Students Matriculated in 2011 or Before
Number of module substitutions
Students are able to map modules that they read overseas on SEP onto USP modules, subject to the approval of the University Scholars Programme (USP). You are not encouraged to replace more than one First-Tier module per semester abroad. Typically, up to one First-Tier module and one Advanced module substitutions may be approved per semester of SEP. For Summer Programmes, students can map back either one First-Tier module or one CBM.
Suitability of module substitutions
First-Tier substitutions
You should propose First-Tier substitutions which are not usually offered in your home Faculty/Department, and are in the spirit of the Programme, with emphasis on critical thinking, active class participation and/or inter-disciplinary contents. The proposed substitution module(s) need not be an exact match or equivalent to any of the existing USP modules in terms of the course contents, since we encourage you to study what is normally not offered at USP as part of your undergraduate training to broaden your perspectives. The proposed substitution module(s) should possess the academic rigor similar to or above that of the level 2000 modules in NUS. As far as possible, they should also have about the same number of class contact hours as a typical USP module. First-Tier substitutions require only the approval of the USP office.
Course-Based Advanced module or USP Multidisciplinary Seminar Advanced module substitutions
You should propose Course-based Advanced module (CBM) substitutions or USP Multidisciplinary Seminar (UMS) substitutions that are in the spirit of the Programme, with emphasis on critical thinking, active class participation and/or inter-disciplinary contents but which need to be in your domain of study i.e. Humanities & Social Sciences or Sciences & Technologies. The proposed substitution module(s) should possess the academic rigor similar to or above that of the level 3000 modules in NUS. As far as possible, they should also have about the same number of class contact hours as a typical USP module. As a CBM or UMS is usually counted towards a student's faculty/departmental-level or unrestricted elective requirement concurrently, the CBM or UMS substitution would require the joint approval of the home Faculty of the student.
Independent Study Advanced module substitutions
(a) Newly-designed ISM
We do not normally encourage you to propose Independent Study Advanced module (ISM) substitutions unless you are absolutely confident to find fully research-based type of overseas modules (similar to how a newly-designed ISM would be administered at NUS). The proposed substitution module(s) should possess the academic rigor similar to or above that of the level 3000 modules in NUS. As an ISM* is usually counted towards a student's major requirement concurrently, the ISM substitution would require the joint approval of the home Faculty/Department of the student.
(b) Ride-on ISM
We also do not normally encourage you to propose Independent Study Advanced module (ISM) substitutions that ride onto the regular coursework overseas modules. Unlike ride-on ISMs* that are read at NUS, USP and your major department are not able to oversee the administration and the quality of the ride-on research components that you undertake for the overseas module.
Should you decide to propose ride-on ISM substitution, you would need to undertake around 20% research-based additional work outside of the normal curriculum of a regular coursework overseas module e.g. strike an agreement with the module instructor to undertake an extra research assignment which may or may not factor into the overseas module's overall grade, but should at least be reviewed and assessed by the lecturer. A copy of this reviewed assignment is to be submitted together with a copy of the transcript when you return from SEP in order for the credits to be transferred. The proposed substitution module(s) should possess the academic rigor similar to or above that of the level 3000 modules in NUS. As an ISM is usually counted towards a student's major requirement concurrently, the ride-on ISM substitution would require the joint approval of the home Faculty/Department of the student.
* Note for FASS USP students, they may only read pure or newly-designed ISM but not ride-on ISM substitution overseas on SEP towards their major requirements at FASS.
For students who are on the Double Degree Programme with French Grandes Ecoles, they will be reading their third and fourth year curriculum at a French institution. These students may refer to the recommended study schedule for recommendations on the possible number of USP module substitutions.
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Students Matriculated in 2012 and After
Number of module substitutions
Students are able to map modules that they read overseas on SEP onto USP Inquiry modules, subject to the approval of the University Scholars Programme (USP). You are not encouraged to replace more than two Inquiry modules per semester abroad. For Summer Programmes, students can map one Inquiry module.
Suitability of module substitutions
Foundation modules substitutions
The Foundation modules are unique to USP. We thus encourage you to take your Foundation modules at NUS and do not normally allow substitutions with modules taken on SEP.
Inquiry module substitutions
You should propose Inquiry module substitutions which are not usually offered in your home Faculty/Department, and are in the spirit of the Programme, with emphasis on critical thinking, active class participation and/or inter-disciplinary contents. The proposed substitution module(s) need not be an exact match or equivalent to any of the existing USP modules in terms of the course contents, since we encourage you to study what is normally not offered at USP as part of your undergraduate training to broaden your perspectives. The proposed substitution module(s) should possess the academic rigor similar to or above that of the level 2000 modules in NUS or above. As far as possible, they should also have about the same number of class contact hours as a typical USP module.
Reflection modules substitutions
The Senior Seminar is unique to NUS, and is an important forum in which USP students share disciplinary knowledge towards the end of their studies. We thus encourage you to take your Reflection modules at NUS and do not normally allow substitutions with modules taken on SEP.
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General Information
Implications of module substitutions
Only the modular credits, not the grade attained, of the replacement modules will be transferred back to NUS.
In addition, please note that you will not be allowed to transfer the modular credits of modules that were read as 'Pass/Fail' or 'Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory' at the overseas partner university (not applicable to students on NOC) as we like to see how you have performed in the overseas module(s) in terms of grades.
When your request for the transfer of credits is approved upon your return from SEP, the modules that you read and passed overseas will be assigned the 'OVS' grade and not 'S/U' grade. Please refer to the following notices by NUS Registrar's Office on the maximum number of modular credits that you can transfer while on the SEP. Please take note that if you have been on any NUS overseas summer/winter programmes before, the maximum number of modular credits that you can transfer while on the SEP will be reduced accordingly by the number of modular credits that you have previously transferred while on the summer/winter programmes.
For more information on S/U Grading Option, please refer to this url:
http://www.nus.edu.sg/registrar/edu/UG/graduation.html#SU
(a) Procedures for proposing substitution for non-USP initiative exchanges
Before you depart for SEP:
- Please download and complete the application form with the proposed overseas modules for USP modules substitution.
- Attach the oversea module description, contact hours and assessment methods to the completed application form.
- For advanced module substitution(s), please obtain your home Faculty/School/Department's endorsement on the application form prior to submitting it to the USP Student’s Office.
- Submit your application form together with all the supporting documents to the USP Student’s Office one month before leaving for your SEP.
- You will be informed of your application outcome via email.
Upon your return from SEP:
- Submit a scanned copy (send to
) or hardcopy of your overseas transcript to the USP Student’s Office.
- USP will assign the substitution codes for the modules mapped back as USP equivalent modules.
- You will submit the endorsed forms with the assigned substitution module codes to your home Faculty/School for the transfer of credits to be effected.
(b) Procedures for proposing module substitution for USP initiative exchanges (inclusive of USP Cultural Immersion Programmes)
Before you depart for SEP:
- Please download and complete the application form with the proposed overseas modules for USP modules substitution.
- Attach the oversea module description, contact hours and assessment methods to the completed application form.
- For advanced module substitution(s), please obtain your home Faculty/School/Department's endorsement on the application form prior to submitting it to the USP Student’s Office.
- Submit your application form together with all the supporting documents, and all your other endorsed faculty module mapping forms to the USP Student’s Office one month before leaving for your SEP.
- You will be informed of your USP modules substitution application outcome via email.
Upon your return from SEP:
- Submit a scanned copy (send to
) or hardcopy of your overseas transcript to the USP Student’s Office.
- USP will assign the substitution codes for the modules mapped back as USP equivalent modules.
- USP will co-ordinate with your home Faculty/School for the transfer of credits to be effected.
Note: Students who, as a result of the overlap in academic terms, cannot avoid returning late from SEP to resume studies at NUS, are to observe USP's guideline on this matter: Late Returns from SEP
Things to note:
- Students matriculated in 2011 and before, when proposing First-Tier module substitutions, should be mindful of the domain requirements of their outstanding First-Tier modules.
- Students matriculated in 2012 and after, when proposing Inquiry module substitutions, should be mindful of the domain requirements of their outstanding Inquiry modules.
- For Students matriculated in 2011 and before, an Advanced Curriculum module (and therefore its corresponding substitution) can count towards the major requirement if its content is directly related to the major.
- Students matriculated in 2011 and before, an Advanced Curriculum module (and therefore its corresponding substitution) can count towards the faculty/departmental-level requirement if its content is directly related to subjects offered by the faculty/department (in some cases, they are required to be outside the student's major).
- All module substitutions can count towards unrestricted electives, except for FASS which requires them to be outside the student's major.
Substitution module codes
Substitution module codes are assigned by the USP office upon a student's return from SEP, as follows:
First-Tier or Inquiry substitution: UFx200yE |
x - Domain
y - Sequence starting from 0 |
CBM / UMS substitution: UACx00yE |
x - Level of module
y - Sequence starting from 0 |
ISM substitution: UAIx00yE |
x - Level of module
y - Sequence starting from 0 |
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