Course Mappings

Students must take an active approach to ensure the quality and accuracy of their mapping requests. When selecting courses at partner universities, it is essential to refer to the most updated syllabus available on the university’s website.

However, some partner universities may not publish their course information online, which may require students to take the initiative and proactively reach out to the coordinator in charge of the course via email. By doing so, students can request detailed course descriptions and information to make informed decisions about their course mappings.

To ensure the mapping request meets the required standard, students should gauge for themselves if there is at least 70% similarity between the selected courses at the partner university and the corresponding courses at NUS. This helps ensure that the selected courses align well with their academic requirements and contribute effectively to their degree progression.

Submitting quality mapping requests helps facilitate a smooth and successful academic experience at the partner university. On the other hand, mappings that do not reflect sufficient effort and accuracy may be subject to rejection.

Important: Previously approved course mappings granted in prior semesters do not automatically carry over to subsequent semesters/years. NUS course hosts will conduct periodic reviews of course mappings in response to NUS curriculum updates, the training goals of our undergraduates, and changes in course contents (inclusive of contact hours) offered by our partner universities. This means that while past approvals may provide context, they do not guarantee future outcomes. Therefore, it is essential to submit your course mappings via EduRec for review and approval first before incurring premature financial expenses ahead of such programme applications.

How to submit

To submit course mappings, students are required to use the course mapping worksheet in EduRec. Students will gain access to the course mapping worksheet upon accepting the internal exchange offer.
Before making any submissions, it is essential to review the user guide for students, which can be accessed through the Student Portal.
To access the user guide, students can refer to the user guide for students, which is available at the Student Portal (Navigation: Quick Links > myEduRec > Other Functions > Submission of Course Mappings for External Study Programme). The user guide provides detailed instructions and important information on how to complete the course mapping process correctly.

What you need to provide for a quality mapping

Course components and corresponding contact hours: This includes a detailed breakdown of the course structure, such as lectures, tutorials, labs, or any other components, along with the corresponding number of contact hours for each component.
Assignment methods and corresponding weightage: Students should indicate the types of assignments or assessments in the course and the respective weightage or contribution of each assignment to the final grade.
Direct URL to Course information: Students must provide the direct web link to the course information or syllabus at the partner university’s official website. This ensures that the information is easily accessible and verifiable.
Grades of the prerequisites for your NUS mapping. For instance, if proposing a mapping to CS3230, students should clearly state the grades obtained for CS3230’s prerequisites. If students are completing the prerequisites just before their SEP semester, they can indicate that they are currently reading or in progress with those courses.
It is crucial to note that any missing requirement from the course mapping submission can lead to rejection. Therefore, students are advised to ensure all necessary information is included to create a complete and comprehensive mapping proposal.
Lastly, there is a maximum ceiling of 20 mapping worksheets, meaning students can submit up to 20 course mappings for consideration during their application process.

Mapping Deadlines

Students are encouraged to start their mapping submissions one semester before their planned exchange. This gives them ample time to carefully select and finalize their course mappings, ensuring that they have the necessary information ready for their application to the partner university.
Having the mapping decisions ready early allows students to include the approved mappings in their learning agreements, which some partner universities may require as part of the SEP application process. Endorsing the learning agreement with approved mappings increases the likelihood of a successful application to the partner university.
While there is no specific deadline for mapping submissions, students should time their submissions appropriately. For students planning a semester 2 exchange, it may be more beneficial to submit mappings closer to the application period. This is because many partner universities do not have updated course offerings available far in advance, and submitting mappings too early may result in outdated or incomplete information.
By strategically timing the mapping submissions, students can ensure that they have the most relevant and up-to-date course information for their exchange semester, maximizing their study abroad experience and academic opportunities at the partner university.

Processing Time

At least three weeks and more.
Please check on other faculties’ SEP website if you are mapping for cross faculties courses.

Pre-Approved Mappings

You can view School of Computing pre-approved course mapping list from Education Records System (EduRec).
The list of pre-approved courses provided by the School is indicative of mappable course contents. However, the units obtained from the mapped courses may not directly translate to equivalent NUS course units, as it depends on the NUS Units Exchange Ratio and other factors. As a result, not all courses on the pre-approved list may have a “tick” at the last column, indicating that the mapping is subject to final review and approval. This means that the School will carefully assess each mapping submission to determine the appropriate equivalence and credit transfer.
In cases where the mapped course does not bear the equivalent NUS course units, the School reserves the right to make adjustments to the units earned through the use of dummy coded courses during the credit transfer process. It is crucial for students to be aware of this process and be prepared for potential adjustments in credit transfer.

Precluded Mappings (Strictly not approved)

Distance learning and online courses
Courses without letter grading (i.e.: with pass/fail grading only)
Partner Universities that uses European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS): Courses bearing 3 ECTS and below
School of Computing students (Including CEG students): ITXXXX courses.
Level 5000 and 6000 courses hosted by Department of Information Systems and Analytics
Courses hosted by FASS: https://fass.nus.edu.sg/student-exchange-programme-sep/
Courses hosted by CDE: https://cde.nus.edu.sg/course-mapping/
General Education Curriculum:
- Students admitted from AY2015/16 onwards are not allowed to read courses from the overseas/Partner University while on the above Programmes, and use them to fulfil the GE requirement.
- Students admitted from AY2021/22 onwards who have been granted transfer credits from Student Exchange Programmes towards a course that satisfies a GE pillar, will be granted exemption from the GE pillar and will be considered to have fulfilled the GE pillar.
  Please refer to here for more information.
Please refer to here for the list of School of Computing mappings that were rejected before. Kindly note that mapping decisions are final.

What you need to take note of

Mapping with actual NUS courses: Students are required to find an actual NUS course for mapping. Only if there are no similar courses from NUS that can be mapped to, a dummy code may be issued by the approving authority for an approved course. Students are not allowed to request mapping to dummy codes, and mapping requests to dummy codes will be rejected.
Meeting prerequisites: Students must ensure that they meet the respective prerequisites for the courses they intend to map over. School of Computing does not permit waivers of prerequisites or the co-reading of prerequisites during the exchange period.
Approval before registration: Students should obtain approval for their course mapping before registering for the overseas course(s), especially if credit transfer is essential.
No approval for online programmes/courses: School of Computing will not approve or endorse course mapping requests for online programmes/courses. Students should focus on in-person courses offered by partner universities for mapping purposes.
Note that you have to obtain approval for all courses you wish to map back from your exchange. This includes credits earned as unrestricted electives. Therefore, you must ensure that you obtain the necessary approval from the course host departments, who are the subject matter experts. Additionally, keep in mind that not all departments offer dummy codes for unrestricted electives. Consequently, you will be unable to earn the credits if you are unable to secure the necessary approvals.
Credit transfer for courses with preclusion: When you are on exchange and take a course that is precluded by an NUS course, you cannot transfer credits for both courses. Only one course will count towards your degree requirements at NUS.
Examples of specific programmes rules:
– For Business Analytics(BZA) students: BT4240 precludes CS3244/IS4240/IT3011 and you will not be allowed to transfer credits for the precluded courses from exchange.
– For Computer Engineering (CEG) students: You are not allowed to map back preclusion course(s) of CEG core courses. Taking a precluded course during exchange (e.g., CS2106 that precludes CG2271) will result in those credits counting as excess units beyond the minimum 160 units required for graduation and you still need to read the core course (i.e. CG2271) in NUS.
– For Computer Science (CS) students: CS2109S precludes CS3244 and CS3243. You will not be allowed to transfer credits for the precluded courses from exchange.

NUS Units Exchange Ratio

Students have to be mindful of the NUS Units Exchange Ratio during the course mapping process, especially for students heading to partner universities that use the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) or other credit workload systems.The NUS Units Exchange Ratio is not always a one-to-one mapping, meaning that the number of credits earned at the partner university may not directly correspond to the number of NUS course units awarded upon credit transfer.For instance, according to the NUS Units Exchange Ratio, a 6 ECTS/15 credits workload course equate to 4 NUS course units.
Being aware of these variations in credit equivalences is crucial for students to plan their course mappings accurately. By understanding the NUS Units Exchange Ratio and taking it into consideration during the course mapping process, students can ensure that they receive the appropriate credit transfer upon the completion of their exchange program.
It is advisable for students to refer to the NUS Units Exchange Ratio or consult your home faculty SEP coordinator to gain a clear understanding of how credits earned at the partner university will be translated to NUS course units. This way, they can make informed decisions and avoid any surprises during the credit transfer process.
For School of Computing students:
1. Continue mapping submissions using a one-to-one mapping.
2. Credit workload compensation: If students plan to earn a specific number of units back to NUS (e.g., 20 units) but the approved mappings do not sum up to the required credit workload (e.g., 30 ECTS/60 credits), they have the option to read additional courses to compensate for the credit shortfall. For example, they can choose courses with higher workloads (e.g., 10 ECTS/20 credits) to make up for the difference.
3. Units translation to dummy codes: In the event that a mapped course does not have a direct equivalence, the units will be translated to dummy codes with equivalent credit weightage during the credit transfer stage. This ensures that the credit transfer accurately reflects the student’s achievements during the exchange period.
4. Top-up of credit workload: If students are reading fewer courses that sum up to 30 ECTS/60 credits workload, the School will top up the workload with corresponding dummy codes, which students can use to fulfill the unrestricted electives requirement.
5. Units adjustment will take place after the exchange, during the credit transfer stage.
Other faculties students
1. students must include information on workload compensation when submitting their mapping requests with a two-to-one mapping. You have to indicate the course is used as workload compensation in the additional information section. When using a course for workload compensation, it cannot be mapped to fulfill other course requirements.

Mapping Procedures for NUS Business Courses

Please refer: Student Exchange & Summer Programme FAQs. If the PU course is not found in the Course Mappings Master List, please download the form from here and submit it to BBA office for processing.