Coursework

We are glad that you are considering spending one semester/year/special term with us as a Non-Graduating (Exchange or Non-Exchange) student. Come and join students from leading universities all over the world for an enriching and rewarding experience at the National University of Singapore (NUS)!

NUS has made the difficult decision of a partial suspension of the Non-Graduating Programme. Additional information is available here.

Which category should I apply for?

Exchange

If your home university has entered into an exchange agreement with NUS, please select this category. Exchange students attend NUS on a fee waiver basis and are only liable to pay miscellaneous student fees.

Please refer here for a list of partner institutions.

Fee-paying (Non-Exchange)

If your home university does not have a formal exchange agreement with NUS or if you have not been selected by your home university to study abroad under an exchange agreement, you may apply as a fee paying Non-Exchange student.

Non-Exchange students follow the same programme of study as incoming exchange students, except that they do not enjoy a tuition fee waiver.

General Criteria

  1. You must be a current student registered at another University and have completed at least two semesters (one full year) at the college/university level.
  2. You must continue to assume this status throughout your intended duration of study at NUS under the non-graduating programme.
  3. To qualify as an exchange student, you have to be nominated for exchange for NUS by your home institution. Please check with your home institution if you have queries on whether you qualify as an exchange student.

English Proficiency Requirement (for fee-paying students and students from non-English medium universities reading modules from Faculty of Law)

As English is the main language of instruction at the University (except for Asian/European studies where a good command of the respective Asian/European language is a pre-requisite), you must be proficient in the English language in order to benefit from your studies at NUS.

You are required to submit either the Test of English as a Foreign Language [TOEFL] or the International English Language Testing System [IELTS] result if you are:

  • from a non-English medium institution (non-exchange coursework applicants only)
  • applying to read modules from NUS Faculty of Law and from a non-English medium institution (exchange and non-exchange)

The following requirements must be met:

  • Test of English as a Foreign Language [TOEFL] score of at least 100 for the Internet-based test;
  • International English Language Testing System (IELTS) result of at least 6.5; or
  • Any other qualifications as determined by the respective faculties/schools in NUS. 

Coursework applicants have to choose modules at the point of application. As applicants’ will be enrolled in their module choices after review by the respective departments, please choose modules that you wish to read on exchange.

Applicants are therefore encouraged to take note of the various policies regarding module selection and enrollment in the Non-Gradating Programme prior to their application.

  • Module Restrictions

    When planning your application, please refer to the following list of modules that have limited or restricted access for non-graduating students due to demand and space constraints.

  • Module Offerings

    Refer to the following for modules available to Non-Graduating Students for the upcoming semester can be found at the following:

    NG Modules  Brief Module Descriptions

    Please ensure that the modules selected (a minimum of 3 modules with at least 3 additional modules as reserves) are offered during the semester for which you have applied.

  • Audit Status

    Non-graduating students are permitted to take certain modules on an audit basis.

    When taking a modules on an audit basis, you will only attend lectures and will not be permitted to sit for examinations. Participation in other practical components (e.g. tutorials, laboratory work, fieldwork) will be at the discretion of the respective faculty/department.

    Modules from the following Faculties/Departments/Centres CANNOT be done on an audit** basis:

    • Building
    • Business
    • Computing
    • Law
    • Industrial and System Engineering
    • Industrial Design
    • Malay Studies
    • Public Health
    • Real Estate
    • South Asian Studies
    • Southeast Asian Studies
    • Centre for English Language Communication
    • Centre for Language Studies
    • University Scholars Programme
    • English Language (EL) modules from Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
    • Geography (GE) modules from Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (namely GEK2001/SSA2202/GES1003, SSA2215/GES1004)
    • Life Sciences modules from Faculty of Science
    • Theatre Studies (TS) modules from Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
    • UROPS modules from Faculty of Science (subject to approval from the respective department offering the module)

  • Module Summary and Curriculum related matters

    For a summary of a module’s contents and contact hours, please check NUSMods.

    If you require more specific information on a module e.g. syllabus, please consult the specific department website or proceed to contact the department directly.

  • Changes to enrolled modules

    Successful applicants will be able to view the modules that they have been enrolled into when they view their application outcome in Mid-June (for semester 1) and Mid-November (for semester 2).

    Students will have another opportunity to make changes to their enrolled modules via the Module Registration exercise that occurs at the start of the semester. Further instructions will be sent to students' NUS emails.

    For more information on Module Registration at NUS, please visit the Module Registration website.

  • Workload Requirement

    Based on the full-time NUS undergraduate student's average workload, a full-time Non-Graduating student should read not more than 20 MCs worth of modules (approximately 5 modules) per regular semester, regardless of whether modules are set to audit or examinable. A workload of 20MCs would typically require a student to spend an average of 50 hours of study per week over 13 weeks of classes.

    Non-graduating international students are required to read a minimum workload of 12 MCs (approximately 3 modules) or pursue full-time research during regular semester. They are responsible for ensuring that the modules registered would fulfil the graduation requirements at the home university. This minimum workload is also a requirement to qualify for a Student's Pass issued by the Immigration Checkpoints Authority (ICA). 

All applicants are required to upload the documents as part of their online application to the Non-Graduating Programme. Refer to the following checklist for the documents required.

NG Document Checklist

*Important: In addition to uploading documents online, fee-paying applicants will have send us their documents via post by the stipulated deadline or risk having their application as being deemed incomplete.

If you are an Exchange student, your tuition fee is generally waived. However, you are still required to pay for the Miscellaneous Student Fees.

If you are a Non-Exchange student, you are required to pay tuition fees as well as the Miscellaneous Student Fees.

  • Miscellaneous Student Fees

    All non-graduating students enrolled at NUS are liable to pay Miscellaneous Student Fees (MSFs) to the University as part of their stay.

    The MSF consists of two components: the Student Service Fee and the Health Service Fee.

    Why pay?

    Miscellaneous student fees help meet part of the costs incurred by the University in providing services to the student community.

    These services include healthcare for students; facilitating student cultural, social and recreational programmes; and maintaining the internal shuttle bus service, IT network and other campus-wide services.

  • Tuition Fees (for Fee-paying)

    Fee-Paying students are liable to pay tuition fees in addition to Miscellaneous Student Fees. Tuition fees are calculated on a per module basis.

  • Other Costs (campus housing)

    All non-graduating students are eligible to apply for on-campus housing. Please refer to the Office of Student Affairs for more information on eligibility and application.

    Fees for Non-Graduating Programme

    Please refer to the following for a list of updated fees


Application to the NG Programme


Intake Submission deadline of Online Application (with Supporting Documents) Submission deadline of hard copy Application Documents Application Outcome (Expected)
NUS Semester 1
(August - December)		 21 March to 15 April 1 May Mid-June
NUS Semester 2
(January - May)		 1 September to 1 October 15 October Mid-November

Due to the high volume of applications we receive every semester, we regret to inform you that late applications and incomplete applications (including those submitted online but with no supporting documents) will not be processed.

NUS Online Application Portal

All interested students are required to apply online via the NUS Online Application Portal. Please refer to the user guide before submitting an application.


If you are applying for both a research attachment and coursework, please submit your application within the stipulated window above.

An email acknowledgement will be sent to you upon receipt of your application and supporting documents.

Note: All applications must be submitted through the online application system. Late applications and incomplete applications (including those submitted online but with no supporting documents) will not be processed.