Singapore American School is committed to assisting students in developing a course of study that meets their academic goals. During the second semester of each year, students are asked to choose courses for both semesters of the next school year. During the registration process, your teachers will advise you as to which courses are appropriate for you based upon your ability, performance, and future plans. Take their advice seriously and be certain to ask why they are recommending certain courses. If you are a student new to SAS, you will meet with your counselor and, if necessary, take a placement test to determine which courses are appropriate for you. Although you will receive a printed copy of teh Program Planning Guide, you can review the course information online.

Ninth and tenth graders must be enrolled in seven courses each semester, and eleventh and twelfth graders should be enrolled in seven courses unless their overall load is heavy and they need an extra study period. It is important to pay careful attention to course prerequisites and to the grade levels at which a course is available; not all courses are available to all grade levels. For students currently attending SAS, at the end of the semester you will receive a copy of the courses that have been scheduled for you. If you find an error, please talk with your counselor.

In order to graduate from SAS, a student must meet the graduation requirements as set by the Board of Governors. These requirements are meant to serve as a minimum standard rather than the standard which students should strive to achieve.

Note: In Math, students must complete a course equivalent to Geometry. In Science, one life/biological and one physical science course must be completed. In Social Studies, one credit of Eastern Studies and one credit of Western Studies are required. U.S. citizens are specifically required to earn one credit in U.S. History. The language requirement may be waived by students who demonstrate proficiency in a language beyond the second year. In the PE/Health area, students can choose either four semesters of PE and one semester of Health or three semesters of PE and two semesters of Health. Participation in Interim Semester is required each year a student attends SAS. In exceptional cases, a student may petition the principal to waive or substitute a requirement.

While you are in grade nine, and again while you are in grade ten, you should meet with your counselor to review your high school plan of study. This plan can serve as a roadmap and help to make certain that graduation and college entrance requirements are being met. Choosing a course of study is best done by looking at the broad picture of what you hope to accomplish over the four years of high school. While it’s not necessary to have a four-year plan carved in stone, it is helpful to have at least a rough plan of the courses you might want to take through your senior year and to revise that plan each spring as you prepare to select courses for the coming school year. Choices made in grades nine, ten and eleven will impact the options you will have available later.

December Graduation

Although students are expected to attend high school for eight semesters prior to graduation, in unusual circumstances a student may request to graduate one semester early. Ordinarily these circumstances involve a family leaving Singapore midway through the senior year, attendance at a university that begins the academic year in January or February, or a student who transferred to SAS from a high school that followed a different academic calendar (e.g., students who completed one semester of grade nine in the Australia system prior to beginning SAS as a new ninth grader).

A request to graduate early must be submitted to the School Principal by May 15th of the junior year. This request should explain the rationale and be signed by both the student and the parents. A student or parent interested in pursuing early graduation must speak with a counselor before the application is submitted. Once a request is received, the Principal will consult with the Counseling Department and pass a recommendation on to the Superintendent. A negative decision by the Principal will be final, unless appealed in writing to the Board through the Superintendent of Schools.

Criteria for permission to be granted must include the following:-

1. Record of good citizenship (i.e., demonstrated self-discipline, exemplary behavior, respect for established norms, rules and regulations, and demonstrated ability of independent thinking);
2. Well-thought out program to meet all minimum graduation credits, including four full credits in English, by December graduation date;
3. Completion of a minimum of two full semesters of attendance at SAS prior to graduation;
4. Defined post-high school education plans including what productive activity the student is planning to engage in during the semester that will be missed.