SIM University

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SIM University (UniSIM) is the fourth university in Singapore approved by the Ministry of Education to award its own degrees. UniSIM is dedicated to providing working professionals the opportunity to upgrade their qualifications for lifelong employability as well as adult learners the chance to acquire a university degree.

[edit] History

The birth of SIM University took more than 12 years of meticulous planning and preparation. The seeds were first sown in 1992 when the Ministry of Education (MOE) appointed its parent organisation, the Singapore Institute of Management (SIM) to run the Open University Degree Programme (OUDP) in collaboration with The Open University of The United Kingdom (OUUK). In 2002, the OUDP was granted accreditation status by OUUK and renamed SIM Open University Centre (SIM-OUC). With accreditation, SIM-OUC enjoyed greater flexibility in designing and directing its academic programmes. It also began an internal restructuring process in preparation for achieving its vision of becoming a full-fledged university.

That vision was realised in January 2005 when MOE granted SIM the approval to form SIM University. On 14 April, SIM University – Singapore’s fourth university – came into existence. With its founding, UniSIM assumed direct responsibility for SIM-OUC’s enrolment, which currently numbers more than 6,300 students.

Programmes SIM University offers close to 60 tertiary-level programmes at postgraduate, undergraduate, diploma and certificate levels. UniSIM has four Schools, viz., Arts & Social Sciences, Business, Human Development & Social Services, and Science & Technology.

Strategy UniSIM adopts a flexible admission but stringent graduation philosophy. It has created multiple learning paths for students who hold a diversity of education qualifications and work experience. Among these are working adults above the age of 21 years with ‘A’ Levels or polytechnic diplomas, and at least two years of work experience. Bridging courses at basic, certificate or diploma levels are available for students without the pre-requisite admission requirements. Its curriculum and pedagogy are designed to suit adult learners who are already highly skilled, but who are motivated to acquire greater breadth and depth of knowledge to improve competence, enhance career potential or simply realise the dream of getting a degree.

Faculty Because of UniSIM’s targeted focus on working professionals and mature learners, the majority of its faculty members are industry practitioners and academics with active consultancy portfolios. UniSIM has plans to forge stronger university-industry collaborations to better serve the needs and interests of our stakeholders.

Flexible Learning Learners at UniSIM enjoy a unique open and flexible learning environment that allows them to learn at their own pace, place and space. Courses are designed to suit the demands of the busy executive who has to manage career, family and social obligations. These courses have been meticulously researched and carefully constructed for independent learning. Additionally, a whole reservoir of learning support avenues is at the students’ disposal. Face to face lectures and tutorials accompany the comprehensive course materials such as CD-ROMs, video and audio programmes, and printed and web-based texts. These are further supplemented by academic counselling, and email and discussion forums. Students may enrol in a single course unit or a number of course units or a diploma programme or an undergraduate programme. They can graduate as soon as three years or take up to eight years to complete a basic degree.

Facilities SIM University shares the same facilities with SIM at the SIM Headquarters, located at 461 Clementi Road. It also has two other centres – SIM Management House at Namly Avenue and SIM Clementi Centre at 535A Clementi Road. The three centres occupy a total area of close to 60,000 square meters.

SIM Headquarters can accommodate up to 12,000 students and sits on 34,000 sq m of land with a total floor area of about 44,000 sq m. It has more than 80 lecture theatres, tutorial and seminar rooms, and 12 computer laboratories.

SIM Clementi Centre sits on 8,000 sq m of land and is one of the primary locations for SIM University’s learning activities. It has 40 lecture theatres and tutorial rooms, and two computer laboratories.