MComp (General Track): Frequently Asked Questions
1. About Programme
The MComp (General Track) is a Master’s by coursework programme and is opened primarily to top candidates with degrees from non-computing disciplines. It aims to provide an accelerated pathway to the computing field through a set of essential courses to help strengthen the computing foundations of MComp graduates.
In contrast, the MComp (Specialisations) programme require degrees in computing or related disciplines and/or 2-years of IT working experiences. You may refer to the Graduate Programmes page for more information on the MComp (Specialisations) programme.
MComp (General Track) students are required to complete essential computing courses that will equip you with the skills and knowledge necessary for the programme. These courses are aimed at developing your competencies in areas such as software development, computer systems, data structures and algorithms, enterprise systems, fundamentals of artificial intelligence and data analytics.
To guide students in their elective course selections, we provide a sampler of elective courses grouped into different computing fields such as computing systems, cybersecurity, data analytics, enterprise IT, financial technology, robotics and software methodology. Students can select elective courses from an area or across different areas.
The normal and maximum candidature are as follows:
| Workload | Normal Candidature | Maximum Candidature |
|---|---|---|
| Full-Time | 1.5 to 2 years | 3 years |
| Part-Time | 2.5 years |
The MComp (General Track) is a coursework programme with a focus on strong computing fundamentals and experiential project-based training. Students are required to pass and meet the following requirements:
| 6 essential computing courses | 12 Units used to strengthen computing essentials of MComp students | Bridging courses |
|---|---|---|
| 12 Units used to fulfil MComp curriculum requirement | MComp curriculum (40 Units) | |
| 4 elective courses | 16 Units chosen from level 4000/5000 CS/IS courses offered by the School of Computing | |
| 1 capstone project | 12 Units for self-directed, experiential learning |
Through the capstone project, students will learn from Infocomm professionals and be challenged to solve Infocomm-related problems both within and beyond the formal classroom setting. The capstone project provides students the opportunity to develop critical skills for successful computing professionals in areas such as coding, problem solving, presentation and communication.
2. For Applicants – Requirements
Yes, you do meet the requirements for this programme. The MComp (General Track) programme was designed specifically for candidates without computing degrees. We accept candidates with a good honours degrees or equivalent from any discipline. Please note that admission is on a competitive basis and there is no guarantee of admission.
Having IT related job experience is advantageous but not compulsory. You are eligible to apply for this programme as long as you have a good degree in any discipline. However, you are encouraged to submit your job experience (if any) for consideration as well.
You do not need to have programming or computing experience to apply for this programme. In fact, the MComp (General Track) programme aims to develop your skills and competencies in computing fundamentals through the essential courses that would prepare you for core foundations required in the programme.
There is no difference in the admission requirements.
In general, we aim to train all our MComp graduates to similar levels of competencies in advanced computing which was the rationale for providing a set of bridging courses for students from non-computing disciplines. MComp (General Track) students will be enrolling in the same elective courses as students from the MComp (Specialisations) programme. All MComp students will also receive the same degree scroll, as specialisations are reflected primarily in the transcript.
Please ensure that all mandatory and supporting documents are uploaded in the online Graduate Admission System before submitting your application. The School will not assist to upload documents on behalf of applicants.
The TOEFL/IELTS test scores is a separate requirement from the GRE/GMAT test scores. Applicants who graduated from Universities where English is not the main medium of instruction are required to submit their TOEFL/IELTS test scores as proof of English proficiency.
In general, all applicants are required to submit GRE/GMAT scores. However, submitted applications without these test scores may be considered, subject to the admission committee’s decision. Please note that admission to the programme is on a competitive basis.
All mandatory and supporting documents are to be uploaded in the online Graduate Admission System before submitting your application. Submission of hardcopy documents is not required at the application stage.
3. Admission
Generally, there are no interviews unless otherwise informed by the School.
Students are allowed to read a maximum of 2 level 4000 courses, with the remaining courses at level 5000 for their elective courses. It is not necessary to enrol in level 4000 courses.
You may either visit http://www.comp.nus.edu.sg/programmes/ or email socug@comp.nus.edu.sg.
The maximum and minimum workload for full-time students is 20 and 12 Units respectively per semester. For part-time students, the maximum and minimum workload is 12 and 4 Units respectively per semester.
No. However, you may refer to NUS website for more information on other NUS postgraduate programmes or the School of Computing Executive Programmes.
4. Others
We will assist full-time international students with their Student’s Pass applications. Successful applicants who have accepted our offer will be provided with more information.
Students should take into consideration that a high level of commitment is expected of all graduate students enrolled in full-time programmes. Taking on part-time work arrangements to supplement your personal income is generally not encouraged.
Full-time international students who intend to take up personal work arrangements are advised to check the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority Singapore and Ministry of Manpower websites and adhere to all Student’s Pass regulations. Please refer to https://www.mom.gov.sg/passes-and-permits/work-pass-exemption-for-foreign-students for more information.
Please refer to http://nus.edu.sg/osa/.
You may apply for NUS accommodation when the application is open. Please ensure that your admission status is reflected as “Offer Accepted” in the Graduate Admission System otherwise you would not be able to access the online hostel application portal.
You may wish to estimate your cost of living here.
