Office of International Relations
Administration Building
81 Victoria Street
Singapore 188065
Reg. No. 200000267Z
Dear student
Greetings from the Singapore Management University! We are delighted by the prospect of
you joining our vibrant and diverse community.
SMU is located in the heart of the Singapore city! This city campus is first-of-its-kind in the
historic Bras Basah district where the business and arts communities are seamlessly
integrated. Do visit us online at: http://www.smu.edu.sg/campus/index.asp.
Your best informative channel with regards to your upcoming exchange semester at SMU is
via our website: www.smu.edu.sg
For specific details on incoming international exchange students, please refer to:
http://www.smu.edu.sg/international_exchange/for_incoming_students/index.asp
To date, we have 217 partnerships with distinguished universities world-wide. Of course,
there are more to come! At SMU, your student life will be filled with unprecedented
excitement as you make friendships with diverse nationalities and with the local
Singaporeans.
Our list of partners is available via the link below:
http://www.smu.edu.sg/international_exchange/partner_universities.asp
In this letter, you will find information on your upcoming semester exchange and important
application procedures:
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SMU Online Application
Student’s Pass
Housing
Academic matters
Orientation
SMU Insurance
SMU Contact information
The following information is very important. Please read through carefully and ensure
that all stated deadlines are met!
SMU Office of International Relations
Inbound Exchange Student Guide - Spring 2013, Term 2
1
Index
Page
Online Application Procedures
3-5
English Proficiency
Application of Student’s Pass (SOLAR)
5
Employment in Singapore
Entry Visa to Singapore
6
Housing
Academic matters
-
Course registration
Examination clashes
Course load
SMU transcript
Academic calendar
7-8
Orientation
9
SMU Insurance
10
SMU Facebook Group
Contact Information for the Office of International Relations(OIR)
Timeline for Administrative Procedures
11
12 - 13
SMU Office of International Relations
Inbound Exchange Student Guide - Spring 2013, Term 2
2
Online Application for Spring 2013 (Term 2)
The online application period for the SMU International Exchange Programme is:
8 August – 30 September 2012
All nominated students must complete the online application by 30 September 2012, 2359
hours (Singapore time).
Late applicants will not be entertained.
You are required to login using a User ID and Password to access the Online Application System .
Please read the attached documents and register for a new account via the following link:
http://eservices.smu.edu.sg/psp/ps/EMPLOYEE/HRMS/c/SIS_MA.SIS_GADM_APPLREG.GBL?
&FormID=ISEP
Applying for
Admissions.pdf
To submit the online application, the following documents must be attached in the online
application;
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Latest official transcripts (Transcripts must be official with university
seal/letterhead, results printed via your home university student portal will not be
accepted)
Passport page/s that capture your details
TOEFL / IELTS score report, if applicable
When creating the User ID, select an ID which is easy to remember.
The User ID can be the same as your home university User ID.
Fields such as "Full name", "Country of Birth" and "Race" should be phrased clearly.
Full name should be indicated EXACTLY the same as it appears on the passport, even if there is
a comma or a dash in your name. The example as follows;
For eg: Name as it appears on passport
Last name: Smith
First name: Jacqueline Nicole
On the online application, you will be first be prompted for your FULL NAME: Jacqueline Nicole
Smith and then you will be prompted for your last name only, Smith.
For eg:
Full name: Jacqueline Nicole Smith
Last name: Smith
SMU Office of International Relations
Inbound Exchange Student Guide - Spring 2013, Term 2
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Please DO NOT give alias, short-form or nick names. Special characters are not allowed, eg; Ä,
Á, É, Ğ, Í, ß, Ł, Ñ, Ø, Ö, Ü. If you are unsure, you may refer to your name in the barcodes
at the bottom of your passport particulars page.
The date of birth must be in DATE / MONTH / YEAR format.
Information input on the online application will be used for registration of the student pass.
Incorrect information will cause a processing delay of the student pass and you will be required to
re-apply and make payment again.
Upon submitting the online application, you will receive the user ID and password via email.
Please SAVE the email as the user ID and password will be required for other administrative
procedures after you’re accepted.
The photograph for the SMU student card must be submitted by 30 September 2012. You
may only upload the photograph upon submission of the online application. To upload the
photograph, please refer to the following document for the link to the ‘Applicant Self Service’
function. The document on ‘SMU Guidelines on taking photograph’ indicates the criteria for
the photograph.
Applicant Self
Service.pdf
SMU Guidelines on
Taking Photograph.pdf
The SMU acceptance letter(s) and SOLAR details (Student OnLine Application and
Registration details – For student visa in Singapore) will be sent directly to your home
university in October / November. Please allow 1 – 2 weeks of delivery time for the
acceptance letter(s) and SOLAR details. Please collect the documents from your home
university coordinator.
Please note that the letter of acceptance is conditional upon your meeting all academic
requirements of SMU. If you do not meet such requirements, SMU will be entitled to revoke
the letter of acceptance without any liability to you or your home university.
More information on the exchange semester, labeled as the Acceptance Information
Package will be sent via email in October / November.
English Proficiency
English is the mode of teaching in SMU and the main language used in Singapore. To
participate and succeed in the courses and exams, the student must have well spoken and
written English.
If English is not the native language of the student, we’ll ask your home university to
guarantee that the student’s standard of spoken and written English is at least EQUIVALENT
to 560 points (the paper-based test) or 220 points (the computer-based test) or 80 points (the
internet based test) in the TOEFL-test. This is because students who were not at ease with
the English language often experience much difficulty in class. Hence, we trust our partners
to nominate students with a good command of the English language.
SMU Office of International Relations
Inbound Exchange Student Guide - Spring 2013, Term 2
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SMU is a strong supporter of empowering students and encouraging them to be vocal in class.
Most courses require either an individual presentation and/or a group presentation. As English is
the main language of instruction in SMU students need to be able to converse confidently and
clearly.
Application of Student’s Pass (SOLAR)
All non-Singaporean students participating in SMU’s International Exchange Programme
must obtain a Student’s Pass for his/her study period at SMU, Singapore.
Each Student’s Pass will be pre-registered, based on the duration of the exchange
programme.
A credit card is required to make payment for the Student’s Pass registration online.
More instructions on the student pass registration will be given after students have
been accepted under the exchange programme.
For students participating in the exchange programme for 1 year, a medical report is
required.
The medical report form must be completed by the doctor for submission at ICA upon your
arrival in Singapore. The medical report can be completed in your home country or in
Singapore.
For completion of medical report in home country  The medical report has to be
completed in English & only the original copy of the report is accepted. Please bring along
the results. The test results must certified by a Singaporean doctor.
For completion of medical report in Singapore  Students are required to bring their
SMU acceptance letter, passport and the medical report form when they go for the medical
examination. The examination fee would cost approximately SGD $50.00+. Please allow up
to 4 workings day for the release of the medical results.
Employment in Singapore
As an international exchange student, students cannot exceed work/internship of more
than 16 hours within a week during the school term. However, you could work full time if
you are on holiday with a valid student pass.
http://www.mom.gov.sg/foreign-manpower/working-in-singapore/Pages/employment-of-foreignstudents.aspx
Extension of student pass for internship purpose is strictly not allowed.
SMU does not assist exchange students secure internships. Students are advised to seek
assistance from the Embassy or source on their own.
Please refer to the link below for more information on the type of work pass required for
working in Singapore:
http://www.mom.gov.sg/foreign-manpower/working-in-singapore/Pages/default.aspx
SMU Office of International Relations
Inbound Exchange Student Guide - Spring 2013, Term 2
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Entry Visa to Singapore
Foreigners holding travel documents issued by some countries will require a visa to enter
Singapore.
Please refer to the following link to check if you require a visa;
http://www.ica.gov.sg/page.aspx?pageid=96&secid=94
**Information source: www.ica.gov.sg
Housing
SMU does not arrange for accommodation for International exchange students.
SMU Hostel
Due to limited rooms at the SMU hostel, we regret to inform that the SMU hostel at Prinsep Street
is not available for international exchange students.
The Commonwealth Hostel will be open for application after students are accepted into the
exchange programme. Students will be informed on the application procedures via email.
For details on the Commonwealth Hostel, please refer to the link below;
http://www.smu.edu.sg/leasing/Commonwealth/index.asp
Student Hostels
A list of student hostels in Singapore can be found via the following link;
http://www.smu.edu.sg/students/student_life/downloads/Hostel%20List%20latest.pdf
Private Accommodation
Exchange students are advised to seek private accommodation.
Kindly source for an apartment on your own or seek the help of private agents (a list of
housing agents will be provided after students are accepted into the exchange programme).
Please note that SMU is not liable for any agreements made between yourself and the
landlord / hostel management.
An accommodation guide is available via the following link;
http://www.smu.edu.sg/international_exchange/for_incoming_students/accommodation.asp
SMU Office of International Relations
Inbound Exchange Student Guide - Spring 2013, Term 2
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Course Registration
More instructions on the course registration will be given after you have been
accepted into the exchange programme at SMU.
Please go to the Undergraduate Student Information website at
http://info.smu.edu.sg/courses/index.asp and view the online course catalogues for each
school. Most SMU courses are available to exchange students. Exchange students are only
allowed to follow undergraduate courses.
However, the Course List detailing the list of courses offered to exchange students during a
particular term will be released about a month before the on-line course registration.
The course catalogues are available about 2 months before the start of the semester. Please do
have a look at our course catalogue for the upcoming semester towards the middle/end of
November; and have list SMU courses approved by your home university before the course
registration window opens.
Please note that the courses listed in the catalogue include those not offered to exchange
students. Students are advised to refer to the Course List to know which courses are available to
them.
As our online course catalogue gets updated throughout the year, you may wish to conduct your
course selection closer to the deadlines so as to receive the latest course updates. If the outline
for a particular course is not available at the time of your course selection, you may view the
previous terms’ outline as a benchmark.
For more information on course selection using the Undergraduate Student Information, please
go to the Academic Questions on the FAQ section of the Incoming Students webpage.
Examination Clashes
In selecting your courses, you are to check them for examination clashes (including for your
reserve courses). It is imperative that you check your courses for examination clashes because in
the event that this it is overlooked, and you face examination clashes with your courses, SMU will
not be able to accommodate in any way. This will most likely result in your having to forgo a
course. Exam dates are shown in the course catalogue. All exam dates are final and will not be
rescheduled for any reason.
Please note that course enrolment is subject to class and faculty availability, fulfillment of prerequisites, and timetabling factors. It is your responsibility to check with your home university to
ensure that you have fulfilled the pre-requisites for the courses selected.
Course Load
The average course load for SMU students per semester is 4 full-credit courses. Typically,
exchange students enroll in 4 full-credit courses per semester at SMU. However, this may vary
depending on your home university’s requirements. The maximum (non-negotiable) workload per
semester is 5 SMU credits.
SMU Office of International Relations
Inbound Exchange Student Guide - Spring 2013, Term 2
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Each full-credit course at SMU carries a weighting of 1 credit each. It consists of 3 contact
hours per week over a period of 13 teaching weeks (i.e. 39 contact hours). A half-credit course
has a total of 21 contact hours per term.
It is strongly recommended that International Exchange Students take 3 - 4 courses while on
exchange at SMU.
SMU Transcripts
Two copies of your transcripts will be sent directly to the International Relations Office of your
home university two months after the official release of the exam results.
Students who are on exchange at SMU for one year, the home university will receive the
transcripts only at the end of the exchange program (March 2013).
This is important, especially for the final year students who will be unable to file for graduation
due to the delay of transcripts.
SMU does not provide a certificate / letter of completion for the exchange programme or an
unofficial transcript.
Transcripts will be put on hold if there are outstanding payments, library fines, hostel fees, etc.
Academic Calendar
SMU’s Spring Semester (Term 2): 7 January – 25 April 2013
Academic calendar
2012-13.pdf
Each SMU semester runs on a 15-week cycle. This includes the examination period which is in
week 15 – no changes in exam dates are allowed. Classes run intensively from Week 1
onwards. It is university policy for students to attend classes when term starts. Attendance is
compulsory.
Late arrivals are NOT accepted
For more information on SMU academic calendar, please refer to
http://info.smu.edu.sg/courses/index.asp .
SMU Office of International Relations
Inbound Exchange Student Guide - Spring 2013, Term 2
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Orientation
Orientation is compulsory. Only students with valid reasons surfaced to us by the partner
university’s coordinator may be excused from this orientation. Students who are absent from the
orientation will not receive assistance to matters covered during the orientation.
Orientation session for International Exchange students: 2 - 4 January 2013
The orientation dates are to be confirmed and students will be informed in October 2012.
Latest date of arrival: 26 December 2012
The recommended arrival date is to facilitate the application of the Student’s Pass at ICA
which may take more than 3 working days during the peak period. There will be a huge
processing delay at ICA during the peak period as there will be a large number of foreign
students coming to Singapore during the start of a new term. The Student’s Pass will be required
for signing the housing contract, purchase of SIM card, etc.
Students may not collect the SMU student card without verifying the Student’s Pass.
For students who arrive after the orientation, please take note of the following regarding courses;
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No special arrangements will be made to register for courses.
No further assistance will be given by the Office of International Relations (OIR).
If courses are fully taken up, no extra seats will be made available.
No special assistance will be given on BOSS bidding as this will be covered during
orientation.
Students are required to pay a compulsory Miscellaneous Fees of approximately S$250+.
This includes insurance coverage, IT services and sports facilities fees.
The miscellaneous fee is NON-REFUNDABLE.
More details will be included in the Acceptance Information Package.
SMU Office of International Relations
Inbound Exchange Student Guide - Spring 2013, Term 2
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SMU Insurance - Mandatory
SMU has arranged student insurance coverage with AIA Singapore for all international exchange
students – Coverage includes Student Personal Accident (PA) Policy and Medical Insurance.
It is mandatory for all international exchange students to participate in this insurance scheme.
Details of the above insurance can be found via the following link:
http://www.smu.edu.sg/students/student_life/services/index.asp
Payment of your health insurance is included in the compulsory Miscellaneous Fee. Students
are not required to make any application for the SMU insurance. All applications will be made
on your behalf by SMU automatically.
Please note that it is very important that you are adequately insured while studying in
Singapore and for short trips around the region. Hence, we strongly advise you to take
additional insurance to cover liability and personal belongings during your exchange and also
transportation from and back to your home country in case of illness.
Students with pre-existing medical conditions are strongly advised to purchase additional
medical insurance. Please note that the coverage for students is based on subsidised rates
in Singapore.
It may not be sufficient for emergency treatment overseas (outside of Singapore) which will
likely be much higher. There is also restriction on the clinics / hospitals, claims cannot be
reimbursed if you visit non-panel or private clinics / hospitals.
Dental treatment is not covered under the SMU insurance. Students are advised to go for a
dental check prior to arrival in Singapore. Dental treatment is very expensive in Singapore.
Please consult your insurance agent in your home country to ensure that you are adequately
insured.
SMU Exchange Facebook Group
For the past semesters, we have successfully gathered SMU exchange students online prior
to their exchange semester. This allows students to meet each other virtually before the start
of the exchange programme to discuss on accommodation matters, etc.
Do join the Facebook group “SMU International Exchange Students Spring 2013”.
SMU Office of International Relations
Inbound Exchange Student Guide - Spring 2013, Term 2
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SMU Contact – Office of International Relations
When contacting us, please include your Full Name (as it appears in your official
application) and Home University. Please check your email REGULARLY as updates on
your exchange will be sent, and inform us IMMEDIATELY if there is a change in your email
address.
For matters on your exchange, please contact:
Ms. Rehju Mohamed
International Programmes Advisor
(Inbound - from Partner Universities in Africa, Asia-Pacific, Central Asia,
North America, South America & Middle East)
Tel: +65 6828 0677
Fax: +65 6828 0290
Email: rehjumohamed@smu.edu.sg
Mailing Address:
Office of International Relations
Singapore Management University
Administration Building, Level 8
81 Victoria Street
Singapore 188065
Office hours: Monday – Friday
9.30am – 12.00pm; 2.30pm – 5.30pm
Closed on Saturday, Sunday & Public Holidays.
We are extremely excited about receiving you in Singapore!
Office of International Relations
Singapore Management University
SMU Office of International Relations
Inbound Exchange Student Guide - Spring 2013, Term 2
11
Time Line
(Spring = January – April, Term 2)
8 August – 30 September
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SMU online application
Deadline: 30 September
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Home University informs SMU about
nominated students on exchange.
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SMU sends application information
to nominated students via email
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Upload photo for SMU student card
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SMU sends acceptance information
package via email to all successful
applicants
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SMU sends acceptance letter and
student’s SOLAR details to home
university
Deadline: October
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Online registration with ICA for
the Student’s Pass. Students must
apply online with the SOLAR
number ASAP upon collecting the
acceptance letter and SOLAR
document from the home university
coordinator
3 – 4 December
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Online matriculation (details will be
provided in acceptance package)
11 – 13 December
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Online course registration (details
will be sent via email in Oct / Nov)
No later than 26 December
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Student’s arrival in Singapore
October, November
SMU Office of International Relations
Inbound Exchange Student Guide - Spring 2013, Term 2
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Time Line
(Spring = January – April, Term 2)
Verification of Student’s Pass &
collection of SMU student card:
27 & 28 December
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Schedule and venue will be advised
at a later date
Orientation: 2 - 4 January 2013
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Orientation dates to be confirmed
in October 2012
SMU Office of International Relations
Inbound Exchange Student Guide - Spring 2013, Term 2
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