General

Here are some quick answers to questions about NUS College. You can also download the FAQ document. If you have any other queries not addressed in the FAQs, you can reach out to us at nuscollege@nus.edu.sg or nusc.admissions@nus.edu.sg (admissions-related matters).

What is NUS College?

NUS College (NUSC) is the Honours College of NUS and Singapore’s first Honours College. Its broad-based interdisciplinary curriculum, residential life programme and flagship Impact Experience and Global Pathways programmes complement a student’s major studies at NUS. Although NUSC students belong to a degree-bearing college, faculty or school in NUS, they will take part of their common curriculum and elective requirements at NUSC and live in the residential wings of the College. This gives NUSC students the opportunity to form a close-knit community with peers from more than 60 majors across NUS, working closely with and alongside NUSC faculty members.
What is an honours college?

An honours college (a concept familiar at US universities) is a college within a university that provides a more challenging and in-depth academic experience for students who want to stretch themselves and enhance their basic degree. It creates a supportive community and offers unique resources designed to help students thrive.

NUSC is an honours college committed to offering enrolled students a transformative programme that breaks open the classroom. We provide a rigorous interdisciplinary curriculum, immersive seminar-style pedagogy, close student-professor relations, transformative global pathways as well as a close-knit residential community. Our students stretch themselves and one another, both academically and beyond academics, while benefiting from a robust support network from peers, faculty and the University.

Note: The existing “Honours Degree” that NUS offers is British in heritage and marks a degree classification based on the GPA – distinct from the concept of an honours college. NUSC students are required to attain at least an Honours (Merit) for their NUS degree.

Note: An honours college is distinct from a liberal arts college. In a liberal arts college, students take all their courses, including those for their degree/major within the college. Students in an honours college take the courses for their degree/major in the degree-bearing faculties within a larger research-focused university.
Does NUS College have its own majors?

NUSC does not have its own majors. Instead, we offer an innovative interdisciplinary common curriculum. This is complementary to students’ chosen majors, which they pursue at the degree-bearing colleges, faculties or schools.
Do I need to apply for NUS College to graduate with an honours degree?

Not at all, students at NUS who are not in the NUS College programme are also able to obtain honours degrees in their majors, given that they meet the specific requirements of the Honours track in their course.
Does NUS College offer a liberal arts education?

NUSC offers a broad-based, interdisciplinary education with a liberal arts and sciences tradition. NUSC is not a liberal arts college but is instead an honours college within the NUS ecosystem. Specifically, all NUSC students are also students in another faculty where they take courses for their chosen degree or major. For example, an NUSC student pursuing law will take law courses in the NUS Faculty of Law and an NUSC student pursuing physics will take physics courses in the NUS Faculty of Science. Our students benefit fully from being in a world-class research-focused university.

NUSC serves to enhance our students’ chosen degree, through our rigorous interdisciplinary curriculum, our global and impact programmes and our residential programme.
Are NUSC courses more challenging than non-NUSC courses and is it more difficult to get a good grade?

NUSC is an honours college designed for students who wish to enhance their academic journey. Students in NUSC can expect to be challenged in various ways, particularly through more frequent interactions with instructors. This dynamically fosters a deeper level of engagement and personal growth.

Although being challenged in their classes, data indicates that NUSC students consistently perform well, both in terms of grades and overall academic achievement. NUSC students are highly engaged and actively seek support from instructors and peers when needed.

Out-of-classroom discussions among students from different faculties are a key component of the NUSC learning experience, encouraging diverse perspectives and collaborative learning. Additionally, due to our small class sizes, NUSC courses are not graded using a grade-distribution policy but are graded based on academic merits of individual students, ensuring a fair and rigorous evaluation system.
Are there scholarships offered in NUS College?

Yes, there are plenty of scholarship and financial aid options available – read more here. Do note that applicants enlisting for National Service are encouraged to apply for scholarships in the calendar year they expect to matriculate.
Is financial aid available?

Yes, financial aid is available – read more here.
  • Candidates applying to join NUS College should submit their financial aid (FA) application within the stipulated FA application window when they are also applying for their places in NUS.
  • NS men should submit their FA application in the calendar year they expect to matriculate.
Are school fees for NUS College the same as NUS?

There are two fee components for NUSC students:

Tuition Fee – As NUSC students will pursue majors in their chosen degree-bearing colleges, faculties or schools, tuition fees are pegged to their colleges, faculties or schools at NUS. No additional tuition fees are charged for NUSC courses.

Residential Fee – NUSC students are required to live on campus in one of the NUSC residential wings for two years to benefit from its residential experience. Students will pay the prevailing rate for the room and meal plan applicable.
How many students does NUS College admit each year?

NUSC, which admitted its first cohort in 2022, takes in 6 to 7% of each year’s undergraduate cohort across NUS. It offers about 400 to 500 places annually.
Can I join NUS College in my second or third year?

No, the NUSC curriculum is designed for students to complete across four years. Hence, all NUSC students must join in their first year.
What are NUSC graduation requirements?

Details on the NUSC curriculum and how it interacts with our students’ chosen degrees can be found below.

To receive an NUSC graduation certificate, they will need to:
  • Complete the NUSC courses required for pairing with their majors,
  • Fulfil the compulsory Global Pathways requirement,
  • Complete their degree programmes with at least Honours (Merit), and
  • Fulfil the compulsory two-year residential requirement at NUSC.
What is the value of interdisciplinarity?

NUS College’s rigorous and stimulating interdisciplinary education is designed to help students cultivate the necessary skills to work effectively across boundaries, so that they are able to respond to the challenges of the 21st century – the kinds of problems no one can solve alone.

We recognise that today’s challenges demand multifaceted solutions because problems may not neatly fit into traditional disciplinary boundaries anymore. NUSC offers an education that combines diverse skills and perspectives to foster the ability to connect and work across disciplines.
What is the difference between ‘interdisciplinary’ and ‘multidisciplinary’?

“Multidisciplinary” means bringing different disciplines together in one’s studies but without necessarily connecting them across boundaries or integrating them. The different disciplines stay within their boundaries.

“Interdisciplinary” requires an integration of the tools or insights from multiple disciplines, connecting across disciplinary confines, to better understand or deal with complex themes and issues.
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