A good command of English provides a strong platform for a learner to successfully complete a degree programme. Full-time undergraduate students who do not meet the essay passing grade during admission interview will be required to complete SDE103 and SDE104 courses.
As such, all part-time undergraduate students admitted to Singapore University of Social Sciences from the January 2016 intake (with the exception of the Chinese, Early Childhood, Malay and Tamil undergraduate programmes) need to attain at least one of the following:
- a Grade B4 in GCE 'O' level English Language, or
- a Grade B4 in GCE 'AO' level General Paper, or
- a Grade B4 in English Paper 121, 1120 or 1119 at SPM, or
- a Grade C in Literature in English/English Language and Linguistics/Knowledge and Inquiry in GCE 'A' level /H2 level, or
- a Grade C in H1 General Paper, or
- a Grade 4 in English for IB Diploma holders, or
- a CAP of 3.0 in English Language for NUS High School Diploma holders, or
- an IELTS (Academic)# score of 6.5, or
- a TOEFL# score of 580 (paper-based) or 237 (computer-based) or 85 (internet-based)
#IELTS/TOEFL must be obtained within the last 5 years at point of admission
If not, students will be required to complete the course SDE101 Essential English Skills and English Proficiency Assessment that will evaluate students' English skills in listening, reading, grammar and writing, by the end of their first term. This requirement does not apply to selected undergraduate programmes where the English Language requirement is an admission criterion.
The respective students who pass SDE101 or SDE103 and SDE104 will be considered as having met the English Proficiency (EP) needs.
To ensure that students acquire proficiency in the English language, passing SDE101 will be specified as a graduating requirement with effect from January 2019 intake. Students who fail SDE101 must complete four Language Enhancement Courses (LECs) that are specially designed to strengthen their English language skills and help them do better in their academic studies. However, students who fail SDE101 in the first attempt are eligible to retake the diagnostic test a year after the previous attempt. If students pass in any of the subsequent attempts, they will be exempted from the remaining language enhancement courses from the following term. Unlimited attempts to retake the diagnostic test will be given to students who have 40cu remaining in their candidature.
The fee for SDE101 will be waived for the 1st attempt and it will be charged at $36.90 (inclusive of GST) from 2nd attempt onwards. The LECs are either free of charge or cost between $70 and $80 (inclusive of GST). You are advised to take at least one LEC per term; failure to complete any of the LECs will result in the restriction of the number of credits (to a maximum of 10cu per semester) you are allowed to take in subsequent semesters.
The fee for SDE103 and SDE104 is waived.