Undergraduate Continuation and Graduation Requirements

Minimum standards are set for continuation in a programme of study and graduation.  This section covers the following:

• CAP for Continuation and Graduation
• Degree Classification
• Residency Requirement and Maximum Candidature
• Advanced Placement Credits and Exemptions
• Satisfactory / Unsatisfactory (S/U) Option
• MCs excluded from CAP Computation

 

 

 

 

CAP for Continuation and Graduation

To graduate, an undergraduate student must have a minimum CAP of 2.0.  To remain in good academic standing, and to continue in an undergraduate programme of study, a student may not have:

• CAP below 2.0 (but ≥ 1.5) for three consecutive semesters; or
• CAP below 1.5 for two consecutive semesters.

For any semester in which the student’s CAP falls below 2.0 (but ≥ 1.5), that student will be issued an academic warning.  If, in the following semester, the student’s CAP again falls below 2.0, s/he will be placed on probation.  If the student’s CAP remains below 2.0 for the third consecutive semester, the student will be issued a letter of dismissal by the Registrar and denied re-admission.

For students whose CAP falls below 1.5 for two consecutive semesters, they will be placed on probation for the first semester, followed by dismissal in the second semester. 

Such a student may appeal the dismissal if there are extenuating circumstances. The appeal must be submitted to the relevant Faculty/Department within two calendar weeks of the last day of the release of each semester’s examination results.  Normally every student is allowed only one such appeal per candidature.  If the appeal is rejected, the student will not be re-admitted.  If the outcome of the appeal is positive, the student will be given one semester in which to achieve the minimum CAP required for continuation and graduation. 

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Degree Classification

The criteria for degree classification are:

Honours Degree Classification(i)	Criteria
First Class Honours	CAP 4.50 and above and at least A- in Honours thesis/project(ii)
Second Class Honours, Upper Division	CAP 4.00 – 4.49
Second Class Honours, Lower Division	CAP 3.50 – 3.99
Third Class Honours	CAP 3.20 – 3.49
Pass	CAP 2.00 – 3.19
Fail	Below CAP 2.00
Bachelor’s Degree Classification(iii)	Criteria
Pass with Merit	CAP 3.20 and above
Pass	CAP 2.00 – 3.19
Fail	Below CAP 2.00

(i) This refers to 160-MC degree programmes.

(ii) Students with a CAP of 4.5 and above but with a B+ or below in the Honours thesis/project or without having completed an Honours thesis/project will be awarded a Second Class Upper Honours degree.

(iii) This refers to 120-MC degree programmes.

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Residency Requirement and Maximum Candidature

The University has established a minimum residency requirement and maximum candidature for all NUS degrees, including joint and double degrees with foreign universities.

Residency, in this instance, is defined as payment of fees and ability to meet all curricular requirements of a programme of study.  MCs which count towards residency for an undergraduate degree programme must come from graded modules that are factored into a student’s CAP.

A student registered for a Bachelor’s degree must complete 50% of the required MCs for the degree programme or 80 MCs, whichever is greater, at NUS.  In addition, such students are required to read at least 15 MCs every semester throughout their candidature, except during the following semesters when they are allowed to read fewer MCs:

• the final semester before completion of all graduation requirements for the degree; and
• the semester in which the students are undergoing industrial attachment or doing their final year projects.

For students admitted from AY2007/08 onwards, the maximum candidature for:

• a Bachelor degree programme with a minimum requirement of 120 MCs is 4 years;
• a Bachelor with Honours degree programme with a minimum requirement of 160 MCs is 5 years;
• a typical double degree programme (which may involve between 180 and 200 MCs) is 6 years.

For students admitted prior to AY2007/2008, please consult the faculties concerned for details.

In general, students who have completed their degree requirements by the 6th semester or earlier for 120-MC programmes and the 8th semester or earlier for 160-MC programmes, may be allowed one additional full semester of study to improve their CAP standing subject to their reading:

• the minimum MCs required for full-time students (i.e. 15 MCs) in the additional full semester (this criterion will not be applicable if the semester of extension falls during the Special Term)
• only Level-3000 or higher modules

Additionally, students are not allowed to opt for a new Minor, Second Major or Double Degree programme beyond the end of the 5th semester of study.

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Advanced Placement Credits and Exemption

Advanced placement credits and exemption may be granted for NUS modules taken and passed prior to admission to the University, for modules completed at another tertiary institution recognised by the University, or based on performance in placement tests set by the relevant Faculty.

Advanced placement credits are given to diploma holders of approved programmes from Polytechnics in Singapore. Such students admitted to a 120-MC or 160-MC programme may be granted advanced placement credits in relevant modules for up to a maximum of 40 MCs, as follows:

• Up to 8 MCs from the University Level Requirements, comprising one General Education Module and one Breadth Module
• Up to 12 MCs from Unrestricted Elective Modules; and
• Up to 20 MCs from Programme Requirements.

The 20 MCs of advanced placement credits from the University Level Requirements and Unrestricted Elective Modules awarded for work completed at the Polytechnic level are tagged at Level-1000. However, the 12 MCs from Unrestricted Electives will not be counted against the 60-MC limit on Level-1000 modules. This is because many Level-1000 modules are essential modules that students must complete before they can progress to the next level. For Polytechnic diploma holders admitted to the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, all 20 MCs of advanced placement credits will be counted against the 60-MC limit on Level-1000 modules.

Holders of G.C.E. ‘A’ Levels, International Baccalaureate or equivalent qualifications may be granted advanced placement credits of up to 20 MCs for Programme Requirements, subject to terms and conditions stipulated by individual Faculties.

Students from other tertiary institutions recognised by the University seeking advanced placement credits and exemption should apply to the Dean’s Office of the Faculty concerned within the first week of the first semester of study. Please note that such applications will be considered only at the point of admission to the University.

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Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory option

The Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (S/U) option is intended to encourage students to pursue their intellectual interests, without undue concern that exploring a new subject area may adversely affect their CAP.  

For modules graded on an S/U basis, students will receive credit towards the degree only if they attain a ‘Satisfactory’ (S) grade.  A ‘S’ grade is assigned if a student receives a ‘C’ grade or above for the module.  Conversely, students will receive a ‘U’ if the grade obtained is lower than a ‘C’ grade.  The S/U option, once exercised, will be irrevocable for the module.

The S/U declaration exercise will be conducted upon the release of examination results and will end by the stipulated deadline, which will be announced each semester. Students will exercise their S/U option during this period for any module that permits the S/U option. Thereafter, the student's decision will be considered final.

Up to 12 MCs may be taken on an S/U basis during a student’s candidature, subject to the maximum number of MCs that may be excluded from the computation of CAP.

The S/U option is not applicable to modules taken to meet Faculty, Major or University Scholars Programme (USP) requirements, unless specifically stated otherwise by the Faculty. Credits earned from modules taken on an S/U basis may also not be used to count towards the residency requirement.

In addition, the S/U option is not applicable to the following:

• Modules dropped with a ‘F’ grade during the semester;
• Modules in which a student has been found to have committed plagiarism.

For Frequently Asked Questions on S/U Option, please click here.

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MCs excluded from CAP Computation

Besides modules that are graded on an S/U basis, some credit bearing modules completed under the NUS Student Exchange, Overseas Colleges, Industrial Attachment, and Internship programmes are also not factored into the computation of a student’s CAP.  Advanced placement credits are likewise excluded from CAP calculation.

To protect the integrity and value of the NUS degree, a limit is placed on the number of MCs that may be excluded from the computation of CAP. In other words, a minimum number of MCs must be based on graded modules with assigned grade points. The following are general university-level guidelines:

1. A student registered for a Bachelor’s degree must complete the greater of (a) 50% of required MCs for the degree programme or (b) 80 MCs at NUS. These MCs must be earned from graded modules with assigned grade points.
2. Only up to 12 MCs may be accrued from modules graded on an S/U basis. Such modules may not be used to fulfill Programme/Major/Minor/USP requirements.
3. A minimum 60% of Programme/Major credits must be graded and factored into the CAP. The other 40% of credits may be earned through credit transfers, advanced placement, exemptions and CS-graded modules.
4. A minimum 16 MCs of the Minor requirements must be graded and factored into the CAP. The other 8 MCs may be earned through credit transfers, advanced placement, exemptions and CS-graded modules.

Individual Faculties may require a higher minimum of MCs that must be based on graded modules and included in the computation of CAP. It is important that students check with their Faculty to ensure that they have fulfilled the minimum number of CAP-bearing MCs required for graduation.

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