TRENDS IN JOINT DEGREE, DOUBLE DEGREE AND CONCURRENT DEGREE PROGRAMMES IN THE NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SINGAPORE

The National University of Singapore (NUS) is a leading global university centred in Asia. In the QS World University Rankings 2012, NUS is ranked 25th amongst the best universities in the world. NUS has achieved its high academic standing today due partially to its bold and ambitious globalisation strategy. As part of the globalisation strategy, NUS has developed a total of 34 Joint Degree Programmes (JDP), 27 Double Degree Programmes (DDP) and 14 Concurrent Degree Programmes (CDP) with overseas universities to date. In a JDP, students study at two universities and receive a single degree certificate jointly issued and signed by both universities upon completion of the programme. A DDP is where students study at two universities and receive two separate degree certificates from the two partnering universities. A CDP, which may be less common in universities around the world, is where the undergraduate degree at NUS is integrated with a postgraduate degree at a partner University, thereby providing a through-train education pathway for students. Students will be issued both a Bachelor degree certificate and a Master degree certificate upon completion of the programme.

The JDP, DDP and CDP form part of our overall Study Abroad Programmes that aim to provide at least 70% of our student population with an overseas academic exposure by 2015. As compared to the traditional semester-long exchange programmes and summer programmes, the programmes discussed in this paper offer our students a more structured and coherent curriculum during their studies abroad as well as longer exposure and greater interactions with local student bodies and faculty members at the partner institutions. The key motivations for establishing these programmes are to attract top students to the institution, offering them the best of both worlds (the opportunity to be based at home and yet be able to experience overseas education), to promote internationalization of the institution and broaden the academic offerings to the students. This paper defines the differences between JDP, DDP and CDP, highlights the models of partnership with selected partner universities globally and discusses the motivations and challenges of developing such programmes and lastly, whether such programmes has helped NUS achieved its goals.