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Friday July 27, 11:47 PMPolys blaze new trail with tie-ups, niche coursesSINGAPORE: It was the first polytechnic to bring in a niche degree programme from overseas, and now it is in the midst of introducing at least one more next year.Ngee Ann Polytechnic (NP) plans to offer a degree in advertising and integrated marketing communications (AIMC), to be launched in September next year. The Ministry of Education (MOE) is fully supporting the programme, which is not offered in the three local universities, and will extend its university tuition grant — now $13,700 per year — to students who pursue the degree. The subsidy is part of a scheme to allow polytechnics to partner foreign universities so that more students can continue their studies. NP's upcoming degree will be open to all diploma graduates in mass communication and business studies (marketing option) and will be awarded by a "well-known university for AIMC programmes", either from the United States or Britain. There is "no commitment from any institution yet", its spokesperson told Today. Still, the polytechnic has told its graduates that all students pursuing the degree will have the opportunity to go for an overseas immersion programme with the university, and that the degree would be endorsed by local marketing communication agencies and advertisers. Today understands that NP officials have made two visits to the campuses of potential partners. Until now, the only tie-up between a polytechnic and a foreign specialised institution has been the one between NP and Wheelock College in the US, leading to a degree in early childhood education. Classes began last month and 61 out of 70 applicants were accepted. But the situation is likely to change next year, as the efforts of other polytechnics to bring in degree programmes gather pace under MOE's plans for them to partner 10 top overseas universities by 2010. Temasek Polytechnic (TP) said earlier this year that it was wooing the Culinary Institute of America, with which it has offered a certificate course since 2004. In April, the renowned school sent three instructors to the polytechnic to teach some courses in culinary and catering management. TP is still in discussions with the school as well as with the University of Hawaii, Manoa, which is known for its hospitality and tourism management courses. Nanyang Polytechnic wants to offer a degree in retail marketing with a university from Britain, with another possibility being a degree in animation design, for which the leading partner candidate would be the Savannah College of Art and Design in the US. Republic Polytechnic (RP), however, will wait until 2009 before it rolls out a degree in sports science and management, even though it is in "an advanced stage of discussions" with some British universities, said Dr Michael Koh, director of the School of Sports, Health and Leisure at RP. "We're definitely looking at growing the upgrading opportunities for students, but we're still a young polytechnic. In the years to come, we'll introduce more (degree) courses that meet our agenda," he said, citing the field of outdoor and adventure learning as another possibility. Meanwhile, Singapore Polytechnic is considering a degree in food technology. It had also been in talks with the University of New South Wales to offer an optometry degree, but is now "evaluating the feasibility of linking up with an alternative partner" after recent upheavals at the Australian university scuttled plans. Although a date for the launch of the optometry degree is now uncertain, the polytechnic is clear about how the programme will be structured. Said a spokesman: "We're aiming to implement a '3+2' model (3-year diploma and 2-year degree programme) as a basic proposition for our graduates. The teaching staff faculty is likely to comprise highly qualified local and foreign academics, as well as adjunct staff members." This is similar to NP's tie-up with Wheelock College and its upcoming degree — which will be taught by faculty professors from the partner university, with support from local lecturers to "provide the local context of the subject matter" — and could be the model for such degree tie-ups. NP could roll out more degree courses next year. It wants to partner two more institutions in the areas of marine and offshore technology and film and television studies. - /fa |
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