Special Programme in Science (SPS)
What is SPS?
| E-mail Enquiries enquire@sps.nus.edu.sg |
| Student Website sps.nus.edu.sg |
- The Special Programme in Science (SPS) was established in 1996 to nurture enthusiastic students to pursue their passion for science.
- SPS, a melting pot for the sciences, brings together students from the different disciplines of the Faculty of Science into a tightly-knit community.
- Using six tailor-made courses, students have the opportunity to participate in multidisciplinary research, peer learning and student mentorship.
- SPS broadens the experience of students to disciplines outside their major and offers opportunities to do independent research with access to staff and student mentors.
- SPS teaches transferable scientific, computational and communication skills essential for the 21st century workplace.
- In years three and four, after completing the six SPS courses, students can choose to mentor their juniors, thereby enjoying opportunities to refine their leadership and mentoring skills.
Typical Timeline at SPS
For Cohorts AY2020/21 and before:
| Research Oriented Courses (4 Units) | Thematic Courses (4 Units) | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | Semester 1 |
SP2171: Discovering Science (Over two semesters)
|
SP2173: Atoms to Molecules |
| Semester 2 | SP2174: The Cell | ||
| Year 2 | Semester 1 | SP3172: Integrated Science Project | |
| Semester 2 | SP3175: The Earth | ||
| SP3176: The Universe | |||
| Years 3 & 4 | SPS Mentorship / Exchange / UROPS / FYP | ||
For Cohorts AY2021/22 onwards:
| Courses (4 Units) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | Semester 1 | SP2271: Introduction to the Scientific Literature |
| SP2274: Engineering a Life-like Cell | ||
| Semester 2 | SP2273: Working on Interdisciplinary Science, Pythonically | |
| Year 2 | Semester 1 | SP3176: The Universe |
| SP3275: Science for a Sustainable Earth | ||
| Semester 2 | SP3172: Integrated Science Project | |
| Years 3 & 4 | SPS Mentorship / Exchange / UROPS / FYP |
SPS Courses
Research-Oriented Courses
The research-oriented courses of SPS lay the foundation for you to develop essential analytical, computational, communication and interpersonal skills. While these are useful in research, they will also prove invaluable in the 21st-century workplace. After these courses, students will be equipped with the necessary knowledge, skills and experience to evaluate, plan and perform scientific research.
Despite the strong focus on research at SPS, we do not expect everyone joining SPS to go into research or stay in academia. Instead, SP2171 and SP3172 are a quick way to figure out, for yourselves, if you want to be in research or academia while learning invaluable transferrable skills.
SP2171 - Discovering Science (4 Units)
Year 1, Semester 1 & 2
We have designed Discovering Science to equip you with several essential skills (information literacy and literature reviews, writing, presentations, interviews and programming) that any good scientist should possess. We have also kept the 21st-century workplace in mind in setting up SP2171; fundamental skills gained from SP2171 will be readily transferable to even non-academic or non-research environments.
SP3172 - Integrated Science Project (4 Units)
Year 2, Semester 1
This course is similar to an undergraduate research project where a greater initiative in planning the research work is expected of the students. Students will be expected to embark on research projects of an integrated nature to complement the thematic integrated science courses in the Special Programme in Science. Students can either choose to take this course in either Semester 1 or 2 of the second year.
Thematic, Integrated Courses
The SPS thematic courses cut across the traditional boundaries between the disciplines of Physics, Mathematics, Chemistry and Biology. The curriculum strives to develop a richer appreciation of the multidisciplinary and often interdisciplinary nature of the ‘real’ Universe.
All these courses employ novel pedagogy and assessments and rely heavily on technology (e.g. programming, visualisations, modelling) to integrate ideas from the various disciplines. The thematic courses are designed and ordered to emphasise the different scales of existence. They start at the atom, move on to the cell, then to the Earth and finally to the Universe!
SP2173 - Atoms to Molecules
4 Units, Year 1, Semester 1
Atoms to Molecules will take you from an understanding of the Physicists’ atom to its extension, the Chemists’ molecules, thereby setting the stage for The Cell. More specifically, A2M will deal with the quantum theory that rules the atomic world, and build up to discuss entropy and more macroscopic features that we observe in everyday life.
SP2174 - The Cell
4 Units, Year 1, Semester 2
Using simple bacteria as the model organism, key chemical and physical principles underlying several biological processes are explored. Cells can integrate these processes to function as an autonomous machine in order to regenerate (self-replicate), repair and re-programme (differentiate), respond (harness and utilise energy) and re-model (form communities). These processes will be examined at single molecule, single cell to multi-cellular levels under their general ability to store, decode and process information (“Information”), to self-assemble, migrate (“Dynamics”) and to harness and utilise energy (“Energy”).
SP3175 - The Earth
4 Units, Year 2, Semester 2
The Earth focuses on the physical, chemical and biological processes that have shaped the development of the Earth. The course takes a systems approach in order to understand the interconnectivity between the various components of the Earth system, i.e. the atmosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere and lithosphere. Using this approach, students will study the impact that anthropogenic activities, such as burning fossil fuels, has had on the Earth system.
SP3176 - The Universe
4 Units, Year 2, Semester 2
The Universe traces the developments in theoretical and observational cosmology, starting from Newtonian cosmology, Hubble’s observations, the Big Bang, formation of stars and black holes to recent ideas in the origin and fate of the Universe.
For information on the courses for Cohort AY2021/22 onwards, please refer to the SPS website here.
