Credit Transfer/Exemption Policy

Credit transfer and exemption for the coursework component of the graduate research programme may be granted for:

• NUS courses taken and passed prior to admission to the programme;
• or courses completed at another tertiary institution recognised by the University.

Only courses relevant to the degree programme to which the candidate seeks admission, with comparable content and level of sophistication, and read not more than ten (10) years before the date of admission may be considered for credit transfer / exemption.

There is no limit to the transfer of credit for relevant courses that have not been used towards another degree (i.e. Bachelor's, Master's, PhD, Doctorate; excludes Graduate Diploma) at NUS or elsewhere.

For relevant courses that have been credited towards another degree elsewhere, up to 50% of the units required in the coursework component of the NUS graduate research programme into which the candidate seeks admission may be exempted.

For relevant NUS courses that have been credited towards another degree at NUS, on a case-by-case basis and subject to approval, more than 50% of the units required in the coursework component of the NUS graduate research programme may be allowed credit and grade transfer. These courses must be of level 5000 and above.

Students seeking credit transfer and exemption should apply to the relevant Department/Programme within the first month of their candidature. The approval will be subject to the specific internal requirements and final approval of the respective Department/Programme.

Credit Transfer/Exemption Policy

Credit transfer and exemption for the graduate coursework-based programme may be granted for:

• NUS courses taken and passed prior to admission to the programme;
• or Courses completed at another tertiary institution recognised by the University.

Only courses relevant to the degree programme to which the candidate seeks admission, have comparable content and level of sophistication, and read not more than ten (10) years before the date of admission, may be considered for unit transfer/ exemption.

Generally, only courses that have not been used towards another degree (i.e. Bachelor's, Master's, PhD, Doctorate; excludes Graduate Diploma) at NUS or elsewhere may be considered for unit and grade transfers (NUS courses) / exemption (non-NUS courses). For such non-NUS courses, only up to 50% of the total coursework requirements may be exempted.

There is no limit on the unit and grade transfers of NUS courses that have not been used towards another degree at NUS. In addition, for coursework-based Master’s programmes which require more than the usual 40 units, NUS courses that have been used towards another degree at NUS can be considered for unit and grade transfer provided the resultant total coursework requirement does not fall below 40 units. These courses must be of level 5000 and above.

Stacking of graduate courses towards fulfilling the requirements of a Graduate Diploma/Master’s coursework degree would require the reading of additional courses and/or completing a capstone project, and/or an internship/practicum. The additional components/courses should form at least 10% of the Graduate Diploma/Master’s coursework degree requirements and should not be offered as standalone courses nor be part of a Graduate Certificate/Graduate Diploma.

Students seeking unit transfer and exemption should apply to the relevant Department/Programme within the first month of their candidature. The approval will be subject to the specific internal requirements and final approval of the respective Department/Programme.