Curriculum Frequently Asked Questions
What are the academic requirements of USP?
You should, in general, complete your degree with honours within four years. As a student in USP, you will have to read and pass the following:
Please refer to the respective cohorts requirements for details
As a USP student, do I still need to read the University Level requirements (ULRs)?
For students admitted in AY2015/16 and earlier, the USP courses you read will replace the ULRs and some faculty/UEs and/or major requirements that a non-USP student will have to read. In this aspect, our partner Faculties/Schools have already mapped out and incorporated the USP requirements into that of the USP students’ graduation requirements at the Faculties/Schools. Both the USP student and his non-USP counterpart graduate with similar, if not the same, number of units. In the event that the incorporation of the USP requirements at the Faculties/Schools is not a perfect fit, it is possible that students may graduate with a few more units compared to their non-USP counterparts.
Students admitted in AY2016/17 onwards, USP students are required to read a course from the Quantitative Reasoning pillar in partial fulfilment of the University Level Requirements for General Education.
As polytechnic students, we are granted 20 Units of APCs, counted towards Unrestricted Electives (UEs). Are these APCs applicable to USP courses?
No, APCs granted are not applicable to USP courses.
Is the academic workload of a USP student more than that of an average non-USP student?
No. The workload of a USP student versus a non-USP student is comparable for those studying the single degrees. Both the USP student and his or her non-USP counterpart graduate with similar, if not the same, number of units. USP students are exempted from certain requirements that the non-USP students will have to fulfill as a result of the USP courses read. In the event that the incorporation of the USP requirements at the Faculties/Schools is not a perfect fit, it is possible that students may graduate with a few more modular credits compared to their non-USP counterparts.
Can I read more than one Singapore-Studies themed USP course?
USP students may read more than one Singapore-Studies themed USP course and use the additional one to simply fulfill their First/Inquiry tiers Domain distribution requirement.
Can I read more than the minimum required eight Inquiry-Tier Courses for interest?
USP students may choose to read more than the minimum required eight Inquiry-tier Courses. These may be taken to fulfill their Unrestricted Electives requirements at the faculties or schools, or simply for interest. We will be most happy to see our students take on the initiative to read more Inquiry-Tier Courses in order to further broaden their breadth of knowledge.
In view that the USP course class sizes are kept small and places for popular Inquiry-Tier Courses are limited, you are not encouraged to sign up for the popular ones as the additional Inquiry-Tier courses you wish to read.
I am scheduled to read the CELC English Proficiency course as I had failed the QET earlier on. Can I be exempted from this course since I will be doing a Writing & Critical Thinking course as part of my USP requirements?
No, you may not. Taking the CELC English Proficiency course and the USP Writing & Critical Thinking course are to be treated as two separate matters. You are only allowed to read the USP Writing & Critical Thinking course only after you have completed the CELC Basic English course ES1000 in the first semester. You are also encouraged to visit the USP Writing Centre to get advice on improving your own writing assignments.
If I go on SEP, can I map back the overseas course(s) to USP requirements?
Yes, students are able to map courses that they read overseas on SEP onto USP courses, subject to the approval of USP. Please refer here for the details.
If I go on NOC, can I map back the overseas NOC course(s) to USP requirements?
For students embarking on the NOC, the whole of the NOC study experience would have been deemed to fulfill 2 HSS and 2 ST Inquiry tier courses (including ISM requirement). Please refer here for the details.
Can I remain in the USP programme if I subsequently enroll for the Double Degree Programme offered by the faculties?
You may remain in the USP programme while enrolling subsequently for a Double Degree Programme (DDP), only if the two degrees are offered by USP’s partner faculties. The six partner faculties are Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Faculty of Engineering, Faculty of Science, NUS Business School, School of Computing and School of Design and Environment.
However, if the DDP involves a degree from the Faculty of Law, USP’s latest partner faculty, students will not be allowed to enroll in USP programme.
If I were to study a Double Degree Programme as well as enroll in USP, what requirements do I need to fulfill?
USP students matriculating from AY2012/13 and onwards would be deemed to fulfill up to 4 USP Inquiry courses -- 2 HSS and 2 ST. Your ISM requirement is also waived. Please refer here for the details.
What happens to the USP courses that I have read, if I wish to withdraw from USP in the middle of my NUS candidature?
The USP courses that you have read can be mapped back to your degree graduation requirements at your home faculty or school.
What happens if I wish to transfer to another faculty?
You may contact the NUS Office of Admission for details as there are specific timelines for transfer application. Please remember to inform the relevant officers that you wish to remain in USP so that your USP status will remain after your transfer.