The second major/minor in Computing (Design and Engineering) is only open to students reading a common admission Engineering primary major, an Architecture primary major, an Industrial Design primary major, or a Landscape Architecture primary major.

The following groups of students are precluded from taking the second major/minor in Computing (Design and Engineering):

• Students who are not reading a CDE primary major;
• Students reading Computer Engineering as a primary major;
• Students taking a second major or minor in Computer Science

• Students may apply at the point of admission, where the selection criteria are based on their university admission score and/or their proficiency in mathematics.
• “In-flight” (i.e., current) CDE students may also apply for this second major/minor during the prescribed application window via EduRec in semester 2 of their Year 2 studies, or in semester 2 of their Year 3 studies.

The differences are in the programme core and the units required.

• Core Requirements: 24 Units (6 courses) for the second major, and 12 Units (3 courses) for the minor.
• Unit requirements: 40 Units for the second major, and 20 Units for the minor.

Second major/minor in Computing (Design and Engineering) are restricted programmes which in-flight students must apply during the prescribed application window via EduRec in semester 2 of their Year 2 studies, or in semester 2 of their Year 3 studies. It is not possible to apply during Year 1.

Students who complete a double major, specialisation and/or minor successfully will receive one degree scroll for the primary major only.  The second major, specialisation and/or minor will, however, be reflected in the student’s transcript.

Possible career options are (not exhaustive):

• AI/Data Engineer
• Biomechanics Engineer
• Computational Materials Engineer
• Computational Mechanics Engineer
• Computer Hardware Engineer
• Design Technologists
• Digital Architect
• Digital Manufacturing Engineer
• Games Developer
• Process Optimization Engineer
• Robotics / Automation Engineer
• Software Engineer
• Smart Building Designer
• UI/UX Designer
• Verification & Validation Engineer
• Virtual/Augmented Reality Architect

Yes, if the student plans well then the UE space is sufficient to complete the second major/minor in Computing (Design and Engineering) and another specialisation within CDE as some courses can be double-counted towards the minor/second major/specialisation requirements.  Please refer to NUS double-counting policy for second major and minor.

FYP/capstone project is not under the requirements of the second major/minor.  However, a student who wishes to work on a computing-focused FYP/capstone project may consider choosing such projects within the student’s primary major.

The second major/minor in Computing (Design and Engineering) programme will open up new avenues for careers within one’s primary major as well as the whole of engineering and design with the contextualisation of computing requirements. The idea is not to compete directly, though overlaps are inevitable in certain fields.

There is no penalty for withdrawal from the second major/minor programme. The courses studied could be counted towards the student’s UE space.

The core between the two programmes may seem similar but CDE’s second major/minor in Computing (Design & Engineering) is contextualised for design and engineering. This is to ensure that students are equipped not just with the tools and techniques to do computing but also exposed to practical computing complex problems in CDE. This is further demonstrated in the choice of computing-related electives from a wide range of discipline-relevant electives across the CDE spectrum.

Some EE and CS electives are very similar; to avoid students from double dipping, e.g., taking a specialisation in EE and a second major/minor in CS for similar elective courses, EE students are not allowed to take the second major/minor in CS.  The second major/minor in Computing (Design and Engineering), on the other hand, is contextualized for design and engineering, and hence does not have this concern.

The Computer Engineering degree is explicitly designed (built from ground up) for systems involving intimate hardware-software interaction and cyber-physical systems. The second major/minor in Computing, on the other hand, augments the essential computing skills that are required for engineers with CDE-specific contextualization.  

The main aim of the minor in Data Engineering programme is to train graduates with the ability to handle and manage the large volume of data generated by the industry and glean actionable insights from that data.

The second major/minor in Computing would augment the essential computing skills that are required for engineers with CDE-specific contextualization which would include but not limited to handling large data.

Students completing the second major/minor in Computing (Design and Engineering) will be able to:

1. Understand fundamental computing concepts and the underlying components that are required for the operation of computing systems;
2. Analyze complex problems and use computing-based tools and techniques to find solutions to these problems;
3. Apply cross-disciplinary tools and techniques to the analysis and design of practical strategies for digitization and automation;
4. Evaluate emerging technologies in the area of computing and their potential impact on society and industry;
5. Gain critical-thinking, perspective-sharing and team-working skills.

The following combinations are strongly recommended for synergy between the chosen programmes:

• Second major in Computing (Design & Engineering) + minor in Data Engineering
• Minor in Computing (Design & Engineering) + specialisation in Space Technology, Internet of Things, Robotics, Industry 4.0, Advanced Electronics, Sustainable Electric Transportation