Brief Introduction

Established in 1998, the NUS School of Computing (SoC) is home to some 200 faculty members who have come from leading universities worldwide. The School has a student population of over 2,000, a quarter of them graduate students.

The School operates on the clear recognition that computer science fundamentals play a critical role in many emerging technologies, and also the key role computational knowledge continues to play in the IT industry. This operating philosophy drives its approach to both teaching and research.

The School offers undergraduate degree programmes that are undergirded by strong grounding in the fundamentals of computer science, covering four main areas of specialisation: computational biology, business, computer engineering and digital media. We also offer graduate degree programmes by coursework or research, with greater intensity in focus within these areas of specialisations.

The curricula are designed according to the recommendations of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), the Association for Information Systems (AIS), and the Computer Society of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE), which are the foremost authorities in the field of computing. Consequently, the knowledge units that are to be imparted within the curricula are recognised internationally, the practices instilled are sensitive to industrial development, and the pedagogy espoused adheres to tertiary IT education standards worldwide.

The research initiatives at SoC are supported by a number of research laboratories and centres within the School. Fitted with equipment that is funded mainly by research grants, the laboratories and centres provide a common space for people with similar interests to exchange ideas and work together informally.

The School is governed by the Executive Committee, and operates in consultation with an Industry Advisory Board.

Educational Philosophy

The programmes offered by the Department of Computer Science are founded on a wide variety of disciplines, with the goal of producing computer scientists who can integrate computing-related theories and practices, recognise the importance of abstraction, and appreciate the value of good engineering design.

These programmes seek to prepare students for life-long learning that will enable them to move beyond today’s technology to meet the challenges of the future. Furthermore, they include professional practices as an integral component of the undergraduate curriculum. These practices encompass a wide range of activities including management, ethics and values, written and oral communication, and team work.

The programmes offered by the Department of Information Systems are multidisciplinary in nature. In addition to providing students with a strong foundation in computer science, these programmes also give students the benefits of learning from other disciplines, such as business studies and economics. The modules required by these programmes reflect their objectives, which are to train graduates who are able to develop and manage business information systems and who understand how Internet technology can be deployed in business and organisations. Consequently, students are given the wide option of taking less technical, more business-oriented modules offered by the Department as well as the School of Business.

The School has also gained recognition from ABET Inc., the world respected US-based accreditation agency, for its Computer Science programmes. The agency certified that the programmes are “substantially equivalent” to accredited programmes in the United States, which is the standard status that the agency offers to universities outside the United States.

Please refer to: http://www.comp.nus.edu.sg for up-to-date information on the School.