Inquiry Tier

The inquiry modules are a structured collection of multi-disciplinary modules that provide intellectual broadening. Students are exposed to two Domains in Humanities & Social Sciences (HSS) and Sciences & Technologies (ST). They can be read at any time over four years.

Students may also fulfil the requirements of inquiry modules in other ways by taking the following (please refer to the table below for details):

USP students enrolled in the School of Design and Environment, School of Computing and Engineering Science Programme may also fulfil the requirements of some of their inquiry modules through modules taken in their major.

One USP Inquiry module waiver is granted to USP students with Polytechnic qualification.  Please contact USP Academic Office for details.

 

* ISMs regulations vary from faculties to faculties, please refer to the guidelines for details.

Module substitution

Modules mapped are to fulfill USP Inquiry tier requirement only.

Programme Module Code Remarks
  • SEP
 Module substitution code:
UFBxxxx (HSS)
UFCxxxx (ST)
  • Allow 2 Inquiry modules per semester away.
  • Approval granted for up to 4 modules.

General guideline (important): Of the twelve USP modules, students must have at least a minimum of 8 USP modules read in NUS (The 8 USP modules exclude substituted modules and directly recognised non-USP modules). Students are only allowed up to a total of 4 modules of module substitutions or modules waiver. A non-USP module, e.g. ISM, if read to fulfill major requirement, is considered as double-counting.

Module waiver

Students are deemed to have fulfilled 2HSS + 2ST Inquiry-tier modules, including the ISM requirement (i.e. students do not have to read any ISM). Students granted the ISM waiver are not allowed to read any ISMs to double-count towards major/faculty requirements.  Students granted the 4 Inquiry modules are not allowed to map modules from SEP and/or to double-count directly recognised faculty modules.

Programme Module Code Remarks
  • NUS-Waseda DDP
  • USP Yuanpei
  - Module substitution allowed (max 2 modules).
  • LSR/Hindu College
  - No module substitution allowed.
    • NOC/iLEAD

(not applicable to India or Israel programme)

  - No module substitution allowed.
    • NUS DDP

(between USP partner faculties except FoL)

  - No module substitution allowed.
  • FDDP (DDP with French Grandes Ecoles)
  - No module substitution allowed.

General guideline (important): Of the twelve USP modules, students must have at least a minimum of 8 USP modules read in NUS (The 8 USP modules exclude substituted modules and directly recognised non-USP modules). Students are only allowed up to a total of 4 modules of module substitutions or modules waiver. A non-USP module, e.g. ISM, if read to fulfill major requirement, is considered as double-counting.

Double-counting

This refers to double-counting of non-USP modules to meet major/faculty and USP requirements. Faculty/Programme & equivalent module codes:

  • ESP -> ESP
  • BES -> ENV
  • SDE -> PF/RE/AR/ID
  • FoL -> LL
  • SoC -> CS/CP/IF
Programme Module Code Remarks
  • ISMs

(pure/ride-on/UROPS)

 UISxxxx 1 to 3 ISMs
FOE-ISM ride-on not allowed
FASS-up to 2 ISMs allowed
Faculty codes recognised as  -  -
  • ISMs
 ESP3901/ESP3902
ESP3903
ENV3102
PF2303/PF2103		 ESP – any 2 modules

RE4701
AR3102/AR4102
AR4104/AR5802
LA4702/AR4142
ID4121/ID4106
CS3201 + CS3202
CS3203
CS3281 + CS3282
CS3283+ CS3284
CS3216 + CS3217
CP3208 + CP3209
CS3205 or IF4205
CS4238+IFS4103
IS3102/IS4103
BT3101
BT4103
IFS4201

Level 4000 (ARK) - either 1 module

USP will directly recognise the SoC modules, up to a max of 8MCs.
  • Inquiry modules (ST)
 ESP2109/ESP2110

ESP – either 1 module
  • Inquiry modules

(SDE only - ST/HSS)

 PF3302/PF2107
PF3204/PF2108
RE2701
RE2706		 wef 2017 cohort, module substitution not allowed for BA(Arch) and BA(ID) students.

General guideline (important): Of the twelve USP modules, students must have at least a minimum of 8 USP modules read in NUS (The 8 USP modules exclude substituted modules and directly recognised non-USP modules). Students are only allowed up to a total of 4 modules of module substitutions or modules waiver. A non-USP module, e.g. ISM, if read to fulfill major requirement, is considered as double-counting.

Humanities & Social Sciences (HSS)

LITERARY STUDIES

Modules in this area analyse major literary and cultural forms. You will study not only novels, poems, and plays, but also films, television, and other popular narrative forms that reflect the actions of women and men of different cultures, and their relationships to the societies in which they live. The ability to read, decode, and challenge written texts is an important skill whatever your chosen career.

Issues & Theories

VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS

This area offers pioneering, cutting-edge and multi-disciplinary modules in Cyberarts, Music and Technology. The Cyberarts programme was the first in the region.

PHILOSOPHICAL INQUIRIES

If you were Socrates, condemned to death but with a chance to escape, would you try to escape? Socrates did not. While we may not agree with his decision, his reason is a prime example of moral reasoning. Modules in this area deal with questions of ethics and morality, and offer reflections on scientific practices. Learn how to reason about morality, and apply it to contemporary moral issues.

HUMAN BEHAVIOUR

How do our thoughts, feelings and interactions with others affect our behaviour? How is our behaviour influenced by our culture, our social roles in our community, and the institutions and organisations in our society? Modules in this area draw answers from behavioural disciplines such as psychology, sociology, anthropology and organisational behaviour.

SOCIETY, ECONOMY, POLITY

Modules in this area deal primarily with macro-level issues, focusing on social units such as groups, organisations and societies in their social, economic and political dimensions. They cover central concepts and analytical methods of the social sciences, helping students to understand the world we live in and to think critically about issues at domestic and international levels.

CIVILISATIONAL STUDIES

Modules in this area focus on units larger than single societies and are concerned with the study of the contributions and interactions of the major world civilisations, religions and cultures. They expand your understanding of the impact of cultural factors on people's behaviour or way of life. You will learn to grasp the cultural assumptions and traditions and the distinctive patterns of thought and action of various cultures in contemporary societies.

Sciences & Technologies (ST)

LIFE SCIENCES

Modules in this area explore topics such as genes, the brain, life and death, and the interrelationships between ethics, science, technology, and medicine.

NATURE'S LAWS

Modules in this area critically examine the empirical evidence and the theoretical concepts that form the natural sciences. You will be brought through the process of inquiry, experimentation, and theorizing that has led to our current understanding of Nature. You will learn that science itself is a continuously evolving process; there are important questions that have yet to be answered or even formulated.

QUANTITATIVE REASONING

This area highlights how quantitative reasoning plays an important role in intellectual pursuits as well as everyday life. Modules in this area examine the nature and methodologies of mathematics, how simple mathematical models can help us understand the complex world, and how mathematical and statistical thinking can help us make cogent arguments and logical decisions in everyday situations.

BIOLOGICAL AND MEDICAL TECHNOLOGIES

Modules in this area investigate the new technological frontiers created by molecular biology and consider their impact on law, ethics, society, and the environment.

PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL TECHNOLOGIES

Modules in this area explore the principles of physics and chemistry, the practice of modern engineering, and the possibilities for future technologies.

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES

Modules in this area explore the central ideas and major technological advances in information technology (encompassing computer science, digital and communication technologies, and the internet) and develop awareness of the impact of the information technology revolution on various aspects of society.

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