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On the Course
Q) What is the difference between B.TECH and
B.Eng?
It is just a differentiation between the
Full-time and Part-time Engineering Degree in
NUS. Our part time course is catered more to
the working class people, who want to upgrade
themselves and still have the choice of keeping
their current job.
The academic foundation and background of this
group of students are different from those of
'A' level students and thus their needs are also
different. Therefore, unlike the full-time B.Eng
courses in the Faculty which caters primarily
for students with 'A' level backgrounds, the
B.TECH courses are specially designed for
students with a polytechnic background. As such,
in the earlier years, the curriculum of the
B.TECH courses is somewhat different from
that for the B.Eng. However, to ensure
comparable graduation standard, almost all the
courses in the later 3rd and final year of the
B.TECH programme are the exactly the same
as those for the B.Eng with students from both
groups sitting for the same examination papers
and graded in the same way.
Q) What is the normal candidature?
The typical period is 3.5 to 4 years for all the
courses. The maximum period is 8 years
(inclusive of approved leave of absence).
Q) Is there any supplementary paper if I fail
any exam module?
There is no supplementary paper and student
will need to retake the module again.
Q) Are we able to specialize in a specific area
in the course of study? E.g. fluid mechanic
area?
Yes, there are a range of electives in the third
and fourth year for all the B.TECH
courses and students can choose to specialize to
a certain extent within their course of study by
appropriately choosing the electives. Students
interested in any specialized area should visit
the B.TECH website at
http://btech.eng.nus.edu.sg/ for more
information on the electives available.
Q) Is the course demanding and how fast is the
teaching speed?
The academic standard of all the courses is very
high and all are fully accredited by relevant
engineering bodies such as the Institution of
Engineers, Singapore. The UK engineering
institutions accredited our courses to the MEng
level. So yes, all the B.TECH courses are
very demanding. This is particularly so as
students not only have to spend much time and
effort on their studies, all are holding down
full-time jobs and many have to also take care
of family matters. So any student planning to
join the B.TECH Programme must be make
sure that they are able to allocate sufficient
time for their studies and, equally importantly,
does not have too many other worries or
anxieties that can prevent them from focusing
their full attention to their studies. Otherwise
they will just be wasting their time, effort and
money.
Because all the courses are fully modular, all
students can plan to study at a pace they are
comfortable with. This varies from student to
student as factors such as the demands of their
full-time work and their family circumstances
are important considerations.
However, based on the experience and success
rates of the students who have enrolled in the
B.TECH Programme, students with a good
polytechnic diploma or equivalent, and who are
prepared to spend time and effort should not
have too much difficulty successfully completing
the course in the normal time of four years.
Quite a number of students have completed their
B.TECH degrees in less than fours years
while many others prefer to do theirs at a
slower pace.
Q) Do part time students get to enjoy NUS
facilities?
Yes.
E.g. Library, Swimming pool, computer lab and
others.
Q) Is there any web cam teaching available if
the student is absence from certain lesson?
Not
at the moment.
Q) What do you mean when you mentioned that SAT
test results are not compulsory but will be
advantageous?
SAT is no longer required for application but we
will still look at the SAT results as it helps
in their entry into the course.
Q) Is B.TECH degree recognized in the job market
compared to full time B.Eng?
Yes.
Q) Will my temporary assignments (technical
field) be recognized as relevant working
experience?
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Contract assignments - Yes
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Industrial Attachment - No
Q) Is there a minimum attendance required for
this course?
To be honest, no. However, you’ll need to
inform B.TECH office or lecturers
especially if you’ll miss any lab or if taking
any short/long leave.
Q) I am a work permit holder and if during my
2nd year of my study I am being retrenched, can
I still continue the course?
You can apply for leave of absence, up to a max.
of 2 years. This requires approval by the
officer in-charge. Administrative Fee of $250
(inclusive of GST) will be charged per semester
(excluding Special Term).
Q) How much is the whole course?
The tuition and other administrative fees for
the B.TECH programme is around S$36,000 for
AY2008/2009. All items are inclusive of GST.
Fees are currently under review and the
University reserves the right to alter fees at
any time without notice.
Q) How much do I have to pay on the fees per
semester or per year?
Fees are currently pay by Modular Credits (MC)
system. This means the student will have to pay
base on the total MC weight age of the module(s)
he/she is taking per semester. The minimum
module he/she can take per semester is 1 module
and up to a maximum of 4 modules. Tuition fee
per MC is $285 and a typical 4-MC module is
S$1140.
Q) How many classes do I have to attend per
semester?
The course structure is completely modular.
This means that the numbers of classes a student
has to attend per week depends of numbers of
module(s) he/she is taking per semester. For
example, if a student takes up 4 modules per
semester, he/she will need to attend 4 evening
classes per week.
Q) What’s the course structure of B.TECH
programme?
A typical student would attend classes three evenings a week and
would be able to complete his degree in 3.5 to 4
years. Classes comprise lectures, tutorials,
project and laboratory work. The course
structure is completely modular, which allows
students to study at their own pace according to
their own circumstances.
All classes are conducted in the evenings from 6
pm to 9:30 pm on weekdays, with some classes
held on Saturday afternoons. Each academic year
comprises two 18-week semesters and one 10-week
special term.
Q) I’m working on shift and my working hour is
not flexible. Can NUS B.TECH arrange the
lecture and tutorial time to suit for my
convenient and availability?
No. This cannot be arranged.
On Loans & Subsidies
Q) Am I eligible for loans from NUS to pursue my
study?
Tuition Fee Loan Scheme (TFL) and NUS Study Loan
Scheme is available for part-time undergraduate
students who are Singapore Citizens. The loans
will only cover the tuition fee payable. Details
of the schemes can be found at:
http://www.nus.edu.sg/registrar/sfau/UG/ug-loans.html
and
http://www.nus.edu.sg/registrar/sfau/UG/ug-bs.html.
For further enquiries, please contact Student
Financial Aid Unit at 65162870 or send an email
to
financialaid@nus.edu.sg
Q) Can I apply to deduct my fees from my CPF?
CPF cannot be used to pay the fees for part-time
studies.
Q) Am I eligible for funding under the skills
development fund (SDF)?
SDF funds are not available for courses above
the Diploma level.
Q) Are there any subsidies for NUS staff taking
BTech courses?
There are no subsidies for NUS staff at the
moment.
Q) Is sponsorship available to student?
There is no sponsorship provided to part-time
students. You may, however, approach your
company for sponsorship, which is to sponsor you
for your course.
Q) Can I apply to pay the course fees by
instalments?
If you have financial difficulties, you can
contact our officer in-charge and we will see
how best we can assist you.
On Admission
Q) Am I eligible to apply for the course if I
already have a degree?
If the person has a degree, then the Selection
Committee will decide, provided it is a relevant
degree.
Q) Can I apply if I have A-levels instead of
Polytechnic Diploma?
A-level holders are not considered at the
moment.
Q) Is National Service counted as part of the
working experience?
NS is not considered as working experience.
Q) Can I apply using my Advanced Diploma?
Diploma is the basic requirement to our
admission. Advance diploma will be an advantage
to your application.
Q) Can I apply if I have less than 2 years of
working experiences?
It is preferable to have at least 2 years of
working experience. However, if you have no
working experiences or have less than 2 years of
working experiences, you can still apply for the
BTECH programmes.
Q) Will I be considered if I am having a
non-technical vocation?
If the person is holding a non-technical job, it
will be decided on a case by case basis.
Q) Will there be any admission tests or
selection procedure involved for foreign
applicant?
Admission test is compulsory for applicant with
foreign qualification. Foreign applicants may
need to attend an interview. Application will
NOT be considered if applicant fails to attend.
Q) I am currently serving my National Service.
Can I apply?
Yes, you can. However, if you’re still serving
NS (2 1/2 or 2 yrs), you will need to submit a
letter from NS/SAF Unit in acknowledge and in
approval of the course.
Q) I'm taking my last semester in polytechnic.
Can I apply for the coming intake?
Yes, you can. If your application is Successful
and you would like to take up the offer, it will
be subjected to the completion of your diploma
and to submit your diploma transcripts and poly
scroll to B.TECH office at least 2 months before
the term starts.
Q) What are the grades that B.TECH are looking
at?
It is confidential.
Q) I'm a foreigner (not working in Singapore);
can I still apply to your programme? If no,
why?
No. That is the basic criteria – Any foreigner
(Non PR) has to possess a valid work permit or
employment pass. Student pass will not be
granted to part-time studies.
Q) Will there be an increase of fees for the
Part-Time course?
Fees are under review and will likely increase
gradually over the next few years.
Q) Can B.TECH office assist in applying work
permit for working foreign students?
No.
Q) Are there any exemptions as I have taken
similar modules in the polytechnic, both local
and foreign polytechnics?
No exemptions are considered for diploma holders
as having a diploma is the basic requirement for
admission to our courses. Our 1st
year modules are equivalent to 2nd
year full time B.Eng modules.
Q) Would there be further exemption for student
graduating from a relevant Advanced Diploma
course?
No exemptions are considered as Advance diploma
will be an advantage to your application for
admission.
Q) Can I apply for both NUS’s full-time and
B.TECH’s part-time or NTU’s part-time and
B.TECH’s part-time programme concurrently?
Yes. Admission is assessed separately for all.
Students who wish to apply for others should
apply to B.TECH programme as well during
the online application opening.
Q) I've a basic diploma in Engineering eg.
Mechanical. Can I apply for other part time
engineering courses, which B.TECH is offering
(e.g. Chemical or Electronics)?
Yes, you can apply any of our engineering
courses. However, it
will be treated as a special case and final
decision is up to the Board of Selection.
Q) My diploma is a non-engineering course. Can
I apply for B.TECH part time engineering
courses?
Yes, you can apply any of our engineering
courses. However, it
will be treated as a special case and final
decision is up to the Board of Selection.
Q) Can I apply for more than one B.TECH
programmes at the same time?
Yes, you can. You will need to submit 2
separate online application forms and make 2 one-time
non-refundable application fee of S$20 for each
application. If both the applications are
successful, you may choose one of the programmes
you wish to take up.
Q) After I've been admitted to the part-time
programme, can I switch to the full-time
course? If so, after how many semesters can I
request for the switch to full-time?
Yes, you may apply
to transfer to a full-time course during the
annual admissions exercise. However, transfer is
not guaranteed as admission is based on academic
merit and open competition. You will have to
submit an online application during the
admissions exercise via the Admissions' website:
http://www.nus.edu.sg/admissions/undergrad/
and compete with all applicants for a place.
There is no need to complete a required number
of semesters during your part-time course before
applying to a full-time course. However, you
should NOT withdraw from your current part-time
course until you have been accepted into the
full-time course. After matriculating as a
full-time student, you can then write to your
Faculty/School to request exemption of modules
you have completed under the part-time programme.
Q) Can I change the course half way through? Do
I have to withdraw from the current course & go
through the application procedure again?
Yes, you may write in to apply for transfer of
course. However, it will be a case
by case basis, subject to approval.
Q) How many intakes are there per year?
We have now introduced two (2) intakes
each year for ALL our B.TECH programmes. Intake
I commencing August and Intake II commencing
January in each Academic Year.
On Application
Process
Q) I have keyed in some incorrect particulars in
my form and have already submitted it, what
should I do?
Go to
http://btech.eng.nus.edu.sg/btechAdm/updateForm/index.aspx
and logon into the Online Admission System with
your Application Number and NRIC/FIN. The
System will retrieve your application form of
what you have submitted and you will be able to
make any changes to your application. Kindly
note that once your application is being
processed, you will not be able to make any
further changes to your application. Please
submit all the required supporting documents to
B.TECH office of any changes to your
application.
Q) What should I do if I cannot remember the
exact month and year of entry for my secondary
school and polytechnic?
Just key in a date which you think best
represents that date. It does not have to be
accurate. The date information is needed by the
database for retrieval purposes.
Q) I have more than 3 attempts for my ‘O’
levels, how should I fill in my results?
Choose only the best 2 attempts.
Q) How do I know that I have been offered for
the courses?
You will receive an email from us after the
online application is closed. Alternatively, you
can check your status on our website.
Q) What do I have to do after I’ve been offered
for the course?
Please wait for the online acceptance package to
be emailed to you.
Q) What should I do if I’ve just changed my
mailing address or PR status after I’ve
submitted my application based on the old
information?
Go to
http://btech.eng.nus.edu.sg/btechAdm/updateForm/index.aspx
and logon into the Online Admission System with
your Application Number and NRIC/FIN. The
System will retrieve your application form of
what you have submitted and you will be able to
make any changes to your application. Kindly
note that once your application is being
processed, you will not be able to make any
further changes to your application. Please
submit all the required supporting documents to
B.TECH office of any changes to your
application.
On
Foundation Courses
Q) What are Foundation Courses?
The Foundation Courses are short refresher
courses, specially designed to strengthen the
foundation of students in mathematics and basic
engineering topics so that they will be better
able to cope with the B.TECH programme if they
are admitted and have better chances of doing
well in their courses. These courses are
optional and attendance is not required for
admission to the B.TECH Programme. It is
entirely up to each individual if he/she wishes
to attend.
To be well prepared for, and to do well in, a
good engineering course in a university,
students require a strong foundation in
mathematics & engineering, the stronger the
better. In general, because the polytechnic
diploma courses are not meant to prepare
students for university studies, the curriculum
time allocated to mathematics and basic
engineering science is not as much as would
otherwise be preferred.
Q) What are the courses available?
The courses which are available are Mathematics,
Electronics Engineering, Chemical Engineering
and Mechanical Engineering. Mathematics is
suitable for any B.TECH course applied for while
each of the other courses are specific only to
the B.TECH course applied for, for example
Chemical Engineering for the B.TECH (Chemical)
course
Q) Do I have to attend all the foundation
courses?
No, these courses are optional. You can choose
to take up Mathematics only, a discipline
related course only, OR both Mathematics
and one of the discipline related courses.
Example:
If you apply for the Chemical Engineering
programme, you can choose to attend the
foundation course(s) in Maths OR Chemical
Engineering OR both Maths and Chemical
Engineering.
Q) How much are the foundation classes?
It will cost $420 to attend one foundation
course and $770 to attend two courses. The
Foundation Courses are organized primarily to
assist applicants to the B.TECH programmes, the
fees have been set at a low level in comparison
to similar courses offered by other
organisations.
Q) Is the fees charged for the foundation
courses part of the B.TECH programme fees?
No, the fees are not part of the B.TECH
programme fees. The foundation courses are
offered only as a result of requests and
suggestions that with a stronger mathematics and
engineering foundations, students will have
lesser difficulties and will be able to cope
better if they are admitted into the B.TECH
programme. There are other basic mathematics and
engineering courses offered by some of the local
polytechnics which can serve the same purposes.
Attendance of these courses will also be taken
as part of your post-diploma academic
preparation and will be advantageous to your
B.TECH application for admission as well as to
your ability to cope if admitted.
Q) Once I register for the Foundation Course, is
full attendance compulsory?
Attendance is not compulsory and will not be
taken at all.
Q) Since it is optional, what advantage to I
get? Will it affect my prospects for admission
to the B.TECH programme?
The B.TECH programme is highly demanding. To
succeed and to do well in the course requires
not only a strong academic background, but also
commitments in terms of time and effort.
Attending the foundation course(s) will better
prepare your academic background so that you
will be able to cope better with the B.TECH
course if you are admitted. Weaker students will
improve their chances of successfully completing
the B.TECH degree and stronger students their
chances of getting good honours degrees.
In its admission considerations, the Board of
Selection will make efforts to determine the
suitability of applicants, and whether, if
admitted, they will likely be able to cope well.
They will take into consideration any
post-diploma academic preparation and also any
evidence that the applicants will sufficiently
commit both time and effort to the course.
Attending the Foundation Course(s) will be
evidence of post-diploma academic preparation
and the student’s good performance in the
end-of-course examination will be advantageous.
Q) What happens after I attend the Foundation
Course(s)?
There will be an end-of-course examination for
each course. A good performance in these
examinations will improve your chances for
admission to the B.TECH Programme.
Q) What is the syllabus of the Foundation
Courses?
The topics to be covered will be those which
should have been covered in the ‘O’ levels and
the poly courses. The Foundation Courses are
meant as refresher courses to refresh your
memories and to further strengthen you grasp of
the topics, especially if you have left the poly
long ago if you had not done very well during
your poly days.
Q) My application for the Foundation Course is
successful. Does it mean that my application for
the B.TECH programme is successful?
No, it does not mean that your application for
admission to the B.TECH programme has been
successful. Registration for the Foundation
Courses is on a first-come-first-served basis.
Admissions will be considered only at a later
date, after the end-of-course examinations for
the Foundation Courses have been conducted.
These examinations are the admission tests for
the B.TECH Programme. Attending the Foundation
Course(s) will be advantageous for your
admission only if your qualifications are not so
strong that they can stand on their own AND if
you should do very well in the end-of-course
examinations. If you are admitted, then
attendance of the Foundation Course(s) should
strengthen your Maths and Engineering background
and help you do well in the B.TECH programme.
Q) If I finish the Foundation Course(s), does it
mean I will be successful in gaining admission
to the B.TECH programme?
No, just attending and completing the Foundation
Course(s) does not mean that you will be
successful in gaining admission to the B.TECH
programme you have applied for. This will be
determined by your qualifications and any
post-diploma academic preparation you may have.
Good performance in the end-of-course
examinations for the Foundation Courses will
improve your chances for admission.
Q) If I turn down the invitation for the
Foundation Course(s), will my application to the
B.TECH programme be affected?
It will only have an effect if your other
qualifications are not strong enough to stand on
their own for admission consideration. In such a
case, a very good performance in the
end-of-class examination in the Foundation
Course(s) will improve your chances for
admission
Q) Will it not be a waste of my time and my
money if I am not selected for admission
after attending the foundation course(s)?
Registering for and attending the Foundation
Courses do not guarantee your B.TECH admission.
This will depend upon your qualifications. But
if you should perform very well in the
end-of-class examination in the Foundation
Course(s), it will help you in your admission.
Whether it is a waste of your time or not
depends much on your purpose in attending the
foundation courses. Even if you should fail in
your application for admission to the B.TECH
programme, and depending upon the time and
effort you are willing to commit to the
foundation courses, you should have gain
something from the courses and improve your
mathematics and engineering background. These
should help you do better in any university
course that you should apply for in the future.
And if you should improve your post-diploma
academic preparation further, you may still have
a good chance of gaining admission to the B.TECH
programme in future.
Q) Is it necessary to sit for the end-of-course
examination? Will my application for admission
be affected if I do not sit for this
examination?
It is not compulsory to take the end-of-course
examination. If you do sit for the end-of-course
examination and do well, then this will be to
your advantage in the admission consideration.
However, if you should not do very well in the
examination, it will not be taken against you.
You will then be considered based on your other
qualifications, in the same way as those who did
not attend the Foundation Courses.
Q) I graduated three years ago from a local poly
with a diploma in Mechanical Engineering and now
hold a technical job. I have good ‘O’ level
grades and think I am within the top 10% of my
class in the poly. Is there a need for me to
attend? If I do not attend the foundation
course(s), will my chances for admission be
affected?
Whether you are attending or not attending the
Foundation Course(s) will not affect your
chances for admission. From what you said about
yourself, if you are applying to the B.TECH (ME)
or B.TECH (IME) programme, your chances of
admission should be very high as you seem to be
well qualified. But if you have applied for the
other B.TECH programmes for which your diploma
is not so relevant, then your chances of
admission will be lowered, but will still be
quite good if the course you applied for is
relevant to your work.
If you have a strong commitment to, and time
for, study, then your background would suggest
that you should not have much difficulties
coping with the B.TECH programme you have
applied for even if you do not attend the
Foundation Course(s). However, all the B.TECH
programmes require a strong foundation in
mathematics and basic engineering, the stronger
the better. If you do attend the Foundation
Courses and strengthen your academic preparation
even further, you will be able to do better in
the B.TECH programme and increase your chances
of getting a good honours degree, perhaps even
the most-sought-after first class honours
degree.
Q) I have a foreign qualification. My diploma is
NOT
from one of the five (5) local polytechnics in
Singapore and I have applied for admission to
the B.TECH (Electronics) programme. Am I
required to attend the Foundation Course(s) to
gain admission to the B.TECH programme? If I do
not attend, will it affect my chances for
admission?
No, attending the Foundation Course(s) is not a
requirement for admission. However, because of
the varying standards of foreign qualifications,
you may be required to take the admission tests.
Your performance in these tests will affect your
chances of admission.
Q) During the period of the Foundation Courses,
I’ll be attending my ICT (Reservist). I’m quite
interested in the Foundation Courses and I’m
wondering if the university can grant me a
deferment from my reservist obligations.
We are sorry we are not in the position to grant
you deferment from your reservist obligations.
Q) For those who are not attending the
foundation course, does it mean they may have
the possibility of being exempted from the
test??
Whether you will be required by the Board of Selection to
sit for the admission tests does not depend upon
whether you attend the Foundation Courses or
not. The admission tests are normally required
only for those with qualifications which the
Board of Selection is not familiar with or which
does not directly, by themselves, qualify the
applicants for admission. Examples of these will
include those with qualifications obtained from
overseas, or those with weaker polytechnic and
‘O’ level results who could be “late
developers”.
Q) Any exemption from the Qualifying Tests
(admission tests)?
Those with relevant diplomas from the local
polytechnics and with very good grades will not
be required to sit for the admission tests. (Who
will qualify will depend on the decision of the
Board of Selection. Normally for a diploma in a
relevant discipline grade point average better
than B will be required and could be higher if
the demand for the particular course applied for
is high and number of places is limited.)
Q) I am a local polytechnic graduate with good
‘O’ level and diploma grades. Is there a need
for me to attend the Foundation Courses?
If you have good ‘O’ level and diploma grades,
and your diploma is in a relevant area, then you
can be quite confident in gaining admission to
the B.TECH course you have applied for. However,
if you have left your studies and have worked
for some years, it will be advisable for you to
attend the refresher courses so that you will be
better prepared to do when once you are admitted
into the B.TECH courses. Please remember that
the B.TECH courses are highly demanding and the
better you are prepared, the better you will be
able to perform and your chances of getting a
good honours degree increased.
Q) My polytechnic and ‘O’ level grades are not
so good. Will attendance of the Foundation
Courses ensure me admission?
The Board of Selection will try to give as many
as possible the opportunities to upgrade
themselves. However, in order not to waste any
applicant’s time, effort and money, the Board of
Selection will also make sure, as best it can,
that an applicant offered admission has the
necessary background to cope with the course
applied for.
The Board of Selection recognizes that there
will be late developers and that working
experience does contribute to a person’s
technical background. As such, those applicants
whose ‘O’ level and diploma grades are not
strong enough to be considered for direct
admission may be assessed through admission
tests. Attendance of the refresher Foundation
Courses can only help you to strengthen you
academic background and to better prepare you
for these tests.
On Technical Issues
Q) How come my internet web browser does not
display the page properly?
The web page works best only with Internet
Explorer 5.X or higher.
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Electronics