A future-ready career in IT

Ms Swarnalatha Ashok, the chief of NUS-ISS Master of Technology in Software Engineering, tells us why the well-structured programme enables the students to hit the ground running

By Hafiz Rasid

June 13, 2019

As Singapore transforms into a smart nation, there is an increasing need for individuals who know how to use software to make sense of huge amounts of data.

Ms Swarnalatha Ashok, the chief of the Master of Technology in Software Engineering programme at National University Singapore’s Institute of Systems Science (NUS-ISS), explains how the NUS-ISS Master of Technology in Software Engineering course equips its graduates with skills needed for a future-proof career in the information technology sector.

How does the NUS-ISS Master of Technology in Software Engineering prepare its students for the working world?

The curriculum is carefully crafted to ensure that our students are industry-ready to deal with challenges in building software for our smart city ambitions, and is pitched to impart knowledge required to build scalable, secure and robust systems and platforms.

Forty to 60 per cent of the lessons are done via hands-on workshop sessions and case studies.

One of the star features of this programme is the students’ participation in internships or capstone projects to solve real problems that companies face.

Besides exercising their technical knowledge, students pick up leadership, people and product management skills during the learning and assessment activities.

What are some advantages that NUS-ISS provides compared to other education institutions?

We keep our curriculum relevant and up-to-date by conducting industry round-tables and having dialogues with industry professionals on a regular basis, and exposing our students to relevant state-of-the-art technologies.

We also engage leading working professionals as guest speakers and adjunct lecturers to share the best practices and latest trends in the industry. In addition, the students get to network with practising professionals and learn from one another during in-class interactions, workshops and projects.

All component courses included in the programme are aligned to the National Infocomm Competency Framework (NICF) and are accredited by SkillsFuture Singapore.

Eligible participants can apply for SSG funding to cover up to 70 per cent of course fees.

How is the programme structured?

This programme is offered in three different modes, namely full-time through-train, part-time through-train and in a modular format — whereby credits can be “stacked up” towards the master’s degree.

The full-time through-train mode can be completed in one year, including the 12-week full-time internship at a company. The classes are conducted during weekdays, from 9am to 5pm. The part-time through-train mode can be completed in two years, including a capstone project for a company. The classes are conducted on Saturdays, from 9am to 5pm.