FAQs
I did poorly for my A-Level exams. How can I increase my chances of admission into SUTD?
There are various alternative pathways for you to consider, including:
- Retaking your A-Levels; or
- Further your studies via the polytechnics, which offer module exemptions of up to two semesters for A-Level graduates in selected courses. These module exemptions allow A-Level graduates to graduate with a polytechnic diploma within 2 or 2.5 years, compared to the usual 3 years. More information on the application process and courses on offer can be found on the respective polytechnics’ websites
Can I still gain admission if I fail General Paper?
You may still apply even if you did not pass your General Paper. We will take into consideration your grades for other GCE A-Level subjects as well as non-academic credentials in assessing your application holistically.
Is Physics a compulsory subject for admission into SUTD?
Physics is not a compulsory subject for admission into SUTD. SUTD practises a comprehensive review of applications, where we consider all academic and personal attributes to assess if you are able to cope with the rigour of our programme and will fit in well.
For the former, we look for evidence of competency in Mathematics and the Sciences, i.e. Physics, Chemistry or Biology, in the context of the opportunities afforded to you based on your subject choices.
Apart from the final year exam results, we also take into consideration your academic performance in the 2-3 years leading to the final exam, including O-Levels, as well as any supplementary tests you may have taken.
What is the employment demand?
There is currently an acute shortage of AI talents i.e., engineers and product managers who can combine technical expertise in design innovation with the skills to apply AI to other disciplines (such as engineering, healthcare, media, built environment, etc.). This includes AI for making UI design smarter, automating content creation, curation and management including creating abstracts and graphic objects, personalising UX, etc.
Given this, and the anticipated 10,000 tech-related jobs to be created in the next few years through Digital Industry Singapore (DISG), we believe that there will be a very strong demand for AI talents who are well-trained in user experience design, software programming, hardware design, IoT integration to formulate personalised solutions that meet the needs of that industry sector, and society in general.
What are the industry opportunities for DAI graduates?
- Aviation
- Cities/urban planning
- Engineering
- High-technology industries
- UI/UX solution companies
- Financial and banking
- Logistics and travel
- Product Design
- Consulting
- Telecommunications
- Healthcare
- Defence
- Professional Services
- Banking/Financial services
- Marketing/Media
- Government/Statutory Board
- eCommerce
How are DAI students assessed?
Grading may be based on a combination of homework, design projects, class participation/activity, online quizzes, mid-term tests and final exams, with the weightages varying for different subjects.
Students are graded on a GPA of 5.0. To help ease your transition to the university, all four subjects taken in the first Freshmore term are not graded. From the 2019 cohort onwards, students can also choose an additional two subjects from Freshmore terms 2 and 3 to be ungraded.
Are there any specialisation tracks for DAI?
DAI offers two specialisation tracks:
Healthcare Design
Discover how to design healthcare products and services with artificial intelligence and be equipped with fundamental knowledge in medical technologies to develop the next generation of healthcare solutions.
Enterprise Design
Gain skills and knowledge on design, manufacturing, sustainable engineering, and business subjects which are required to make an enterprise successful in our fast-evolving world.
Ideal for those who wish to lead transformational innovations within organisations.
Can a DAI student take up a minor programme?
Currently, students will be able to pursue a minor on top of their major, potentially without having to overload on the number of modules (this depends on the specialisation chosen, if any). Students will get to indicate their preferred minor after they have made their choice of major at the end of Term 3. Both the major and minor requirements must be completed within the normal candidature of the undergraduate programme, i.e. 8 terms.
DAI students cannot take the AI minor as the AI element in DAI is already a major. They are eligible to pursue all other minor programmes listed on https://www.sutd.edu.sg/Admissions/Undergraduate/Minors-and-Tracks
The DAI programme is designed as an interdisciplinary programme that cuts across the existing majors with a focus on design and AI applications. Hence, elements of other majors have already been woven into the DAI curriculum.
Does DAI offer a minor?
Currently DAI does not offer a minor.
What are the differences between the AI in DAI and the Artificial Intelligence Specialisation Track in CSD?
CSD is a computer science curriculum where you will learn the basics of computer science computing and you will then have a choice essentially to specialise. AI is one of the specialisation where you will look at computing algorithms fundamentals related to AI.
DAI is a different programme that looks at using AI as a tool to drive design innovation whether it’s in products, services, systems or built environments. DAI has a more general curriculum that looks at the application of AI.
If you are more interested on the computing aspects or wanting to understand the algorithm of AI then CSD would be the choice for you.
But if you are more interested to look at essentially using AI as a tool to apply across different industries as a designer then DAI would be the course for you.