The ILP2 is
a bridging programme unique to SUTD. Four preparatory subjects are offered to
students commencing study in SUTD: Mathematics, Physics, Biology and Chemistry.
These subjects are designed with the aim of instilling fundamental masteries in
math and science in students with no or limited knowledge or who simply desire
to have a refresher course in a particular area of study.
The bridging classes are optional and students are allowed to take up to
the maximum of all four subjects. For
students who cannot physically attend the classes or prefer e-learning, lessons
will be video-recorded and uploaded to SUTD's Learning Management System a week
after the classes are conducted.
Lessons will be conducted from January to April 2013.
Limited
places are offered for each subject. Registration and course fees details will
be released in early November to eligible students.
This course aims
to provide students with the necessary mathematical knowledge for their university
courses so as to smoothen the transitional experience of students from diverse
pre-university backgrounds. The 142-hour course syllabus is designed based on
the A-Level Math curriculum taught in the junior colleges in Singapore.
Students taking this course will strengthen their foundation in Mathematics so
that they are able to understand basic mathematical concepts. In this course,
students will also have the opportunity to use these mathematical concepts on
applications relating to Physics. This will allow the students to link
mathematics with applications and develop the skills to apply these concepts to
solving problems in future courses, and at the same time reinforce some of
their Physics concepts. The entire course is divided into 3 parts covering
different topics as follows:
- Math I: functions and graphs; complex numbers;
vectors; series and sequences. Total 50 hours.
- Math II: matrix; calculus; differential equations; Maclaurin Series. Total 50 hours.
- Math III: probability; statistics; sampling and
hypothesis testing. Total 42 hours.
In the course of Math I, students will learn to
- understand concepts of function, domain and range
- graph a given function and be able to characterise the graphs
- get familiar with equations and inequalities
- understand concepts of sequence, series, arithmetic and geometric series
- be able to perform calculation in complex numbers expressed in Cartesian / polar form
- understand the scalar and vector products of vectors
- understand concepts of sequence, series, arithmetic and geometric series
In the course of Math II, students will learn to
- perform differentiation
- get familiar with integration and definite integral
- understand differential equations
- understand Maclaurin's series
- understand the basics of matrix and its applications
In the course of Math III, students will learn to
- understand permutations, combinations and probability
- understand Binomial, Poisson, and normal distribution
- understand sampling, and hypothesis testing
- understand correlation coefficient and linear regression.
This course aims to build a proper foundation in
basic Physics so as to smoothen the transitional experience of students from
diverse pre-university backgrounds. The 100-hour course is planned based on
A-Level H2 Physics curriculum taught in the second year of junior college study
in Singapore, and designed to introduce the necessary basic concepts in Physics
to students with little exposure to the subject. It also serves as a revision
course for students who have received proper Physics education before.
The entire course is divided into 2 parts covering different topics as follows:
- Physics I: Dynamics, Statics, Works and Energy. This part on mechanics is closely related to
Physics I of SUTD's Freshmore curriculum. Total 50 hours.
- Physics II: Electricity and Magnetism.This part on electricity and magnetism is
closely related to Physics II of SUTD’s Freshmore curriculum. Total 50 hours.
In the course of Physics I, students will learn about
- the SI units of various physical quantities and the concepts of errors in measurements
- the differences between scalar and vector, and the operational rules involved
- Newton's 3 laws of motion and apply the concepts to solve problems involving forces
- calculating the centre of mass of an object and the effect of forces on it
- the moment of force and applying the concept to solve equilibrium and rotational effect of force
- the concept of kinetic and potential energy, conservation of linear momentum and energy, and the applications
In the course of Physics II, students will learn about
- the basic concepts of electricity, calculate potential differences, currents and resistances of simple D.C. circuits
- the series and parallel arrangement of resistors in a simple D.C. circuits
- the forces on current carrying conductor by magnetic field
- the time varying electric and magnetic fields that give rise to electromagnetic waves
This course is planned based on the A-Level
Chemistry curriculum taught in the junior colleges in Singapore , with an aim
to provide students with a proper foundation in basic Chemistry so as to
smoothen the transitional experience of students from diverse pre-university
backgrounds.
The Chemistry course for the ILP2 will be delivered in 2 parts covering
different topics:
- Chemistry I: This first part focuses on examining the
structures and properties of individual atoms and molecules from the viewpoint
of quantum mechanics. The topics covered in the first part include the theories
of atomic and molecular structure, introduction to quantum mechanics, physical
and chemical properties of elements and basic thermodynamics. Total 50 hours.
- Chemistry II: The second part focuses on the bulk properties
and reactions of matter. The topics covered in the second part include an
introductory study of chemical and ionic equilibria, reaction kinetics,
electrochemistry and organic chemistry. Total 49 hours.
In the course of Chemistry I, students will learn about
- the basic concepts of the atomic and molecular structures
- introductory concepts and theories of quantum mechanics (qualitative)
- chemical and physical properties of different elements
- the trends for physical and chemical properties of the periodic table of elements
- different types of chemical bonds (e.g. covalent, ionic, dative, metallic)
In the course of Chemistry II, students will be introduced to
- the laws of thermodynamics
- thermodynamic properties (e.g., enthalpy, entropy, Gibbs' free energy)
- the principles of chemical reactions (e.g., equilibrium and kinetics)
- the fundamental principles of how electrochemical cells work
- the basics of organic chemistry (e.g., nomenclature, reactions, isomerism)
This course aims to provide students with the
fundamental knowledge to enable students to understand the existing and major
emerging fields of biological knowledge. Topics covered in this course include
cells, organelles, cell cycle and division, characteristics of virus and
bacteria, basic molecular biology and genomics, and application in molecular
and genomic life sciences. The course also has an interesting infusion of
contemporary bio-inspired ideas and the students will learn from selected case
studies of how biology can be used in various multi-disciplinary context. The
main objective of Biology is to prepare and familiarise students with basic
biological concepts, terminology and nomenclature that will be needed for their
first year biology classes.
Total 50 hours.
In the course of Biology, students will be introduced to
-
Cellular Functions
-
DNA and Genomics
-
Genetics of Viruses and Bacteria
-
Organisation and Control of Eukaryotic
Genome (with a focus on cancer)
-
Applications in molecular and genomic
life sciences (including Human genome project, Stem cells, Gene therapy, and
Genetic modified organisms)
The ILP2 is
developed to ensure students' readiness for the Freshmore foundation curriculum
as well as provide for a holistic learning experience to enthuse the students
about the subjects. While the topics are taught in a compact schedule, each subject
will be delivered in a lively and engaging way within an interactive lecture
format. This may include inquiry-based and experiential learning through
interesting case studies, 1D Big-D design experiences,
learning journeys and problem solving to gain a better appreciation
of the theoretical concepts taught.