Language of instruction
The National University of Singapore was founded in 1905 as a modest college with 23 students. Today, Singapore’s flagship university spans three campuses and is widely seen as among the best universities in Asia and the world. It is ranked among the Top 25 universities worldwide.
Singapore is a dynamic city where you’ll find a harmonious blend of culture, cuisine, arts, and architecture.
Semester dates
| UQ Semester | Host Semester | Dates |
| Semester 1 | Semester 2 | January–May |
| Semester 2 | Semester 1 | August–December |
View the NUS academic calendar.
Guides and additional information
NUS has online resources to help get more from your exchange:
Campuses
NUS has multiple campuses open to exchange students:
- Kent Ridge campus (main campus)
- Bukit Timah campus (Faculty of Law, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy and research institutes)
- Outram campus (Duke-NUS Medical School)
Exchange deadlines
May 31 for Semester 1 of the following year.
October 31 for Semester 2 of the following year.
Student testimonials
- B EngineeringSemester 1, 2019
Exchange was an absolute blast and I would do it a second time in a heartbeat!
- B Mechatronics Engineering/Information TechnologySemester 2, 2018
You are the culmination of the people and cultures around you. And an exchange is a unique opportunity to explore another side of who you are.
- B Mathematics/ScienceSemester 2, 2018
Full-time study load
4 modules (usually 4 modular credits each) per semester at NUS is equivalent to 8 UQ units.
Minimum academic requirements
You will need a minimum cumulative GPA of 5.0 to study at NUS.
Students must not have received any grades below 5.0 during their degree program study at UQ when applying for exchange to NUS.
Find courses
Search the Credit Precedent Database to find courses offered by your host university that have been previously approved for credit at UQ. The database should be used as a general guide only.
Search the NUS course catalogue if courses do not appear in the database.
Study areas taught in English
Course restrictions
NUS provides a list of course restrictions applicable to exchange students.
NUS accepts undergraduate level exchange only.
When applying to NUS, students must list at least 10 courses per semester on the host university application form to ensure that they have sufficient courses approved prior to arrival. Please list at least 10 courses on the Global Experiences study plan.
Please note the below when searching your NUS courses:
- Level 1000 and level 3000 Economics courses are open to undergraduate exchange students. Courses offered at the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences are more math-based, Humanities-based Economics are offered under Global Studies with GL code or electives under GE code.
- The majority of level 4000 modules are reserved for NUS students and have limited places available.
- Level 5000 and level 6000 modules are postgraduate level courses.
- Political Science, Economics, Computer Science and Architecture courses are in limited supply and harder to secure.
- Business/Finance exchange places at NUS School of Business are very limited, over-subscribed and cannot be guaranteed. Students must be very flexible with course selection and prepared to enrol in other subject areas.
- Law exchange places at NUS Faculty of Law are limited. Law courses only open to Law majors, and only elective Law modules (i.e. with module code LL4XXX) are available to exchange students. Students who wish to enrol in Law courses at NUS need to be very flexible with courses.
- Global Experiences recommends that students studying Psychological Sciences do NOT apply for NUS.
- Architecture courses are offered by the School of Design & Environment; Enrolment in 4th year design courses only.
- University-wide exchange students are allowed to take courses from different NUS faculties.
Additional academic information
NUS has online resources to help navigate their academic policies:
Exchange deadlines
May 31 for Semester 1 of the following year.
October 31 for Semester 2 of the following year.
Accommodation
Exchange students may apply for a place in the Halls of Residence, Student Residences or Colleges. The halls and colleges are catered, and residents are required to subscribe to the meal plan. Off-campus accommodation is also available to exchange students for a short-term stay.
Cost of living
The cost of living while on exchange at NUS will vary depending on your choice of accommodation. The Global Relations Office provides a list of estimated expenses (see Incoming Exchangers – After Applying – Step 5: Costs of Living) you can expect to encounter while living in Singapore.
Financial support
A range of funding for student exchange including scholarships, grants and loans are available to UQ students.
Insurance
Students approved to participate in the Student Exchange Program are automatically covered by UQ’s Travel Insurance for the country of their host university only.
For more information, read the Student Travel Insurance Policy Summary on UQ’s Travel Insurance web page (login required).
If you plan to travel outside of your host country, you should purchase additional insurance.
All exchange students are obliged to subscribe to the university's medical insurance scheme.
Exchange deadlines
May 31 for Semester 1 of the following year.
October 31 for Semester 2 of the following year.
Organise your visa
It is your responsibility to ensure you have the correct visa for the country where you will be studying. As the Global Experiences team is not a visa-issuing authority we cannot provide visa advice.
NUS provides Student Pass and visa information for incoming exchange students.
Contact the Singapore Immigration and Checkpoints Authority for more visa information.
Travel risk levels
The University of Queensland cannot and does not allow students to travel to any country with a risk level of 3 (Reconsider your need to travel) or above, as assessed by the Australian Government.
If a country's risk level changes to 3 or above, Global Experience programs to that country are suspended until the risk level improves.
Find out the risk level and travel advice for your host country on the Smartraveller website.
Register your travel plans
We recommend that you register your travel plans on the Smartraveller website so that the Australian Government can contact you or your family in an emergency.
Non-Australian citizens should register with their closest consulate.
Exchange deadlines
May 31 for Semester 1 of the following year.
October 31 for Semester 2 of the following year.