About Singapore
Singapore is at the heart of Southeast Asia, and English is used because of its British colonial heritage. It is the most user-friendly, English-speaking introduction to Asia, and an excellent gateway to discover and learn more about the surrounding region. The country is a melting pot of cultures and has a unique blend of East and West. As students interact with both local and international counterparts, they will get fantastic insights into Asian cultures and practices, uniquely mixed with Western influences.
About NUS CDE
Are you looking for an education that will expose you to real-world scenarios, domain expertise and cutting-edge research? At the College of Design and Engineering (CDE), we offer you a learning experience that will enable you to thrive in your future professional roles.
Our vision is to be a leading college uniting creative minds to build a better future. We aim to inspire, innovate, and transform the world by forging new frontiers.
CDE builds on the convergence between the disciplines of engineering, architecture, and design to offer a distinctive interdisciplinary educational experience for our students and foster a cutting-edge multi-disciplinary research environment for our researchers.
Academic Calendar & Curriculum
The NUS standard academic calendar consists of two semesters and a special term. Each semester normally includes 13 weeks of instruction and 2 weeks of examinations.
Each exchange student needs to have a minimum workload of 12 units (approximately 3 courses) and a maximum of 23 units (approximately 5 courses) per semester. They are responsible for ensuring that the courses registered would fulfil the graduation requirements at the home university. The minimum workload is also a requirement to qualify for a Student's Pass issued by the Immigration Checkpoints Authority (ICA).
Please refer to the following for the details on the courses available for undergraduate exchange students.
More information can be found at Course Related Matters for Non-graduating exchange student.
Accommodation Options
On-campus accommodation is popular among exchange students who want convenient access to classes, sporting and social events in NUS. Undergraduate students on coursework-based exchange are given priority for accommodation, subject to available vacancies. In the event of overwhelming demand for campus housing, exchange students may also source for other accommodation off campus.
Please refer to the application guide at the Office of Student Affairs for more information on eligibility and application.
Financial Consideration
Tuition Fees
Exchange students will continue to pay tuition fee to your home university while on exchange to NUS. Exchange students do not need to pay tuition fee to NUS but are required to pay the Miscellaneous Student Fees:
| Miscellaneous Student Fees (MSF) | Amount (per semester) |
| Student Services Fee | S$64.30 |
| Health Service Fee | S$83.25 |
(Note: All fees shown here are inclusive of prevailing GST of 8%, with effect from 1st January 2023. It will be increased to 9% from 1st January 2024. Fees may be subject to revision from time to time. Late payment charge of S$25 will be imposed for any outstanding fees after the respective payment due date.)
Living Costs
Exchange students are responsible for the cost of their accommodation, meals, books and any other miscellaneous expenses. Below is the list of estimated monthly cost of living for an exchange student in Singapore:
| Estimated Cost (Per Month) | On-Campus | Off-Campus |
| Accommodation | S$500 – S$900* | S$650 – S$1800* |
| Food (3 meals a day) | S$300 – S$500 | S$400 – S$800 |
| Public Transport | S$100 – S$200 | S$200 – S$300 |
| Personal expenses (Telecommunication, toiletries, clothing etc.) | S$300 – S$500 | S$300 – S$500 |
| Total: | S$1,200 – S$2,100^ | S$1,550 – S$3,400^ |
(* Actual cost depends on type of residence and type of room. For the hostel fees you may refer to the Office of Student Affairs’ Hostel Admission Services site. Actual rental depends on whether there is room sharing and whether utilities are included in the rent.)
(^Do note that the actual costs will depend on your personal needs and lifestyle. The above estimates only include expenses for your daily essentials and does not account for other items such as shopping, entertainment, computers, electronic/communication devices, recreational travel, etc. Remember to budget more if students intend to travel around the region extensively!)
Application Process
Exchange students must obtain formal approval from your home university’s student exchange coordinator to attend NUS before you are welcome to apply online during the stipulated application period:
| Intake | Submission deadline for Nomination | Application Portal Open | Application Outcome (Expected) |
| NUS Semester 1, (August – December) Full year (August to May) | Mid-March | 21 March to 10 April | Late May |
| NUS Semester 2, (January – May) | Late August | 1 to 22 September | Early November |
NUS’ Registrar’s Office assists in the application process and therefore do refer to Non-Graduating Programme page for the complete application instructions such as:
- Application Deadlines
- General Application Instructions
- Checklist of Required Supporting Documents
Student’s Pass (Visa)
International students studying in Singapore are required to have their “Student’s Pass” approved by the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) of Singapore. All incoming international students who are applying for a Student’s Pass for 6 months and above are required to do a medical examination (details will be provided in the letter of offer).
To apply for a Student’s Pass, NUS Registrar’s Office will send you an instructional email to submit the application via the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) e-Service for Student’s Pass. If the application is approved, ICA will grant the student an In-Principle Approval (IPA) letter, which is available for printing via ICA STP Application system under navigation path: Student Main Menu > Print Outcome Letters. For students from a visa-required country, the IPA letter also serves as a single-entry visa to enter Singapore.
Upon receipt of the IPA letter, you are advised to read it carefully and prepare the required documents/items for submission to ICA in person to convert your Social Visit Pass to a Student’s Pass. 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.
More information on Student's Pass can be found here.
Important Websites:
Comments from Past Exchange Students
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Marion Hauducoeur, Imperial College London
“I love the food, the mix of religions in Singapore, the different atmospheres in the city from Chinatown to Kampong Glam to Marina Bay. I try to take advantage of all the opportunities here at NUS, for example, a typical after school break in Singapore is surfing in Sentosa, which is very exotic for a European student!” |
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Alex Glenn, Loughborough University
“The curriculum is thorough and definitely a challenge to keep on top of, but there are very good lecturers who are extremely helpful.” |
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Ashley Kate Swift, Iowa State University
“I really enjoyed getting to meet a variety of different people, both locals and other international students. Being surrounded by so many new people, I have had the opportunity to exchange and receive knowledge which has truly opened my eyes to more of the world.” |
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