NUS Bulletin AY2023/24

SDE, together with the Faculty of Engineering (FoE), will adopt a new undergraduate curriculum structure for students enrolled in the new academic year starting in August 2021. Students will read a total of 160 modular credits (or the equivalent of 40 modules), as shown in the following schema:

The Common Curriculum is jointly developed by SDE, FoE and 6 industry partners who sit on the task force. It seeks to integrates knowledge and skillsets relevant to the professional training offered by both schools and to equip students with essential 21^st century competencies. The following pillars make up the Common Curriculum, comprising 60 MCs (or the equivalent of 15 modules):

For more information, please refer to https://www.sde.nus.edu.sg/news/new-common-curriculum-offers-more-breadth-flexibility-and-choices-to-school-of-design-environment-and-engineering-students/.  

*Please check back for further updates for Cohort AY2021/2022.*

The BA (Arch) is a four-year honours degree programme that comprises a general programme and three other design-focused tracks – 1) Design, 2) Landscape Architecture (LA) and 3) Urban Planning (UP). The curriculum content for the first three years is common to the general as well as the design-focused tracks.

The general programme terminates at the BA (Arch) degree whereas the design-focused tracks are concurrent with the Master of Architecture (M (Arch)) or Master of Urban Planning (MUP) degree programmes. Only students who have achieved creditable grades in design, i.e. at least a B or B- in design at the third year (depending on the track of study) will be permitted to opt for a design focused tracks.

Students who are not eligible for the design focused tracks will continue in the general programme in their fourth year of study, leading to BA (Arch). Under this programme, students will no longer be required to take the design modules at fourth year. In its place, students will take elective modules with options to focus on Design Computing, Architectural & Urban Heritage or Urban Studies. Students who graduate with a high CAP in the general programme would continue to have the opportunity to pursue other graduate programmes.

Career Opportunities and Professional Registration

Graduates with a BA (Arch) degree who have completed Advanced Architectural Studies on Design Computing, Architectural & Urban Heritage or Urban Studies could work within these areas in architectural practices, government agencies or in research.

Graduates would also have opportunities to work in related fields including and not limited to interior design, industrial design, industrialised building systems, graphic design, commercial art and architectural journalism. Graduates who complete the Landscape Architecture (LA) or Urban Planning (UP) specialisation may also work in fields related to their specialisation.

The BA (Arch) degree does not in itself qualify graduates for registration with the Board of Architects. In order to eventually register as an architect with the Board of Architects, Singapore, BA (Arch) graduates must complete the M (Arch) degree and serve a minimum of two years of practical experience in an architectural practice to be eligible for the Professional Practice Examination conducted by the Board of Architects, Singapore. Those who pass the examination are then eligible to apply for registration as architects in Singapore.

Table 1: Curriculum Structure of the Four-year BA (Arch) Programme

For more information, please refer to: https://www.sde.nus.edu.sg/arch/programmes/bachelor-of-arts-in-architecture.

*Please check back for further updates for Cohort AY2021/2022.*

The Bachelor of Arts (Industrial Design) (BA(ID)) programme at NUS was first offered in 1999 with support from the Faculty of Engineering and School of Business.

The BA (ID) programme is a four-year undergraduate honours programme, consisting of courses crafted with our synergistic three-pronged approach:

1. Design Thinking: Out-of-box innovation strategies and investigative methods to discover new ideas and unmet needs.
2. Multi-Disciplinary Aptitudes: Behavioral sciences, social economics, business strategy, engineering and technology knowledgedevelop  entrepreneurial strategic thinking and holistic problem-solving.
3. Artistic Sensibility: Training of imagination, taste, and craft-like ability to give pleasing and appropriate aesthetics and emotion to ideas, through traditional and 2D/3D digital means, so that solutions are both functional and desirable.

The combined approaches equip our graduates with high-level strategic thinking, and enable them to translate problems and ideas to tangible, desirable solutions, i.e. meaningful products, environments and experiences that people love to have, love to use – and those which have a big impact on lives.

As part of our strategy to be thought leaders in industry, a major component of the course is a series of industry-sponsored ‘vertical studio platforms’. These are project teams comprising a mix of year 2 to year 4 students, encouraging cross-pollination of thoughts, skills and learning.

In these platforms, students tackle both conceptual and real-life projects led by our industry collaborators, e.g. Asus, Dell, L’Oreal, Estee Lauder, BMW Group DesignworksUSA, Tupperware, Toshiba, Osim, ICI, Swarovski, HansGrohe, Risis and Nakamichi.

Students may customize their individual course during the 4 years by selecting from amongst these different industry platforms – Each student will get the opportunity to be involved in 6-7 of these projects.

The programme has been proven to be effective in grooming students for the design and related industries. Apart from the success in local and international competitions and awards, recent graduates have achieved recognition in gaining scholarships for further studies as well as being placed in well-known design practices and reputable companies.

Students can also opt to do a second major in Management (Technology), offered by School of Business, in four years.

International Exposure

To broaden our students’ exposure to global challenges, two-thirds of each cohort are involved in one-semester overseas exchange programme during their 3rd year. Students typically go to distinguished design schools in Switzerland, France, Japan, Netherlands, Finland, USA, Germany, Italy and China.

Career Opportunities

Students are educated to become expert innovators and master problem-solvers. These attributes make them highly valuable in any industry.

Graduates pursue careers as industrial designers, interaction designers, brand and packaging designers, design managers, product managers and innovation consultants. It is also possible for industrial designers to rise to corporate leadership levels in the areas of creative innovation or design. These are highly-coveted positions, such as Chief Designer, Chief Innovation Officer (CIO), etc.

Armed with design, business and technological knowledge, graduates will be well-positioned to serve in R&D companies, technology start-ups, design consultancies, service industries, marketing sectors and government agencies as well as in design education.

Table 1: Curriculum Structure of the BA (Industrial Design) Programme

For more info, please visit: 
https://www.sde.nus.edu.sg/did/programme/undergraduate/.

*Please check back for further updates for Cohort AY2021/2022.*

The Bachelor of Landscape Architecture (BLA) is a four-year Honours degree programme that prepares students to respond to multifaceted socio-ecological issues in Asia through critical thinking, analytical inquiry, and creative expression. BLA provides core foundation training in skills and knowledge that equips our graduates for professional practice or entry into advanced Master degree programmes. Relevant topics, including tropicality, site specificity, boundaries and scales, densification, multifunctionality, and placemaking are played out in the programme through integrated learning platforms in design studios and lectures. BLA is taught in unique education settings that concurrently promotes speculation in design and at the same time being produces grounded and action-oriented design outcomes relevant to real life issues.

Table 1: Curriculum Structure

For more information, please refer to:
https://www.sde.nus.edu.sg/arch/programmes/bachelor-of-landscape-architecture/

 

*Please check back for further updates for Cohort AY2021/2022.*

The four-year direct honours Bachelor of Science (Project & Facilities Management) (BSc (PFM)) programme combines management and technologically oriented subjects in a holistic and integrated manner. It is designed to develop leaders for the built environment sector.

Core areas of study

• Project Management
• Contract Management / Quantity Surveying
• Facilities Management
• Event Management

Eligible BSc (PFM) undergraduates may opt for a second major in Management (offered by NUS Business School) or in Management (Technology) (jointly offered by NUS Business School and Faculty of Engineering). Students may also opt for a Double Degree Programme.

Polytechnic diploma holders who are granted Advanced Placement Credits (APCs) may complete the programme in 3.5 years.

Table 1: Curriculum Structure of the BSc (Project and Facilities Management) (Hons) Programme for students admitted from AY2021/2022 onwards

For more information, please refer to: https://www.sde.nus.edu.sg/bdg/undergraduate/bsc-project-facilities-management/introduction/.