School of Social Sciences: Undergraduate Prospectus 2020/2021
School of Social Sciences: Undergraduate Prospectus 2020/2021
U n d e r g r a d u a t e P r o s p e c t u s 2 0 2 0 / 2 0 2 1
CONTENTS
CONTENTS
Introduction 1
Economics 6
Psychology 8
Sociology 12
Minors 15
INTRODUCTION
The School of Social Sciences (SSS) is one of the four Schools under the College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences
(CoHASS), which also include the School of Art, Design and Media (ADM), School of Humanities (SoH), and the Wee Kim
Wee School of Communication and Information (WKWSCI).
SSS was established in 2017 following the reorganisation of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences. The
restructuring allowed flexibility for SSS’ future growth while facilitating collaborative and interdisciplinary research, and
international relations. Despite this changes, our commitment to inspire young eager minds and help our students build
strong futures for themselves remains. We now have close to 90 full-time faculty members nurturing and educating
1,800 undergraduates.
We presently offer four subject majors—Economics, Psychology, Public Policy and Global Affairs, and Sociology. Apart
from having the option of reading a single major degree, students who are confident in taking up a multidisciplinary
education can take up a Double Major degree—two majors chosen from among the disciplinary strengths of the four
schools in CoHASS. Alternatively, in addition to their subject major, they can pursue a Second Major in another discipline
after their first year of study. And to encourage our students to expand their horizons beyond their majors and explore
their interdisciplinary interests, students are offered unique minors such as Geography and Urban Planning, and Science,
Technology and Society.
With the advent of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, technological advances are swift, and has wide-reaching effects
on many issues such as human relationships, the workforce, government policies and global economics. While such
technological changes have led to an emphasis on the hard sciences, we should also consider the human experience in all
of this. This means that education in the social sciences is equally indispensable—it is through the social sciences that we
are able to understand the effects of technology and learn how to wield it responsibly for the good for all.
At SSS, we offer a simulating and multidisciplinary education and research in the social sciences, and ensure our students
glean knowledge not only from books, but also stay abreast with current trends and events. In our mission to ensure our
students receive the best education, we have spared no effort in recruiting the best and brightest minds from renowned
and well-respected universities from across the globe. Our faculty members are both dedicated teachers and exceptional
researchers in their respective fields. We hope you will develop a breadth of imagination and depth of perspective with
our School.
We invite you to join the School of Social Sciences and look forward to welcoming you soon.
02 WHY THE SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES?
CAREER PROSPECTS
Our graduates will enter the job market equipped with a set of critical thinking
skills and practical experience, developed through research training in both
qualitative and quantitative methods. Their skills and attitudes make them
valuable to potential employers and institutions in industries such as the
following:
ECONOMICS
Economics principles underpin decision making in areas such as consumption and production, competition and trade,
banking and finance, as well as social issues relating to poverty, education, health, and the environment. It is a powerful
discipline that cuts across interdisciplinary landscapes of business, health, human behaviour, technology, and society.
OUR FACULTY
Our faculty members are not only dedicated educators; they are also actively
involved with research. The economics programme at NTU is built on their
intensive cutting-edge research in applied economics and the behavioural
sciences. Their research and expertise also include but not limited to the
economies of Singapore and ASEAN economies, China and East Asia, labour
economics, game theory and urban economics.
MAJOR • Macroeconomic Issues & Policies in • Cost-Benefit Analysis • Advanced Financial Economics
PRESCRIBED Contemporary China • Economics of Corporate Finance • Advanced Macroeconomics
ELECTIVES • Survey Methods & Sampling • Econometric Modelling and • Advanced Microeconomics
(39 AUs) Techniques Forecasting • Advanced International Finance
GROUP B • Environmental Economics • Behavioural Economics
(Choose a • Financial Economics • Current Topics in Economics
maximum of • Game Theory & Applications to Social • Economics of Organizations and
EIGHT; of which Sciences Corporate Management
THREE are Level • Health Economics • Empirical Strategy and Program
4 courses) • Mathematical Economics Evaluation
• Principles of Mathematics Finance • Growth Theory and Empirics
• The Chinese Economy • Monetary Economics
• Urban Economics
GRADUATION Under the guidance of a supervisor, each student is to identify a research problem, formulate research questions, develop a theoretical framework and design a methodological
PROJECT approach. Compulsory for students with CGPA of 3.90 and above.
(8 AUs)
Students who do not complete Graduation Projects will read TWO additional Level 4 courses instead.
08 PSYCHOLOGY
PSYCHOLOGY
Psychology is the scientific study of human behaviour and cognition, and is a multifaceted discipline that intersects
with various fields such as anthropology, biology, neuroscience, philosophy and sociology. Students are introduced
to professional practices of psychologists, and are equipped with the skills and training needed to enter postgraduate
training, should they prefer to continue their education as a clinical psychologist or behavioural researcher.
OUR FACULTY
Our full-time faculty members come from prominent universities in Asian, Europe
and North America. Their diverse backgrounds and expertise adds to the world-class
training required by our internationally benchmarked programme.
Apart from instructing students in the principles of this social science, our
faculty members are avid researchers in the scientific investigations of the mind
Scan the code for and human behaviour. Some areas of research include behavioural medicine,
more information
cultural differences, end of life issues and care, healthy aging, human machine
on our Psychology
faculty. interactions, personality and motivation, social psychology and cognition, and
sensory perception neuroscience.
SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES 09
Students who do not complete Graduation Projects will read TWO additional Level 4 courses instead.
10 PUBLIC POLICY AND GLOBAL AFFAIRS
SOCIOLOGY
Sociology is the study of social conditions and relations—how they are formed and what their consequences are. It is
the broadest of all social science disciplines: all spheres of social life—cultural, economic, and political—are open to
sociological inquiry. Students will learn to analyse the social conditions that shape human lives, and confront issues
in migration, social inequality, economic development, environmental crisis, social policy, cultural diversity, racial and
gender relations, family, health, aging, technological changes, youth, pop culture and media, etc.
As researchers, they take on questions about present and future societies, and
over the years, have shared their research with key stakeholders—policymakers,
Scan the code for non-profit organisations, and the general public. And as sociologists in a public
more information on institution, they are committed to playing their part in the larger society.
the Sociology faculty.
SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES 13
DOUBLE SECOND
MAJORS MAJORS
The Double Major Bachelor of Social Sciences is a four-year direct honours A Second Major offers students a breadth of exposure in their chosen subject,
degree programme, the first of its kind in Singapore. Students will read two and is designed to provide greater depth of study in an additional discipline.
majors chosen from among the disciplinary strengths of the four schools in Students can opt to pursue a Second Major after their first year of study in
CoHASS—ADM, SoH, SSS and WKWSCI. another discipline offered by SSS, or one offered by another School within
CoHASS.
This programme will offer students the opportunity to discover the strengths
of each major academic discipline while developing an intellectual flexibility Admission into a Second Major will be based on cumulative grade point average
and broader range of analytical skills. Students will be equipped with versatile, (CGPA) scores at the end of their first year of study. It is subject to availability of
real-world skills that effectively prepares them for an ever-changing social vacancies, and set requirements for each Major.
and employment landscape of the 21st century. The Double Major degree
programme will also help to facilitate comparative intellectual insights, and Students will need to read 11 courses specific to the field of study, which
nurture students’ maturity to engage in different perspectives, research includes both the Core Subjects and Prescribed Electives. They will graduate
approaches and interpretive strategies. with a BSocSc (Honours) degree in their First Major. The Second Major will be
shown on the final transcript, and students will receive an additional certificate.
Students admitted into this Double Major degree programme will declare their
two majors at the point of entry to NTU. SECOND MAJORS OFFERED BY CoHASS
• Art History
DOUBLE MAJORS AVAILABLE UNDER SSS • Chinese
• Bachelor of Social Sciences in Economics & Media Analytics (Honours) • Communication Studies
• Bachelor of Social Sciences in Economics & Psychology (Honours) • Economics
• Bachelor of Social Sciences in Economics & Public Policy and Global • English Literature
Affairs (Honours) • History
• Bachelor of Social Sciences in Psychology & Media Analytics (Honours) • Linguistics and Multilingual Studies
• Philosophy
STUDENTS CAN ALSO READ THE FOLLOWING COMBINATION • Psychology
• Bachelor of Arts in Psychology & Linguistics and Multilingual • Public Policy and Global Affairs
Studies (Honours) • Sociology
SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES 15
MINORS
Students are encouraged to explore subjects of interest beyond their areas of
specialisation and complement their respective Majors by taking up a Minor.
To minor in any of the programmes in SSS, students must complete at least 5
courses, which include compulsory and elective courses. These courses will be
counted under the elective requirements of their undergraduate programme.
In addition to the Majors from each School, students can delve and pursue
their areas of interest, which include interdisciplinary minors that intersect with
various disciplines.
WHAT OUR
STUDENTS SAY
KEANE, ECONOMICS
NTU provides many opportunities for its students—from character
development to overseas attachment and working experience. These
YAN LING, PUBLIC POLICY AND GLOBAL
are what I believe to be important—to learn more than what is taught
AFFAIRS
I chose Public Policy and Global Affairs (PPGA) due to my interest
in the classroom. I chose Economics as my course of study as I felt it
in current affairs around the globe and the current complex global
would further develop my existing financial knowledge I have learnt
political environment. PPGA has exceeded my expectations, and
during my time in Polytechnic. At the same time, it is a discipline that
taught me so much more than just that. Not only have I been able
teaches about global affairs, policies, psychology and so much more.
to pursue my interests in current affairs, I’ve learnt practical and
With the versatility that Economics offers, I knew that it would provide
theoretical knowledge regarding public administration and policy
me with a bigger view of the world.
making. While my journey in PPGA has been tough at times, the
rewards I’ve reaped have far outweighed the challenges, and I will
always be grateful to NTU for this wonderful experience.
MUHAMMAD IYLIA, PSYCHOLOGY
I chose to read Psychology at NTU as I always had a keen interest in
understanding the workings of the human mind and their behaviour.
The rigour of the programme, along with the experiences of our
KIMBEILY, SOCIOLOGY
When I was in Polytechnic, I found myself having more fun and being
accomplished professors, bring learning to a new level where I am
more engaged in the general education modules that covered social
constantly pushed to keep up with the ongoing growth of knowledge
issues, more than my own core modules. That was when I knew
in Psychology and not remain confined to the limits of a textbook. I
that in university, I had to do something that allowed me to explore
especially love the breadth of our Psychology programme as it allows
more social problems—sociology. My experience has been enriching
me to explore as many topics as possible to better develop my interest
and eye-opening. Through sociology, I have learnt that the world is
in research!
not nearly simple and there is always more than meets the eye. The
professors and tutors are extremely helpful and are willing to take
time out of their busy schedules to help their students. Coming to do
sociology at NTU SSS has been one of the best experiences of my life.
NOTES
CONTACT US
School of Social Sciences
Nanyang Technological University
48 Nanyang Avenue
Singapore 639818
www.sss.ntu.edu.sg
General undergraduate enquiries: [email protected]
Economics: [email protected]
Psychology: [email protected]
Public Policy and Global Affairs: [email protected]
Sociology: [email protected]
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