Biodiversity Summer Programme

The NUS Faculty of Science offers opportunities for undergraduate students from selected Partner Universities to participate in our Biodiversity Summer Programme. This programme, which is held over five weeks in June/July each year, promises an enriching and unforgettable experience to students, giving them the opportunity to live and experience on-campus life while getting to know Singapore and its unique culture, food & lifestyle. The aim is to offer students an exciting exposure to different educational, social, language and cultural settings.

Programme Highlights

Field-based Biodiversity Research: Students would read two (2) 4-unit courses – LSM4263 Field Studies in Biodiversity and LSM4254 Principles of Taxonomy and Systematics as part of this summer programme.

LSM4263 Field Studies in Biodiversity introduces students to field biology- the basic techniques involved, sampling design and basic data gathering and data management. Through local field study sessions, students will experience and encounter tropical environs and habitats, namely coastal, mangrove, primary and secondary forests. The course includes a 1-week field trip to the luscious tropical island, Pulau Tioman, off East coast of Peninsular Malaysia where students would expect to experience unique tropical ecosystems such as rainforest, freshwater stream, mangroves and the coral reefs under the guidance of experienced field biologists.

LSM4254 Principles of Taxonomy and Systematics introduces students to taxonomy and systematics, i.e., the science of grouping biodiversity into species, describing the species, and classifying this diversity into higher-level taxa that reflect evolutionary history.

Learn about another language and culture: Students are able to participate in a non-credit bearing introductory course in either Chinese or Indonesian language (which are amongst the top 14 languages spoken in the world). Each course will involve 16 hours of contact time (including 1-hour assessment). In -class cultural activities are also organized to broaden the students’ learning experience.

Immerse in the culture of Singapore: Beyond studies, students have the opportunity to go on trips and tours around our unique island “Singapore” to experience the fascinating culture, cuisine and sights of Singapore. By the end of the summer, you would be fully immersed in our multifaceted and multicultural city and as well as the Asian and Singaporean way of life.

Academic Programme

Students will enroll in 2 courses (worth 8 units) of which please note the following:

LSM4263 Field Studies in Biodiversity
LSM4254 Principles of Taxonomy and Systematics
For the course descriptions, please click here

Programme Duration

5 weeks during end June to end July each year

Application Procedures

Application procedures will be provided to your Home University Study Abroad coordinator. Please approach your Home University for the details.

Accommodation / Housing

Accommodation for overseas participants are arranged at University Town Tembusu College for June-July 2024 programme. Participants and will pay the “NUS Student” room rates (click here for the information). Accommodation for participants will be confirmed nearer to the programme start date.

Student’s Pass Application

All international students need to obtain a valid Student’s Pass (Student Visa) issued by the Singapore Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) for their studies at NUS. NUS Registrar’s Office will email instructions on applying for your Student’s Pass at least one month before the start of the programme. For more information about the Student Pass Application, please visit: http://nus.edu.sg/osa/services/students-pass.html.

Estimated Costs

Tuition fee will be waived for exchange students, but they would be required to pay for the NUS Miscellaneous Student Fees (MSF) which includes:

Student Services Fee
Health Service Fee

Details of the above fees payable can be found at the Registrar’s Office website.

Students may also incur the following expenses during the stay in NUS:

Items	Estimated Costs (S$)
Student’s Pass Application Fee	S$30 – S$120
Language course – course materials	$40 – $60
Housing (depending on room type)	S$2,000 – S$3,500
Meals	S$1,000 – S$1,800
Transport (travel expenses on Public Buses/Trains)	S$300 – S$450
Personal Expenses	S$250 – S$400

The above constitutes only an estimated/approximate cost of the programme; some of the items would be subject to revisions and where appropriate an additional 9% goods and service tax. These costs are based on an estimate for a reasonably comfortable lifestyle and do not represent the travelling costs as a tourist. The actual amount could be much higher or lower depending on individual spending patterns.

Orientation & Cross Cultural Programme

To facilitate students’ adjustment to NUS’ and Singapore’s environment, a series of orientation activities will be organized for participants of the summer programme, for e.g.