 The School of Business & Accountancy (BA) is the premier provider of Business and Accountancy education at the polytechnic level in Singapore. Its rigorous curriculum, excellent student development programmes, internships with prestigious organisations, state-of-the-art facilities and dedicated teaching staff have nurtured thousands of dynamic business professionals for more than four decades since 1963.
Broad-Based Courses with Specialisation Options BA students build a strong business foundation as they are put through a broad and rigorous curriculum covering business fundamentals with real-world applications in all seven diplomas. In addition, many diplomas such as Diploma in Accountancy (ACC), Diploma in Business Information Technology (BIT) and Diploma in International Logistics & Supply Chain Management (ILSCM) allow students to receive training in core diploma subjects but yet have the flexibility of pursuing and excelling in the different specialisations, options or electives that interest them in their third year. For instance, ACC students could choose to take on the Finance or International Business electives to broaden their knowledge base, while BIT students could delve into Tourism or Finance modules in their final year. Talking about choices, third year Business Studies (BS) students could pick from as many as 8 specialisation options such as Entrepreneurship, Human Capital Management, Marketing, and Psychology. Overseas Exposure
Every BA student will have the opportunity to gain overseas exposure at least once during their course of study with BA. Through international programmes such as study trips, immersion programmes, internship stints or community service initiatives, students will have a chance to experience and interact with people of other cultures. Whether it is a short two-week community service stint in Thailand or a five-week immersion in China, students are challenged to be independent, think out-of-the-box and move out of comfort zones to embrace different cultures. In the process of interacting with the locals, they gain a deeper appreciation of other cultures and their perspectives are broadened. 
Pictured above (left to right): Overseas exposure through study trip to Tianjin, China; community service trip to Cambodia; and International Business Study Mission (IBSM) to Vietnam |
Real World Learning
Nothing beats getting real. BA’s line-up of flagship programmes ensures students have an authentic and immersive learning experience. From marketing actual products and services with REAL1, developing and conducting training programmes for Thumbs Up!2, to starting a business or executing a real project under the EXTEND3 and TIP4 programmes, students will have the opportunity to test and stretch themselves as they see their ideas through from concept to execution.
Students will also gain hands-on exposure to real world problems through case studies and project work as well as industry-standard IT tools. From learning accounting software, utilising financial data services to leveraging on new media tools, students will gain diploma specific exposure to the latest technologies used in the industry. The robust curriculum and up-to-date teaching approaches ensure that students are equipped with the knowledge and tools which would allow them to stand out as interns or at job interviews.
1REAL: Realistic, Experiential & Applied Learning
2Thumbs Up!: Training HUMan resources for Better Skills – a Unique Programme
3EXTEND: Experiential Training for Entrepreneurship Development
4TIP: Technopreneurship Incubation Programme
Internships at Prestigious Organisations
Internships are an important part of a student’s education in BA. They provide a valuable platform for students to gain working experience and hone their soft skills. An internship liaison officer will mentor each student through his/her internship journey, acting as counsellor and advisor when the student faces problems at work. The internships last between six weeks to six months and could be at established industry players such as PricewaterhouseCoopers, Monetary Authority of Singapore, Resorts World Sentosa, MAERSK Singapore and DHL, to name a few.
Accreditation by Professional Bodies
Upon completion of the diploma, students can look forward to enjoying accreditation and module exemptions from many universities and professional organisations. The Ngee Ann Polytechnic (NP) diploma is recognised by all local universities and many overseas universities. In fact, many universities in Australia and the United Kingdom grant at least one year’s exemption which means graduates can complete their degree programmes faster.
Grooming Innovative Entrepreneurs
BA grooms entrepreneurs in 3 ways – as a core option in the Diploma in Business Studies (BS), the six-month long TIP4 under BIT, or on an ad-hoc basis through Entrepreneurs-Connect@NP (EC@NP).
BA is the first business school at the polytechnic level in Singapore to launch an Entrepreneurship option for BS students. Students undergo training in Entrepreneurship modules and learn the practical problems of starting a business venture under the EXTEND3 programme.
Their counterparts from BIT can sign up for TIP4, which gives them a taste of what goes on behind-the-scenes in a technology-driven business as they hone their entrepreneurial and IT skills.
Last but not least, EC@NP, a unit driven by BA, functions as a one-stop centre to nurture the entrepreneurial spirit amongst students as it draws upon the wealth of NP's resources to support the student enterprise’s success.