School of Interdisciplinary Studies
The School
Ngee Ann Polytechnic's School of Interdisciplinary Studies enhances students’ learning experience by giving them a broad-based education beyond the boundaries of their diplomas’ core disciplines.
Accounting for about 15 per cent of the curriculum, Interdisciplinary Studies modules give students an edge by expanding their expertise and perspectives, promoting an innovative mindset, sharpening their thinking skills and increasing their versatility.
Students will therefore be better equipped not only to handle the challenges of a globalised economy but also to shape the future.
The Interdisciplinary Studies Programme
The Interdisciplinary Studies programme offers a total of nine prescribed (compulsory) modules and about 65 elective modules to cater to students’ diverse interests.
The prescribed modules cover the following four areas:
- Communication
The Communication modules are designed to help students express themselves more effectively and confidently.
Examples of Communication modules: Communication & Contemporary Issues where students explore contemporary and community issues from shop-till-you-drop consumer culture to what it means to be a global citizen; Cultural Quotient at Work where students are sensitized to the challenges of interacting, living and working in the global workplace; Exploring Contemporary Issues where thought-provoking movies, documentaries and news are used to hone students’ thinking skills, and General English for international students who need help to improve their English language skills.
- Innovation & Enterprise
The Innovation & Enterprise modules are about unleashing students’ innate creativity.
Examples of Innovation & Enterprise modules: Idea Jumpstart to inspire innovative thinking by challenging students to generate original ideas for a new invention or to improve an existing product/service; Idea Blueprint where students work in groups and discover how to exploit each other’s strengths to come up with solutions and maximize the team’s outcomes; Idea Launchpad, a sequel to Idea Blueprint, where students test their solutions and work with customers and stakeholders.
- Culture & Community
Under Culture & Community, the School offers World Issues: A Singapore Perspective module which covers socio-political and economic issues affecting Singapore and the world. Apart from dialogue sessions with ministers and senior civil servants, students will also have the opportunity to participate in a flagship event called the Heroes Seminar, which provides a platform for them to interact with ordinary people who have done something extraordinary.
- Personal Mastery & Development
Under Personal Mastery & Development, the School offers a Sports & Wellness module to give students the opportunity to learn a sport as a recreational activity to keep fit and healthy. There are a total of 19 electives including yoga, dancesport, hip hop, street soccer, touch rugby, cheerleading and tennis.
The Elective Modules, which are selected by students, cover multi-disciplinary areas in the four categories below:
- Arts & Humanities eg conversational French, Japanese, Spanish or German, Business Etiquette & Image, Photojournalism: Critical Reflection, Exploring Classical Music, Appreciating Artwork, Introduction to Social Psychology, and Events Communication.
- Business eg Investing in the Stock Market, Effective Negotiation, Food Politics & Entrepreneurship, Entrepreneurship & the Law, Principles of Management, Understanding Financial Statements, and Insight into the Tourism Industry.
- Science & Technology eg The Fragrance Industry: The Science of Smell, Traditional Chinese Medicine, The Life Sciences Revolution, Flash Applications, Understanding Animation, The World of Aerospace, and Mobile Robotics.
- Design eg Introduction to Interior Design, Introduction to Landscape Design, Graphic Design: The Art of Visual Communication, Fashion & Design: The Singapore Skin, Exploring Photography, Exploring Art & Design, and Designing Promotional Materials.
In Year 1, students take three prescribed modules comprising Idea Jumpstart, Sports & Wellness, and one of the Communication modules.
In Year 2, students take two prescribed modules - Idea Blueprint and Idea Launchpad - and select two elective modules from the Arts & Humanities, Business, Science & Technology, and Design categories.
In Year 3, students take a prescribed module - World Issues: A Singapore Perspective - and select one elective module from Arts & Humanities, Business, Science & Technology, and Design categories.
Teaching Strategies
The Interdisciplinary Studies lecturers, who act as facilitators, are composed of a diverse group of professionals with extensive experience in related fields. They employ novel teaching strategies to appeal to students' intrinsic sense of curiosity and motivate them to learn.
One example is the Jumpstart Challenge which is the culmination of the Idea Jumpstart module in Year 1. Modelled after the hit reality TV shows, The Apprentice and Project Runway, the Jumpstart Challenge gives students eight hours to solve a real problem and pitch their ideas to the facilitator.
Students also go on optional overseas immersion programmes in countries such as France and Japan to hone their linguistic skills in foreign languages and experience the local culture on home ground. Such optional immersion programmes are over and above the usual overseas programmes (such as internships, study trips and immersion programmes) associated with their diploma courses.