Insitute of systems science

Graduate Diploma in Systems Analysis - August 2007 and February 2008 Intake

Programme Synopsis

The Graduate Diploma in Systems Analysis programme is designed for non-IT graduates
who recognise the need to equip themselves with the latest IT knowledge and skills,
and wish to advance their careers in their current field. It also provides an
opportunity for non-IT graduates in crafting a new career path in the IT industry.

In this eleven-month FULL-TIME programme, students are taught how to built IT solutions through lectures, workshops, laboratory sessions, projects and industrial attachments. Students will also learn and practise the techniques taught to gather user requirements, systematically analyse and design feasible solutions; they will then move on to code, test and implement these solutions. The numerous projects in this programme give students many hands-on practices to deliver IT solutions covering client/server, internet/intranet and wireless platforms.

The programme emphasises building and enhancing essential soft skills such as project management qualities, independent/co-operative team working attitudes and effective team leader techniques. Students will be assigned to work in "Project teams" learning through "on the job training".

By the end of the programme, students will have a good grasp of Object-Oriented analysis and design based on Rational Unified Process (RUP) and Unified Modelling Language (UML). They will also be introduced to Object-Oriented programming using C# .Net with Visual Studio IDE, Java. JSP (Java Server Script), EJB (Enterprise Java Bean) on J2EE. In addition, they will be proficient in building internet solutions using ASP.NET and Web Services and mobile solutions using WML and J2ME.

Future Careers
Having graduated twenty-five batches of students, this programme is going into its 26th year. Many of our graduates are now prominent senior IT professionals, who have benefited from this programme. The curriculum is frequently reviewed and revamped to ensure that the skills taught are those crucially needed by the IT industry.

Our graduates are employed in IT positions such as:

* IT Auditor
* IT Security Administrator
* Systems Analyst
* Systems Programmer
* IT Consultants
* IT Marketing Executive
* Web Developer
* Project Leader
* Application Engineer
* System Specialist
* IT Engineer

Moving On
Many of the graduates from this programme further upgrade their skills after a few years in the IT industry। They are fully eligible to take up Master programmes with NTU, NUS and other universities. A number of them enrolled into ISS' "Master of Technology (Software Engineering)" : a part-time programme designed for working IT professionals and managers who wish to upgrade their knowledge and skills while pursuing their careers.

Registration & Information » Admission Requirements

Applicants must possess the following pre-requisites:

* Bachelor degree from a reputable university
* Proficiency in the English Language (written and spoken)
* Some work experience preferred
All applicants are required to take an aptitude test. Shortlisted applicants will also need to attend an interview.
Foreigners are welcome to apply.
It should be noted that all decisions in the application process are at the discretion of ISS management.

Registration & Information » Fees, Funding & Loans

A non-refundable applicaiton fee of $32.10 (inclusive of 7% GST) must accompany your application. Payment can be made through:
# Cash/NETS (if in Singapore, from Mondays to Fridays)
# Cheque/bankdraft (payable to "National University of Singapore". On the reverse side of the cheque/bankdraft, please write your name and contact number)
# Credit card (only Visa and MasterCard are accepted).

Any queries about payment (or telegraphic transfer payment mode), please contact Ms Betty Seow at isssls@nus.edu.sg or +65 6516 6607.

Successful applicants (accepted into the programme) are required to pay the following fees:

Fees for Academic Year 2007-2008 (SA27)
Registration fee Annual Tuition Fee Exam fee Miscellaneous fee Health & Insurance
Singaporeans and Permanent Residents $52.50 $5,450 $262.50 $193.60 $114.55*
Foreigners $52.50 $6,000 $262.50 $193.60 $114.55*
Fees for Academic Year 2008-2009 (SA28)
Registration fee Annual Tuition Fee Exam fee Miscellaneous fee Health & Insurance
Singaporeans and Permanent Residents $52.50 $5,450 $262.50 $193.60 $114.55*
Foreigners $52.50 $6,000 $262.50 $193.60 $114.55*

* All current and new full-time graduate students must be insured under GMIS, unless they can provide documentary proof of alternative coverage that is acceptable to NUS.
All fees are in Singapore dollars and are inclusive of GST.

Note: Fees are correct at time of posting and are subject to changes without prior notice.

Tuition fee is only payable by GIRO.
Tuition Fee Loan
Up to 90% loan of the tuition fee payable are available for students who are enrolled in the full-time undergraduate and graduate (research and coursework) studies at NUS.

Curriculum » Industrial Attachment

Industrial Attachment (IA) is a very crucial component in the Graduate Diploma in Systems Analysis Programme. This is where students are sent to work in a real-life setting. They have to quickly adapt to companies' working culture, pick up new technical skills and domain knowledge if required, propose feasible IT solutions, develop and deliver the solution to the satisfaction of their users.
The life cycle of an IA Project can be very unpredictable. User requirements, project schedules and end product expectations change as the project progresses. Students have to be versatile and flexible to handle these challenges to complete the IA project.
Our past students have found IA experience very rewarding and a necessary transition stage to prepare them for an IT career life।

Curriculum » Terms and Exams

27th Intake
11 months
(1st August 2007
to
31st July 2008) Semester Duration
Semester 1 10 weeks
(lectures, workshops, projects, continuous assignments)
3 Day Semester Break
Semester 2 16 weeks
(lectures, workshops, projects, continuous assignments)
One Week Semester Break
Industrial
Attachment 5 months
Daily attendance from 9am to 5pm

(Note: Semester break and duration may be subject to change.)

28th Intake
11 months
(February 2008
to
January 2009) Semester Duration
Semester 1 10 weeks
(lectures, workshops, projects, continuous assignments)
3 Day Semester Break
Semester 2 16 weeks
(lectures, workshops, projects, continuous assignments)
One Week Semester Break
Industrial
Attachment 5 months
Daily attendance from 9am to 5pm

(Note: Semester break and duration may be subject to change.)

Exams
Paper 1 20-30% Continuous Assessment Week 1 to week 10 of semester 1
70-80% Open Book Written Exam Last week of semester 1
Paper 2 20-30% Continuous Assessment Week 1 to week 10 of semester 1
70-80% Open Book Written Exam Last week of semester 1
Paper 3 20-30% Continuous Assessment Week 1 to week 10 of semester 2
70-80% Open Book Written Exam Week 12 of semester 2
Paper 4 20-30% Continuous Assessment Week 1 to week 10 of semester 2
70-80% Open Book Written Exam Week 12 of semester 2
Paper 5 20-30% Continuous Assessment Week 1 to week 10 of semester 2
70-80% Open Book written exam Week 12 of semester 2
Paper 6 100% Project Last 4 weeks of semester 2
Industrial
Attachment
Project 100% Project, Presentation & Reports 5 months of Industrial Attachment with external organisastion

To be awarded the Graduate Diploma in Systems Analysis, students are required to

* Fulfill the minimum attendance rate
* Complete all continuous assessments
* Pass all exam papers
* Attain the minimum Cumulative Grade Point
* Complete the Industrial Attachment satisfactorily।

Curriculum » Modules
	Once every two years, ISS will organise a Curriculum Review Meeting with senior executives of prominent IT industry players to review the curriculum of the 'Graduate Diploma in Systems Analysis' programme. The purpose of this review is to ensure that the skills and knowledge taught are relevant and up-to-date. The IT industry in Singapore is evolving very quickly. It is important that ISS equips the students with leading edge skills and knowledge for their future IT careers.
	Methodology Application Development Life Cycle In this unit, students are guided, step by step, to perform the tasks and produce the deliverables in the various stages/phases of an application development life cycle. The unit focuses on Business Modeling, Requirement Gathering, Analysis, Design, Testing and Implementation. The life cycle adopts the Object Oriented approach using Unified Modelling Language (UML) as a standard notation and is based on the Rational Unified Process (RUP). A real life business scenario is created to allow students practise every stage of the development life cycle through 'on-the-job-training' in an IT Project Team. Technology Distributed Computing Infrastructure This unit introduces the various hardware and software components that make up a distributed computing infrastructure. The purpose and functions of these components and their roles in the implementation of a distributed enterprise IT solution are explored. Databases Databases Students will learn the functions and purposes of databases in IT applications. This unit will explain Database Management System (DBMS) concepts and the architecture components of a typical DBMS. SQL Programming To teach students the role and importance of SQL as a database manipulation, definition and control language. SQL concepts, components, capabilities and usages will be introduced. In addition, students will learn to develop stored procedures on SQL server. They will also learn fundamental database administration tasks with the aid of developer tools. Programming: C# Suite Fundamentals of Programming using C# This unit lays the foundations for programming. Programming logic development using flow charts and pseudo codes will be covered in detail. The module uses C# language constructs for demonstrating programming concepts. Emphasis will be laid on structured programming approach for software development. The unit will be supported by workshops that would illustrate programming situations in the Business Environment. Object Oriented Programming using C# This unit focuses on building a strong Object Oriented Programming (OOP) foundation for the students. It emphasises best practices of OOP and provides in-depth knowledge on software development using Object-Oriented techniques. Concepts such as classes, inheritance, polymorphism, and interfaces are taught with numerous examples. Students are given ample workshops to implement these OOP concepts using the C# language. User Interface Development with Visual Studio.NET and C# This unit teaches students to effectively develop Graphical User Interface (GUI) using Visual Studio.NET Integrated Development Environment (IDE) and C#. Through examples and workshops, the students will learn the features and functionalities of a typical IDE for GUI Application development. Upon completion, students will be well versed in the development of function rich clients and will be able to carry out programming using Visual control with clear understanding of their properties, methods and events. Developing Enterprise Systems with .NET Framework This unit covers the development of IT solutions for a distributed infrastructure. Student will learn to develop different types of software components to run on client machines and server machines. Microsoft .NET will be used for the client side development with SQL Server as the database. The unit will expose students to advanced concepts such as creating user-defined objects with ADO.NET and transaction management. Development of MIS reports with the aid of reporting tools and integration of the Client Server model will also be taught. Programming: Java Suite Java Programming This unit provides a clear understanding of Object Oriented Programming (OOP) with Java as the vehicle. Apart from preparing the students on OOP, the unit will provide extensive coverage on the features of the Java language. Data structures and algorithm development will be taught. The unit includes File Input/Output handling and Multi-threading models. Advanced Java Students will learn Java Database Connectivity (JDBC) architectures and Java Data Objects (JDO) to obtain persistence objects. They will use these knowledge to develop Java-based solutions accessing database information. Building Enterprise Application using J2EE This module provides concepts of J2EE platform. Students will learn to develop programs using JSP, Servlets and EJBs and will deploy them in an enterprise architecture. Internet based development will also be covered. Internet Application Development Multimedia And Internet Technology The unit covers the Web page development using HTML programming. It also introduces Web publishing tools for Web page development. The unit focuses on the design and development of multimedia elements for the Web environment. The multimedia elements will include graphics, audio, video and animation. The tools used for the Multimedia content creation include Macromedia Director, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Premiere, Creative Wave Studio and etc. The students will also be using equipment such as the Digital Camera, Scanner and Video Capturing Tool. Internet Programming With Microsoft .NET Framework This unit provides an insight to the Back Office integration on Web platform. It covers the advanced internet programming on both the client and server sides. The client side technology discussed in this module includes JAVASCRIPT, ACTIVE X control and Java Applets. The server side technology will include ASP.NET and ADO.NET. The unit will also include integrating the Web application with the Back Office database management system using the different server side technologies. Project Management Roles and Responsibilities This unit introduces students to the various types of IT professions and the organisation structure of a typical IT department in a company. Students will be able to understand the roles and responsibilities of various state holders in an IT project. Project Planning and Control This unit prepares students to meet the challenge of managing IS projects. Students will get an appreciation of the discipline through an introduction to the nature of project management, management areas, common difficulties in managing IS projects, human factors in project management, and the project management methodology. Project planning techniques such as work breakdown structure, cost estimation, precedence analysis, scheduling and cost benefit analysis are covered. Change Management and Control In this unit, students will learn to expect the many changes that will surface in the life cycle of an IT project. Students will learn to evaluate and prioritise these change requests and to manage risk in delay in project delivery. Business Communication Effective business communication is one of the critical factors in the success of an IT project. In this unit, students will learn and practise good interviewing techniques to derive requirements from 'End Users'. They will learn to prepare and deliver quality presentations to End Users, Management and other IT stakeholders. Mobile Solution Mobile Application Development In this unit, we will cover technology aspects in mobile wireless technology development. It includes wireless network infrastructure (2.5G, 3G, bluetooth), mobile application architecture, mobile user interface design and mobile application development. It introduces J2ME architecture, CDLC and MIDP API. Students are required to understand the role of J2ME in wireless development and are expected to do an assignment which covers the design and development of a mobile wireless application using J2ME (Java 2 Micro Edition). In addition, development of enterprise application using SMS (Short Messaging Services) is also covered.