The Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD), which
aims to nurture "technically grounded leaders and innovators for
society", is hitting its target.
Results of the first graduate employment survey released by
university on Monday, showed that its pioneer cohort of engineering
graduates had job prospects comparable to those of other university
graduates here.
The median gross salary of graduates from SUTD's three engineering
courses is $3,600. This compares with the median gross salaries of
mechanical engineering, industrial systems engineering and computer
engineering graduates from the National University of Singapore
(NUS) and Nanyang Technological University (NTU) last year, which
range from $3,200 to $4000.
In particular, the median gross salary for graduates from SUTD's
information systems technology and design course is $3,950.
Information systems graduates from the Singapore Management
University (SMU) had a median gross salary of between $3,500 and
$3,800.
Some 85 per cent of SUTD's 187 graduates in the labour force were
employed within six months of completing their final examinations
last year. This trails slightly behind the 90 per cent employment
rate for graduates from the other universities, which released
their yearly survey results earlier in March this year.
SUTD provost Chow Tow Chong attributed this to the trend of some
graduates who are working on start-up or entrepreneurship
initiatives, as well as some who have chosen to take a gap year
after graduation.
As of March 15, more than 90 per cent of SUTD graduates have found
full-time employment.
The survey was conducted with 298 fresh graduates, with a
participation rate of 86 per cent.
SUTD offers a total of four courses: engineering product
development, engineering systems and design, information systems
technology and design, and architecture and sustainable design.
Data from the architecture course will be released in 2020 after
graduates go through their practical training.
ST