apply for the programme via this link: https://www.ntu.edu.sg/admissions/graduate/cwadmissionguide/apply-now.

2.    Complete the online application form and upload all supporting documents.

3.    Submit application and pay application fee

Upon submitting your application, you will be required to pay an application fee of S$50* via VISA or Mastercard. If you are unable to pay via VISA or Mastercard, please issue a cheque payable to “Nanyang Technological University” (indicate your full name and address on the reverse).

*Prevailing GST rate applies.

Only complete applications will be processed for assessment. An application is deemed complete only if the following are met:

  • completion of online application form
  • payment of application fee (non-refundable), and
  • receipt of all supporting documents.

4.     Interview

Shortlisted candidates may be interviewed by the Admissions Committee to gauge their suitability for the programme. Interviews where needed, will take place after the application closing date. 

5.    Review and Outcome

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis and may be assessed in batches throughout the admissions cycle. As each application progresses through the review stages, applicants may be contacted for additional information, receive status updates, or be notified of the outcome.

Review and notification timelines may vary depending on the information provided in the application, the date of submission, and the total number of applications received. As such, the review process may take approximately two to four months.

We encourage applicants to submit their applications as early as feasible. As the review timelines can vary, we appreciate your patience while the process is ongoing. Applicants may check their application status at any time via the application portal: https://apps.ntu.edu.sg/COAL/

1

NRIC (SG/SGPR)

  • Local Applicants: Scanned copy of NRIC 
  • Singapore Permanent Residents: Scanned copy of NRIC + re-entry permit
  • International applicants: Scanned copy of Passport details page
2

Photocopy of Singapore Employment Pass/Work Permit/Dependent's Pass/LTVP, if any

3

CV or Resume
A concise document no more than 3 pages, briefly describing your job, responsibilities and accomplishments.

4

Educational Documents
Scanned copy of the Degree scroll/certificate(s) and academic transcripts of each university attended (official English translation is required for non-English certificates and transcripts)

Please do not mail paper copies of your application and transcripts to the University. Only applicants who are offered admission will produce their original degree certificates and transcripts during verification exercise.

Expected Graduation Certificate (if applicable)

  • Applicants who have not yet graduated must submit an official document from their university indicating their expected graduation date.
  • Applicants must ensure that the expected graduation date allows completion of their current degree before the commencement of the intended semester intake.
5

IELTS score report (scanned copy)
For applicants whose native language is not English, the TOEFL/IELTS score is to be submitted with the application for admission. Test dates must be within 2 years or less from the date of application.

Applicants who have yet to take the IELTS may still proceed to submit their application and indicate the test dates in the online application form.​

6

Professional Qualifications/Membership Certificates, if any

7

Two Reference Letters
Reference letters should have official organisation letterhead and logo.

  •  Your referees are to email the letters directly to [email protected]. The email subject should be Reference letter for Name of applicant
  • Please remind your referees to use their official organisation email addresses to send the letters, reference letters sent via free-email provider will not be accepted, e.g. hotmail, gmail, yahoo, foxmail,163 mail, QQ mail.
8Personal Statement, in less than 1000 words (preferred) 

 

If you encounter problems during the online application process, please contact Service Desk via the link - https://www.ntu.edu.sg/life-at-ntu/internet-account-and-policy/contact-service-desk.