NUS-Erasmus University LLB-LLM
Overview
NUS-Erasmus University (Erasmus) LLB-LLM exchange plus programme is available to students on the four-year LLB programme. Under this arrangement, students will complete three years at NUS and then go to Erasmus to read an LLM for one year on a tuition fee waiver basis. Upon successful completion of the LLM at Erasmus, NUS law students will graduate with an LLB (Hons) from NUS and an LLM from Erasmus.
The LLMs available are:
- Commercial and Company Law
- Maritime and Transport Law
- International Arbitration
- International Business Law
- International Trade Law
- International and European Union Law
For more information, please visit Erasmus University Law School website HERE.
Curriculum Matters
Course Preclusions & Pre-requisites
Students interested in the Erasmus LLM should not undertake NUS courses that are similar to the LLM programme. Students are responsible to check the LLM course requirements/offerings when registering for NUS electives in Year 3.
You may wish to note that the Erasmus LLM curricula is fixed with majority of courses being compulsory courses and extremely limited (1-2) electives.
Credit Transfer
The credits read at Erasmus towards the LLM will count towards the NUS LLB degree as NUS 40 Units. Courses completed at Erasmus do not count towards the LLB Class of Honours.
Completion of Erasmus LLM and the Conferment of NUS LLB degree
Note that the academic year of Erasmus is Sep - Aug. Completion of LLM course is expected around June/July. If you enroll in the Erasmus LLM programme, you should expect that you would not graduate in time with your LLB cohort in June/July. Rather, depending on when your results from Erasmus are released, the earliest you can expect to be conferred your LLB degree would be the end of August and you will only be eligible to attend the Commencement ceremony in the following year.
Implications to enrolment for Part B at SILE in view of the late degree conferment
The Part B course normally starts in mid-July each year. Students must have graduated with the LLB in order to be eligible for the Part B course. In view of the late degree conferment, NUS Law has worked with SILE to institute an arrangement where students would be able to apply and enroll for Part B provisionally, subject to receiving certification from NUS by the end of July that students have passed the LLB. NUS Law has also worked with Erasmus to send us early notification of your results as soon as they are available so that NUS is in a position to issue this certification within the deadline (which SILE has stressed is a strict deadline). These arrangements have been designed to allow students to enroll for Part B in their graduation year.
However, students should note that there is a small chance that even with the above arrangements, the information from Erasmus may not be received in time for NUS to meet SILE's 'end of July' deadline. In that unlikely event, students may have to then start Part B in January the following year. The risk is small but it does exist.
Implications of Late Degree Conferment on Eligibility for JLC Positions and Academic Prizes
NUS Law has also worked with the Legal Service Commission ("LSC") to institute an arrangement where students would be considered for Justices Law Clerk ("JLC") positions based on their "provisional Class of Honours". Each student's "provisional Class of Honours" and "provisional ranking" within the cohort will be determined by the student's cumulative weighted numerical average which have already been "locked in" at NUS Law.
This arrangement will allow qualifying students to participate in the same set of JLC interviews as their cohort. JLC offers will be subject to: (a) the student enrolling in SILE Part B together with his/her cohort; and (b) eventual conferment of the LLB in August. Note that LSC rules do not permit JLCs to start work until they have been conferred their degrees. This means that, although students will essentially be able to join the programme in the same year as their cohort, their actual work start date may be delayed by a month or two.
Please note, however, that the "provisional Class of Honours" and "provisional ranking" will NOT entitle the student to consideration for Academic Prizes that are based on such criteria, and will NOT be reflected in NUS Law's official website or other official listings.
Eligibility & Application
Applications for the programme are open from now till Monday, 9 December 2024. Only students in Law 2 qualify to apply. In some years, the programme may also be open to Law 3. Interested students should look out for announcements.
Please apply via EduRec (Login > Self-Service > Global Education > External Study Application > "Law Exchange Plus AY2025/2026" OR "Law Exchange Plus AY2026/2027“) and upload the following supporting documents:
- Resume
- Personal Statement (Please indicate matric no)
- Latest Unofficial Transcript
Please also submit 2 Letters of Recommendation provided by Academic Referees. Your referees may:
- email their letters directly to Ms. Rahima at lawsep@nus.edu.sg, or
- provide you with a hardcopy letter in a sealed envelope with their signature on the back flap and you deliver this sealed letter to Ms. Rahima at the Student Affairs Office (Law Exchange Team) at Eu Tong Sen Building, Level 1.
After you are nominated for this programme, you will then be required to submit a formal application, at a later time (during Year 3), for Erasmus’ consideration. Documents required and relevant deadlines will be provided to nominated students in due course. Erasmus will then consider the nominated candidates and have the discretion to make (or not make) offers to them. Students who are nominated in Year 2 are expected to maintain good grades over 5 semesters to better secure an offer of admission by Erasmus.
For queries, please write to lawsep@nus.edu.sg.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can I go for student exchange (SEP) AND the LLB-LLM?
Our rules for 4-year LLB programme allow a maximum period of two semesters away from NUS. Hence, students must choose EITHER SEP OR the LLB-LLM programme.
Students in Year 2 may concurrently apply for the SEP and the LLB-LLM but can only go for one programme. The application outcome of the SEP and the LLB-LLM programmes are normally made known sometime in January. At that point, if you are selected for both programmes, you must decide which programme you will opt for and you must withdraw from the other programme. You cannot hold on to both options.
Thus, students who accept an exchange place will be precluded from pursuing the LLB-LLM programme. Students who withdraw from the exchange to pursue the LLB-LLM programme where the final selection by Erasmus is not confirmed, will be allowed to re-apply for exchange in Year 3 to go on exchange in Semester 1 of Year 4, should their Erasmus applications be unsuccessful. Re-application for exchange at this point will be subject to available places and it falling within the possible application window period of partner universities.
- What are the selection criteria?
The selection criteria include your academic grades, character and personal statement. In some instances, you may be called for an interview by both faculty and Erasmus. Selection will normally be up to 3 students per academic year. While you apply for the programme in Year 2, you are expected to maintain good grades over 5 semesters to keep your place of admission at Erasmus.
- How much will it cost me?
The NUS-Erasmus programme is on a tuition fee waiver basis. You will continue to pay your LLB tuition fees to NUS. No tuition fee is payable to Erasmus University. However, a minimum statutory fee estimated at about EUR 2600 (based on the information available for AY2025-26), is payable to Erasmus University. This amount is subject to revision by Erasmus University, please refer to their webpage for updates. You may expect some miscellaneous student fee as well.
- Will there be scholarships or financial aid available?
NUS NASA Degree Scholarship or Bursary may be available for application if you are accepted into the programme. The scholarship/bursary aims to help defray a small fraction of the cost of studying abroad. You will be invited to apply when the application opens, usually the year prior to your commencement of the programme.