Outgoing Exchange Students

 

Before Exchange

A decision to go on SEP requires careful research and planning and should not be taken lightly.  Before you decide to apply for SEP there are some important things to think about.  Please read and review all of the topics in this section before you apply. For additional information or related queries, please click here.

 

Am I Eligible?

For NUS undergraduate students there are minimum criteria to be eligible to participate in the NUS Student Exchange Programme (SEP).  A student must:

be enrolled at the National University of Singapore (NUS) as a full-time student; have completed at least two semesters of study before embarking on the exchange programme; have a sound academic record, i.e. minimum CAP of 3.0, and should not have any grade below grade ‘C’ (grade point of 2.0) in any module; have sufficient financial means to cover the necessary expenses for the duration of the SEP (ranging from S$5,000 to S$15,000 per semester, subject to the country and local conditions at the overseas Partner University during the period of exchange). When applying for your student visa, a number of countries may demand documentary proof of your financial status; However, NUS believes that all students should have the opportunity to participate in our programmes, and has adopted a “needs blind” policy for student acceptance. This means that IRO will support you in identifying a suitable programme and funding for your overseas experience, subject to the meeting of the programme’s criteria for participation, and flexibility for other considerations; obtain the Faculty’s approval for the SEP;  satisfy partner institution and host country entry requirements; and check with the issuer of any scholarship he or she is receiving to ensure there are no restrictions involving overseas study (e.g. Ministry of Foreign Affairs or Ministry of Education).

These are the minimum requirements and as each faculty does its own selection for SEP there may be additional requirements.  Students should check with their home faculty for full SEP eligibility requirements.

If there are too many applicants for one institution, students are selected according to academic merit. When approving a student’s application for exchange, consideration is also given to his or her ability to be a good ambassador for NUS.

The following categories of students are not eligible for overseas SEP:

	students in their final semester of their degree; or students scheduled for final year projects, internships or industrial attachments.

 

Should I go on SEP?

SEP is a privilege, full of potential for personal and professional growth, but it is also not for everyone.  Students should think carefully about their personality, maturity and comfort levels, desire to interact and learn from foreign cultures, and their ability to be flexible and have a sense of humor when things just don’t go right.  SEP is also about being an ambassador.  As an exchange student you become part of an important and complex relationship between NUS and the partner university, and an ambassador for Singapore.  What you do on SEP will affect the NUS students who come after you and how the rest of the world perceives your university and country.

 

 

Academics

SEP is designed so that NUS students can go on exchange for a semester or two and take courses for credit that transfers back to NUS towards a degree.  Which courses students take is a decision to be made jointly by the student and Faculty SEP Coordinator, as students must eventually “map” the modules they wish to take back to a similar module at NUS for credit. 

We recommend that you be flexible when considering which courses to take while on SEP.  Partner universities can change their course offerings without notice, certain courses can be full or students may not have the correct prerequisites.  We recommend you map twice as many modules as you will need to allow for these contingencies and do thorough research about the university’s requirements, credit limits and course prerequisites before mapping.

It is also very important for you to work closely with your Faculty/Department SEP Coordinators when determining which courses to take while on SEP.  Universities around the world award credits using different systems and each NUS faculties transfers credits differently.  For example, a university in the United Kingdom may have a maximum number of semester credits as 60 and consider it a full load even though it is only 3 courses, but a faculty at NUS may only transfer credit for 3 courses – not a full semester’s worth of NUS credit.  Therefore, it is important that students map their modules correctly and keep in close contact with their faculties even while abroad.

When thinking about going on SEP, you should consider the following questions:

Will my degree programme allow me to go on SEP? (Some more intensive programmes do not) Do I have enough credits earned to allow me to be flexible with the courses I take on SEP? If I do not get a certain course at the partner university, will I still be able to go on SEP? Are the courses I want to take offered at the university I want to go on SEP to?  Is SEP at that university open to my faculty? If I am learning in a foreign language will that affect my quality of learning? Do the courses I want to take map back to NUS courses? How many credits are the courses I want to take?  How does my faculty transfer credit? Does the university I want to attend have a maximum number of credits per semester?  Will this affect my mapping?

All questions about module mapping and credit should be directed to the Faculty/Department SEP Coordinators.

 

Cost

Students only need to pay the normal NUS tuition fees during their SEP overseas. They are not required to pay any tuition fees at the partner university.

However, you are responsible for the other costs involved with going on SEP, including but not limited to:

	Round-trip airfare Visa fees Food Accommodation Daily transport Books Miscellaneous student fees at the partner university Insurance (in some countries it is required to purchase the insurance of the host country) Miscellaneous expenses such as travel, clothes, entertainment

Students must be responsible to ensure that they have the financial means to support their living cost during their SEP overseas and some countries require proof of adequate finances upon entry. The cost of living varies from country to country and among different cities in the same country.  Students should research the SEP destination’s cost of living beginning with the estimate guide on the Where can I go? section of the site and then make realistic and sensible choices of partner universities they can afford to go to.

 

Language Requirements

The SEP gives students the opportunity to study in an English-medium or foreign language university.  If you intend to study in a university whose language of instruction is not English, we recommend you have a strong background in the language before going on SEP.  Some partner universities may have a minimum language requirement to attend and students should be aware of this and prepare accordingly.  Other partner universities may teach in English but have a different local language and we recommend students still study the language before going on SEP in order to integrate into daily life in the new country, as knowing some local phrases can greatly improve one’s experience in foreign countries.

Language courses are available through the NUS Center for Language Studies and through organisations like Alliance Francaise or the Italian Cultural Institute in Singapore.  If you are thinking about SEP to China, there are two modules offered by CLS and the Department of Chinese Studies, one in science and technology (LAC3203) and the other in business and industry (CH2271) that are tailored to enhance your Chinese proficiency.   

 

Application Procedures

Once you have determined you are eligible for SEP, you can map your modules to your top five SEP destination university choices and have adequate funds to cover the cost of SEP, you are ready to begin the application procedure.

NUS students apply for SEP through OPAS, an online application.   

Each faculty has different application dates for its students to apply through the system and you should check with your Faculty’s SEP Coordinator for the exact timeline.  In general, OPAS is open from October to March to apply for SEP the following year, either for Semester 1, Full Year OR Semester 2.  Late applications will not be accepted.

The SEP application timelines for AY2012/13 are indicated in the table below.

Faculty	Round	*Application Timeline
BIZ	1	Mid December 2012 to Early January 2013
	2	Early April to Mid April 2013
FASS	1	22 Sep - 13 Oct 2012
	2	Early Mar – End Mar 2013
FoE	1	24 Sep - 24 Oct 2012
	2	Jan - Feb 2013
	3	April 2013
FoS	1	15 Oct - 2 Nov 2012
	2	11 Mar - 29 Mar 2013
LAW	1	25 Oct to 7 Dec 2012
SDE	1	24 Sep to 12 Oct 2012
	2	24 Dec to 13 Jan 2013
SoC / CEG	1	24 Sep to 28 Oct 2012
	2	17 Dec to 8 Feb 2013

** Information accurate as at 26 September 2011. Please note that the timelines are subject to change.

You will undergo a selection process by your faculty and will be notified if you are given an offer for SEP.

For additional information or related queries, please click here.