Frequently Asked Questions about NIE499 Interdisciplinary Capstone Project

Interdisciplinarity is the capacity to integrate data, methods, tools, concepts, theories, and/or perspectives from multiple disciplines or bodies of knowledge to answer a question, to solve a problem, or to address a topic or theme that is too broad or complex to be dealt with by one discipline (Klein, 2021).

An Interdisciplinary Capstone Project is a culminating academic experience that brings together students from diverse disciplines to collaboratively address complex, real-world problems. These challenges are dynamic, multifaceted, and deeply interconnected, making them difficult to resolve within the scope of a single field of study. Addressing such issues effectively requires a combination of perspectives, methodologies, and expertise from multiple disciplines.

As part of this experience, students are encouraged to step beyond traditional disciplinary boundaries, embracing new ways of thinking and problem-solving. Rather than seeking a single ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ solution, they learn to evaluate solutions based on their effectiveness, feasibility, and ethical implications. The goal is to develop wellreasoned and contextually appropriate responses to complex societal and global challenges.

The capstone project is worth 10 credit units (cu), reflecting its significance as a major academic undertaking that requires sustained effort, research, and collaboration. This experience prepares students to work across disciplines in their future careers, fostering innovation and holistic problem-solving in professional and academic settings.

The Interdisciplinary Capstone Project is only open to students pursuing honours and enrolled from the July 2023 semester onwards, in the programmes listed below. 

The following programmes will be offering the Interdisciplinary Capstone Project, in place of the current capstone project:

	Full-time undergraduate	Part-time undergraduate
School of Business	• BSc (Hons) Business Analytics • BSc (Hons) Finance • BSc (Hons) Marketing • BSc (Hons) Supply Chain Management
School of Humanities and Behavioural Sciences		• BA (Hons) Sociology
School of Science and Technology	• BSc (Hons) Information and Communication Technology	• BSc (Hons) Biomedical Engineering • BSc (Hons) Digital Media • BSc (Hons) Information and Communication Technology • BSc (Hons) Information and Communication Technology (Integrated Pathway) • BSc (Hons) Information Technology and Business (ERP) • BSc (Hons) Mathematics

The Interdisciplinary Capstone Project will be launched in the July 2026 semester and will be offered once a year in the July semesters.

The Interdisciplinary Capstone Project is designed as a one-year course. However, students may be allowed to complete it within one semester if they achieve a score of at least 75% in their first group assessment, which is the project proposal, and if they can demonstrate the feasibility of completing the project within that shortened timeframe. This accelerated pathway must be approved by the Project Supervisor, Project Sponsor, and Course Chair.

The course code and title of the Interdisciplinary Capstone Project is NIE499 Interdisciplinary Capstone Project. Students are required to register for NIE499 during eCR. Registration for NIE499 is unlike the other NIE courses. Students who have fulfilled the prerequisites will secure a place in NIE499 upon registration. After eCR, CIEL will conduct a separate project ranking exercise for students who registered for NIE499 to indicate their top 5 preferred projects as well as group members (if you are able to form a group). Please be assured that the project ranking exercise will only commence after all students who are supposed to register for NIE499 have successfully done so.

If you have fulfilled the prerequisites but are unable to register for NIE499 during eCR, please contact [email protected] and we will assist you.

If, for any reason, one of your proposed group members cannot be enrolled in NIE499, you may use the NIE499 Marketplace to find peers with similar project interests. The NIE499 Marketplace will be accessible from 25 March 2026 onwards. Alternatively, CIEL will assist you in forming a complete group so that you can still participate fully in NIE499.

To take the Interdisciplinary Capstone Project, students must have completed or be currently pursuing 90 CU, excluding SUSS Core and minimum of 30 CU of level 2 or above courses in the major.

If you are on the Work-Study Degree (WSD) programme and are in Semester 3.2 of your studies but have not yet met the prerequisites for NIE499 due to a shortage of CUs resulting from the programme structure of WSD, please write to [email protected] and we will advise you on the next steps.