Alumni Course Exemption

SMU Alumni Course Exemptions/Transfers

From 2025 onwards, all SMU alumni are eligible for

1. A S$8,000 SMU Alumni Discount on tuition fees.
2. An additional $3,000 discount on tuition fees of the JD programme for each credit unit (CU) exempted, up to 4CUs.

Direct Entry for SMU LLM Alumni

With effect from the 2023 JD intake, SMU LLM alumni who apply to the JD programme within three (3) years of obtaining their SMU LLM degree and have a CGPA of 3.4 or above will be exempted from the JD written test or interview.

Qualified SMU LLM alumni will be granted direct entry to the JD programme after completion of their online application and payment of application fees. More details about the transfer policy can be found here.

Course Exemption for SMU LLM Alumni

With effect from the 2023 JD intake, SMU LLM alumni who fulfil all requirements below can be exempted up to 8 credit units (CUs) law modules from the total 25 CUs of the JD programme, and may complete the JD programme in 2 years. The grade point obtained from the exempted Law courses will be computed into the JD GPA.

1. Admitted to the JD programme within three (3) years of obtaining the SMU LLM degree.
2. The grade of exempted modules should be at least B. (Students will not be allowed to re-take modules completed with at least a B grade).
3. LGST courses, LAW652 and other universities’ courses taken on exchange do not qualify for exemption.

Course Exemption for Other SMU Alumni ( PLE major, Law major, C&L graduates)

With effect from the 2023 intake, the SMU Politics, Law, and Economics (PLE) major, Law major and Computing & Law (C&L) major alumni who fulfil all requirements below can be exempted up to 9 credit units (CUs) law modules from the total 25 CUs of the JD programme. The grade point obtained from the exempted Law courses will be computed into the JD GPA.

1. Admitted to the JD programme within three (3) years of obtaining the SMU bachelor’s degree.
2. The law module was completed with at least a B grade (Students will not be allowed to re-take modules completed with at least a B grade).
3. LGST courses and other universities’ courses taken on exchange do not qualify for exemption.

(If a student has completed other JD core modules, s/he does not have to take those courses again but will have to replace them with other JD electives.)

Course Exemption for Other Students

Other students are not eligible to the JD course exemption, regardless of academic quanlificiations or experience.