What do we really care about when training a student to become a professional software engineer?
Besides strong technical expertise, we believe that communication skills, the ability to work constructively in a team, strong professional ethics and a gritty attitude are essential ingredients. And these are precisely the attributes that we endeavour to equip our students with through our BSc (Software Engineering) Degree.
A 52-week-long apprenticeship, as well as a curriculum that is co-developed and co-taught with our industry partners, will produce highly-qualified software engineers who are in high demand all over the world.
PROGRAMME DIRECTOR
MOK, Heng Ngee
Senior Lecturer of Computer Science; Director, BSc (Software Engineering) WSDeg Programme
Our Anchor Partners
Discover perspectives on
BSc (Software Engineering) in SMU
BSc (Software Engineering)
Programme director, MOK Heng Ngee
Gerard KOH
Vice President, People & Culture, NCS Group
NCS is excited to be one of the lead industry partners for the inaugural SCIS BSc (Software Engineering) Degree. A career in IT is about solving problems and not just coding. So, Software Engineers who can bring together strong technical abilities with real-life industry and creative problem experience will be much valued.
NCS’s industry experts will co-develop and co-teach the curriculum. NCS Dojo, our learning organization, will provide a mentor-apprentice learning opportunities and rich on-the job experiences when students spend their apprenticeships with us.
Ben KING
Country Managing Director, Google Singapore
We see learning as not just about content and knowledge, but also about experience and application. When we practise what we have learned, retention and ownership of the content increases significantly as we are no longer passive recipients of knowledge. Our experience with place and train programmes has shown that it’s a model that works. It benefits all parties. It benefits trainees, host companies and the broader ecosystem. Undergraduates are more equipped to take on jobs by leveraging what they have learnt both in school and also during their hands-on industry experience.
Steven KOH
Director, Government Digital Services, GovTech
The role of a software engineer is to solve problems. Writing code is only one part of the entire process. What’s more important than the solution, is to first understand the problem and decide if it’s worth solving, before writing a line of code.
A good software engineer is resourceful and humble to learn from others. There will be lots of learning, learning how-to learn, how-to evaluate solutions, and make design trade-offs every single day.
Heng U SAN
Software Engineer, Google Singapore
SCIS Alumna, Graduating Class of 2016
I like being a software engineer because it gives me the opportunity to make a huge impact. I get really excited coming to work each day knowing that the things we do can impact so many people and in so many different ways. This could be enabling users to accomplish basic tasks like making payments, ordering food, or making their life better by presenting the most useful information at the most appropriate time.
Rachel YAP
Senior Business Analyst, GIC Pte Ltd
SCIS Alumna, Graduating Class of 2016
When you’re in a university environment, most things you learnt stay as theory. When you get out there and take on an apprenticeship, you will really begin to appreciate and apply what you’ve learnt. Beyond that, you can pick up things that just can’t be taught in a classroom, like people skills - what it’s like to deal with users with real needs; or project management – how methodologies can be applied to real projects; or even just general exposure to what IT infrastructure really looks like!
Darryl Sw
Associate DevOps Engineer, Government Digital Services, GovTech
SCIS Alumnus, Class of 2019
I really like building things, conceptualising and developing solutions that has lasting impact. I love automating and streamlining processes so that we achieve multiples of what we could have done by ourselves. As a DevOps Engineer, I like that I can do all that and more. There is a huge euphoria coming from the sense accomplishment when you see your work out there in action, keeping the figurative lights on.
From Classroom-Learning To Innovating Software Solutions
Strong Industry Collaboration
The BSc (Software Engineering) combines classroom-learning with structured on-the-job training for our students. It features a rigorous 52-week apprenticeship where you get to work in development teams under the mentorship of professional software engineers.
SCIS collaborates closely with our anchor partners to equip you with technical, teamwork and communication skills to take on software engineering roles. Besides mentorship, career talks and guest lectures, our anchor partners will also co-develop and co-teach the curriculum to ensure that you are familiar with current trends and best practices in software engineering.
Get a head-start in your career by embarking on an apprenticeship which is strongly supported by both academia & industry. As an apprentice, you will:
- Work in development teams to innovate software solutions under the mentorship of professional software engineers.
- Strengthen and broaden your technical and soft skills with hands-on experience.
- Learn about organisational work culture.
- Enhance your career opportunities with deep industry knowledge and personal professional network.
- Earn a stipend to supplement your finances.
Why SMU School of Computing and Information Systems?
High Graduate Employability
SMU Provost, Professor Timothy Clark said, “In spite of a challenging economic landscape due to the weaker outlook in 2023, we are delighted to observe the continuing high demand for SMU graduates, who have once again achieved notable success in securing employment opportunities. ..."
Source: Graduate Employment Survey 2023
92.3%
overall employment rate
$ 5,530
mean monthly salary
for Information Systems Graduates
92.7%
overall employment rate
$ 6,120
mean monthly salary
for Computer Science Graduates
Highly Collaborative Learning Culture
Interact with professors in seminar-style classrooms and engage with peers in out-of-class activities.
Flexible Learning Pathways
Broaden and deepen your knowledge by combining majors based on your interests and strengths. Fast track to complete your bachelors and masters degree within 4.5 years.
World-Class Computer Scientists
& Industry Practitioners
Work with faculty on their innovative research, and learn from professionals with diverse experience.
Experiential Learning & Global Exposure
Apply concepts to real-world projects and be industry-ready graduates with an understanding of global development.