Double Degree Program

Ad Hoc Double Degree Programmes with Bachelor of Business Administration

The Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) is a pre-eminent broad-based leadership and management talent programme for sensitive, inquisitive and articulate students.

Besides specially customised double degrees and concurrent degrees developed by the School of Business and partnering Faculties or Departments (e.g. BBA+Communications, BBA+Engineering, BBA+Law), any eligible NUS non-Business undergraduate student can construct an ad hoc double-degree combination with the BBA or the BBA Honours (BBA(H)) programme. Students with time pressure could read instead the 12-module BBA-subset Major in Management, or even the 6-module Minor in Management.

Excellent Biz students with a wide vision have the additional option of pursuing concurrently the public-sector-MBA-like Master in Public Policy from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy. These students also have the opportunity, given an extra half-year, of adding another master's degree (dual masters): an MPA from Columbia in New York, LSE in London, or Sciences Po in Paris, all of the Global Public Policy Network (GPPN). Thus, the best among them may accelerate and take only 5 years in all for the bachelor and dual masters. Eligible Biz students may also gain an ad hoc double degree in one of the many areas offered by other NUS faculties.

A student obtains 2 degrees inscribed on 2 separate degree scrolls after completing a double degree programme. The student's non-Business degree must be with Honours (4-year equivalent).

The rest of this page applies to any ad hoc programme put together by an originally non-Business student. (Some information is provided for a Business student putting together an ad hoc double degree programme with a partnering non-Business department or faculty, which is only possible for a student intending to be in the BBA(H) program. Henceforth, such a student is referred to as a BBA(H) student, for simplicity. In general, all relevant regulations below apply reciprocally to the BBA(H) student.)

Before double counting, the BBA programme requirements comprise of 22 modules; the BBA(H) has 5 more. The BAC programme requirements comprise of 26 modules and the BAC(H) has 5 more modules.

At the normal pace of 10 modules yearly, double degree programmes with BBA or BBA(H) may take between 4.5 years and 5 years respectively. For double degrees programme with BAC or BAC(H), that may take slightly longer.

Details below are stated in terms of Modular Credits (MCs). Please note that currently most School of Business modules carry 4 MCs, and may be studied in any order, provided that the pre-requisites (if any) are fulfilled.

1. Applying to the BBA Programme
2. Acceptance Criteria
3. Exiting from the BBA Programme
4. Level of Study in the BBA Programme
5. Minimum MC Requirements for Double Degrees
6. Module Requirements and Double Counting
7. Minimum Residency and Maximum Period of Candidature
8. Computation of CAP
9. Fees
10. Awards, Dean's List, and Conferment of Degrees

 

A student generally must apply for the BBA programme soon after completing 60 or more MCs for the first time, except that he/she may still apply until soon after having completed 80 or less MCs for the last time (roughly, "between completing 60 and 80 MCs"; these MCs must be obtained from NUS modules, and must not include transferred credits earned via Student Exchange Programmes, or Advanced Placement Credits). Thus, a student generally must apply just after the third or fourth semester.

The student must apply to the School of Business through the partnering non-Business Faculty (by writing to its Vice-Dean (Academic)), which would forward the application if it approves. [BBA students wishing to apply for double degrees must or write to the School of Business Assistant Dean (Undergraduate Academic & Admin), with a copy to the BBA Senior Manager. At the time of their applications, they need not have done enough Business modules to qualify for the BBA(H), but if they do not subsequently qualify, they cannot continue with the double degree programme.

Students who would like to pursue a double degree are advised to plan their modules carefully even before their third or fourth semester.

 

The minimum Cumulative Average Point (CAP) requirement for acceptance to the BBA programme for all non-Business students is 4.0 (between completing 60 and 80 MCs). (A BBA(H) student must also have a CAP of at least 4.0 when applying to another school/faculty.) In making a judgement about ability and potential, the School of Business and the partnering Faculty/Faculty would generally consider whether the student has read some modules in the BBA programme.

Other students applying to our BAC programme must taken and have obtained at least B+ grades for either or both ACC1002 Financial Accounting and ACC2002 Managerial Accounting modules.

Students must generally have a pass in 'AO' Level Mathematics or 'O' Level Additional Mathematics, or otherwise demonstrated equivalent preparation. The student's non-academic activities in NUS will be considered, and he/she usually would also have to attend an interview.

Although not an explicit requirement, good communication and inter-personal skills are definite pluses, and fine writing skills help. 'A' Level-equivalent Mathematics may be useful with some BBA module combinations.

A successful student is admitted into the BBA programme in the first instance, may later be admitted into the BBA(H) programme upon fulfilling the requirements, even though the programme may not be for double Honours initially.

 

A student may decide to withdraw, can be deemed to have withdrawn, or can be made to withdraw from the BBA programme. However, the student is not allowed to withdraw from the Partner's non-Business degree programme and transfer to the BBA programme. A student who exited from the Partner's non-Business Honours programme would be deemed to have automatically withdrawn from the BBA Programme.

After withdrawal from the BBA programme, all the modules that the student had taken to fulfil the requirements of the BBA programme will be reflected in the transcript, and included in the computation of the CAP for the Partner's degree programme. Some BBA modules may then count towards the Major or Minor in Management, a subset of the BBA programme.

Students who do not maintain a CAP of 4.0 in modules contributing to the Partner's degree for any two consecutive semesters will be deemed to have withdrawn from the BBA programme. (This section also applies reciprocally to a BBA(H) student admitted into a double-degree programme with another faculty).

 

To be allowed to pursue the BBA programme, a student must pursue Honours in the Partner's degree programme, i.e. a student may pursue either Honours in both degrees, or only Honours in the Partner's degree and non-Honours in the Business programme.

Student’s promotion criteria as follows:

BBA1/BAC 1:   Student who has completed less than 40MCs worth of modules.

BBA2/BAC2:    Student who has completed at least 40MCs worth of modules.

BBA3/BAC3:    Student who has completed at least 80MCs worth of modules, but not eligible for (or choose not to pursue) the honours programme.

BBAH/BACH:   Student who has completed at least 80MCs worth of modules, with a CAP score of at least 3.5 and accept the offer to be in the honours programme.

 

The minimum MC requirements for double degrees are as follows:

(a) A Partner's Honours degree and a BBA/BAC Degree: 180 MCs
(b) A Partner's Honours degree and a BBA/BAC Honours Degree: 200 MCs

The actual total MCs will be dependent on the requirements of the two degrees and how much double counting is possible between the two programmes.

A double degree with BBA/BAC and BBA(H)/BAC(H) must therefore involve at least 20 and 40 extra MCs (5 and 10 modules) respectively.

 

(a) The student will, in consultation with the undergraduate advisors of the School of Business and the partnering Faculty/Department, work out the requirements for the double degree programme. NUS undergraduate degrees have the following requirements:

 

Degree Requirements

University Level Requirements

Singapore Studies Module General Education Modules Breadth Modules (may be used for external Minor/2nd-Major or DDP)

Programme Requirements

Faculty Requirements (none for BBA) Department Requirements Major Requirements (Essential Modules, Restricted Elective Modules)

Compulsory/Foundation Modules Specialisation Requirements or replacement modules

Unrestricted Elective Modules (may be used for Minor, 2nd Major or DDP) Optional:

Second Major Minor Second Specialisation Third Specialisation

 

The following tables summarize the MCs required for BBA, BBA(H), BAC and BAC(H).

(i) For students who entered NUS in 2012:

 

Non-honours BBA with Partner's Honours programme:

Requirements	BBA Programme	BBA in Double Degree Programme
University Level Requirements	Total 20 MCs	Total 12 MCs (double counted)
General Education Modules	8 MCs	8 MCs
Singapore Studies	4 MCs	4 MCs
Breadth Modules	8 MCs	Exempted for Double Degree
Business Major Requirements	Total 88 MCs	Total 88 MCs (up to 29 MCs may be double counted)
Foundation Modules	64 MCs	64 MCs Business or Substituting Modules
Essential Modules	24 MCs	24 MCs Business or Substituting Modules
Unrestricted Elective Requirements	Total 12 MCs	Exempted for Double Degree
TOTAL BBA Requirements	120 MCs	100 MCs
Partner's Faculty and Major Requirements
TOTAL Double Degree Requirements		180 MCs (minimum)

*Curriculum and modules listed are subject to change without notice. MC requirements may vary.

 

 

BBA(H) with Partner's Honours programme:

Requirements	BBA(H) Programme	BBA(H) in Double Degree Programme
University Level Requirements	Total 20 MCs	Total 12 MCs (double counted)
General Education Modules	8 MCs	8 MCs
Singapore Studies	4 MCs	4 MCs
Breadth Modules	8 MCs	Exempted for Double Degree
Business Major Requirements	Total 108 MCs	Total 108 MCs (up to 36 MCs may be double counted)
Foundation Modules	64 MCs	64 MCs Business or Substituting Modules
Essential Modules	24 MCs	24 MCs Business or Substituting Modules
Thesis or Replacement Modules	12 MCs	12 MCs
Field Service Project	8 MCs	8 MCs
Unrestricted Elective Requirements	Total 32 MCs	Exempted for Double Degree
TOTAL BBA(H) Requirements	160 MCs	120 MCs
Partner's Faculty and Major Requirements
TOTAL Double Degree Requirements		200 MCs (minimum)

*Curriculum and modules listed are subject to change without notice. MC requirements may vary.

 

Non-honours BAC with Partner's Honours programme:

Requirements	BAC Programme	BAC in Double Degree Programme
University Level Requirements	Total 16 MCs	Total 12 MCs (double counted)
General Education Modules	8 MCs	8 MCs
Singapore Studies	4 MCs	4 MCs
Breadth Modules	4 MCs	Exempted for Double Degree
Business Major Requirements	Total 84 MCs	Total 84 MCs (subject to double counting)
Foundation Modules	60 MCs	60 MCs Business or Substituting Modules
Essential Modules	24 MCs	24 MCs Accounting Essential (ACC3601, ACC3602, ACC3603, ACC3604, ACC3605, ACC3606) or Substituting Modules
Unrestricted Elective Modules	Total 20 MCs	20 MCs of Accounting Professional Modules (ACC3611, ACC3612, ACC3613, ACC3614, ACC3615)
TOTAL BBA Requirements	120 MCs	116 MCs
Partner's Faculty and Major Requirements
TOTAL Double Degree Requirements		180 MCs (minimum)

*Curriculum and modules listed are subject to change without notice. MC requirements may vary.

 

BAC(H) with Partner's Honours programme:

Requirements	BAC(H) Programme	BAC(H) in Double Degree Programme
University Level Requirements	Total 16 MCs	Total 12 MCs (double counted)