FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ON OVERSEAS SEP

· The NUS Registrar’s Office maintains a website on SEP at http://www.nus.edu.sg/registrar/undergraduate/sep.htm. Details concerning application and partner universities are available there. You may also check the Faculty's SEP website http://www.fas.nus.edu.sg/undergrad/toknow/special_programmes/index.html for more information.

· Speak to the Departmental SEP Co-ordinators.

· Speak to students who have been on SEP.

· Go to SEP talks when they are organised for you.

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2. When is the best time for me to go for SEP?

Students may go on SEP in their 3^rd, 4^th or 5^th semesters of their studies. Students are not allowed to go on SEP in their graduating semester. For more information, please refer to the webpage at http://www.fas.nus.edu.sg/undergrad/toknow/special_programmes/sep_bef_application.html

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3. What is the difference between the 3 categories of exchange ie University, Faculty and Dept-level?

· University-wide SEP partner universities are those that NUS had signed an agreement with. The places allocated to NUS would be distributed among the various faculties. There may be instances where no place will be allocated to FASS or that the agreement is meant for students of a particular faculty only.

· Faculty-level partner universities are those that the Faculty had signed an agreement with. The places allocated will be solely for FASS students.

· Departmental-level partner universities are those that the respective departments had signed an agreement with. The places allocated will be solely for students majoring in the department's subject(s).

The process for application and selection is the same. Students may apply to universities in either category. However, students going on SEP with a Faculty-wide partner university has to read at least 60% of their modules from the faculty of the partner university that FASS has an agreement with.

Please check with the respective departments for those who are going on SEP with a Dept-wide partner university.

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4. How do I search for information on partner universities?

Information on some Partner Universities is available in the Reference Section of the NUS Central Library and from the internet, (the listing is for over 3,000 universities with home pages). Students should also explore other sources of information e.g. resource centres, libraries of diplomatic missions or by using search engines on the internet. The Registrar's Office does not have a resource facility for SEP reference material. Such material can be found in the Reference Section of the Central Library.

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5. Will my graduation be delayed?

Your graduation will not be delayed if you plan carefully. You must note the following:

· a SEP study plan (approved by the Department of your major or concentration) is required for each SEP partner university and semester chosen to ensure that you can fulfill your graduation requirements while on SEP.

· when you return from SEP, submit your transcript to the Dean’s Office as soon as possible for credit transfer. Credit transfer will be allowed only for modules approved by the Department.

· Try to maintain regular contact with your SEP co-ordinator via email so that any administrative problems encountered can be solved as soon as possible.

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(B) APPLICATION

6. I am interested in SEP. How do I apply for it?

· The Faculty opens the SEP application twice a year

· Students can now apply for the overseas SEP online at the following website https://aces01.nus.edu.sg/NASApp/prjvop/logon.sep .

· You must submit the a personal statement of not more than 500 words on why you want to participate in the SEP and how you think you will be a good NUS ambassador.

· You must submit the SEP Study Plan when you apply for SEP (tentative copy at this stage; approval for module mapping is not needed). The study plan would be based on the modules available at the university that you are interested in.

· The university prospectus in the libraries, the respective country embassies and the internet are good starting points for you to learn more about the overseas universities. You should find out about your intended overseas university’s teaching programmes and select the suitable and equivalent modules offered there. See your departmental SEP co-ordinator for help.

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7. How do I know which university I can apply to?

Please refer to the faculty SEP website. The list of universities with SEP places available to FASS students is listed there. You may choose up to 5 SEP partner universities (either at University-wide or Faculty-level); but you must be judicious in your choice of SEP partner universities because allocation will be based on the:
(i) places available at the SEP partner university;
(ii) SEP partner university’s popularity; and
(iii) NUS student’s ranking among applicants to that University.

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8. When will SEP application commence?

Application for the Overseas SEP is conducted on a semester-basis. The 1st Round is for students who are interested in applying for (Semester 1, Semester 2 and full academic year) of the next academic year. The 2nd Round is for students to apply for only Semester 2 of the next academic year. Students should keep a look out for the notice/announcement on the SEP application opening date and submission deadline on the Faculty website http://www.fas.nus.edu.sg/undergrad/index.html.

Application for the Singapore Universities [SU] SEP, which is at local Partner Universities, is conducted on a semester-basis. The due date is mid-May for Semester 1 and end-October for Semester 2. More information on the SU SEP is at http://www.nus.edu.sg/registrar/undergraduate/susep.htm.

Please note that the SEP Application Material will be issued through the University's SEP web page at http://www.nus.edu.sg/registrar/undergraduate/susep.htm. Students are encouraged to print the SEP Application Material from the SEP web page when it is issued.

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9. How to get the SEP partner university to accept me? What is the procedure?

It is a two-stage application. First, apply for SEP through the Department of your major or concentration. Once you are short-listed by the Faculty, your application form will be forwarded to the partner university assigned to you. Approval will be at the discretion of the partner university.

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10. Is there a quota for SEP applications?

Each faculty will be allocated a number of places for selected universities under the university-wide (UW) SEP. Allocation of places to faculties is done by the International Relations Office. Limited places are also available at universities under the Faculty SEP.

Students therefore compete for a place in SEP at the universities of their choice. Choose the universities wisely to increase of chances of success.

SEP places available to FASS students are found at the FASS SEP website when the application starts..

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11. The academic term in the partner university will only end in late January. Can I still apply for this university? Am I allowed to join the classes late?

Yes, you may still apply for these universities. Most SEP students going to European universities will return in late January. Note that the late return cannot be used as an excuse for poor performance in the modules of the semester after the students' return. Students are also responsible for catching up and to make up for any assignments required.

Students are advised to do the following:

i) Check when the last date of their examinations are and arrange to return to Singapore immediately after that.

ii) Register for their modules during the online registration period for modules and discussion groups. Please check the list of important events for the respective semesters for the registration dated.

iii) Inform the lecturers of the respective modules that they would be returning late and obtain permission to join their classes late. Note that lecturers are not obliged allow students to join their classes late. Some modules, e.g. language modules, do not permit students to join the classes if they had missed too many lessons as the students would not be able to catch up.

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12. My semester at the partner university ends in February, can I still register for modules for semester 2?
You should apply for Leave of Absence for Semester 2.

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(C) ELIGIBILITY FOR SEP

13. I am not a Singaporean, can I apply for SEP?

Undergraduate students which are foreign nationals receiving a scholarship financed or administered by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (e.g. Singapore Scholarships, etc.) are ineligible for the overseas SEP. (This is inapplicable to the SU SEP.) However, those undergraduate students which are foreign nationals receiving a scholarship financed or administered by the Ministry of Education and NUS (including the ASEAN Undergraduate Scholarships and the NUS Scholarships) are now eligible for the overseas SEP.

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14. Who is eligible for SEP?

To be eligible for SEP, an NUS student:

· must be registered as a full-time undergraduate student;

· must be Singapore citizens or permanent residents, other nationals will be considered on a case to case basis;

· must have successfully completed at least 1 semester upon application and 2 semesters upon admission to the assigned Partner University;

· a minimum CAP of at least 3.00 and should not have any grade below 'C'.

· must have the financial resources for personal and living expenses for the duration of the SEP. (Financial assistance is available from the University.)

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15. If I went on SEP once, am I still allowed to take part in the upcoming SEP applications.

Students are only allowed to embark on one overseas and local SEP. You have already gone on an overseas exchange, you are not eligible for overseas exchange again. However, you can apply for the local exchange. This is vice-versa for students who went on local exchange.

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(D EXPENDITURE AND FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

16. Is there any financial assistance for students going on SEP?

Grants and NUS SEP Loan Fund are available. Please check the webpage at http://www.fas.nus.edu.sg/undergrad/toknow/special_programmes/sep_fin_aid.html

for more information.

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17. How much would it cost to go on SEP?

Students pay normal NUS fees for regular semesters fees (if applicable). Students pay own airfare and living expenses approximately S$8000/semester (estimated). Some Universities may require students to pay for application and other miscellaneous fees.

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(E) LEAVE OF ABSENCE

18. Do I need to apply for leave of absence when I go on SEP?

You do not have to apply for SEP leave of absence as your status will be updated once you have been shortlisted.

Since it has implications on a student's registration, should you withdraw from SEP or your application rejected by the partner university, please notify Dean's Office immediately at fashelp@nus.edu.sg

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(F) READING OF MODULES

19. How do I map the modules offered by the partner University with NUS modules?

You will need to provide comprehensive information about the module(s) that you intend to read while on exchange. You can obtain information on the modules from:

· Overseas partner universities' website or catalogue

· Department or Lectures teaching the module(s) a the partner universities

· The Study Abroad or International Students Office at the partner universities

You should try as far as possible to obtain the following information:

· Description of the module(s) (including level of the module(s), code and title)

· Description of the syllabus and/or readings and how the course is conducted

· Number of contact hours and/or schedule of lectures, tutorials, seminars

· Modes of Assessment

· Any other relevant information

Once you have obtained the necessary information, show them to the SEP advisor of the respective department/faculty offering similar module(s) to those that you intend to read. The advisors will evaluate the modules for their suitability and equivalency to modules offered by their department/faculty, and endorse the respective modules in your study plan accordingly.

Please submit your study plans to the respective departments for approval at least one month before you depart for SEP to allow for processing time, and the confirmed and approved study plan to the Dean's Office at least two weeks before you depart for SEP.

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20. Can I take a module in thepartner university and match it against a GEM?

Yes you can. Students on SEP are allowed to take modules in the partner university and match it againist GEMs.

Please note the following procedures:-

(1) Full module description is to be provided (Refer to Qn 22). This is to examine the scope and suitability of the module and whether it can be matched to a 4 MC module, and also to see whether it should be categorised as IKC or KMI, Group A or B GEMs.

(2) Complete and submit the form http://www.fas.nus.edu.sg/docs/sep/approval_gem_module.doc to Mr Calvin Murty at the Registrar's Office (regcm@nus.edu.sg). He would forward details of the module to the appropriate committee for approval. If the matching is successful, Registrar's Office will assign an equivalent NUS code for the module.

(3) Submit the approval (with the assigned code) to the Dean's Office with the rest of your study plan.

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21. Can I take a module in the partner university and use it to fulfil the UE/Breadth requirements?

Yes you can. Students on SEP are allowed to take modules in the partner university to fulfil the UE/Breadth requirements.

Please note the following procedures:-

(1) Full module description is to be provided (Refer to Qn 22). This is to examine the scope and suitability of the module and whether it can be matched to a 4 MC module.

(2) Submit the details to the respective departments/Faculties/Schools for permission to read the module(s).

(3) Submit the approval (with the assigned code) to the Dean's Office with the rest of your study plan.

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22. Can I map and read an exposure module while on exchange?

No, you are not allowed to read any exposure module(s) while on exchange. The exposure module is the introductory module setting out the basics of the subject that is taught in NUS. If you are to read the module while on exchange, you will not have the full understanding of the subject that is offered in NUS.

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23. Whom can I approach if the overseas module is of a discipline not offered by NUS?

If you are unable to find a relevant module to be mapped in NUS, you can seek approval from Dean's office. The Assistant-Dean will decide if the module can be used to fulfil Breadth/UE requirements and whether it can be mapped onto a 4MC module. Please send the information of the module (Refer to Qn 22) to fashelp@nus.edu.sg

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24. The partner University's credit system is different from ours. How do we know if their modules are equivalent to 4 MCs in NUS? Also, the partner university allows us to read only 3 modules a semester, but NUS requires us to read 5 modules a semester. I will be 2 modules short when I return and it will be very taxing to read 7 modules in a semester. Can I read more than the 3 modules allowed while on exchange?

Each university has its own credit system. Hence it is important that you provide all the necessary details of the modules (module description, contact hours, modes of assessment etc) when requesting for mapping at the departments. The information would help the departments determine if the modules are equivalent to those offered in NUS and if each is equivalent to 4 MCs here.

You will have to follow the regulations of the partner University. In cases where partner Universities stipulate that students are allowed to read only 4 modules or less a semester, the students may apply to have the less than 5 modules recognised as 20 MCs for transfer of credits purpose (extra credit recognition) if the workload of the partner university's modules is equivalent to 5 NUS modules.

If the partner university merely recommends a workload of less than 5 modules, but actually allows students to take 5 modules, then extra-credit recognition will not be allowed and they would have to make up for the shortfall in modules in the semesters before they leave for SEP or in the semester after they return. Some students make up for their modules by reading extra modules in the regular semesters or by reading modules during Special Term. Some students choose to stay an extra semester to complete their graduation requirements.

The SEP works on a reciprocity basis. Their students have to follow NUS guidelines just as our students have to follow theirs. The number of modules/credits a student reads in a semester will have an impact on the tuition fees. Some partner universities allow students to read more modules/credits than that stipulated, but students will have to pay for the extra modules/credits.

If the modules that you are reading constitute 'full workload', please do the following:

1. For the pre-approval of study plan (i.e., before you depart for the SEP), the SEP coordinator will normally approve one course-to-one module maps unless they can be convinced that the courses you seek to read are worth more than the corresponding number of mapped-to modules in their program.

2. If all the approved map-to modules have less than 20 MCs (in a semester) for a study plan that constitutes the maximum workload at the partner university, you may apply to Dean's Office (email: fashelp@nus.edu.sg) for the extra modular credits after you have registered for classes at the partner university (as students normally map more modules before they depart on their exchange).

3. When you write to fashelp, you should provide the following details of all courses you have enrolled in:
i) Course description (including level of the course, its pre-requisites and the number of credit units)
ii) Description of the syllabus and/or readings and how the course is conducted
iii) Number of contact hours and/or schedule of lectures, tutorials, seminars
iv) Modes of Assessment
v) Maximum workload of a student in the semester eg. 60 credits (provide webpage links)
vi) Any other relevant information.

4. The extra MCs will be granted only if the Faculty is convinced that your study workload deserves them. You will be informed of the decision within five working days.

5. The Faculty reserves the right to assign the extra modular credits to any part of the degree curriculum it deems fit. For instance, even if all the courses you read are mapped into your major curriculum, the extra modular credits granted may take the form of unrestricted elective modules.

6. If we are granting extra credits, it is on the condition that you are reading the modules as stated in the study plan that you submit earlier in pt 2. If there are any changes to the modules in the study plan, the approval is void.

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25. How many S/U modules can I read while on exchange?

If the request for transfer of credits is approved, the modules that you read and passed overseas will be given the ‘OVS’ grade and not ‘S/U’ grade.

You will have to refer to the following webpage pertaining to your cohort on the maximum number of credits that you can transfer http://www.fas.nus.edu.sg/undergrad/toknow/policies/maximum_credit_transfer_sep.html

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(G) TRANSFER OF CREDITS

26. How do I apply for transfer of credits after I return from SEP?

Upon receipt of your transcript from the partner university, you will need to complete the form for submission of transcript found at http://www.fas.nus.edu.sg/undergrad/todo/forms_online.html and submit it together with a copy of your transcript to the Dean's Office. Please follow up with the partner university to ensure that your transcript arrives at least one and a half month before the start of your examinations for the semester that you return to NUS. Otherwise the credits for your overseas modules will be transferred late and your graduation or promotion could be delayed.

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27. Can I transfer credits for a module read as 'Pass/Fail' option?

No, you will not be allowed to transfer credits for overseas modules read as 'Pass/Fail'.