Custom Track
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What is a “Custom Track”?
“Custom Track” refers to a list of subjects selected by the students to complete graduation requirements for the ISTD pillar. The Custom Track allows students to create an educational program that is best for them to realise their career objectives and pursue their interests. This track allows a student to select subjects from ISTD as well as other pillars to form a customised and truly interdisciplinary curriculum that a student wishes to pursue which does not fall into other pre-defined tracks but is firmly grounded in computing around a coherent technical theme.
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Who creates a custom track?
Every student in the ISTD pillar is eligible to create a custom track around a technical theme and submit it to the Chair of the ISTD undergraduate committee for approval.
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What constitutes a custom track?
A custom track must consist of four subjects that together with the ISTD core of five subjects constitute a coherent set of subjects around a technical theme. For example, “Computational Design,” “Modeling and Simulation,” “Computational architecture,” “Secure Control,” and “Computational Finance” are potential technical themes not within the direct domain of ISTD but could be created by combining a relevant set of subjects from the other pillars. These subjects could be drawn from the list of subjects offered by any of the four pillars. Subjects that cannot be included in a custom track include: freshmore subjects, HAAS subjects, and the five ISTD core subjects.
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How do I get my custom track approved?
(a) Prepare a proposal for custom track around a technical theme. Your proposal must include
(i) a list of four subjects that together with the ISTD core relate to the theme you have selected, and the terms in which you would like to take these,
(ii) list of grades obtained in all subjects you have completed so far at SUTD, and
(iii) a statement of why you wish to opt for a custom track and not an existing track offered by ISTD.
(b) Discuss your proposal with the undergraduate coordinator of ISTD to make sure your proposal has all the required elements.
(c) Submit your proposal to the Chair of the ISTD undergraduate committee through the ISTD undergraduate coordinator. -
Is it guaranteed that my proposal for custom track will be approved?
No. One or more reasons might lead to the rejection or modification of your proposal. Here are a few. (a) You did not provide an adequate explanation of how your proposed program of study is intellectually coherent and/or provides particularly good preparation for a career path in the technical theme you have proposed. (b) One or more of the subjects you have selected will not be offered when you wish to enroll in them. (c) You have not cleared one or more of the prerequisites for the subjects you selected. (d) The subject selection appears to be random with no unifying theme and/or a satisfactory justification.
(A student who intends to sign up for the Custom Track is required to submit his/her plan to the ISTD Pillar by Week 7 of Term 5.)