A. Application & Admission Matters (General Information)

Qn: Are there any restrictions on the courses which I can select?

Yes. For August and January intakes, please click here. For Special Term intakes, please click here.

Qn: What are the possible reason(s) for not being allocated to my selected course(s)?

There are various reasons as to why a particular course was not allocated to you. It could be because:

  • Courses are oversubscribed (no more vacancy)
  • Courses are not offered this semester
  • Students have not met the required pre-requisites
  • Courses are not open to Non-Graduating students
  • Priority is to full-time NUS undergraduates or mainly NUS students who are graduating

Qn: Can I change the courses after I have been accepted to read them at NUS?

Yes - For August and January intakes, you can make changes to the courses which have been offered during the Course Registration Exercise. You are required to check your Registration Guide for the stipulated deadlines.

Qn: Is there any minimum or maximum number of courses which I can do per semester / each part of Special Term?

Generally, students can do up to a maximum of 20 units worth of courses (approximately 5 courses) per regular semester, regardless of whether courses are set to audit or examinable. Non-graduating international students are required to read a minimum workload of 12 units (approximately 3 courses) or pursue full-time research during regular semester in order to qualify as a full-time student and be issued with a Student's Pass.

Students in the Special Term are advised to take no more than two courses per part of the Special Term.

Qn: What happens if there is a clash in either the class or examination timetable of my selected courses?

In such an event, you will have to forgo one of the clashed courses; i.e. you can drop one of the courses or change it to audit.


B. Registration Matters

Qn: I have no access to the internet in my home country and so I cannot complete Registration (Part One) online. What shall I do?

For students in the August and January intakes, there will be computer terminals at the Registration Centre for you to complete your online Registration (Part One) if you come on the scheduled registration date in NUS. However, do note that you may experience a long waiting time at the Registration Centre.

For students in the May/June intakes, there will be no computer terminals. You can complete your online Registration (Part One) once you can connect to NUS Wireless Network. Please refer to the online guides here for connecting to the NUS Wireless Network.

Qn: Can I register at a later date if I cannot make it on any of the stipulated days for registration as stated in the Registration Guide?

For August and January intakes, all students are required to register on the stipulated date.

For May and June intakes, you are required to register in the first week of Special Term Part 1 and 2 respectively or as indicated in your offer letter (for students in a summer programme only). Please refer to the Academic Calendar for the exact date.

The Registrar’s Office will only provide special arrangement for students who are unable to register on the stipulated date due to valid reasons. You must email nghelp@nus.edu.sg at least 2 weeks prior to the registration date with the following details:

  • Your full name
  • Application number
  • Arrival date in Singapore
  • Valid reason for your absence on the official registration date

C. General Academic Matters

Qn: How can I add or drop courses?

Courses to be dropped through use of the Course Registration System. Please refer to the following website for more information:

https://nus.edu.sg/coursereg/

Qn: I have just added/dropped my course. Why are records in Education Records System (EduRec) not reflecting the changes that I have made?

The system usually takes about half to 1 day to reflect the courses you have added/dropped.

Qn: What does auditing a course mean?

Auditing a course means:

  • You are not completing any assignments/tests and sitting for the final examination for that course.
  • There will be no seat allocated to you during the final examination.
  • You will not get a letter grade shown for the course in your transcript. An ‘AUD’ grade will be shown instead, indicating that you have audited the course.
  • Please note that auditing a course is not the same as setting your course to Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (S/U) grades. Such grades are not applicable for NG students.

Students are to file their request to change courses to audit basis via the Academic Profile Updates (APU) form here.


D. Fee Matters

Qn: Where can I check my student's bill?

You can check your student's bill and make payment for it via the Education Records System (EduRec).

Qn: I am a Non-Exchange student. Will I be charged tuition fees for courses which I choose to audit?

Yes, all audited courses are charged tuition fees. Details of per course fees can be found here

Qn: What happens if I don't pay my fees?

A Negative Service Indicator (NSI) will be tagged against your student account as a “Hold”. You will not be able to access your online examination results and your NUS transcript will also be withheld. Students continuing their non-graduating studies in a subsequent semester will not be allowed to enrol in any courses and may have their candidature of study terminated.

Qn: I am a Non-Exchange student; will I be liable to pay fees for the courses which I have dropped with a Withdrawn (W) or Failed (F) grade during the 'Drop with Penalty' period?

Yes, courses dropped during this period would result in a 'W' or 'F' grade reflected in your transcript and you will also be billed for these courses accordingly.


E. Application for Student's Pass

Qn: How much do I have to pay to apply for a Student's Pass?

Please refer to the ‘Fees’ section at the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) website. Alternatively, you can enquire with the immigration officer at the counter or via email at ICA_STP1@ica.gov.sg.

Qn: How can I confirm if I need single or multiple-entry visa when holding a Student's Pass?

ICA will decide if you will need a single or multiple entry visas and this will be indicated in your In-Principle Approval (IPA) letter accordingly.

Qn: When do I complete my Student's Pass formalities?

You will need to complete your Student's Pass formalities after Registration (Part Two). You are required to submit the stamped IPA letter with your medical* examination report to ICA. Please note that the issuance of the Student's Pass is conditional upon the outcome of the required medical* examination.

* Please note that only international students whose application for the Student's Pass is 6 months and beyond are required to undergo and pass a medical examination.

For the list of documents to submit to ICA, please refer to your In-Principle Approval (IPA) letter.

Qn: Is a medical examination required for international students before coming to Singapore?

All international students whose application for the Student’s Pass is 6 months and beyond will have to undergo a medical examination by a qualified medical practitioner either in Singapore or in their home country. Those who are found to have active Tuberculosis or HIV infection will not be granted the pass, and will have to return to their respective country at their own expense.

Qn: How do I make an e-appointment with Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA)?

For students coming in August and January intakes, ICA will set up a booth at the Registration Centre in NUS during the scheduled dates for Offsite Enrolment to allow international students to submit the necessary documents for the completion of Student's Pass formalities. For collection of Student’s Pass, please refer to the information on issuance of Student’s Pass in Annex 1 of the Registration Guide.

For students who can only register after the scheduled period for registration and for students coming in May/June intakes, they must make an e-appointment via the ICA e-appointment website in order to complete the Student's Pass application formalities at ICA Building.


F. On-campus Accommodation Matters

Qn: What are the types of accommodation available?

NUS has various hostel options for your selection. You may refer to the Office of Student Affairs website for the options available for Non-Graduating students.

Qn: Does the hostel provide meals for its residences? What are the meal plan rates like?

Students staying in the Halls of Residences, Colleges and Student Residences are required to subscribe to meal plans. For more information on meal plan rates, please visit the Office of Student Affairs website.

Qn: When and how do I apply for hostel?

Instructions on how and when to apply for housing will be included in the Acceptance Letters students receive during the regular semester. Students can also check if they have been offered on-campus housing via the NUS Online Application Portal.

Please note that placement into on-campus housing is not guaranteed. Due to the limited number of rooms available on campus, some students may receive Acceptance Letters advising them to search for private accommodation. Private housing options are available at the Office of Student Affairs website.

If you have been offered on-campus housing, you are required to submit an online application via the UHMS Hostel Application portal during the stipulated periods. The step-by-step user guide is available at the Office of Student Affairs website.

Students admitted in the Special Term enquire for accommodation through the NUS Guest Accommodation Website.

Qn: When will I be notified of the outcome of my hostel application?

Students admitted in the regular semester may log into the UHMS system to check your application status on the result notification date. Please refer to the dates published at the Office of Student Affairs website.

Students admitted in the Special Term are required to email the respective hostel directly.

Qn: When is the official check-in date?

Please refer to the information published at the Office of Student Affairs website.

Qn: I will be arriving Singapore before the official check-in date or during non-office hours.

You are required to inform the respective hostel. Please refer to the instructions published at the Office of Student Affairs website.