Top Singapore university to launch Asia's first master's program on death and grief

Offered under NTU's new Master of Science in Psychology program, the specialization aims to train professionals to provide structured bereavement support and grief intervention for individuals, families and communities facing loss. Students will also receive training in psychological, social and spiritual care, preparing them for work in hospices, hospitals, palliative care services and crisis counseling settings.

"Grieving individuals are feeling quite alone because they may be disenfranchised in terms of their grief and not being fully understood or cared for," said Andy Ho, NTU provost's chair in psychology. He noted that grieving people can be left without adequate emotional or professional support, The Straits Times reported.

Singapore records around 30,000 deaths each year, meaning tens of thousands of relatives and close friends are affected by loss annually.

While grief counseling services exist, Ho said the lack of regulation has meant that some practitioners may not have received sufficient formal training.

The new specialization, which has long been offered at universities in North America and Europe, will be available in Asia for the first time.

NTU said the program is designed to help strengthen Singapore's mental healthcare capacity at a time when demand for trained professionals is rising.

The launch also comes amid broader efforts to raise professional standards in mental health care. In March 2025, Singapore's Ministry of Health announced plans to move toward mandatory registration of psychologists to improve patient safety and service quality.

Beyond thanatology, NTU's program will offer three other specializations: community health psychology, neuropsychology, and forensic psychology.

The community health psychology track focuses on designing interventions that address mental health challenges at a systemic level, preparing graduates to work in community mental health centers, public health agencies, or policy and program development roles.

Students in the neuropsychology track will study the cognitive and neurological foundations of mental health and human development, with one pathway dedicated to school neuropsychology. Graduates will be trained to support neurodevelopmental and cognitive needs in educational, research and rehabilitation settings.

Meanwhile, the forensic psychology specialization explores how psychological principles apply in legal, criminal justice and law enforcement contexts, including areas such as corrections and cybersecurity.

These specializations reflect a growing recognition that mental health care extends beyond clinical treatment alone, said Rebecca Nichols, program director for the MSc in Psychology at NTU. "We’re looking to train individuals who are able to serve in these capacities by the time they graduate," she added, as cited by Tamil Murasu.

The 1.5-year program, offered by NTU’s School of Social Sciences, includes 500 hours of supervised practicum. NTU said it complements existing master’s programs offered by other institutions in Singapore, including the National Institute of Education, the National University of Singapore, and the Singapore University of Social Sciences.

"We face a pressing need for professionals to support mental health through society, not just in clinical contexts," said Jon Wilson, dean of NTU’s College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, adding that the new program is designed to help meet that need.