Frequently Asked Questions
The SEP provides you with many opportunities and challenges. The benefit to you will depend on how you make use of these opportunities and rise to the challenges.
You should consider applying for the SEP if you are eager to take on the challenge of learning about a new legal system or if you are intellectually curious about different perspectives of the law and its processes.
If you like to make new friends and experience different cultures, you would probably enjoy the SEP. Conversely, if you do not enjoy making new acquaintances and are likely to be home sick, your experience will not be a positive one.
You should apply for the SEP if you believe you will be enriched by the experience.
The universities that we have selected are all highly reputable. However, the way they teach law, and the way they think about the law and legal process may be very different from what you are used to.
Generally speaking, the courses and methods of teaching in law schools in England and Australia will be comparable to what you are accustomed to at NUS. Also, the law students in these countries will be about the same age as NUS students. In North America, law is taught at post-graduate level, so many of the students will be older than undergraduate students at NUS. Also, as a general rule, the approach to the study of law is more policy-oriented in North-America than in Singapore.
You may be reassured to know that NUS law students generally have had no difficulty adapting to the study of law while on exchange, and most students have had a very rewarding educational and cultural experience.
Different students have different preferences. Do your market research. Visit the websites of the universities that you are interested in. Talk to those who have returned from exchange. Correspond with your seniors who are currently on SEP.
Please refer to the Eligibility & Application Procedure HERE.
The selection criteria include your academic grades and personal statement. In some instances you may be called for an interview. The dominant criterion is your academic grades. You are allowed to list up to 10 exchange partner universities and rank them in order of priority. We take this ordering into account when selecting students and allocating places.
There can be strong competition for places on the SEP. We would like to select those who are not only academically strong but who are also keen to broaden their perspectives and eager to accept the challenge of living and learning in a different environment.
The interview will help us make an informed decision in cases where there is some uncertainty as to the suitability of any particular candidate.
Students going on SEP pay tuition fees and other related fees at the NUS. No tuition fee is payable at host institutions though there may be some miscellaneous fees to be paid.
The cost of living varies from country to country. Indeed it varies between different cities in the same country. You should access the websites of the different universities or look at the profiles found beside the name of each region, to ascertain the estimated living expenses for the time that you will be away.
Also, once you are certain that you are very interested in attending a particular institution, you may like to get in touch with NUS students who went or are currently on SEP at that institution to get their advice concerning living expenses. You can also contact the Law Exchange Team at lawsep@nus.edu.sg to put you in contact with incoming exchange students from overseas universities who are currently studying at NUS.
To view the financial assistance schemes that the NUS has put in place to encourage our students to go on SEP, click HERE.
Our rules for 4-year LLB programme allow a maximum period of two semesters away from NUS. Hence, students must choose EITHER SEP OR one of the Exchange Plus programme.
Students in Year 2 can concurrently apply for SEP and the Exchange Plus programme but you can only go for one programme which you will have to elect at the outset.
The application outcome of SEP and the Exchange Plus 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 a SEP place will be precluded from pursuing the Exchange Plus programme and vice versa.
Students who withdraw from the SEP to pursue the NYU-NUS Exchange Plus programme where decisions on their applications in Year 2 are deferred by NYU will be allowed to re-apply for SEP in Year 3 to go on exchange in Semester 1 of Year 4, should their NYU 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.
DDP students whose home faculty is Law will apply for SEP during Year 3 with partner faculty to go on SEP in Year 4.
However, Year 2 DDP students whose home faculty is Law and who have the intention to drop DDP are eligible to apply for SEP and Exchange Plus programme with Law. If you are selected for both programmes, you must choose EITHER SEP OR one of the Exchange Plus programme and will have to drop your DDP.
Law-MPP students who are in Year 2 of their studies can concurrently apply for SEP and the Exchange Plus programme but you can only go for one programme which you will have to elect at the outset. Hence, students must choose EITHER SEP OR one of the Exchange Plus programme. However, between Exchange Plus and MPP, you can only select one.
The application outcome of SEP and the Exchange Plus 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. If you choose SEP, you will only be allowed to go on exchange in Semester one of Year 3 and can stay on in the MPP programme. If you choose to take the Exchange Plus programme, you will need to drop the MPP programme.
Please refer to information HERE.