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Incoming Exchange Students
Before Applying
Before you apply to be an exchange student at NUS there are some important things you need to know. Please read and review all of the topics within this section before you apply. For additional information or related queries, please click here.
In order to study as an exchange student at NUS you must be a current student registered at one of SEP Exchange Partners, have completed at least two semesters (one full year) of college/university level studies and must continue to assume this status throughout your intended duration of study at NUS under the exchange programme.
If you are a student at a university that is not one of NUS' Partner Universities, you can attend NUS as a "Non-Exchange" student on a fee-paying basis. The application process is similar but you will be required to pay tuition fees as well as the Mandatory Miscellaneous Fees. Non-Exchange students can follow the instructions on the NUS Registrar's Office Non-Graduating Programme page.
Exchange students to NUS must be proficient in the English language in order to benefit from their studies at NUS, as the medium of instruction at NUS is English (except for Asian or European studies, where a good command of the respective Asian or European language is a prerequisite). TOEFL or IELTS score is only required for students intending to take modules from Faculty of Law who are from non-English-medium Universities.
Finally, in order to be eligible for exchange at NUS you must be nominated by your home university. Contact your university's study abroad or international office for more information.
You can find more information on the general criteria and language requirements for attending NUS as an exchange student on the NUS' Registrar's Office NUS Non-Graduating Programme page.
The standard academic calendar consists of two main semesters and a special term:
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Semester One commences in August and Semester Two in January. Each semester normally includes 13 weeks of instruction and 2 weeks of examinations. The special term takes places during the Semester 2 vacation period and each of its two parts is usually 6 weeks long, inclusive of an examination period. As an exchange student you can attend NUS for one or two semesters or the special term but you must ensure that your modules are approved by your home university and fulfill the requirements of your programme of study at home.
Academic matters for exchange students are handled by the NUS' Registrar's Office. Please see their Non-Graduating Programme page for complete information. There you can find information on:
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Please note that as part of your online application you will be asked to request up to ten courses to take while on exchange at NUS. As these are only requests and do not guarantee you a place in the course, we recommend you use all ten slots to better your chances at getting the minimum number of courses (three or 15 MCs) necessary to be enrolled at NUS on a Student Pass. If you do not receive the minimum number of courses necessary you will be contacted via email by the Registrar’s Office to reselect more modules. If you receive more courses than you wish to take you can ‘drop’ them during the first two weeks of the semester. Please see the After Applying section for more information.
Please also note that courses in NUS’ School of Business, Faculty of Law and Department of Economics are extremely oversubscribed and there is no guarantee students will receive these courses.
If you are an Exchange student, your tuition fee is waived but you are required to pay for the Student Activity & Services fee and the Health & Insurance Scheme. For AY 2010/2011 the fees (inclusive of prevailing GST) are:
Student Activity & Services
Sports (per semester): S$12.84
Internal Shuttle Transport (per semester): S$16.05
Health & Insurance Scheme
Premium (per academic year): S$117.70
Premium (per semester): S$58.85
These fees may be subject to revision from time to time.
Students are also responsible for the cost of their accommodation, meals, books and any other miscellaneous expenses. Please see the other sections on accommodation and cost of living for more information.
As NUS is currently facing a housing shortage, NUS non-graduating exchange students are not guaranteed NUS accommodation. To be eligible for university housing, you must be accepted as a full-time undergraduate exchange student.
On your online application you will be asked if you would like to be considered for NUS Housing. Please select "YES" or "NO". Applicants will be informed of their housing outcome in their letter of offer and provided with instructions.
Please also note the following:
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For more information please see the Office of Student Affairs' Residential Services page.
Once you have reviewed all of the requirements and procedures for studying on exchange at NUS and you have obtained formal approval from your home university's student exchange coordinator, you are welcome to apply online. There are two deadlines - one for students who wish to attend NUS in Semester 1 (August - December) or for a Full Year, and one for students who wish to attend NUS only in Semester 2 (January - May). Please make sure you submit your online application and send your supporting documents by the deadline!
The application process for exchange students is handled by the NUS' Registrar's Office. Please see their Non-Graduating Programme page for complete information. There you can find information on:
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