University Scholars Programme
Undergraduate Education
Admissions
Students apply to join USP. Application is by academic and co-curricular transcripts, an essay, and an interview. Students are admitted based on their academic potential and co-curricular achievements, together with their passion, motivation, and curiosity. Students may refer to the http://www.usp.nus.edu.sg/admissions for more USP admission-related matters.
Prospective students complete and submit their USP application at the same time as their NUS application for admissions to any of USP’s partner faculties or schools, namely, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS), NUS Business School (BIZ), School of Computing (SOC), School of Design and Environment (SDE), Faculty of Engineering (FOE), Faculty of Law (LAW) and Faculty of Science (FOS). Each application will be processed separately. They can apply online through the USP admissions portal (usp.sg) by the closing date, which is typically 1 week after the closing date for NUS application each year. Shortlisted candidates will be contacted for an interview.
Open to the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS), NUS Business School (BIZ), School of Computing (SOC), School of Design and Environment (SDE), Faculty of Engineering (FOE) and Faculty of Science (FOS), NUS students in their first semester may also apply to join USP during USP’s 2nd admissions exercise from 1 to 31 October each year.
Students who are interested to pursue one of the double degree programmes available in NUS may also apply to USP, provided the two degrees are offered by our partner faculties or schools, with the exception of NUS Law. In most cases, students who are admitted to both programmes will need to extend their candidature in NUS in order to complete all the necessary requirements.
USP students can apply to change their course of study up to the end of their second year. The application will be subject to the review and approval of the Admissions Selection Committee in NUS, and the relevant faculties or schools involved.
USP students also live in a residential college – Cinnamon College (USP) in the University Town – in year one and a second year of their choice, a key feature of USP since 2011. Only upon acceptance to USP, students will proceed to apply to live in the residential college (Cinnamon College) via the University Hostel Management System, administered by the NUS Office of Student Affairs.
Curriculum Structure & Requirements
USP offers a broad-based curriculum that balances both breadth and depth to give students an interdisciplinary education. An undergraduate in the University Scholars Programme takes 30% of his or her modules in USP and the remaining modules (70%) in his or her home faculty or school as well as from other faculties or schools. While in USP, the student is exempted from certain requirements that apply to students not in USP, such that all students, regardless of whether they are in USP or not, graduating with an honours degree, will have roughly the same overall requirements in terms of number of Modular Credits (MCs). In the event that the fit of the USP requirements with the home faculty or school is not perfect, it is possible that students may graduate with slightly more MCs compared to their non-USP peers.
USP offers a three-tier structure which builds upon each other in an intuitive manner, so that each prepares students for the interdisciplinary work they encounter in the subsequent tiers.
A USP student must read and pass (48MCs):
- 3 compulsory foundation modules worth 12 MCs
- Writing and Critical Thinking
- Quantitative Reasoning Foundation
- University Scholars Seminar
- 8 inquiry modules worth 32 MCs
- Four modules in the Humanities and Social Sciences (H&SS) domain
- Four modules in the Sciences and Technologies (S&T) domain
- 1 reflection module worth 4 MCs
Students must also fulfill one Singapore Studies requirement and at least one Independent Study Module (ISM).
For more details and updates of academic requirements for the different cohorts, please refer to http://www.usp.nus.edu.sg/curriculum/academic-structure/ and http://usp.nus.edu.sg/curriculum/academic-requirements.
International Programmes
Besides the Student Exchange Programmes and Joint/Double Degree Programmes, USP also offers a range of opportunities, which help students become sensitive to, and familiar with, the modern world by initiating, leading and joining international academic and community programmes and projects. These opportunities are reviewed regularly to ensure they are beneficial and impactful, taking into account global health, economic and political conditions.
Students are encouraged to propose and organise International Programmes, as well as take up leadership roles in the process. The aim is to create an environment in which students are exposed to a wide range of dynamic and interesting opportunities and are self-motivated to make the best of them.
For details, please refer to http://www.usp.nus.edu.sg/international-programmes/overview/
Other information
The USP Career Services is committed to support students to be career-ready, from when they first enter USP as freshmen to their transition to USP alumni. For details, please visit https://www.usp.nus.edu.sg/career-services/.
The USP Certificate is awarded to the student at the Commencement ceremony upon:
- Completing all USP academic requirements;
- Completing the honours requirement of the home faculty or school; and
- Receiving at least an Honours (Merit) degree
Awards and medals are also given to outstanding graduates. Please refer to the details at http://www.usp.nus.edu.sg/curriculum/awards-and-recognition/
Each student is eligible to receive a testimonial, which documents his or her accomplishments – both academic and co-curricular – while at USP. The purpose of the testimonial is to help students highlight their participation in USP as they move within and beyond NUS in further academic or professional capacities. A student may request for a testimonial from USP when he or she graduates, having completed the USP requirements, or when he or she leaves USP for some other reasons.
To graduate as a University Scholar with USP certification, students must complete the USP requirements and achieve at least an Honours (Merit) degree in the Home Faculty.
Each student whose cumulative average point (CAP) is below 3.5 for any semester will receive a warning that his or her academic performance is inadequate. Students with inadequate academic performance will be counselled.
At the end of their second year, students are required to have completed at least three USP modules (applicable to Cohort 2015 and earlier) or six USP modules (applicable to Cohort 2016 and onwards). USP students from the Faculty of Law will be required to complete at least 5 USP modules (including USP Foundation modules) by the end of their third year (applicable to Cohort 2016 and onwards). Those who have not will be asked to produce justification, and a study plan on how they aim to complete the programme.
In addition, students are expected to participate actively in learning-beyond-the-classroom activities offered by USP. They are also encouraged to gain significant international experience through study abroad opportunities offered by USP, NUS and others, including student exchanges, overseas internships and attachments, international summer programmes, overseas expeditions and community projects, and international conferences and leadership forums.
To graduate with a USP certificate, an undergraduate student must achieve at least an Honours (Merit) degree, i.e. have a minimum CAP of 3.5. USP students should note the following:
Should a student’s CAP fall below 3.0 (but ≥ 2.5) for three consecutive semesters, the student will be dismissed from USP in the next semester of study; and should a student’s CAP fall below 2.5 for two consecutive semesters, the student will be dismissed from USP in the next semester of study.
Financial Aid & Scholarships
USP is an academic programme and not a scholarship disbursement programme. USP students may however apply for NUS scholarships, or be recipients of other scholarships. For details, please visit http://www.nus.edu.sg/oam/scholarships or http://www.usp.nus.edu.sg/financial-aid-and-scholarships.