The School of Computing is evolving its undergraduate curriculum to boost the standards of its IT graduates. Currently, the School offers the following degree courses:

a) 4-year programmes

- Bachelor of Computing in Communications and Media
- Bachelor of Computing in Computer Engineering
- Bachelor of Computing in Computer Science
- Bachelor of Computing in Electronic-Commerce
- Bachelor of Computing in Information Systems

b) 3-year programmes:

- Bachelor of Computing with Business Focus
- Bachelor of Computing with Technology Focus

The following Minor Programmes are also offered to students from other faculties:

- Minor in Management of Information Technology
- Minor in Computing

Major developments in the undergraduate curriculum in 2002 included the introduction of University Level Requirements (ULR) and a new 4-year programme, namely, BComp in Communications and Media. In meeting the ULR, students in the 4-year and 3-year programmes are required to pass 28 Modular Credits (MC) and 20 MC respectively. This is approximately 17.5% of the respective programmes’ total MC requirement for graduation.

BComp in Communications and Media was introduced with the aim to train students in the technological underpinnings of internet technologies as well as the required skills of media design and content creation tempered with a proper understanding of the social sciences (yet another reflection of the multidisciplinary nature of our degree programmes). Students opting for this programme have the opportunity to take up modules offered by the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Likewise, students completing the BComp in Computer Engineering and BComp in Electronic-Commerce have been required to take substantial number of modules from the Faculty of Engineering and the School of Business, respectively.

The students from the School have also actively participated in special programmes such as the Student Exchange Programme, Undergraduate Research Opportunity Programme and NUS Overseas Colleges. The number of students participating in programmes offered by NUS Overseas Colleges has been increasing steadily in the past 3 semesters such that the participants now constitute approximately 50% of the latest cohort going to Silicon Valley and Bio-Valley.

Another important change in the curriculum is the inclusion of a more rigorous requirement of science-related modules for both the 4- and 3-year programmes. Students are now required to take up to 5 modules (or 20 MC) of Physics, Calculus, Linear Algebra, Statistics and Life Sciences to meet their degree requirements.

The School has also introduced a new module—(CS 2220) Introduction to Computational Biology—in semester 1 (AY 2002/03) with an aim to provide a broad overview of computational techniques commonly used in bioinformatics. Students taking this module would develop an appreciation of the role of bioinformaticians as a bridge between computer science and biology. The School plans to offer more advanced bioinformatics-related module in the coming academic year.

The curriculum guidelines provided by both the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) and Institute for Electronics and Electrical Engineering (IEEE) recommended a 4-year degree programme structure for computing. In view of this and the School’s belief that having more students undergoing the 4-year programmes will boost the standard of its graduates in the IT market as well as better equip them for higher degrees, the School has lowered the minimum CAP (Cumulative Average Point) requirement for eligibility for the 4-year programmes from 3.8 to 3.5 with effect from AY 2002/03. Consequently, close to 40% of each cohort are expected to be eligible for the 4-year programmes, up from 25% previously.