Why Communications and New Media?
Today’s media companies are seeking individuals who not only can perform the duties of a journalist or a public relations or advertising practitioner, but who are also comfortable with visual design and content production for digital media.
Here at the National University of Singapore (NUS), the Department of Communications and New Media (CNM) uses an integrated and multidisciplinary approach that reflects today’s converged media environment. Students gain exposure to journalism and public relations, visual design, game design and even human computer interaction − all within one academic department.
![youtube-video-thumbnail](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/uf8hEYtPtx8/maxresdefault.jpg)
![youtube-video-thumbnail](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/iz0iQIeQMQI/maxresdefault.jpg)
Message from our
Head of Department
Professor Audrey Yue is the Head of Department of Communications and New Media. She was previously Director of the Research Unit in Public Cultures at the University of Melbourne and currently serves as an External Academic Advisor to the Department of Cultural Studies at Lingnan University (Hong Kong). As part of her engaged research practice, she has established more than 16 industry partnerships across the government and NGO sectors of migrant youth, multicultural arts and cultural development. Between 2010-2012, Prof Yue was also a Ministerial Appointment to Australia’s Victorian State Government’s Multicultural Arts Policy Advisory Committee. Her notable works include Promoting Sustainable Living, Transnational Australian Cinema and Queer Singapore, among many others.
Curriculum
Single Major [B.Soc.Sci (Hons)]
To graduate with B.Soc.Sci (Hons), students need to pass at least 68 Units of NM or NM-recognised courses, which include:
- NM1101E Gateway Course
- NM2101
- NM2103
- NM2104
- NM3550C (see note below)
- A minimum of 16 Units from Level 3000 (not inclusive of NM3550C)
- A minimum of 20 Units from Level 4000 or above (up to a maximum of 2 Level 5000 NM courses, subject to department's approval)
Note: Single-major students may read TR3202 (12 courses) in place of NM3550C.
Second Major
To graduate with a Second Major in CNM, students need to pass at least 40 Units of NM or NM-recognised courses, which include:
- NM1101E Gateway Course
- NM2101
- NM2103
- NM2104
- A minimum of 16 Units from Level 3000
Note: Level-5000 NM courses are not allowed for second majors.
Minor
To graduate with a Minor in Communications and New Media, students need to pass at least 20 Units of NM courses, which include:
- NM1101E Gateway Module
- NM2101
- An additional 12 Units of NM-prefix courses, of which a minimum of 4 Units are from Level 3000 or higher.
Minor in Interactive Media Development
With almost every aspect of our lives being influenced by interactive media, it is increasingly important for students from all backgrounds to be aware of how these new technologies are designed and developed. The interdisciplinary Minor in Interactive Media Development, open to students from any NUS faculty or discipline, is designed to support this need by providing an introduction to the theory and practice of interactive media development.
For Communications and New Media students, the Minor provides an opportunity for students to take a selected group of relevant Computer Science (CS) courses in a structured manner. These courses provide exposure to media production, media technology, and human computer interaction. Similarly, for Computer Science students, the Minor provides a structured way for students to take a selection of Communications and New Media (NM) courses related to game design, interactive art and entertainment, and interaction design. For other students, the Minor provides a chance for students who are interested in interactive media design and development to take a sampling of both CNM and CS courses, all of which are chosen to provide insight into the interactive media development process.
Complete 20 Units of courses from the NM and CS course lists below, of which at least 12 Units must be taken from outside the full set of courses which make up the student’s primary major.
Up to 8 Units of courses may be used to satisfy both major and minor requirements. Students must take courses from both the NM and CS course lists, with at least 8 Units from the NM list and 8 Units from the CS list.
*For non-CS students, please note that NM2207 is acceptable as a prerequisite for CS3240. However, also note that CS1010 is a preclusion for NM2207, so students planning to take NM2207 should do so before taking CS1010.
Course List:
NM Courses | CS Courses |
NM2207 Computational Media Literacy | CS1010 Programming Methodology or its equivalents |
NM3217 Principles of Communication Design | CS3240 Interaction Design |
NM3230 Digital Storytelling | CS3249 User Interface Development |
NM3243 User Experience Design | CS4240 Interaction Design for Virtual and Augmented Reality |
NM4208 Strategic Communication Design | CS4249 Phenomena and Theories of Human-Computer Interaction |
NM4259 Mobile Interaction Design | CS4350 Game Development Project |
NM4260 Game Design |
Minor in Cultural Studies
Cultural Studies is an interdisciplinary field focused on the interpretation and understanding of cultural forms and practices, including cinema, cyberspace, social media, popular fiction, popular music, television, and popular art. Although central to daily life in contemporary, high-technology society, many of these contemporary cultural phenomena have been placed outside the boundaries of established disciplines such as sociology, history and literary studies. This is because the concepts developed within individual disciplines are unable to capture their complexities and newness.
This is a very unique programme that allows you to pick and mix courses across various disciplines. Not only could you customise your education to your likes and fancies, you could also try to disrupt the disciplinary thought boundaries of your majors, all to show that you are able to be culturally versatile and have learned to relearn in this new economy.
To graduate with the Minor in Cultural Studies, students must pass a minimum of 20 Units of recognised Cultural Studies Minor courses, which must include:
- NM3241 Cultural Studies: Theory and Practice
- Four elective courses
- A minimum of 8 Units at Level-3000 (including NM3241)
- Students are limited to taking a maximum of two courses (including NM3241) from the same department (outside student's major)
To be announced.
Job Ready
With the multi-faceted understanding of new media and communications gained from our programme, CNM majors will be able to work in a wide spectrum of private corporations and public agencies, in policy formulation, public relations, corporate communication, media and design, research and information management positions.
With almost every aspect of our lives being influenced by interactive media, it is increasingly important for students from all backgrounds to be aware of how new technologies are designed and developed. The interdisciplinary Minor in Interactive Media Development, open to students from any NUS faculty or discipline, is designed to support this need by providing an introduction to the theory and practice of interactive media development.
Because Cultural Studies is engaged with a critical analysis of contemporary culture, a Minor in Cultural Studies can be of use to any job that one wishes to pursue. The ability to read, think, write, and engage critically with all aspects of daily culture is a formidable skill to take into the job market in a knowledge-based economy, especially in an age where cultural consumption is central to the economy.
Communication for Social Impact
CNM strives towards using Communication skills for social good. In this video, find out how Assistant Professor Dr Kokil Jaidka, alongside colleagues from the Faculty of Science, combat Mental Health problems with interdisciplinary solutions.
Why CHS?
The College of Humanities and Sciences (CHS) is the enhanced undergraduate experience for students of the Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences (FASS) and the Faculty of Science (FOS) at the National University of Singapore.
Scale of Impact
Taps and builds on the research expertise of two of the largest and most established faculties in Singapore.
Deliberate Curriculum Curation
A distinct interdisciplinary approach that emphasises the ability to draw connections, discover links and connect insights across disciplines.
Unparalleled Flexibility
Offers greater choice and unparalleled flexibility to pursue breadth and depth from more than 1,000 courses per academic year.
Testimonials
![Screenshot 2021-06-21 at 6.49.31 PM Screenshot 2021-06-21 at 6.49.31 PM](https://fass.nus.edu.sg/cnm/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/Screenshot-2021-06-21-at-6.49.31-PM-300x267.png)
Low Huey Sze
Communications and New Media
Why major in Communications and New Media?
Ever wonder why the "k" you sent over text turned someone off, yet the same message said verbally to someone was not taken as offensive? Communications is such an essential part of our lives that it's almost impossible to go without it. Studying CNM allows us to view communications, something that we often take for granted, in an alternate lens that spans across multiple disciplines, from Psychology to even hard Science! Through engaging in social discourse about communication theories in class, we are able to gather life-changing insights about the way things function in our daily lives that we do not usually notice or contemplate. On top of that, CNM at NUS gives us the opportunity to hone our skills, such as Photoshop or Javascript, and is an avenue for us to see what is truly out there in the world through extra-curricular programmes like panel discussions. Last but not least, CNM is a warm family and a place for us to learn and develop holistically, preparing us for the future ahead of us!
What do you intend to do after graduation?
After graduation, I intend to venture into Health Communications. This is something that I've always wanted to do because I see a lot of potential in how we can better the promotion of healthcare in Singapore. Some might question, "Why didn't you just study Medicine?" For me, I stand by the fact that it takes an outside perspective to be able to investigate something inside out. In healthcare, there just may be things that only someone from another discipline can easily see.
Cheryl Lin
Senior Journalist, Channel NewsAsia
Communications and New Media '17
"Being able to try more things gave me a better sense of what I did and didn’t like. Focusing on CNM equipped me with the foundation for a future in the media and emboldened me in making certain career choices. And as banal as it may sound, one of my biggest takeaways from FASS is learning how to think critically. It’s also been a pleasure to simply learn more about the world around me and the interactions within it.”
![cheryllin cheryllin](https://fass.nus.edu.sg/cnm/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/07/cheryllin-e1627278858624.jpg)
![Screenshot 2021-06-21 at 6.49.31 PM Screenshot 2021-06-21 at 6.49.31 PM](https://fass.nus.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/bb8ba1bd-61fe-4d82-86cf-e0340d26d719_small.jpg)
Tan Seng Chai
Chief Corporate and People Officer, CapitaLand Group
"It's a new normal we live in, and there are critical attributes the next-generation workforce must possess in order to thrive, including the willingness to learn, ability to innovate, and high adaptability. CapitaLand recognises this and proactively collaborates on opportunities that encourage the development of these traits. That is why we're supportive of the curriculum at NUS College of Humanities and Sciences. Its focus on interdisciplinary education coupled with experiential and problem-based learning will allow future-ready CHS graduates to handle a variety of workplace scenarios across different disciplines better, and put them in good stead to ride the waves of the future of work."
The Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, National University of Singapore (NUS) is committed to environmental sustainability.
This e-brochure is part of our sustained effort to reduce waste and foster a culture of care for the environment among the NUS and broader community.