Frequently Asked Questions

Most Core Curricula around the world specify distributional requirements across different faculties or Schools. SMU created our Core Curriculum differently by conceiving of the student as an adept future participant and contributor in the workplace (Capabilities), a member of a number of overlapping communities (Communities), and a global citizen with interests in and duties to our common humanity (Civilisations), and then offering courses and asking our students to cultivate themselves along these three pillars of development.

At the end of four years, students will be able to demonstrate fundamental disciplinary competencies that they can flexibly deploy across domains and contexts; exercise an integrative intelligence to traverse and reconcile disciplinary, perspectival, and socio-cultural differences with agility and sensitivity; master and apply a range of techniques of inquiry and analysis to diagnose and solve problems across domains and contexts; identify normative and ethical considerations that apply to the activities of the workplace and society, and articulate a personal conception of global citizenship that recognises the cultural and perspectival diversity in the world.

For more information, please view the learning outcomes of the SMU Core Curriculum here.

Definitely! While the SMU Core Curriculum allows for students’ self-directed learning and affords choice and flexibility to students, a key consideration in its design is to also create opportunities for students from different disciplinary backgrounds to have common classes, so as to enable cross-disciplinary collaboration and learning from one another’s unique disciplinary perspectives.

Writing and Reasoning, Economics and Society, Big Questions, Ethics and Social/Corporate Responsibility are single-course baskets, so these CUs are compulsory. The other baskets, including Managing, Modes of Thinking, Numeracy (from the Capabilities pillar); Cultures of the Modern World and Technology and Society (from the Communities pillar) offer choices within the baskets.

Students need to fulfil 12 CUs for the Core Curriculum. Of these, students may receive exemptions for the Numeracy (1 CU) and Writing and Reasoning (1 CU) requirements, subject to satisfaction of the exemption criteria. The other components of the Core Curriculum are not exemptible. However, depending on their pre-university academic qualifications, students may qualify for exemptions in other curricular components, such as Major Requirements (including Major Core and Major Electives) and Free Electives.

Students reading the Law, Computing and Law, or Computer Science degree programmes are not required to take the full 12 CUs Core Curriculum but will take a reduced Core Curriculum of 6 CUs, not double counted towards the major, comprising at least 1 CU per pillar. Please refer to your respective programme websites for more information.

For more information on exemptions, students may refer to information on the SMU Office of Admissions and Financial Assistance website.

After identifying a preferred course, students should look at its learning outcomes, and consider in the first and typical instance if these learning outcomes are similar to those of any course that is offered in the Core Curriculum; or, in the second and unusual instance, if they are closely aligned with the relevant Basket Learning Outcomes as shown in the table below. This table provides information aimed at guiding students to select the appropriate basket where the proposed ISEP/SUSEP course may fit. The decision on whether a proposed course will earn transfer credit will be taken by Dean, College of Integrative Studies, on the recommendation of the Basket Coordinators. Please note that Big Questions, Economics and Society, and Writing and Reasoning, and Ethics and Social Responsibility for Law students must be taken at SMU.

Yes. Per existing policies, students who do not meet the minimum standards for the various assessment components or/and fail to submit stipulated project requirements may be awarded a fail grade. Community Service will continue to be a graduation requirement and students must pass the programme in order to graduate.

SMU will not collect additional fees from students for Community Service conducted during non-regular terms.

Some of the requirements are similar for participation in local and overseas projects. For example, all students will have to complete 3 online modules and pass a series of assessments prior to commencement of the actual Community Service. Students would also need to submit a proposal detailing their learning objectives through the Community Service experience.

There are also specific requirements for overseas projects. Details on these requirements and other procedures for community service can be found on the online modules that all students have to take before embarking on their community service projects, as part of the enhanced credit-bearing Community Service programme.

Students who have been granted LOA and complete their Community Service requirements satisfactorily during this period of absence may count their Community Service towards credit.

Do note that approval must be obtained from the Centre for Social Responsibility (C4SR) before you embark on any Community Service project, so as to ensure you meet the graduation requirements. The guidelines and procedures for Community Service will be available online as part of the enhanced credit-bearing Community Service programme.

The enhanced credit-bearing Community Service programme involves not only the actual service, but also the pre- and post-activity learning. For example, students would need to complete 3 online modules and pass a series of assessments prior to commencement of the actual Community Service. Students would also need to submit a proposal detailing their learning objectives through the Community Service experience.

Further guidelines and procedures for Community Service can be found on the online modules that all students have to take before embarking on their community service projects, as part of the enhanced credit-bearing Community Service programme. The co-ordinators at Centre for Social Responsibility (C4SR) would also be able to provide more information and guide students through this process.

The Centre for Social Responsibility regularly seeks volunteering opportunities for SMU students. Students may refer to the emailers posted by the Centre on volunteering opportunities and to join projects organised by other SMU students. In addition, partner non-profit organisations in Singapore also periodically post their volunteering opportunities on ONTRAC II as well. Students may also consider self-proposing if they are already volunteering in their personal capacity, or have found a social cause or a volunteering opportunity that they are keen to join.

For more enquiries, please reach out to commsvcs@smu.edu.sg.

Yes. Per existing policies, students who do not meet the minimum standards for the various assessment components or/and fail to submit stipulated requirements may be awarded a fail grade. Internship will continue to be a graduation requirement and students must pass the programme in order to graduate.

SMU will not collect additional fees from students for internships undertaken during non-regular terms.

Students who have been granted LOA and complete their Internship requirements satisfactorily during this period of absence may count their Internship towards credit.

The Dato’ Kho Hui Meng Career Centre’s team of development officers works with several employers to source as many internship opportunities across multiple industries as possible for SMU students to apply to and secure an internship opportunities within industries of students’ choice. When eligible for internships, students may access these opportunities through the portal ONTRAC II and apply for the roles of their choosing. Students may also self-propose their own internships should they find those advertised on ONTRAC II not aligned with their career interests.

Every undergraduate student is assigned a Career Coach at the Dato’ Kho Hui Meng Career Centre for their entire duration of study at SMU. This coach will work with the student on aligning their interests, skills and aspirations with their future career choices. Students may request for appointments with their Career Coach through the portal ONTRAC II periodically during their course of study at SMU to plan and prepare for their internships and full time jobs upon graduation. The Career Coaches would help students with understanding their personality and their fit to jobs better, resume and cover letter writing, interview skills and can share relevant industry information to help students make informed career decisions.

For more enquiries, please reach out to placement@smu.edu.sg

Internships are awarded one academic credit based on a “Pass/Fail” when graded. This grading does not contribute towards the student’s GPA. The student is expected to periodically submit Reflections Reports online throughout the duration of the internship. This helps to ensure that the internship experiences align with their expected learning outcomes.

At the end of the student’s internship, DKHMCC will formally request an online Performance Appraisal from his/her assigned supervisor at the company who mentors the student throughout the internship. For a “Pass” grade that indicates the student’s completion of the mandatory Internship requirement, the student must receive an “average” or above (Good/ Excellent) rating from the supervisor and must have completed all the reflections reports for the approved internship. DKHMCC shall review the documents submitted and then proceed with grading if everything is in order.

No, global exposure is not credit-bearing, but is still a requirement for graduation.

Global traction and understanding underpins success in careers in today’s globally connected environment. To have global exposure from the vantage of a university education is invaluable for international networking and global vision; it also open doors to bigger opportunities.

When students approach their global exposure opportunities with an enthusiastic and open mind, the benefits are immense. Academically, gaining a first-hand, real-world perspective of issues learnt in the classroom serves to deepen students’ learning and knowledge application. More importantly, the journey builds independence, empathy, open-mindedness, not to mention soft-skills like communication and teamwork. These attributes not only build character and personal development, but also give students an edge when they are seeking employment and advancement in the competitive workplace.

We believe that our consistently strong Graduate Employment Survey results can be attributed to SMU’s holistic approach towards education (which includes making 80-hours of community service and 10-week of internship graduation requirements), and particularly to the international exposure that the majority of SMU graduates receive. To make sure no student misses out on this precious global experience, the University is committed to giving global exposure participation an extra push by enhancing support and by providing more (and new) opportunities for students.

Students may fulfil the global exposure graduation requirement through a range of SMU-endorsed overseas programmes. These endorsed programmes are pre-assessed using a Multi-Dimensional Framework to meet SMU’s requirements for duration, engagement levels and alignment to the SMU Global Citizenship Graduate Learning Outcome (from AY 2024/25). Some of the SMU-endorsed overseas programmes are listed below for reference.

• Semester-long Exchange Programmes (includes semester-long Self-arranged External Study Programmes)
• Short-term Study Programmes (includes Summer Study Programmes)
• SMU-X Overseas Courses
• Study Missions
• Internship
• Global Innovation Immersion
• Community Service
• Co-Curricular Activities
• Cultural or Technological Immersion Programmes (including non-credit Study Trips)

The typical durations for these activities are as follows:

Approximately 70% of SMU graduates complete an overseas exchange programme during the course of their undergradute studies at the University. Close to half the student population also engage in an overseas community service project, while many others complete an SMU-XO, or an overseas internship CCA activity. Slightly more than half of SMU students graduate with at least two types of global exposure programmes under their belt.

SMU provides adequate opportunities for all students to complete their global exposure graduation requirement through official programmes.

That said, in the event that students wish to fulfil the requirement through self-arranged personal learning trips, the University will evaluate, on a case-by-case basis, whether the intended activity or programme is in line with SMU’s university-level learning objectives.

A student going on an exchange programme to a partner university remains enrolled full-time at SMU while away on the exchange programme. Therefore, for each term that the student is away, the amount of tuition and student fees are per what the student would pay for a regular SMU term.

While the student is not required to pay tuition fees to the overseas partner University, the student is responsible for the costs of air tickets, living expenses, accommodation, additional travel arrangements and health insurance etc. Based on feedback from students who recently went on such trips, the estimated cost differs according to the region that the student travels to:

There are numerous forms of financial aid available to students to offset the cost of going on exchange programmes.

Students who participate in many forms of global exposure, such as overseas internships and overseas community service, may apply for grants/subsidies to cover the cost of the travel. Most students who go on overseas internships or overseas community service are awarded grants which cover the expenses involved with the global exposure activity.

For study missions, the cost varies depending on the destination region. The estimated cost, by region, is as follows:

SMU has a range of University-funded and donor-supported financial assistance schemes that needy students can tap on for their overseas activities and programmes. The value of these financial assistance schemes ranges from S$500 to S$10,000. Some of these grants/subsidies are listed below. Singaporean SMU students may also tap on the SMU Overseas Student Programme Loan, which has no income criterion.

SMU is committed to provide necessary assistance and financial support in situations where a student faces difficulties completing the global exposure requirement due to financial issues.

* Some of the grants/subsidies available (non-exhaustive) include:

• SMU Overseas Student Educational Programme Subsidy
• Arnoud De Meyer Study Mission Grant
• Community Service Projects Grant
• Mrs Tracy Tan Overseas Exposure Grant
• Ruth Chiang Overseas Community Service Grant
• Doris and Mick Aw Accounting Study Grant
• Joanne Chan Memorial Fund Social Science Study Mission Grant
• Law Study Mission Financial Grant
• SMU ASEAN Exposure Grant
• Tan Tiong Hwee Memorial Fund Grant
• Wilmar Overseas Community Service Project Grant
• Wilmar Overseas Internship Grant

For more information, students may refer to information on the SMU Office of Admissions and Finance Assistance website.

We are aware of students who have difficulties travelling because of exceptional circumstances. We strongly encourage students to discuss and seek advice with our university counsellors and faculty advisors should they have any concerns. SMU is committed to our students’ welfare and success, and we will work with students facing exceptional and challenging situations to explore holistic alternatives and consider exceptions where necessary.

For enquiries related to local and overseas exchange matters, kindly reach out to the teams below respectively:

Singapore Universities Student Exchange Programme (SUSEP) susep@smu.edu.sg

International Student Exchange Programme - Outbound (ISEP) isep.outbound@smu.edu.sg

As the Free Electives component in the curriculum allows students to choose courses from their major to deepen their disciplinary domain knowledge, or courses from other majors and schools to broaden their knowledge across disciplines, students may take any SMU course to fulfil this component. These courses may be double-counted towards a second major or a second degree.

Students may be given exemptions for up to 3 Free Electives CUs on the basis of good pre-university grades for GCE A-level, Polytechnic Diploma, or other recognised qualifications.

For more information on exemptions, students may refer to information on the SMU Office of Admissions and Financial Assistance website.

Under the Exploratory Course policy, students are allowed to exclude two passed grades from cGPA computation (with the exception of the compulsory Core Curriculum courses, namely, Big Questions, Ethics and Social/Corporate Responsibility, Economics and Society, Writing and Reasoning, and any other course under the Core Curriculum that is mandated by the respective schools for their students, compulsory Major Core courses and compulsory Track Core courses) for courses taken before their final term of coursework. In other words, students may declare any two passed electives or additional courses taken in SMU up to, and including, their penultimate term of coursework as Exploratory Courses.

Declaration of Exploratory Courses may be made at a specified period in the final term, determined by the Registrar’s Office. Requests for declaration of Exploratory Courses outside the specified period will not be entertained. All declarations made are final and non-reversible. After students have made their declaration, the necessary changes will be effected by the final term.

The objective of the Exploratory Course policy is to enhance student learning by encouraging them to stretch themselves academically and experiment with classes outside their major or their usual spheres of interest. Compulsory Major Core courses and Compulsory Track Core courses are required to ensure students develop depth in their main disciplines of study, hence would not qualify as Exploratory Courses. At the same time, compulsory courses in the Core Curriculum are designed to provide students with a shared intellectual experience upon which students may converse and debate, hence these courses are also excluded from the policy.

There will not be changes to the criteria for the degree awards. Based on the University’s back-testing of data, the impact of Exploratory Courses on the proportion of degree awards is small.

It should be noted that academic outcomes involving grades and term or cumulative GPA that were applied prior to the declaration of Exploratory Courses, e.g. Dean’s List, Academic Standing, or any awards given prior to the declaration of Exploratory Courses will not be changed. There will be no retrospective re-evaluation of these outcomes, regardless of the changes to the term or cGPA as a result of the declaration of Exploratory Courses.

The Exploratory Course policy does not apply to:

• Compulsory Core Curriculum courses, namely, Big Questions, Ethics and Social/Corporate Responsibility, Economics and Society, Writing and Reasoning,
• And any other course under the Core Curriculum that is mandated by the respective schools for their students,
• Compulsory Major Core courses and compulsory Track Core courses for courses taken before their final term of coursework.

Apart from these exceptions, students may declare any two passed electives or additional courses taken in SMU up to, and including, their penultimate term of coursework as Exploratory Courses.

Declaration of Exploratory Courses may be made at a specified period in the final term, determined by the Registrar’s Office. Requests for declaration of Exploratory Courses outside the specified period will not be entertained. All declarations made are final and non-reversible. After students have made their declaration, the necessary changes will be effected by the final term.

No. While the Internship programme focuses on helping SMU students develop career skills, the Work-Study option is designed to help students develop depth in their disciplinary knowledge through the work experience. For example, the Work-Study option includes regular mentorship meetings with the faculty advisors, as well as disciplinary assignments that are specifically tailored by the faculty advisors. Students who have undertaken prior long-term Internships would not have undergone this structured process of disciplinary instruction, hence their earlier Internship would not qualify as a Work-Study experience.

Yes. The Work-Study option applies to selected ongoing programmes that existing students may enrol into.

There will not be changes to the criteria for the degree awards. Based on the University’s back-testing of data, the impact of Exploratory Courses on the proportion of degree awards is small.

It should be noted that academic outcomes involving grades and term or cumulative GPA that were applied prior to the declaration of Exploratory Courses, e.g. Dean’s List, Academic Standing, or any awards given prior to the declaration of Exploratory Courses will not be changed. There will be no retrospective re-evaluation of these outcomes, regardless of the changes to the term or cGPA as a result of the declaration of Exploratory Courses.

For work-study options where students may take up to 2 courses while embarking on a 6-month long Internship, full regular fees will apply regardless of the number of additional courses taken.

In addition, students may not undertake the Work-Study option while on Leave of Absence (LOA).

Commencing with the AY2024 intake cohort, SMU undergraduates will benefit from an enriched educational experience. These changes align closely with SMU's strategic priorities, which are Digital Transformation, Sustainable Living, and Growth in Asia. Our enhanced graduation requirements will encompass three key areas:

i. Digital Technology/Data Analytics (D/D): This requirement acknowledges the pivotal role that digital technology and data analytics play in today's workplace. By fulfilling this, you will acquire essential skills and knowledge relevant in the digital age.

ii. Sustainability: Sustainability is a pressing global concern. This requirement will equip you with an intermediate understanding of sustainability issues, contributing to a more sustainable future.

iii. Singapore and Asia Studies: Singapore is a vibrant global hub and Asia is a region of immense significance in today's global economy. This requirement ensures that you gain a strong understanding of the dynamics of Singapore and the Asian region.

Students from AY2019 to AY2023 intake cohort will need to fulfil the graduation requirements of (a) Asia Studies and (b) Singapore Studies as spelt out in their respective programme academic handbook.

Students will be able to fulfil these additional graduation requirements through Big Questions for Singapore Studies (for students from AY2020 through AY2023 cohorts) and Economics and Society for Asia Studies (for students from AY2021 through AY2023 cohorts).

There are no exemptions for these additional graduation requirements. SMU's graduation requirements are designed to align with the university's undergraduate educational objectives and ensure that students acquire a well-rounded education that prepares them for success in their future endeavours. These requirements are developed based on SMU’s undergraduate academic standards and are continuously reviewed and updated to reflect the evolving needs of society and the workforce.

There are no exemptions for these additional graduation requirements. SMU's graduation requirements are designed to align with the university's undergraduate educational objectives and ensure that students acquire a well-rounded education that prepares them for success in their future endeavours. These requirements are developed based on SMU’s undergraduate academic standards and are continuously reviewed and updated to reflect the evolving needs of society and the workforce.

Additionally, the field of D/D (and even Sustainability) is constantly evolving, with new technologies, methodologies, and best practices emerging regularly. By including D/D (and Sustainability) requirements for all students, SMU ensures that graduates are equipped not only with current knowledge and skills but also with the adaptability and critical thinking abilities needed to navigate future developments in the field.

Depending on the School you are from, your pathway for fulfilling the graduation requirements will vary. In general, students have to take one course tagged with the graduation requirement in order to fulfill the requirement. For some degree programmes, however, content for the graduation requirement has been weaved into the compulsory courses of the Programme or Major Core. Students from these programmes are deemed to have automatically fulfilled the requirement. Please refer to your School or OASIS for more information on the applicable pathway for you, based on the School you are from.

You can submit a request to map courses that you are taking on a local or overseas exchange programme to the Core Curriculum graduation requirements, making use of the self-service Exchange Worksheet app in OASIS. The College of Integrative Studies, which manages the SMU Core Curriculum, will liaise with the relevant faculty co-ordinator of the graduation requirement to assess your course mapping application. Please note that the learning outcomes of your proposed course(s) should be aligned to the expected learning outcomes below.

i. Digital Technology/Data Analytics (D/D): With a view to understand how specific digital technologies work and are applied in specific contexts, students should be able to:

• Gain technical skills and knowledge in digital technologies; or
• Apply programming concepts to solve problems; or
• Apply appropriate data analytic methods to draw insights or to make informed decisions

ii. Sustainability:

• Understand the sustainability challenges identified in specific UNSDGs; or
• Articulate the sustainability implications, in relation to the UNSDGs, of specific issues within one or more disciplines; or
• Evaluate and make decisions / recommendations that promote sustainability or sustainable solutions that are aligned to the UNSDGs.

iii. Singapore and Asia Studies

• Understand the legal, political, social, economic, cultural, technological or business context of an Asian country (or countries) and of Singapore; or
• Analyse the relationship between Singapore and other Asian countries; or
• Analyse the similarities and differences between Singapore and other Asian countries.

The courses that fulfil graduation requirements are credit bearing, and can meet the student’s degree requirements in addition to fulfilling the graduation requirements.

Yes, however if the chosen course is also a compulsory course (i.e., University/Programme Core course, compulsory Major course or compulsory Track course), it cannot be declared as Exploratory. Please refer to the Exploratory Course (EC) policy on OASIS for more details on the courses that can be declared as Exploratory and consult your School for further clarification if needed.

Yes, the new additional graduation requirements are in effect for students matriculating from AY2024 onwards, regardless of when the SMU offer was accepted.

The new additional graduation requirements will apply only to students matriculating from AY2024 onwards. However, we welcome students to refer to the lists of courses that fulfill the new graduation requirements and consider taking courses from these lists to enrich their learning, particularly in the new areas of Digital Technology/Data Analytics (D/D) and Sustainability.

Yes, if a course is listed as a qualifying course for multiple graduation requirements, the same course can be used to fulfil these graduation requirements. Do note that the pathway for fulfilling the graduation requirement varies depending on the School that a student is from. In some cases, a graduation requirement is fulfilled by taking one course, whereas in others, a graduation requirement is automatically fulfilled by virtue of the relevant content having been incorporated in the compulsory courses of a Programme or Major Core. Please refer to your School or OASIS for information specific to your programme.

Yes, the same course may be used to fulfil a graduation requirement and other programme requirements.

Please write to corecurriculum@smu.edu.sg for further assistance.