Applying for Summer and Winter Programmes

To apply for a summer or winter programme, you must:

• Be a full-time NUS undergraduate;
• Complete the programme before your NUS conferment date;
• Meet the additional requirements (e.g. GPA score, English proficiency, etc.) imposed by the host university;
• Have a clean disciplinary record and be a strong ambassador for NUS; any disciplinary misconduct during the programme will be handled according to both the host university and NUS’ policies;
• Complete the Travel Preparedness Course on Canvas.

Refer to the programmes listings for summer and winter for the range of programmes recommended by GRO. Click on the name of the host university to download an information sheet specific to the programme. In addition to GRO-recommended programmes, you may approach the Dean’s Office of your faculty to find out about faculty-specific programmes. You may also wish to:

• Prepare an initial study plan and check with your home faculty to see if the courses offered by the host university meets your academic objectives. Course mapping request is subjected to approval from the faculties.
• Students may map up to a maximum of 10 units for each Summer Programme and up to a maximum of 5 units for each Winter Programme. Course mapping will be subject to approval from the respective Faculties/Schools.
• Students who enroll in these programmes may request for a waiver of NUS tuition fees for the units they wish to transfer back to NUS. This waiver applies to up to 2 summer or winter programmes and up to a total of 12 units transferred during their course of study in NUS. Beyond that, NUS Special Term tuition fees will apply, in addition to summer or winter programme fees paid to the host university. For clarification, students may contact the SEP administrators/coordinators at their respective home Faculty/School Dean's Office or the academic department. Business courses in summer or winter programmes which are less than 3 weeks are not credit bearing.
• Plan a budget to determine all costs associated with participation in your chosen programme. Please check the information sheet of each summer or winter programme for the estimated costs to be incurred.  

Applying via EduRec grants you access to:

• Application for course mapping
• Application for financial aid

* Applying through EduRec will allow GRO to contact and assist you in times of crisis/emergency while you are overseas. With an official application through EduRec, GRO can also provide you with supporting letters for visa application and NS deferment (for NSmen).

Applications for summer programmes will open between November and February. Applications for winter programmes will open between August and October. You should look out for emails from GRO and also visit the our website regularly to check for updates.

Most host universities require a direct application to be submitted via their online application portals. Unless stated otherwise in the programme information sheet, you should apply to the host university immediately after you have applied in EduRec.

Follow the application instructions provided by the host university, and submit an application with the necessary supporting documents to the host university before their stipulated deadline. Note that the deadline varies for different programmes. Details of each programme can be found on the summer and winter programmes listing.

Due to the Personal Data Protection Act, NUS will not have access to the application information that you submit to the host university directly. Host universities, as organisers of the individual programmes, are best-placed to resolve any application issues. You should contact them before you attempt to reach GRO, as this will save you time and effort.

You are responsible for submitting a complete application with the necessary supporting documents to the host university before the deadline. 

• NUS Transcripts - Apply at EduRec
• NUS Student Status Letter – Generate the letter from EduRec

Returning late from your programme is generally not encouraged. Note that your programme should not delay the start of the new school term at NUS for you. If you need to request for late return, please approach your home faculty for approval.

GRO will issue you an offer for the programme in EduRec. This offer, when accepted, will allow you to apply for course mapping and financial aid; however, it does not constitute confirmation of your participation in the programme. Confirmation of programme participation will be given by the host university.

If you have applied for multiple programmes in EduRec and received more than one offer, note that the system will only permit you to accept multiple offers if the programme dates do not conflict. Ideally, you should only accept the offer for the programme that is your top priority.

After you have accepted your offer, you will be able to proceed with course mapping in EduRec. Based on GRO’s annual survey, more than 80% of NUS students were able to map the courses taken during their summer or winter programmes. 

Students may map up to a maximum of 10 units for each summer programme and up to a maximum of 5 units for each winter programme. Course mapping will be subject to approval from the respective Faculties/Schools.

Students who enroll in these Programmes may request for a waiver of NUS tuition fees for the units they wish to transfer back to NUS. This waiver applies to up to 2 summer or winter programmes and up to a total of 12 units transferred during their course of study in NUS. Beyond that, NUS Special Term tuition fees will apply, in addition to summer or winter programme fees paid to the host university. For clarification, students may contact the SEP administrators/coordinators at their respective home Faculty/School Dean's Office or the academic department. Business courses in summer or winter programmes which are less than 3 weeks are not unit bearing.

Any questions on course mapping and unit conversion should be directed to your home faculty. Law students are generally unable to transfer unit for summer programmes due to their special degree requirements. Please contact the Law SEP coordinator for more details.

• Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
• College of Design and Engineering
• School of Business
• School of Computing
• Faculty of Science

You will also receive an offer directly from the host university, usually via email and together with instructions for making payment for the programme fee. Note that this offer is independent from the EduRec offer given by NUS, and your acceptance of the host university offer constitutes confirmation of your participation. You should only accept the offer and make payment to the host university if you are comfortable with the academic and cost obligations of the respective programme. If you choose to withdraw from the programme at this stage, you should notify the host university, as well as withdraw your application in EduRec (or reject the offer if you have not yet accepted it).

It is the student’s responsibility to pay the programme fees to the host university directly. Acceptance offers by the host university remains conditional until the full payment of the programme fee is made to the host university. The host university will set the terms and conditions of the acceptance and the payment.

If you are paying via bank transfer, please read the terms and conditions of payment carefully. Any bank charges and fees for wire transfers are your responsibility, and should be included in the total amount payable in the request to your bank for the transfer.

Some host universities do not provide university accommodation for summer or winter programme participants. If the university does not provide accommodation, you should start researching and securing accommodation as early as possible. Note that some private accommodation providers will require payment of a non-refundable deposit in order to guarantee your reservation. Read the terms and conditions carefully before you sign and commit to any accommodation arrangements.

You should have enough monetary funds to last you throughout the whole programme. Your decision to go on a summer or winter progrmame should not be dependent upon the confirmation of a scholarship or bursary award.

You can consider the following avenues of financial aid.

For Singaporeans only:
• NUS Awards for Study Abroad (NASA) Enhancement Bursary
• Overseas Student Programme (OSP) Loan
• Post-Secondary Education Account (PSEA) Funds

For Singaporeans and Singapore Permanent Residents:
• China Initiatives Steering Committee (CISC) Funding

Please note that if you are successful for any financial aid, the funds will only be disbursed to you after August (for summer programme) and after January the following year (for winter programme).

Some host countries requires you to apply for an entry visa prior to departure from Singapore. Please check the relevant embassy websites for more information.

Application Procedures

After you have applied in EduRec and received confirmation of acceptance from the host university, you can request GRO to issue a supporting letter suitable for any of the following purposes:

• Application for NS Deferment
• Application for visa to host country
• Applications for OSP Loan
   

To request for the letter, submit your request by completing this form: https://forms.office.com/r/WDcUWgkWdX.

You should take note of the host university’s recommended arrival dates for your programme, and join the orientation (if any) conducted for programme participants. Early check-in to on-campus accommodation is usually not allowed and is at the discretion of the host university. Check directly with the host university if there is a pressing need to check-in early.

You are responsible for purchasing your own air-tickets. Air-tickets should only be bought after you have received the required visa for your programme. If a visa is not required, you may proceed to purchase the air-tickets upon the receipt of the official acceptance letter from the host university. The Singapore Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) issues helpful travel advisories which you should heed whilst planning your travel itinerary.

GRO-recommended programmes are covered under the insurance scheme for official NUS trips. Click here for details about the terms of coverage and process for lodging claims.

If you require additional insurance coverage for your personal needs, consider purchasing your own personal travel insurance with your preferred insurance provider.

• Attend the Pre-Departure Briefings  conducted by GRO and take the opportunity to network with other students going to the same country and/or host university. Due to the Personal Data Protection Act, GRO is not able to share the contacts of other students with you.
• Learn how to better represent NUS at your host university during the Pre-Departure Briefings
• eRegister with MFA – for Singaporeans and Singapore Permanent Residents only
• Update your contact information and Next-of-Kin information in EduRec, so that NUS will be able to contact you or your family in any case of emergency. GRO will not be able to contact nor assist you, if you do not apply for the programme via EduRec.