Surge in UniSIM degree applicants

SIM University (UniSIM) has seen a surge in applications after the Government introduced hefty subsidies for degree programmes earlier this year.

The number of applicants jumped 60 per cent in the wake of news that the State would cover 40 per cent of the cost of part-time courses there and at Singapore's three publicly funded universities.

The subsidies are for working adults who are citizens and have not had subsidised undergraduate education here, to give them a shot at higher qualifications.

More than 3,000 people applied for the July intake at UniSIM, which caters to working adults in their late 20s looking to upgrade their skills, advance in their current jobs or make a job switch.

To keep up with the demand, the school increased its intake by 50 per cent to 1,800 students. The school, which has 8,000 students, has two intakes a year.

The most popular degrees include those in business, aerospace systems, business analytics and human resource management. The four saw up to two applications for each opening.

With the subsidy, a four-year part-time degree at UniSIM - which would cost about $30,000 - would cost just $18,000. In comparison, undergraduates in an average four-year full-time degree course at Nanyang Technological University or the National University of Singapore would pay about $25,000.

UniSIM president Cheong Hee Kiat said the fact that the subsidy was extended to the school is a recognition of its quality. He said it was key that UniSIM was 'recognised as part of university space' and that it was the only institution, apart from the other three universities, to be given degree- granting status by the Education Ministry.

UniSIM, set up in 2005, started offering its own degrees the following year targeted at working adults.

The university is looking to expand its course offerings for this group and is planning to add more postgraduate programmes and lifestyle courses.

To entice more to sign up, it plans to increase the number of modules in its general studies degree to include fine arts, wine appreciation, film studies and traditional Chinese medicine.

It has also tied up with other institutions, including the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (Nafa), to offer courses like visual communication with business, so students can take advanced courses in visual communication at Nafa but go to UniSIM for the business modules.

Such 'twinning' programmes would offer students the best of both worlds, said Professor Cheong.

He added: 'We recognise that we do not have all the knowledge that will allow us to produce many of the programmes we want to do. So we look for partners who are already experts in certain areas so we can offer students as wide a repertoire as we can.'

UniSIM is holding its third convocation next Thursday for 851 graduates.