NUS Graduate Diploma in Systems Analysis

M@gicUs3r

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not sure leh, you can have all the fee details in the official website

If I’m not wrong, Feb 2019 intake was around 9k for tuition fees. For this intake of Aug 2019 was 10k. For next Feb 2020 intake it has currently been increased to 16k.

https://www.iss.nus.edu.sg/graduate-programmes/programme/detail/graduate-diploma-in-systems-analysis
 

At Least

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Hi All, anyone graduated from this ISS DIPSA course here? Can pls help to advise if it's good enough to help you find a satisfying job to start with in IT field?
 

daniel4165

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Hi All, anyone graduated from this ISS DIPSA course here? Can pls help to advise if it's good enough to help you find a satisfying job to start with in IT field?

I haven’t graduated from course. I new batch. But I got some advise because I thought about this exact thing.

Ask yourself why you want to take this course first. I took this course because I realised I really enjoyed programming, and want to enter this field as the next part of my career.

If you haven’t tried programming before, take some online courses first. It’s free and easy to find. See if you like programming first. And if you don’t like programming, please don’t do it.

Got a lot of other fields that pay good money too, and won’t make your head want to explode.

Note that this course is geared towards teaching you full stack development. Full stack development a lot things to learn. Like, really a lot of things to learn. You see online they can have hour long video to just list down things you should learn for full stack. I think even if I work and study for the next ten years, I still won’t call myself a good full stack developer. Forever need to upgrade and learn new technologies. So to reiterate again, you really need to like programming.

If you focus on building up a good portfolio, develop the skills employers want, you can have a high chance of getting a good job. If you just hope passing the course magically will get you a good job, then unlikely lah.
 
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Armaggeddonz1

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Anyone from the current batch of august 2019 intake ? Can advise on the percentage of locals taking this course currently ? day to day timetable for this course ? Intensity of this course for someone with no coding background as well as job prospects after passing this course?
 

anonanon1

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Anyone from the current batch of august 2019 intake ? Can advise on the percentage of locals taking this course currently ? day to day timetable for this course ? Intensity of this course for someone with no coding background as well as job prospects after passing this course?

Quite a number of Singaporeans, but there are more foreign students.

9-5.

Course is very intense, but not impossible.

By end of first semester you should have basic knowledge of:
1) HTML/CSS/Javascript (Client Side)
2) C#/SQL/ASP.NET (Server Side)

If you have no coding background, there is a high chance you will struggle to keep up.

My advice? At the bare minimum, learn front-end development first. If you have time, learn back-end development as well.

1) HTML/CSS/Javascript is a given.
2) Learn about editor tools like Visual Studio Code
3) A front-end framework like React/Vue/Angular
4) Git version control to allow you to work in teams
5) HTTP/JSON/APIs

For backend development:

1) Backend coding language: C# with ASP.NET/NodeJS with Javascript/PHP with Laravel, etc.
2) Be comfortable with databases. SQL MS Server/MySQL/etc.
3) Learn about ORM like entity framework for ASP.NET
4) Understand HTTP Request/Response cycle

There are a lot more to learn for both front-end & back-end development, but the above would be a good start. And no, you can't learn programming in a few months.

If you can create personal projects on Github showcasing your ability to perform both frontend/backend or what we call fullstack development, you would have a good job prospects.
 
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Armaggeddonz1

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Quite a number of Singaporeans, but there are more foreign students.

9-5.

Course is very intense, but not impossible.

By end of first semester you should have basic knowledge of:
1) HTML/CSS/Javascript (Client Side)
2) C#/SQL/ASP.NET (Server Side)

If you have no coding background, there is a high chance you will struggle to keep up.

My advice? At the bare minimum, learn front-end development first. If you have time, learn back-end development as well.

1) HTML/CSS/Javascript is a given.
2) Learn about editor tools like Visual Studio Code
3) A front-end framework like React/Vue/Angular
4) Git version control to allow you to work in teams
5) HTTP/JSON/APIs

For backend development:

1) Backend coding language: C# with ASP.NET/NodeJS with Javascript/PHP with Laravel, etc.
2) Be comfortable with databases. SQL MS Server/MySQL/etc.
3) Learn about ORM like entity framework for ASP.NET
4) Understand HTTP Request/Response cycle

There are a lot more to learn for both front-end & back-end development, but the above would be a good start. And no, you can't learn programming in a few months.

If you can create personal projects on Github showcasing your ability to perform both frontend/backend or what we call fullstack development, you would have a good job prospects.
Hi anon,

Thanks so much for the reply. I am actually contemplating whether to register for this program as it is stated on NUS ISS post-grad brochure that there is a employment rate of 90% upon graduating from this program but im not sure if this statistics is accurate as it feels somewhat too good to be true ?

Also, it is stated on the website that the starting salary for fresh IT grad is around 3.6k - 3.8k which i personally feel that the amount is somewhat inflated and the average salary of NUS ISS graduates is probably much lower than that amount ?

Kinda in a dilemma whether to register for this program as i heard stories about previous graduates where they break down and cry simply because they couldn't keep up with the pace of the program and also the fact that the course fees for Feb 2020 batch has increased to 16k which i feel is a huge investment considering it is a 1 year program with a 5 month internship so essentially you are paying 16k for like 6-7 months of lessons in school ? But i guess it is the reputation of NUS as well as the connection to big companies for internship that is attracting foreigners as well as locals to sign up for this program. Just really unsure if this investment will be worth it
 

anonanon1

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Hi anon,

Thanks so much for the reply. I am actually contemplating whether to register for this program as it is stated on NUS ISS post-grad brochure that there is a employment rate of 90% upon graduating from this program but im not sure if this statistics is accurate as it feels somewhat too good to be true ?

Also, it is stated on the website that the starting salary for fresh IT grad is around 3.6k - 3.8k which i personally feel that the amount is somewhat inflated and the average salary of NUS ISS graduates is probably much lower than that amount ?

Kinda in a dilemma whether to register for this program as i heard stories about previous graduates where they break down and cry simply because they couldn't keep up with the pace of the program and also the fact that the course fees for Feb 2020 batch has increased to 16k which i feel is a huge investment considering it is a 1 year program with a 5 month internship so essentially you are paying 16k for like 6-7 months of lessons in school ? But i guess it is the reputation of NUS as well as the connection to big companies for internship that is attracting foreigners as well as locals to sign up for this program. Just really unsure if this investment will be worth it

I can't answer on employment rate or salary, as I lack details.

I can't provide a good answer on whether the investment would be worth it for you either.

On the point about struggling, it is like downward spiral:
1) You struggle to understand concept A & B.
2) You get tasked to do work that require you to understand concept A & B.
3) You need to understand concept A & B to understand concept C, and you struggle further
4) You get tasked to do work that requires you to understand concept A, B & C
5) You get tasked to do a project that requires you to understand concepts A/B/C/D/E/F + concepts not taught in class (It's common to need to learn stuff on your own, it is just the nature of the field)
6) You fail, and rely on others to complete project. You learn nothing from the project.
7) Cycle continues and more new concepts are introduced.

But of course there are also a lot of students who are enjoying their time in the course. So it really depends on the person and their motivation for taking the course.

There are lots of resources online to help you get started. Don't join the course before realizing that you dislike coding. Now that would be a bad investment!
 
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Armaggeddonz1

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What is your main motivation for wanting to register ?
Just to provide some context:

I actually graduated from university with a language related degree a few months ago and have been going for countless interviews up till today. However, i always get rejected at the very first round of interview by email or in some cases, the hiring manager won't even bother to inform me through email. Also, the salary im asking for is actually in the mid 2k which i feel is sort of the market rate for my degree. I would say i have a slight interest in coding as i often see coding related videos on youtube so thats about it.

To sum things up, my main motivation to register is firstly because of my interest as well as the potential of coding as Singapore is looking at the smart nation initiative. Secondly, the starting pay of fresh IT grads as the salary is easily 3k and above. But, i just have my doubts about the credibility of this course as 6 months is frankly speaking abit to short to train someone to be competent in coding n programming.
 

havetheveryfun

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Just to provide some context:

I actually graduated from university with a language related degree a few months ago and have been going for countless interviews up till today. However, i always get rejected at the very first round of interview by email or in some cases, the hiring manager won't even bother to inform me through email. Also, the salary im asking for is actually in the mid 2k which i feel is sort of the market rate for my degree. I would say i have a slight interest in coding as i often see coding related videos on youtube so thats about it.

To sum things up, my main motivation to register is firstly because of my interest as well as the potential of coding as Singapore is looking at the smart nation initiative. Secondly, the starting pay of fresh IT grads as the salary is easily 3k and above. But, i just have my doubts about the credibility of this course as 6 months is frankly speaking abit to short to train someone to be competent in coding n programming.

going for so many interviews as a fresh grad is normal.. even experienced graduates are having problems securing a job nowadays...

starting pay of fresh IT grads easily 3k and above - please la, that is what the media wants you to believe.. those 3k and above for fresh grads, multiple interviews, multiple rounds of tests for programming, the media only paint the nice picture but never tell you all the hoops and throughs one might have to go through in order to get the job..

you say you have interest in coding.. but only watch coding related videos on youtube.. that is not interest at all. try to code a single program from scratch (watch + do).. then that is real interest. from there you will be able to see whether you got interest or not.

currently it seems like you are just looking to this as an escape because you cant find a job as a fresh grad..

but if you really have interest in coding and dont want to spend so much on the course yet, let me suggest an alternative.. ask some of these companies for an 3-6 month internship/part-time in programming related roles.. after all you dont have a job now and this way you wont need to spend 16k to gauge your interest in this industry.. you will be surprised a lot of them are willing to give you this chance if you can show you really have an interest in coding to them .. after that then you can decide whether you want to spend the 16k to further your ooportunities or who knows maybe the company decides to hire you full time..
 

FrostWurm

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Just to provide some context:

I actually graduated from university with a language related degree a few months ago and have been going for countless interviews up till today. However, i always get rejected at the very first round of interview by email or in some cases, the hiring manager won't even bother to inform me through email. Also, the salary im asking for is actually in the mid 2k which i feel is sort of the market rate for my degree. I would say i have a slight interest in coding as i often see coding related videos on youtube so thats about it.

To sum things up, my main motivation to register is firstly because of my interest as well as the potential of coding as Singapore is looking at the smart nation initiative. Secondly, the starting pay of fresh IT grads as the salary is easily 3k and above. But, i just have my doubts about the credibility of this course as 6 months is frankly speaking abit to short to train someone to be competent in coding n programming.

Not to sound discouraging, but for better or for worse, there is some form of a pecking order when it comes to employing fresh grads.

A common filtering process is as such:

1) Do you have a relevant internship?
2) What is your major?
3) Which university are you from?

I think even if you do enter and graduate from the course, you will probably end up doing business analyst or project manager roles. If you really want to code then you will have to put in a lot more effort.
 

Armaggeddonz1

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going for so many interviews as a fresh grad is normal.. even experienced graduates are having problems securing a job nowadays...

starting pay of fresh IT grads easily 3k and above - please la, that is what the media wants you to believe.. those 3k and above for fresh grads, multiple interviews, multiple rounds of tests for programming, the media only paint the nice picture but never tell you all the hoops and throughs one might have to go through in order to get the job..

you say you have interest in coding.. but only watch coding related videos on youtube.. that is not interest at all. try to code a single program from scratch (watch + do).. then that is real interest. from there you will be able to see whether you got interest or not.

currently it seems like you are just looking to this as an escape because you cant find a job as a fresh grad..

but if you really have interest in coding and dont want to spend so much on the course yet, let me suggest an alternative.. ask some of these companies for an 3-6 month internship/part-time in programming related roles.. after all you dont have a job now and this way you wont need to spend 16k to gauge your interest in this industry.. you will be surprised a lot of them are willing to give you this chance if you can show you really have an interest in coding to them .. after that then you can decide whether you want to spend the 16k to further your ooportunities or who knows maybe the company decides to hire you full time..
Alright, thanks so much for the advice !
 

Armaggeddonz1

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Not to sound discouraging, but for better or for worse, there is some form of a pecking order when it comes to employing fresh grads.

A common filtering process is as such:

1) Do you have a relevant internship?
2) What is your major?
3) Which university are you from?

I think even if you do enter and graduate from the course, you will probably end up doing business analyst or project manager roles. If you really want to code then you will have to put in a lot more effort.
I actually graduated from a lower tier local university with a language related degree and did not have any relevant internship to my course of study. Main reason being that i did not realize the importance of relevant internship experience back in my university days and my friends around me did not feel that internship was all that important.

However, all of them managed to secure a job one month after graduation, but they were in the finance industry though. I really felt like i was the odd one out without a job and that i was letting my parents down.

I happen to chance upon the grad dip program online and felt like it was my chance to redeem myself even though im in my mid twenties and it would probably be the last time i would embark on a path of formal education. It's kinda like a leap of faith for me.
 

Armaggeddonz1

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kinda same situation as you. I think if you are < 6mths since graduation, you might be able to get an internship. I assume you are from local uni? You can go back to the career office to look for them for resume help and use your school career account before it expires.

If your parents are supportive of higher education and can help pay for it, I would say go for a Master' program in something that is subsided by the government (by coursework). It will give you another year for you to rebrand.

Alternative pathway: there are bootcamps hosted by the polytechnic nowadays, like the NP data science, NYP marketing. Those cost about 1k and maybe you can take a look.

Sometimes really if need to put food on table, I think just get a random job first la, it hurts the soul but this is the sad reality.

Humanities degree should be able to get a job in government related industry/ mass comm? If you are interested in marketing, you can try those social media jobs, which require good writing skills.
kinda same situation as me ? u just graduated from a local uni few months ago too ?

I actually applied for a social media job a few months back but i got rejected after the first round of interview as the interviewer was looking for someone with a marketing degree with at least 1 yr of exp.

Worst comes to worse, most likely i will just get a random job to tank first. Really kills me deep down inside but i guess this is the price i have to pay.
 

Armaggeddonz1

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Hi,

Has anyone taken the aptitude test for the upcoming Feb 2020 batch of GDipSA program ? Anyone has any idea what is the minimum passing mark to score for the test in order to be shortlisted for a interview?

Was feeling quite demoralized after doing the test as i realized the 1 hour time frame to attempt a total of 40 questions was definitely not a walk in the park and i eventually didn't have time to do quite a few questions relating to the math calculations. The equations were all damn freaking long as compared to the sample Aptitude Test. Therefore, i was wondering if there is some form of cutoff point for the test or it will be based on the quota for locals and non-locals alike ?
 

kaylelel

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Hi,

Has anyone taken the aptitude test for the upcoming Feb 2020 batch of GDipSA program ? Anyone has any idea what is the minimum passing mark to score for the test in order to be shortlisted for a interview?

Was feeling quite demoralized after doing the test as i realized the 1 hour time frame to attempt a total of 40 questions was definitely not a walk in the park and i eventually didn't have time to do quite a few questions relating to the math calculations. The equations were all damn freaking long as compared to the sample Aptitude Test. Therefore, i was wondering if there is some form of cutoff point for the test or it will be based on the quota for locals and non-locals alike ?

Hi took the test yesterday and received an invite for the interview today - I didnt managed to complete about 8 questions (just randomly pick a choice to shade in the end)
 

Armaggeddonz1

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Hi took the test yesterday and received an invite for the interview today - I didnt managed to complete about 8 questions (just randomly pick a choice to shade in the end)
You must be really good at the math component then considering the fact that you only left out 8 questions. Personally, I must have left out more than 10 questions during my attempt at the test itself.

Did the invite for the interview indicate whether it is a 1 to 1 interview or will it be a group interview ?

Any seniors able to share their previous experiences on the interview itself ?
 

silentears

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Hi,

Has anyone taken the aptitude test for the upcoming Feb 2020 batch of GDipSA program ? Anyone has any idea what is the minimum passing mark to score for the test in order to be shortlisted for a interview?

Was feeling quite demoralized after doing the test as i realized the 1 hour time frame to attempt a total of 40 questions was definitely not a walk in the park and i eventually didn't have time to do quite a few questions relating to the math calculations. The equations were all damn freaking long as compared to the sample Aptitude Test. Therefore, i was wondering if there is some form of cutoff point for the test or it will be based on the quota for locals and non-locals alike ?

high chance to get in, even if u don't finish the paper. 40q/60mins not meant to accurately finish all. but skip those that need more than 1 min / question.

i dont think many locals applied, so long as you have a local uni degree with 2nd lower, should be alright.

just need to talk your way through in the interview + repeat what you wrote in the personal statement.

why u want to be in the program, how you cope, career outcome, how you got the "spark".

regarding your 1st question you can pm me.
 
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