Independent Study Courses
An ISC is a non-compulsory, 4-unit course that provides an excellent opportunity for students to engage in in-depth investigation of a particular topic or issue that resides within a business major. ISC is conducted on 1:1 instructor-student ratio, such that the instructor (i.e. the ISC supervisor) ensures that the student receives dedicated guidance and supervision throughout his/her study and inquiry into the problem statement. As such, this tailored approach facilitates a deep understanding and mastery of the chosen subject that might not be achievable through standard coursework.
A student considering an ISC should first thoroughly evaluate whether his/her specific academic interests and learning objectives can be met through existing classroom-based courses. Only if the learning needs remain unmet should he/she proceed with an ISC application, ensuring that this specialized course truly adds value to his/her educational journey. As the learning and assessment activities for ISC are research in nature, it is essential that ISC takes place over a span of 13-15 weeks within a regular semester.
ISCs are coded at difficulty levels 3xxx and 4xxx (Advanced ISC), where the latter involves relatively greater complexity in terms of the definition of problem statement, the extent of primary data collection, as well as the depth of analysis and interpretation of results.
Students are allowed to read up to a maximum of 8 units of ISC/Advanced ISC. Only 4 units can be used to count towards a specialisation, a BIZ major, a BIZ 2nd major, or a BIZ minor. Students reading the 2017 BBA/BAC curriculum (i.e. the old curriculum) seeking to complete level 4xxx course work to fulfil honours requirements may also read ISC/Advanced ISC for this purpose. Students who wish to read more than one ISC during their candidature should consult the BBA office (write to BIZ_CourseReg@nus.edu.sg, append the most recent study roadmap and AFG What-if query report) to seek further guidance.
The ISC Application form can be downloaded here . All submissions of ISC Application (appended with all necessary supporting documents) for the review/approval by the deanery of Undergraduate Studies should be done latest by the Monday of Week 1 in Semester 1 or 2 of the Academic Year. Late submissions will not be considered. Submissions should be made via email to Mr. Liong Wai Loon (wailoon@nus.edu.sg).
For students who are taking ISC with REx(Research Experience Programme), kindly note that the deadline for the submission of the REx application is by the 3rd week of either Semester 1 or 2 of the Academic Year. This timeline is independent from the ISC Application deadline stated in the preceding paragraph.
You may view the list of specialization courses under Specializations section here.
If you have further enquiries about the ISCs courses, please contact Mr Liong Wai Loon (wailoon@nus.edu.sg)