What would you get when you add Art, Design and Media to the classical Engineering studies? You get a whole new exciting programme called the Bachelor of Engineering in Information Engineering and Media.

"I have always wanted to develop the artistic side of me, but my stronger interest in scientific courses precluded any pursuit of that interest until now. This programme, with its fusion of art and media with engineering, is the perfect answer for me. It has made it possible for me to express myself creatively and artistically through engineering."

… Chew Siew Mooi - IEM pioneer cohort / NJC

"Exposure to different perspectives and viewpoints at IEM has helped me to think more creatively and out of the box. And being in IEM-Econs double degree programme definitely boosts my employability in the future since the programme trains me to be an all rounded person."

… Lim Shiyun - IEM-Econs1 / VJC

"I knew that I wanted a multidisciplinary education since secondary school. IEM programme has courses I am interested in - engineering, art and media. Every lecture and tutorial is always a fun and enriching experience."

… Yee Miao Ling – IEM1 / RJC

"I recommend this course to those who are considering their options after polytechnic as it gave me a sense of belonging in the school and the drive to succeed no matter what the odds are."

… Sitti Fatimah – IEM2 (Direct-Entry) / NYP

• To train professional Infocomm engineers with strong technical skills to meet the demand for Infocomm manpower.
• To train engineers with an exposure to the artistic and creative processes and equip them with an understanding of the needs of the growing media industry.
• To provide graduates with a strong foundation in mathematics, information sciences and soft-skills for diverse careers and life-long learning.
• To develop graduates with a good understanding of their roles in society and a strong sense of ethical and professional responsibilities.

The programme is mainly technical. Sixty percent of the curriculum is devoted to technical courses in Information and Communications Engineering, such as programming, computer hardware/software, communications and networking, and digital audio/image/video processing. This strong emphasis on technical foundation produces infocomm professionals equipped to work in the IT, computer and communications industries.

The programme also exposes students to the artistic and creative aspects of the media industry. About 20% of the curriculum is devoted to courses such as digital art and design, animation and game design, and radio/TV/movie production. This part of the curriculum allows students to graduate with a sound knowledge of media design and production in line with industrial needs. The graduates will be able to work with media designers in content creation, production and delivery. They will be in a unique position to better understand the needs of the content creators and to develop new technologies and tools which will help the Media industry achieve higher productivity and elevate it to the next level of excellence.

Besides the specialized training, students are ensured a holistic and rich learning experience, as 20% of the curriculum is devoted to broadening courses in arts, humanities and social sciences, science and technology, and business and communication skills. These arm students with the capacity to readily adapt to the demands of tomorrow.

The combined inter-disciplinary qualities of an engineer and an economist will be highly valued in the globalised environment of the future. Offered in partnership with NTU’s School of Humanities and Social Sciences, this programme aims to equip graduates with excellent knowledge and competency in both engineering and economics. With the changing dynamics of global economy, growing resource scarcity, and escalating societal and environmental concerns, engineers of the future will face increasing challenges to reconcile engineering activities with these considerations.

The double degree programme is specially tailored for academically confident and all-rounded students. Students will earn two honours degrees in five to five and a half years and can expect diverse career opportunities in the public and private sectors.

"As IEM is still a fairly young course, and this is the first time NTU is offering double degree programmes in Engineering and Economics - I knew I was undertaking quite some risk in choosing IEM-Econs double degree programme (IEEC) for my undergraduate studies. Thankfully, I am now glad that I have made the choice to join this double-degree programme.

Whether I would be able to cope well with 2 degrees was definitely one of my concerns. IEM itself offers very diverse fields of study in engineering, the arts and the media. To take on Economics as well would require that I be a very all-rounded person and a Jane of all trades. After resolving some timetable issues however, as we got started with the modules - I realised that I had worried unduly. Clearly, some degree of discipline and time management is needed, but once I got used to the pace and learning style - I found that taking double degrees worked towards my favour. It developed me a lot more holistically, and trained me further to view things from different perspectives. I could also see how the different fields actually interact and overlap - something not possible if I was only taking on one degree. Indirectly, this helped me perform better in both degrees.

In addition, the IEM cohort is a very small one. It is one of the rare courses for which you can actually know everyone else and vice versa (if not in your course - in your year at least). The friends that I have made in IEM, while it’s a little corny to say this, have brightened up my NTU life considerably. It really feels like being part of a very large family in IEM. The IEM activities as featured on the News and Events have helped bond the IEM students really well. At the same time, I have a lot more chances to interact with other people also taking Economics too. The friends I have made there are very close to my heart too. This extension of social network has not only made me a happier person, but provided a lot of support whenever I feel down or dejected.

I am grateful that I have made this choice, given all the benefits - foreseen and unforeseen - that I have enjoyed."

… Lim Shiyun - IEM-Econs1 / VJC

(Click on the image to download the IEM programme brochure)