Academic Requirements by Cohorts
Students Matriculated in 2009–2011
A student in the Scholars Programme must read and pass:
- Eight First-tier Modules worth 32 MCs
- Four Advanced Modules worth 16 MCs
First-tier modules
Students in the Scholars Programme are defined either as:
- Arts-based students (defined as a student graduating from the Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences or School of Business); or
- Science-based students (defined as a student graduating from the Faculty of Engineering, Faculty of Science or School of Computing)
- Students from the School of Design and Environment may choose to be either Arts-based or Science-based students.
- Students doing a double-degree programme in NUS will follow that of their home faculty.
Students should observe the following First-Tier Module Domain distribution requirements choosing either Option A or Option B:
| Domain |
Module requirement for Art-based students | Module requirement for Science-based students | ||
| Option A | Option B | Option A | Option B | |
| Writing and Critical Thinking | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| University Scholars Seminar | 1 | 1 | ||
| Humanities and Social Sciences | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 |
| Sciences and Technologies | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Total | 8 modules | 8 modules | ||
The Domain distribution requirements outlined in the table above are to ensure that, at the First-Tier level, students are exposed to the main domains of knowledge: Humanities/Social Sciences and Sciences/Technologies. In particular, these requirements reflect the Programme's objective of ensuring a balanced and broad-based, interdisciplinary education for our students. Arts-based students must thus read science modules, and vice-versa.
Students should also take note that they should read a Writing and Critical Thinking module during their first or second semester of enrollment in the Scholars Programme. For information regarding the Singapore Studies requirement in the Scholars Programme, please refer to the relevant section below.
The University Scholars Seminar module introduces students to academic learning at a setting that is less formal than the usual classroom. It exposes students to various academic disciplines and professions with the aim of providing a firmer intellectual basis on which students would plan their Advanced Curriculum study programme. This aspect of the module situates it well within the USP First-Tier Curriculum. Assessed on CS/CU basis, the 4-MC module is completed in two semesters (specifically in the student’s second and third semester at NUS).
For more details regarding the sub-areas of study and modules offered in each Domain, please refer to the following links:
Advanced Modules
Students in the Scholars Programme will also be required to read four Advanced Modules.
Students can now make use of the advanced curriculum space to pursue interests in academic inquiry, or cultural immersion, or an NOC/iLEAD experience. In order to take advantage of the Advanced Curriculum, it is important for students to plan their studies early. This does not mean that you map out all the modules you want to read while at NUS, but it does mean that you give some serious thought sufficiently early to what you might want to pursue. Some programmes may have prerequisites. For students interested in the academic inquiry option, the University Scholars Seminar module USS2105 is part of the preparation to help students identify research interests.
For more details about the pedagogy and nature of the Advanced Modules, please refer to the following links:
Singapore Studies Requirement
- Students in the Scholars Programme must also fulfill one Singapore Studies (SS) requirement during his/her duration in the Programme. This requirement may be satisfied by a choice of modules designated as fulfilling the Singapore Studies requirement in the Inquiry Tier. Students are advised to plan ahead the SS module to read, and to ensure that they fulfil the SS requirement at an early stage of their studies in NUS. You may refer here for this list of designated modules.
Human Resource Module Requirement
| School of Design & Environment | SDE students must fulfill a HRM requirement in their faculty curriculum as follows, refer here |
| Faculty of Engineering | FOE students must fulfill a HRM requirement in their faculty curriculum as follows, refer here |
| Note: FASS, BIZ, SOC and FOS curriculums do not have HRM requirements. | |