2000

The Ngee Ann Learning Model (NLM) is conceived to manage change in the New Economy. Students will be provided with a well-rounded education through a curriculum that has both a discipline and an interdisciplinary focus.

2001

The School of Interdisciplinary Studies (IS) is formed to provide the interdisciplinary focus. Ngee Ann Polytechnic (NP) is the first polytechnic in Singapore to set up a school to drive interdisciplinary studies.

Through the NLM, students from all faculties take modules in any of the 5 categories: Communication, Life Skills, Entrepreneurship, Media & the Arts and Science & Technology. All Year 1 students also take compulsory modules in communication and creativity (Creative and Applied Thinking Skills or CATS). Over three years, students will take 20 credits' worth of IS modules.

2003

IS introduces a compulsory Year 3 module, World Issues: A Singapore Perspective (WISP).  All students are given exposure to current and global issues.

2005

The NLM is enhanced (eNLM) with the introduction of the compulsory module, Innovation and Enterprise in Action (IEA), for all Year 2 students. Student teams are empowered to initiate their own activities to nurture their ability to innovate, and to ignite creativity & enterprise.

2006

IS introduces its brand of education to countries in the ASEAN region through collaboration with the Singapore Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

IS introduces students to the concept of global classrooms.   Students take vacation modules that send them overseas to Vietnam, the Philippines, Cambodia, China, Japan, Malaysia and France.  

The IS Certificate in Foreign Languages becomes immensely popular with students who take these modules in addition to their diploma modules.  

2008

NP launches its Diploma in Logistics Management at Wuhan Overseas Education Centre, China. Interdisciplinary studies are a key component in the Diploma curriculum and are supported by IS staff.

2009

The IS development team for WISP (2003) receives the NP Academic Development Award.

IS takes charge of the Ngee Ann Preparatory Programme (NPP) for successful candidates from the Direct Polytechnic Admission exercise.

To cater to the changing profiles of students, needs of industry, and higher education, the IS curriculum framework is revised. The cross disciplinary categories are Arts & Humanities, Business, Science & Technology and Design. To ensure diversity, students are limited to two modules per category.

Idea Jumpstart is introduced to replace CATS (2001). The module culminates with students involved in a competitive challenge to showcase their original ideas and confidence in pitching them an audience.

IS joins the Student Development and Alumni Relations (SDAR) Office to support its talent development programme, The Christieara Programme (TCP).

IS grows bigger to incorporate Mathematics as one of its offerings. Thirty staff from the former Multidiscipline Engineering Division join IS.

2011

Idea Blueprint and Idea Launchpad replace IEA (2005). These modules offered to Year 2 students further hone and develop their innovative and entrepreneurial traits through the application of design thinking.

The Overseas Merit Fellowship offered by SDAR as part of the TCP is approved as an IS module, especially for students in this talent development programme.


2012
The School of Interdisciplinary Studies, in collaboration with the Human Library Singapore and the Lien Ying Chow Library, Ngee Ann Polytechnic, organised its third instalment of the Heroes Seminar from 5th-9th December 2011. The second week of the seminar took place on 16th -20th January 2012.

In the Heroes Seminar, students engaged with individuals from the community who have made significant contributions to nation-building. The Human Library event featured the largest number of 'living books' that reached out to the biggest number of 'readers'. A total of 66 'living books' were available for 'loan' to about 2,000 final-year students who were currently taking the World Issues: A Singapore Perspective (WISP) module.