Overview
The Doctor of Philosophy - Operations Management Programme at Nanyang Business School, Nanyang Technological University (NTU), emphasizes active engagement in research that generates new knowledge on improving the processes of designing, producing, and delivering goods and services. Students may explore a diverse and interdisciplinary range of topics, including Behavioural Operations, Empirical Operations Management, Healthcare Operations, Human-AI Collaboration, Supply Chain Management, and Sustainability.
This full-time programme is typically completed in 4 to 5 years, combining advanced coursework, doctoral seminars, and close supervision, culminating in a dissertation. Graduates achieve strong job placement outcomes across leading universities and institutions worldwide.
Why Choose NBS?
- Close mentorship from internationally recognised, multidisciplinary faculty
- Rich opportunities for collaborative research
- Comprehensive scholarships covering tuition and living allowance
- Access to world-class research centres, facilities, and resources
- NTU is consistently ranked among the world’s top universities, with NBS as a premier business school recognized globally.
Programme Structure
- Year 1: coursework, university training requirements, summer paper
- Year 2: coursework, university training requirements, summer paper, pre-qualifying exam, qualifying exam
- Year 3: thesis writing, brown bag seminar presentation
- Year 4: thesis writing, internal defence, thesis submission, and examination
- Year 4 or 5: thesis amendments, thesis oral examination
Courses include:
- Econometrics in Information Systems
- Research Methods
- Foundational and Advanced Topics in Regression Analysis
- Advanced Seminar in Quantitative Marketing
- Seminar in Marketing Modelling
- Optimisation
- Contemporary Issues in Operations Management
- Econometrics
- Seminar in Microeconomics
Students may take courses offered by other local universities in Singapore, as part of the coursework exchange programme.
Admission requirements
Academic requirements
- GRE®: 3.5 (analytical). The GRE® General Test is a widely administered admissions test that measures the skills needed in today's graduate and business school programs worldwide. It contains three sections - Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning, and Analytical Writing. Three scores are reported: a Verbal Reasoning score on a 130 - 170 score scale in one-point increments, a Quantitative Reasoning score on a 130 - 170 score scale in one-point increments, and an Analytical Writing score on a 0 - 6 score scale in half-point increments.
- GMAT: Required. The Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) is a test intended to assess certain analytical, writing, quantitative, verbal, and reading skills in written English for use in admission to a graduate management program, such as an MBA. GMAT contains 4 sections - Analytical Writing Assessment, Integrated Reasoning, Quantitative and Verbal. The score has a range from 200 - 800.
English requirements
- TOEFL® iBT: 100. TOEFL iBT® is accepted by more than 13,000 universities and other institutions in over 160 countries. The test can be taken at a test center or at home. The test measures your English-language abilities in an academic setting. The score refers to the total score of 4 subjects (writing, listening, speaking, and reading), each subject has a range of 0 - 30.
- IELTS: 7. The International English Language Test System (IELTS) tests your English-language proficiency on a scale of 1 – 9. The score refers to the combined average score of 4 subjects (writing, listening, speaking, and reading).
General requirements
Recruitment for the Academic Year 2027 is open from October 2026 to January 2027.
- Bachelor’s degree certificates and transcripts, and Master’s degree certificates and transcripts (where applicable)
- Documents not issued in English must be accompanied by official English translations
- Two academic referees’ reports
- GMAT or GRE scores (taken within the last 5 years) – mandatory for all applicants
- IELTS or TOEFL scores (taken within the last 2 years) – may be waived for applicants whose Bachelor’s degree was completed in English
- A research proposal
- A statement of objective/personal statement
- Research publications and award certificates (if any)
Tuition Fees
Tuition fees are shown in AUD and the most likely applicable fee is shown based on your nationality.
- International: Non-residents — 45,263 AUD / year (approx. 41,000 SGD / year)
The tuition fee is approximately S$41,000 per year for International Students.
Living costs
Singapore: 2,073-4,283 AUD / month. The living costs include the total expenses per month, covering accommodation, public transportation, utilities (electricity, internet), books and groceries.
Funding
Below you will find PhD's scholarship opportunities for Doctor of Philosophy - Operations Management.
Available Scholarships
You are eligible to apply for these scholarships but a selection process will still be applied by the provider.
- Fulbright U.S. Student Program — Independent provider, U.S. government. Grant: Various benefits. Deadline: 07 Oct 2026.
- ServiceScape Scholarship — Independent provider, ServiceScape. Grant: 1000 USD. Deadline: 30 Nov 2026.
- ACES Scholarships — Independent provider, ACES Education Fund. Grant: 3500 USD. Deadline: 15 Nov 2026.
- Erasmus+ - Grants for study mobility — Independent provider, OeAD, Austria's Agency for Education and Internationalisation. Grant: Various benefits. Merit-based. Deadline: Not specified.
- $1,500 Annual Video Contest Scholarship — Independent provider, IvyPanda. Grant: 1000 USD. Merit-based. Deadline: 31 Oct 2026.
- Voice Talent Online Scholarship — Independent provider, Voice Talent Online. Grant: 1000 USD. Deadline: 01 Mar 2027.
- Dream Chaser Scholarship — Independent provider, Salvado Law. Grant: 1000 USD. Merit-based. Deadline: 13 Jan 2027.
- Scholarship for students with disabilities — Independent provider, Anonymous Hope Fund. Grant: 3000 USD. Need-based. Deadline: 31 Dec 2026.
- The Annual IELTS from 6 to 9 Scholarship — Independent provider, IELTS from 6 to 9. Grant: 1500 USD. Deadline: Not specified.
- Tobacco Harm Reduction Scholarship Programme — Independent provider, The Tobacco Harm Reduction Scholarship Programme. Grant: 12000 USD. Deadline: 11 Jan 2027.
