FAQ

Yes. Year 1 students may apply in Round 2, after completing at least one semester of study at NUS, subject to the applicable eligibility requirements.

No. Students cannot participate in SEP during their graduating semester. Students are required to complete their final semester of study in NUS to ensure they can graduate on time.

Students also cannot undertake their FYP or internship/industrial attachment during their SEP semester.

DDP students should apply through their home faculty, subject to the faculty’s SEP arrangements.

No. You may only apply for PUs with places allocated to SoC and listed in the relevant SEP application information.

All SEP places allocated to SoC are offered in Round 1.

Round 2 offers only places remaining after earlier rounds. A partner university will be available in Round 2 only if places remain.

• Any Semester: You may indicate your preferred semester in your application.
• Semester 1: Exchange must be in Semester 1.
• Semester 2: Exchange must be in Semester 2.

Some PUs operate on a quarter system. Please check the PU’s academic calendar before applying.

No. Each SEP place typically covers one academic quarter or semester at the partner university. Check the specific PU’s exchange arrangement.

No. Students cannot select their preferred UC campus. Campus allocation is determined by UCEAP. Please note that UCLA and UC Berkeley are not available to SoC students.

No. To be eligible for an exchange at ETH Zurich, students must be pursuing a Computer Science major and have a strong foundation in Computer Science. Students must have completed at least two years of full-time study in the relevant Computer Science courses (approximately 15 to 20 courses) and attained a GPA of at least 4.00. Students are encouraged to apply after completing Year 3 Semester 1.

A study plan is no longer mandatory but highly encouraged. The study plan helps you research and assess your preferred PUs, including course availability, academic fit, teaching medium, restrictions and workload. The study plan is an interim plan, not a course mapping request. Courses may be changed later based on availability and the latest information from the PU.

Yes. The pre-approved list is a reference only and is not exhaustive. You may explore courses beyond the pre-approved list. All course mappings, including pre-approved courses require formal approval. Please note that past approvals do not guarantee future approval.

Do a preliminary check via SEP Mapper to ensure the courses are ≥70% content overlap, meet all prerequisite and preclusion requirements before submitting.

You should remain flexible in your study plan. Partner Universities (PUs) and NUS cannot guarantee that you will be able to secure all the courses you intend to take during your exchange. This is particularly important for popular programmes such as Computer Science, where enrolment may be competitive and some PUs may impose restrictions on exchange students.

Research the PU’s course catalogue carefully and prepare suitable backup courses, including UEs, where necessary.

Yes. You may seek course mapping approval for courses that fulfil your second degree, major or minor requirements. However, approval does not guarantee enrolment, as PUs may impose course restrictions or have limited places.

Remain flexible and prepare suitable backup courses, including UEs, where necessary. Also check NUS residency and unit requirements when planning your exchange.

There is no fixed GPA cut-off for SEP applications. However, admission to certain Partner Universities (PUs) can be highly competitive, and the GPA of successful applicants may vary from year to year depending on the number and quality of applicants and the number of places available.

SEP selection considers multiple factors, including your academic performance, CCA achievements, SEP submission, and the competitiveness of the available places. Both pre-S/U and post-S/U GPA are taken into consideration.

To improve your chances, maintain a strong academic record, prepare a thoughtful and well-structured SEP submission, and consider a range of PUs rather than focusing only on the most popular choices.

You can list up to five PUs in your SEP application. As SEP is highly competitive, you may not be allocated your first choice, and some students may be offered their fourth or fifth choice.

Popular destinations such as the USA, UK, Australia, Canada, Japan, South Korea, and Hong Kong SAR tend to attract more applications and may be more competitive. When ranking your choices, consider a range of PUs with different levels of competitiveness to increase your chances of securing an exchange opportunity.

No. An NUS internal SEP offer does not guarantee final acceptance by the Partner University (PU). Students must submit an application to their allocated PU and meet its admission requirements, which may include GPA, language proficiency, or other criteria. Each PU has its own admission process and reserves the right to reject applicants who do not meet its requirements.

Do not make major financial commitments, such as booking flights or accommodation, until you receive official acceptance and the necessary visa documents from the PU.

Please wait until you receive official admission from the PU before making major travel or financial commitments.

You are responsible for ensuring that your SEP, NUS academic commitments and internships/attachments do not conflict. Please check the PU’s academic calendar carefully before applying. 

Students are expected to return to NUS and resume studies at the start of the following semester. Leave of Absence (LOA) will not be supported to accommodate am extended exchange.

If examinations overlap, any remote or alternative examination arrangements are subject to the PU’s approval. NUS will not grant short-term leave solely to accommodate an extended exchange.

Yes. Please check the language requirements of your chosen Partner University (PU) before applying. Some PUs may require proficiency in the local language, particularly where courses are not taught in English.

If required, consider taking relevant language courses at NUS before your exchange to meet the requirements and enhance your exchange experience.

SEP and NOC have separate application and selection processes. You may apply for both SEP and NOC if the application timelines allow you to do so. However, you cannot accept both internal offers if the programme periods overlap.

If the programmes are for different semesters, there is no overlap in the programme periods. However, you must still meet the eligibility requirements for both programmes, and whether you can submit both applications will depend on the applicable application timelines and EduRec system settings. Selection remains subject to the respective programme’s selection criteria and available places.

If you wish to prioritise NOC, you should apply for NOC first and consider applying for SEP in Round 2 as a backup, subject to available places.

Please consider your choice carefully, as withdrawing after accepting an offer involves administrative arrangements and may affect the allocation of places to other students. A S$300 withdrawal fee applies if you withdraw from SEP after accepting the NUS internal offer.

Please note that we employ distinct notation for mapped courses from exchanges. It will be OVS (overseas satisfactory pass), OVU (overseas unsatisfactory), and OVI (overseas incomplete). Following the credit transfer, your official NUS transcript will only display the total credits acquired during the exchange.