Yale-NUS College invites students nominated by our partner universities to study on our campus for a semester or full academic year. Gain experience, meet new people and take advantage of all the opportunities available in vibrant, cosmopolitan Singapore.
In addition to academics at Singapore’s first liberal arts and sciences college, as an exchange student you will have access to a wide variety of programmes and services, including our athletic and leisure facilities. If you need support and guidance through your time at Yale-NUS, we have a team of residential staff ready to help.
How to Apply
To come to Yale-NUS College as an exchange student, you will need to be nominated by your home institution’s study abroad coordinator (including Yale students).
Please note that Yale-NUS is not accepting visiting students.
Nomination
Study abroad coordinators are required to nominate you via email. Further instructions will be sent to them when our nomination opens.
Application deadlines for exchange students
The Yale-NUS online application for exchange students is due on 29 September 2023 for Spring 2024.
Applicants should meet the minimum academic performance requirement: an average GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, or equivalent. Exchange students will take 18-22 Units per semester at Yale-NUS, which is considered a full load. This usually means four courses per semester, each worth 5 Units.
In principle, all Yale-NUS courses are open to exchange students, as long as the student has taken any required pre-requisites for a given course. Common Curriculum courses and courses offered at NUS may be possible on a case-by-case basis. Note that it can be difficult to get spots in NUS courses, and each NUS course is worth 4 Units (versus 5 Units for Yale-NUS courses).
Tentative course listing – for reference only:
Please note that course offerings differ by semester and that the above course listings are subject to change. Students are required to be flexible and have multiple course options in mind. Updated course listings will be provided following acceptance to Yale-NUS College. Grading is on an A-F scale. Grade points are on a 5.0 scale as follows:
| LETTER GRADE | GRADE POINT |
| A+ | 5.0 |
| A | 5.0 |
| A- | 4.5 |
| B+ | 4.0 |
| B | 3.5 |
| B- | 3.0 |
| C+ | 2.5 |
| C | 2.0 |
| D+ | 1.5 |
| D | 1.0 |
| F | 0 |
The International Programmes team at the Centre for International and Professional Experience (CIPE) is available for general advising, while the Assistant Deans in each residential college provide exchange students with academic advising.
Exchange students may be eligible to apply for select opportunities through CIPE. These opportunities are not guaranteed. Spots are limited and highly competitive.
Research opportunities with Yale-NUS faculty: Exchange students are not allowed to take paid positions but may participate in voluntary research if selected by a professor at Yale-NUS.
Summer Internships in Southeast Asia: Students attending Yale-NUS in the spring semester are eligible to apply for CIPE summer internships in the Southeast Asia region. If selected, exchange students are responsible for arranging their own visa/work authorisation and for covering all costs associated with the internship.
Exchange students holding student passes are not allowed to engage in any part-time employment in Singapore during the semester.
Exchange students will be placed in one of Yale-NUS College’s residential colleges. Each student will have a single room within a four- or six-room suite (including shared living room and bathroom). Suites are single gender, unless otherwise requested. Students will also have a meal plan, which includes 19 meals per week (three meals on weekdays and two meals per day on Saturday and Sunday). Yale-NUS College is fully residential and all exchange students must live on campus.
A housing questionnaire will be included in the acceptance package, sent by the Student Affairs Office (SAO).
Gym facilities are also available on campus.
Yale-NUS is academically rigorous. Students should expect to dedicate a lot of time to reading and assignments and to actively engage in discussions both inside and outside the classroom.
Exchange students can take part in student events and get involved with a wide range of student organisations. Click here for more information about the Yale-NUS residential life experience.
For more information on student life and a list of student organisations, please visit the Student Affairs Office website.
Semester 1: Orientation in early August, classes from mid August, and exams in early December
Semester 2: Orientation in early January, classes from mid January, and exams in early May
Exchange students will be provided an orientation upon arrival.
For the detailed calendar, please visit the Yale-NUS website.
Exchange students from partner institutions will pay their regular home university tuition. Yale-NUS will bill exchange students for the costs of room and board. The following is a reference on the amounts of mandatory fees for exchange students.
| DURATION | AMOUNT | TYPE OF FEE |
| One Semester | SGD$4,525 | Room & Board |
| Two Semesters | SGD$9,050 | Room & Board |
| Per Semester | SGD$64.90 | Student Services Fee (SSF) |
| SGD$84.02 | Health Service Fee (HSF) |
Fall semester fees are due at the end of August, and spring semester fees are due at the end of January. Students will be billed automatically by Yale-NUS College and can access the bill online via the student portal.
Yale-NUS College is unable to provide financial aid to exchange students.
*Exact amounts for miscellaneous fees are subject to change and are to be paid after arrival in Singapore, during the registration process.
Exchange students are covered under the health insurance provided by NUS. Health insurance is included in the miscellaneous student fees outlined above. For more information on insurance coverage, please refer to this section on Full-Time Non-Graduating Students.
Students who encounter medical emergencies and/or physical injuries are encouraged to visit the nearby University Health Centre or National University Hospital.
The Counselling Centre together with the Wellness unit of the Student Affairs Office oversee the well-being and mental health of students at Yale-NUS College. This includes providing services and resources to manage and reduce stress, and establishing the foundation for a community of care.
Students from Yale-NUS exchange partner institutions do not need to provide TOEFL or IELTS results.
For reference only, below are the minimum English language proficiency standards for students not currently studying in English:
TOEFL
The following minimum scores are required:
100 on the internet-based TOEFL
600 on the paper-based TOEFL
250 on the computer-based TOEFL
IELTS
Minimum of 7
