(1395.pdf) TRENDS IN JOINT DEGREE, DOUBLE DEGREE AND CONCURRENT DEGREE PROGRAMMES IN THE NATIONALUNIVERSITY OF SINGAPORE

摘要

The National University of Singapore (NUS) is a leading global university centred in Asia. In theQS World University Rankings 2012, NUS is ranked 25th amongst the best universities in theworld. NUS has achieved its high academic standing today due partially to its bold and ambitiousglobalisation strategy. As part of the globalisation strategy, NUS has developed a total of 34 JointDegree Programmes (JDP), 27 Double Degree Programmes (DDP) and 14 Concurrent DegreeProgrammes (CDP) with overseas universities to date. In a JDP, students study at two universitiesand receive a single degree certificate jointly issued and signed by both universities uponcompletion of the programme. A DDP is where students study at two universities and receive twoseparate degree certificates from the two partnering universities. A CDP, which may be lesscommon in universities around the world, is where the undergraduate degree at NUS is integratedwith a postgraduate degree at a partner University, thereby providing a through-train educationpathway for students. Students will be issued both a Bachelor degree certificate and a Masterdegree certificate upon completion of the programme.The JDP, DDP and CDP form part of our overall Study Abroad Programmes that aim to provide atleast 70% of our student population with an overseas academic exposure by 2015. As comparedto the traditional semester-long exchange programmes and summer programmes, the programmesdiscussed in this paper offer our students a more structured and coherent curriculum during theirstudies abroad as well as longer exposure and greater interactions with local student bodies andfaculty members at the partner institutions. The key motivations for establishing these programmesare to attract top students to the institution, offering them the best of both worlds (the opportunityto be based at home and yet be able to experience overseas education), to promoteinternationalization of the institution and broaden the academic offerings to the students. Thispaper defines the differences between JDP, DDP and CDP, highlights the models of partnershipwith selected partner universities globally and discusses the motivations and challenges ofdeveloping such programmes and lastly, whether such programmes has helped NUS achieved itsgoals.