Industrial Attachment

All SCE students (except those exempted) are required to undergo a period of industrial attachment as part of their new undergraduate experience. Depending on the length of attachment, different number of academic units (AUs) will be awarded, and these will count towards the total AUs required for graduation. A PASS mark in attachment is a pre-requisite for the award of the degree.

Various Options of Attachment

Exemption of Attachment

Frequently Asked Questions

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Various Options of Attachment

Attachment	Period	No. of AUs	Assessment
10-week Industrial Orientation (IO)	May / June	4 (make up 6 AUs from General Electives)	1 assessment  + 1 final report
22-week Industrial Attachment (IA)	Jan – Jun Jul – Dec	10	2 assessments + 1 final report
30-week Enhanced Industrial Attachment (EIA) or International Research Attachment (IRA)	Nov – Jun	13 AUs (offset 3 AUs for 1 General Electives)	3 assessments + 1 final report

Industrial Orientation (IO)

• 10-week IO conducted during the vacation after Year 3 Semester 2.
• Students will have to find their own placements and submit programmes to the School via Office of Professional Attachment (OPA) for approval (see Sourcing for Own Placement schemes).
• Assessment is undertaken by their IA organization supervisor and NTU tutor once during week 10.
• Students will need to submit 1 final report in week 10.
• IO constitutes 4 AUs, therefore IO students must make up the shortfall of 6 AUs with General Electives.

Industrial Attachment (IA)

• 22-week IA conducted in Year 3 Semester 1 and/or Semester 2.
• OPA will source for the placements for students. Alternatively, students are allowed to source for their own placements (see Sourcing for Own Placement schemes).
• Students can be attached to industrial organisations / research centres / institutes locally or overseas.
• Assessment is done by their IA organisation supervisor and NTU tutor twice in week 10 and week 20.
• Students will need to submit 1 final report in week 20.
• IA constitutes 10 AUs.

Enhanced Industrial Attachment (EIA)

• For students who prefer to have a longer period with the industry.
• 30-week EIA commences immediately after the examination in Year 3 Semester 1.
• Students will have to source for their own placements (see Sourcing for Own Placement schemes).
• Assessment is done by their IA organisation supervisor and NTU tutor thrice in week 10, week 20 and week 30.
• Students will need to submit 1 final report in week 28.
• EIA constitutes 13 AUs, therefore EIA students are allowed to use the additional 3 AUs earned to offset 1 General Elective.

 International Research Attachment (IRA)

• For students who are interested in applied research projects.
• 30-week IRA commences immediately after the Year 3 Semester 1 examination.
• Students will be attached to overseas research centres/institutes. These placements will mainly come from collaboration between the School and the host university.
• Assessment is done by their IA organisation supervisor and NTU tutor thrice in week 10, week 20 and week 30.
• Students will need to submit 1 final report in week 28.
• IRA constitutes 13 AUs, therefore EIA students are allowed to use the additional 3 AUs earned to offset 1 General Elective.

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Exemption of Attachment

Students may be considered for exemption from industrial attachment (IA) provided they:

• Are polytechnic graduates
• Have at least 2 years relevant work experience
• Submit a letter from employer or ex-employer stating the period of employment and job responsibilities.
• Prepare and submit a report of at least 2000 words on the last 6 months of employment.

Students are advised to apply for exemption as soon as possible, at least six months before the start of their IA. Result of their application will be known two months after the application.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Q	:	Am I eligible for IA?
A	:	Yes, all students are eligible for IA.
Q	:	Can I do IO instead of IA?
A	:	Yes, however you will have to makeup for the shortfall of 6 AUs by taking on additional General Electives.
Q	:	How do I choose between IO, IA and EIA/IRA? Which is better for me?
A	:	It depends on each individual student’s needs. Majority of students will be doing IA, while those who want to be exposed to more industrial experience would prefer to do EIA. IRA is meant more for those who want to do research. The challenge for IO is to find a company that allows students to work only for 10 weeks. SCE in general would not encourage students to take IO unless they really need to do it for unavoidable reasons.
Q	:	Can I do my IA after the final year project?
A	:	Yes, you can. But you may find that you cannot graduate at the same time with the other students since IA will not be completed until after late June or early July.
Q	:	I am an international student and have relevant work experience in my home country. Can I apply for exemption from the attachment?
A	:	Yes, you can provided you have an equivalent diploma and relevant work experience.
Q	:	Is IO / IA / EIA / IRA graded?
A	:	All industrial attachment periods are graded.
Q	:	When do I submit my application for IO placements? And when will I know the result of the application?
A	:	Sourcing for individual placement must be done at least four months before the start of your IO program. Results should be available two months after application.
Q	:	When and how will I be informed of the placement for my IA? Can I request to change the organisation or swap organisation with my friends?
A	:	The Office of Professional Attachment (OPA) will inform students by email when registration is open. Once you have been assigned a company and project, you are not allowed to make changes. So please make sure you have made the right choice, and don’t waste any opportunities provided you.

For further enquiries on attachment, please contact:

Dr Deepu Rajan Email: asdrajan@ntu.edu.sg Tel: 6790 4933