FAQ
Can I be a more informed bitcoin trader after the finance courses in ESD?
Bitcoin trading is not a focus of the ESD finance courses. But a knowledge of the language and concepts of finance is good preparation for a career in the finance industry.
Can I design my own track in ESD, and will it be endorsed/accredited/recognized?
The ESD degree is accredited without reference to a specific specialisation track. So, yes, you may design your own specialisation track. But it will be up to you to explain to a prospective employer the value of the courses you chose.
What kind of capstone projects are ESD students usually assigned to?
ESD students tend to be on projects requiring data analytics, operational analysis, dynamic systems simulation, and optimization. In future, we expect ESD students to take greater responsibility for systems engineering on capstone projects.
How should I choose a specialisation track? Because it is in vogue or it interests me?
Certainly it should be for personal interest. Business analytics is extremely popular right now but it is not a career path for everyone. Do what you enjoy.
Can I take just one course out of a two half-term course sequence?
Yes, you can take only one of the courses out of a pair of half-term courses, however, you must find another half-term course to fill the gap in your schedule. Ultimately, you must take 4 subjects at all times, unless you receive prior approval.
Can I complete more than one Specialisation Track?
In principle, you may complete as many specialisation tracks as you want, however, you may run into scheduling conflicts. Because we want to make the courses available to the most students possible, we prioritise our scheduling for a single specialisation track.
If I complete a Specialisation Track, will it appear on my diploma?
Any specialisation tracks you complete will show up on your transcript. You will send your transcript to future employers, so they will be able to see this accomplishment along with the rest of your courses.
Can ESD help me analyse my future?
That is a fun question so it deserves a fun answer. In analysing your future, I would want to know what is your current state and what are your capabilities. I would look at your past as a predictor of your future. I would attempt to assess your values and what motivates you. I would also check into what risk your current operations place you. I would then ask what options you are considering and from there we would map out a set of trajectories leading from those options and how you would value them. We would then put these options into the context of different geo-political-economic-social scenarios that could play out over the coming years. We then assign probabilities to those scenarios and trajectories. I would then assess your attitude toward risk (conservative, risk-neutral or risk-seeking). Based on that, I could then recommend the best option for you. But I would charge a lot of money to do that analysis. If you want to save money, get advice from people you respect and then go with your educated instinct. Choose joy.
How many ESD students are accepted to continue their degree by other Universities after they graduate from SUTD ?
An estimate of 10% – 14% of our ESD graduates have joined both local and overseas universities to pursue their graduate studies.
What are overseas exchange programme like for ESD students?
ESD students on exchange will be required to take subjects at the partner universities that are equivalent to the two ESD core modules, one elective and one HASS. Where partner universities do not offer subjects equivalent to the two ESD core modules, ESD students can consult the ESD Associate Programme Director (APD) to customise a study plan that can fulfil the ESD graduation criteria. For GEXP 2018, 20% of ESD students are on exchange at 10 different partner universities.