Singapore Management University
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| Singapore Management University | |
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| Established: | 2000 |
| Type: | Private |
| President: | Howard Hunter |
| Provost: | Tan Chin Tiong |
| Faculty: | 210 |
| Undergraduates: | 4529 |
| Postgraduates: | 213 |
| Location: | Singapore |
| Campus: | Urban |
| Website: | www.smu.edu.sg |
The Singapore Management University (Abbreviation: SMU; Chinese: 新加坡管理大学; Malay: Universiti Pengurusan Singapura; Tamil: சிங்கப்பூர் நிர்வாக பல்கலைக்கழகம்) was officially incorporated on January 12, 2000, and is Singapore's first private university funded by the government.
The SMU approach to preparing graduates is a focused but broad-based education, modeled after the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
Today, SMU is home to more than 5,400 students and comprises six schools: the Lee Kong Chian School of Business[1], the School of Accountancy[2], the School of Economics[3], the School of Information Systems[4], the School of Law[5], and the School of Social Sciences[6].
SMU offers six bachelor's degree programmes in Business Management, Accountancy, Economics, Information Systems Management, Laws and Social Science. It offers ten master's degree programmes in Wealth Management, Applied Finance, Applied Finance (China), Professional Accounting, IT in Business (Financial Services), Economics, Applied Economics, Finance (by research), Management (by research) and Operations Management (by research). A PhD programme in Information Systems is the first doctoral degree to be offered. The university will continue to introduce new master's programmes and further develop a university-wide PhD programme.
SMU also has a dedicated Office of Research, a number of centres of excellence, and provides public and customised programmes for working professionals through its Office of Executive Education. Collaborations with leading institutions, including The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, Carnegie Mellon University, the University of Chicago, Xiamen University, the Indian School of Business, Hyderabad, the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), and the Swiss Finance Institute, allow SMU to draw on academic and research strengths of its partners across all major disciplines.
In May 2007, SMU launched Knowledge@SMU[7], an online knowledge portal developed in collaboration with Knowledge@Wharton. Knowledge@SMU translates the latest SMU research and insights into a diverse mix of content accessible to a broad audience, including analysis of current business trends, interviews with industry leaders and SMU faculty, and articles based on their recent research, book reviews, conference and seminar reports.
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[edit] Location and Campus
Formerly occupying Singapore's historical Bukit Timah campus, the university now resides in its permanent campus in the central part of Singapore. The $426 million, 4.5 hectare city campus is a first in Singapore. Located in the civic district of the city, the city-campus will support the university's eventual 6,500 undergraduates, along with students in its future graduate programmes.
The SMU city campus consists 6 blocks: the Lee Kong Chian School of Business; School of Accountancy, which also houses the School of Law; the Li Ka Shing Library; School of Information Systems; School of Economics and Social Sciences; and the Administrative Building. The 6 buildings are connected by an underground walkway known as the Concourse, which is open to the public and lined with shops selling food and stationary. The campus was designed by 2 teams of architects, with Cox Architects and Planners and DEG Architects in charge of the Administrative Building, and Edward Cullinan Architects and KNTA Architects designing the rest. Teaching facilities include seminar rooms, group study rooms used by students for project discussions and classrooms. There are also research facilities, most of which are located underground at the Concourse. Sports facilities are limited on campus because of space constraints, however the university has a swimming pool, gymnasium, and a multi-purpose sports hall which is equipped with a rock wall.[1]
SMU Hostel, known as SMU Residences @ Prinsep, is located on Prinsep Street which is a change from the previous plans to house the hostels in Jurong East. The hostel is from refurbished Housing Development Board buildings (Block 2, 4 and 7) donated by the government. Priority is given to international students, most of whom currently live in various private hostels around the island. The hostel welcomed its first residents in December 2006 and was officially opened in February 2007. The current hostel buildings can accommodate about 250 residents. There are plans to expand the hostel in the near future.
[edit] Faculty
SMU is headed by President Howard Hunter (JD, Yale), Provost and Deputy President Tan Chin Tiong (PhD, Pennsylvania State University), Dean Bobby Mariano (PhD, Stanford), Dean Steve Miller (PhD, Carnegie-Mellon), etc. Former presidents include Professor Ronald Frank and Professor Janice R. Bellace (of Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania). SMU has a 210-strong international faculty whose members include former Ambassador, Pang Eng Fong; poet, writer and creative thinking expert Kirpal Singh; and actress, screenwriter, Dr. Margaret Chan. In addition to its permanent and visiting faculty members, SMU also taps successful business leaders and entrepreneurs for their specific expertise and management skills to combine academic vigour with hands-on business savvy.
[edit] Strategic Goals
- Attract and sustain the finest faculty
- Attract outstanding students
- Identify and appoint key academic leaders
- Build external linkages and support
- Build excellent infrastructure to support mission
[edit] Shared Values
- Commitment to the SMU Mission
- Integrity
- Responsibility
- Collegiality
- Leadership
- Excellence
[edit] Academics
[edit] Schools and Centres
Singapore Management University has six undergraduate schools:
- Lee Kong Chian School of Business
- School of Accountancy
- School of Economics
- School of Social Sciences
- School of Information Systems
- School of Law
The university offers bachelor's degree programmes in Business Management, Accountancy, Economics, Information Systems Management, Social Sciences and Law. SMU's undergraduate programme allows students to major in cross-displinary areas such as Economics, Law, Accounting, Finance, Quantitative Finance, Information Systems Management, Marketing, Psychology, Political Science, Sociology, Corporate Communications, Operation Management, Business Statistics & Actuarial Mathematics and Organisational Behaviour & Human Resources.
[edit] Graduate and professional programs
The following schools and centres offer graduate programs:
- Lee Kong Chian School of Business[8]
- School of Accountancy[9]
- School of Economics[10]
- School of Information Systems[11]
- Office of Research[12]
- Wharton-SMU Research Center[13]
- Office of Executive Education[14]
The university offers six master's degree programmes (by coursework) in Wealth Management[15], Applied Finance[16], Applied Finance (China)[17], Professional Accounting[18], IT in Business (Financial Services)[19], and Applied Economics[20], and four master's degree programmes (by research) in Economics[21], Finance[22], Management[23], and Operations Management[24], as well as a PhD programme in Information Systems[25].
Some of SMU's academic collaborators and industry partners for Executive Education include University of Chicago Graduate School of Business, European Business School International University Schloss Reichartshausen and Mercer Human Resource Consulting LLC.
[edit] Admission
Admission to SMU is based on a broad range of criteria - including A-Level results or Polytechnic results, SAT scores, a panel interview, a reflective essay, and the other qualities and achievements of an applicant. Many among the present intake are national sportsmen, musicians, young entrepreneurs and community service volunteers. 2 in 3 applicants are ‘A’ level students scoring ABB or above, and 1 in 3 scoring AAA or above.
The university received 10,680 applications for the 1,350 places for the academic year starting in Fall 2008.
[edit] Graduates
The university has sparked positive responses from the Deputy Prime Minister, who encouraged the other two local public universities to model themselves after SMU. Graduates have been acknowledged to be "confident and articulate" by several MNCs and global firms.
SMU graduates were hired in a wide spectrum of professions, including financial, accounting, consulting and services sectors, with more than 40% in banking, finance, auditing and accounting.
According to a Singapore Press Holdings publication, 100% of SMU graduates secure jobs within six months of graduation, with the top 20% earning starting salaries of more than $3,800. This compares favorably with the top 20% of National University of Singapore's Business graduates earning $3,208 and the top 20% of Nanyang Technological University's Business and Accounting graduates earning $3,050.[26].
In 2007, a press release from the university indicated that the latest batch of graduates had entered full-time employment with an average monthly salary of $2,850, with the top 20% earning $4,630.[27]
[edit] Student Life
As admission standards increase, the academic environment has grown more competitive among students, who spend most of their time involved in the pursuit of academic interests. Many students also take part in the numerous school clubs and events that cater to varied interests, as well as organise school events.
The academic year commences in late August. Each term is 15 weeks long, including a week-long mid-term break and another week of revision and exams. Term 1 generally runs from late August to early December, while Term 2 begins in January and ends in mid-April. Classes are seminars that are mostly 3 hours 15 minutes long, with most classes starting at 8:30am, 12:00 noon, 3:30pm, or 7:00pm. In most courses, students are assessed on the level of their class participation, a group project, a mid-term test, and possibly an exam at the end of the term. Students are generally required to give a presentation on a project topic for every course they read. Attending a half-unit course, called Finishing Touch, which advises students on career skills is also mandatory.[2]
It is part of each student's curriculum to spend at least 10 weeks on internship at an approved organisation, and 80 hours on community service. These occupy the summer holidays of most students. Students are also encouraged to go an international exchange term with partner universities to experience different cultures. SMU currently has up to 142 agreements with partner universities.[3]
[edit] External links
Official university sites:
- SMU website
- Lee Kong Chian School of Business
- School of Accountancy
- School of Economics
- School of Information Systems
- School of Law
- School of Social Sciences
- Office of Executive Education
- Office of Research
- UOB-SMU Entrepreneurship Alliance Centre
- BNP Paribas Hedge Fund Centre at SMU
- International Trading Institute@SMU
- Lien Foundation Centre for Social Innovation
- Perspectives of City Campus
Non-official sites:
- Samba Masala: SMU's Only Afro-Brazilian Percussion Band
- Article about Singapore Management University
- Funkygrad: Student write-up of SMU Overview
- Funkygrad: SMU undergraduates' review of the school
[edit] References
- ^ Singapore Management University. 2006. Campus Overview. Available at http://www.smu.edu.sg/campus/index.asp
- ^ Singapore Management University. 2006. Degree Programmes. Available at http://www.smu.edu.sg/admissions/smu_degrees/degree_programmes.html
- ^ Singapore Management University. 2006. Partner Universities. Available at http://www.smu.edu.sg/international_exchange/partner_universities.asp
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