Frequently Asked Questions


What does the NTU undergraduate curriculum structure look like? 

You will be required to take the following combination of Core & Major Prescribed Electives, ICC Core (7 modules) and Foundational Core modules, and Broadening & Deepening Electives:


What core ICC courses am I required to take?

You will be required to take seven core ICC courses in the first 2 years of your undergraduate education at NTU.

 

How many AUs do the seven core ICC courses add up to?

The seven core ICC courses are divided into two large categories.

  1. Four modules cover Key Transferable Skills and
  2. 3 modules explore the Global Challenges that the world today is faced with.

Together, these seven core ICC courses add to a total of 17 AUs.

KEY TRANSFERABLE SKILLS
CC0001 -  Inquiry and Communication in an Interdisciplinary World  2 AUs
CC0002 - Navigating the Digital World
2 AUs
CC0003 - Ethics and Civics in a Multicultural World 
2 AUs
ML0004 - Career & Innovative Enterprise for the Future World 2 AUs
GLOBAL CHALLENGES
CC0005 - Healthy Living and Wellbeing3 AUs
CC0006 - Sustainability: Society, Economy and Environment3 AUs
CC0007 - Science and Technology for Humanity3 AUs

 

Why are the seven core ICC courses compulsory? 

The seven core ICC courses focus on key transferable skills and global challenges using an interdisciplinary and collaborative approach to learning and have been designed to connect theoretical and practical learning, and also to expose students to hard knowledge and soft skills.

This is to:

  1. Ensure that all NTU graduates are exposed to a holistic education that is grounded in future-ready skills; 
  2. Equip NTU graduates with the skills to acquire new knowledge and adapt to several career changes over their lifetime; and
  3. Prepare NTU graduates for lifelong learning and global citizenship. 

 

When am I required to take the ICC courses? When must I complete my ICC courses by?

Generally, most students will take the ICC courses in their first and second year of their undergraduate education. In exceptional cases, students will be allowed to spread out their ICC courses beyond Year 2. This is however reviewed on a case-by-case basis and is subject to approval.

Your School designs your study plan across your undergraduate years. You should approach your School for further assistance. 

UG Year 1UG Year 2
CC0001 -  Inquiry and Communication in an Interdisciplinary World  ML0004 - Career & Innovative Enterprise for the Future World
CC0002 - Navigating the Digital WorldCC0006 - Sustainability: Society, Economy and Environment
CC0003 - Ethics and Civics in a Multicultural World CC0007 - Science and Technology for Humanity
CC0005 - Healthy Living and Wellbeing 

 

NBS students will take ML0004 in their first year in preparation for their internship at the end of Year 1. 

 

 

Why has NTU introduced the ICC? 
The ICC has been introduced as part of the NTU 2025 Strategic Plan which details NTU’s education, research and innovation ambitions as well as its goals and the specific actions that will be taken to achieve them. 

The plan highlights three major goals for NTU:
  1. Achieving uniformity of excellence in all activities;
  2. Growing NTU's national, regional and global impact; and
  3. Deepening disciplinary strengths while nurturing greater interdisciplinary collaborations that span the entire spectrum of our core activities.
The ICC courses have been introduced as part of the core curriculum for every NTU undergraduate and are designed to prepare future-ready graduates who: 
  1. Possess interdisciplinary knowledge and skills; and
  2. Have the ability to make connections and adapt to an unpredictable and fast-changing world marked by evolving technologies, volatility and uncertainty. 

 

What are the objectives of the ICC?
The objectives of the ICC are 3-fold:
  1. Interdisciplinary - the curriculum brings together ideas and perspectives from different disciplines to allow students to understand issues from various viewpoints – this gives the NTU graduate an edge in the workforce as you will be able to combine skills and knowledge to create value in a quickly evolving landscape.
  2. Collaborative - the ICC courses allow you to learn to discuss and work on problems, projects and assignments in multidisciplinary teams – this is a vital skill given that the problems you will face in the workforce will be inter-related and cannot be tackled by single-domain expertise.
  3. Core - the ICC courses have been designed to align to the 3Cs expected of all NTU graduates: Character; Competence; and Cognitive Agility.

 

Why is interdisciplinary learning important? How will the ICC courses be of benefit to me?

Interdisciplinary learning allows you to be more adaptable in the workplace as you would be able to leverage on your knowledge to switch and think critically across different subject areas / disciplines. This ability helps you remain competitive in a VUCA world where employers increasingly value people with application-oriented knowledge who are able to view tasks and challenges in multiple dimensions to solve increasingly complex problems. 

The ICC courses will allow you to: 
  1. Develop a more comprehensive understanding of complex situations from different perspectives;
  2. Make intellectual connections across disciplines more quickly and easily;
  3. Apply and connect ideas from different fields to find creative solutions to the world’s increasingly more complex problems;
  4. Be effective in communicating and working with people from diverse backgrounds; and
  5. Be equipped for professions and careers that are constantly evolving.

 

 

Are there exams for the seven core ICC courses?
All seven core ICC Courses have no final examinations. The final grades for your seven core ICC courses will be based completely on class assessments. 


Do the seven core ICC courses count towards my CGPA?
The seven core ICC courses are letter graded (i.e. you will get an A+, A, A-, B+, B, B- etc.) and will count towards your Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA). 
 


What can't ICC courses be considered as Pass/Fail courses? Why aren't students given the option to S/U (Satisfactory / Unsatisfactory) an ICC course?   
The seven core ICC courses are core courses. All core courses in NTU are compulsory and letter-graded and will count towards your final CGPA.

 

What happens if I fail one of the seven core ICC course?

As the seven core ICC courses are core courses, you will be required to retake and pass all of them to graduate.

Unless you qualify for the freshman year GPA exemption (applicable to all courses taken by students for the first time in Year 1), both the F grade as well as the new grade obtained in subsequent attempts will be reflected in your transcript and will be counted in the computation of your CGPA. Note that failed grades under the freshman year CGPA exemption will still be reflected in your transcript even though they will not count towards your CGPA.

 

 

How am I registered into the various ICC courses?
Registration into the various ICC Courses will be done by your School and not ICC Office. You will need to approach the Undergraduate Academic Office of your School for assistance on queries and matters related to course registration (CR). 


Can I decide on the study year and semester I wish to offer a particular ICC course in?

Schools will decide on the study year and semester in which the different ICC courses should be offered based on the curriculum structure of the programme you are taking.

You are strongly encouraged to follow the curriculum structure and the study plan designed by your School to ensure that you do not end up overloading yourself in any one semester. You also want to ensure that you are taking the requisite core courses in the planned order. 


Generally, ICC office recommends that students take up to two ICC courses in any semester unless their school decides or recommends otherwise.

You should approach your School should you have queries related to course registration or wish to deviate from your study plan.

 

Can I drop an ICC course? 
The 7 core ICC courses are compulsory. You will be required to complete and pass all 7 core ICC courses before graduation. You are not allowed to drop any of the 7 core ICC courses. 


Is there a STARS guide I can refer to?
More information on STARS can be found on OAS' page on course registration on the Intranet here.


Can I swap indexes? How can I swap indexes? When can I swap indexes?

You may swap indexes on your own with a peer from the same College enrolled into the same ICC course during the course registration (CR) and Add-Drop period.  During the CR period, the swapping of ICC indexes has to be done during your scheduled CR timing. However, the peer that you wish to swap with does not have to share the same CR timing as you.   

 

The tutorial group I am trying to swap myself into still has vacancies but STARS says that I cannot swap into the index. Why?

Each tutorial group comprises a mix of students from each of the Colleges as well as LKCMed and NIE. Vacancies are allocated accordingly by College.

Two possible reasons for why you may have not been successful in swapping into a tutorial group of your choice:

  1. The vacancies in the index allocated to your College for that particular tutorial group is already full. The vacancies that you are seeing in the class are likely in an index allocated to a different College; and
  2. You may be trying to swap into an index that has not been allocated to your College. 

 

 

There is a clash between the ICC course I've been enrolled into and a core module I am required to take. What should I do?
You will need to approach your School for assistance to deconflict your timetable. Your School can help register you into a different index for the ICC course you are required to take. 


I wish to take a BDE but it clashes with the timing of the lecture slot for one of the ICC courses (CC0002, CC0003 or CC0006). What should I do? 

The lecture slots on week 12 and week 13 for CC0002, CC0003 and CC0006 are for an in-person end-of-semester quiz. The actual quiz date is on week 12. Week 13 has also been reserved for the make-up quiz, should you have to miss the week 12 quiz with a valid reason. 

The end-of-semester quiz for CC0002, CC0003 and CC0006 is COMPULSORY. The marks obtained will count towards your final grade for the course.

If you wish to sign up for a course that clashes with the timing of the end-of-semester quiz for CC0002, CC0003 and CC0006, you will need to do the following:

1) Write to the Course Coordinator of the other course to get their permission to miss lessons for Week 12.

2) Once you have the approval of the other Course Coordinator, write to ICC Office ([email protected]) informing of the clash. In your email, clearly articulate that you are aware that the week 12 quiz session for the ICC course in question is compulsory and that you understand that you will have to attend the quiz for the ICC course in-person on week12. In the same email, please state that you understand that you will have to miss the class running on week 12 for the other course you intend to sign up for. Attach the email approval given by the other course instructor / coordinator. Copy your school's undergraduate academic office in all your emails.

Once all is in order, ICCO will write back to your school to indicate that we have no objections to the clash on condition that you turn up in-person on week 12, for the end-of-semester quiz for the ICC course in question. 

 

 

Why are there late evening lecture sessions for CC0002, CC0003 and CC0006? Why do these late evening lecture sessions have multiple venues? 

Students enrolled into the CC0002, CC0003 and CC0006 will see a 6:30pm to 9:20pm lecture slot reserved on their timetable for both week 12 and week 13. This slot is for the end-of-semester quiz which is a compulsory in-person quiz. The actual quiz will be conducted on week 12. You will be required to attend the quiz in-person on week 12 unless you have a valid reason for being absent.  

The quiz dates are as follows:

CC00029 November 2023 (Thursday)
6:30pm - 9:20pm
CC00037 November 2023 (Tuesday)
6:30pm - 9:20pm
CC00068 November 2023 (Wednesday)
6:30pm - 9:20pm

 

The multiple lecture venues refer to all the LTs which have been booked for the quiz. 

The respective Course Coordinators will provide further details on the quiz timing as well as the allocated venue once the semester starts. 

You will be required to take the in-person quiz on week 12. However, should you have a valid reason (e.g., approved short leave, MC or hospitalisation leave) to miss the quiz on week 12, a make-up quiz will be held on week 13. No further make-up quizzes will be conducted should you miss the make-up on week 13.    


Why is there a late night lecture slot for CC0005?

Students enrolled into CC0005 will see a late night (from 11:00pm to 11:20pm) lecture slot on their timetable.

You may ignore this lecture slot - you only need attend the CC0005 tutorial slot that appears on your timetable.

The lecture slot is a placeholder slot to allow for students enrolled into CC0005 to flow into the correct lecture sites on NTULearn. The CC0005 Course Coordinator will clarify once the semester starts. 


 

Who do I approach if I have course related queries?

Write to your specific class instructor or the Course Coordinator of the course in question.

The list of Course Coordinators for AY2023 S1: 

CC0001
Angela Frattarola (Dr)
CC0001Illyas Lim Effandi (Mr)
[email protected]
CC0001Katharine Wright (Dr)
[email protected]
CC0001Keri Matwick (Dr)
[email protected]
CC0002Michael Tan (Dr)
[email protected]
CC0002Vidya Sudarshan (Dr)
[email protected]
CC0003Felix Tan (Mr)
[email protected]
CC0003Kwa Kai Xiang (Dr)
[email protected]
ML0004Kelvin Lee (Dr)
[email protected]
ML0004Patricia Lai (Ms)
[email protected]
CC0005Evelyn Au (Dr)
[email protected]
CC0005Nurliyana Binte Daros (Ms)
[email protected]
CC0006Edson Kieu (Dr)
[email protected]
CC0006Lim Tuti Mariana (Dr)
[email protected]
CC0007Jennifer Cash (Dr)
[email protected]
CC0007Jeremy Sng (Dr)
j[email protected]

 


Who do I approach if  I have general ICC course-related questions?

Direct general ICC course-related questions to ICC Office at [email protected],

Questions related to course registration as well as year of study you should take your ICC course in should be directed to your School. 

 

 

Is attendance for all ICC tutorial sessions compulsory?

All ICC courses are 100% CA. Class participation is one of the CA components. Being absent from class will affect your class participation scores.  

What should I do if I am absent from class or the end-of-semester quiz?
Absence from class should be covered by an MC, hospitalisation leave or official approved short LOA. Email your class instructor to inform of your absence with the attached documentary proof (e.g. MC, hospitalisation leave, approved short LOA). Do also copy the course coordinators and [email protected]. You will also have to submit your MC to your School to get official approval for short LOA.

Who should I write to if I have feedback to provide?

Email ICC Office at [email protected].

You have our assurance that all feedback will taken seriously. Any identifying information will be kept strictly confidential to protect your identity.