Technological skills are in high demand these days, and coding is now one of the hottest on the list for rather obvious reasons. (In fact, that’s probably why you’re here).
Aside from our country’s Smart Nation initiative, which will open up a lot of IT job opportunities, programmers are needed everywhere in every industry — as long as anything needs software, you’ll find coders!
Just how much demand are we talking about? According to a commentary in The New Paper (by Francois Lancon, the senior Vice-President of Oracle (Asia Pacific)), research commissioned by Oracle Academy has found that “70 per cent of the fastest growing skills and 26 per cent of the highest paying skills in these fields are related to computer science”! Many of these skills involve proficiencies in coding languages such as Java and Python.
One specific area where coders/programmers will be put to work is the app industry. In a mobile app forecast by market researcher App Annie, the app economy alone could double to a cool 101 billion globally.
So, if you’ve wanted to learn to code for interests’ sake, or to acquire this valuable skill, here’s a starter list of courses you can look at! Do note that programming only tends to take up a portion of any computer science degree, and you’re often expected to spend time outside the curriculum to further your knowledge or pick up a new language.
We also recommend you check out the free resources and courses online to see if coding is for you — and what kind, Java programming? C programming? — before investing in a paid one. Happy learning!
*All course fees are for 2023/24’ intakes and are subject to changes depending on the school; fees do not include misc. fees. All fees are in SGD unless otherwise stated.
Short Courses (online)
- Mozilla
Programme Duration: Self-paced
Curriculum: Covers programs like HTML, Python, CSS
Course Fees: Free!
Prospects: The course description reminds its takers that the goal is to bring you from “beginner” to “comfortable”, so don’t expect to be ready to jump into a programming role right after completion. The general opinion we’ve gathered, however, is that this is one of the better places you can begin with!
Programme Duration: Self-paced, typically pursued across 12 weeks (6–18 hours per week)
Curriculum: Topics include abstraction, algorithms, data structures, encapsulation, resource management, and the languages covered include C, Python, and Javascript.
Course Fees: Free! Only pay if you want a verified certificate of completion.
Prospects: Again, this is a good introductory course to see if you really want to explore programming as a career/in greater depth. If you take the CS50 Introduction to Programming with Python, you will complete the Computer Science for Python Programming Professional Certificate Program.
- General Assembly
This is one intense programme: the Web Development Immersive has no exams and grades but plenty of individual and collaborative projects so you can build up a portfolio over time, as well as put theory and knowledge into practice. Class ratios are kept small at 1:6, so you’ll get the attention you need. General Assembly also provides career support/networking/coaching, and alumni opportunities!
Programme Duration: 12 weeks, full-time. Remote courses are also available.
Curriculum: Programming Fundamentals, both Front and Back-end Web Development
Course Fees: 15,822. If you are Singaporean and eligible for IDA’s Tech Immersion and Placement Programme, receive subsidies of approx. 70%. You may also be eligible for other subsidies: do write in to enquire.
Prospects: The General Assembly course comes highly reviewed, with many successfully transiting into a programming/IT career after taking it. Another reminder, however, that results also depend on your own initiative and efforts!
- Lithan Academy
Lithan Academy is a Digital Skills Accelerator with 6 campuses in Asia, and helps train and recruit IT talent for enterprises. Aiming to prepare students to be future-ready, the courses they have range from digital marketing to software development.
Programme Duration: For non IT-graduates, 6 months full-time (virtual bootcamp) followed by a 6-month paid internship. For IT graduates without work experience, 3 months full-time (virtual bootcamp) followed by a 6-month paid internship
Accreditation: Lithan Academy is EduTrust certified
Curriculum: Please enquire with Lithan
Course Fees: USD $300 at the start of the program and 9-12 instalments of $100 per month, followed by 15% of your 2-year salary after you have found a job
Prospects: Please enquire with Lithan
- Rocket Academy
This is a career conversion course that offers unlimited interview preparation, such as resume and portfolio reviewing, and networking with tech leaders and peers. It has achieved 100% job placements. Before enrolling for this bootcamp, you must have taken the 6-week Coding Fundamentals course. If you have prior coding experience, however, this requirement may be waived.
The technologies covered in this course include GitHub, JavaScript, AJAX, SQL and more.
Programme Duration: 4 months full-time, 8 months part-time
Curriculum: 4 core modules, comprising Frontend App technologies and algorithms, Full-Stack App (firebase and express) technologies and algorithms, and a capstone project
Course Fees: 7,999. There may be discounted rates when applying as a group.
Prospects: Become a full-stack software engineer. According to Rocket Academy, 100% of the course’s graduates found software engineering jobs within 6 months of graduation.
- SMU Academy
Taught by the folks at SG Code Campus, the Professional Certificate in Python Programming is awarded after its 6 modules are completed in sequential order (see below).
Programme Duration: 3 years (maximum duration). Classes take place on weeknights and Saturdays.
Curriculum: Modules comprise Basics of Python Programming, Data Structures in Python,
Advanced Functions and Data Structures in Python, Object-Oriented Programming in Python, Basic Data Wrangling in Python, and a Capstone Project in Data Analytics
Course Fees: 10,386, as low as 1190.40 after maximum funding
Prospects: This course is part of the Advanced Diploma in Python Programming and Applied Data Analytics, and the Advanced Diploma in Python Programming and Machine Learning. You can consider furthering your upskilling journey.
- NTUC LearningHub
Conducted live via Zoom, this course is open to both students and working professionals. Course finishers will receive a Certificate of Completion from NTUC LearningHub.
Programme Duration: 3 days, 24 hours
Curriculum: 4 modules comprising 1) Foundations of Python, 2) Functions and Control Flow, 3) Object Oriented Programming Concepts and Working with Files, and 4) Python Libraries, Web Scraping and Dealing with APIs
Course Fees: 186.00 for Singaporean Citizens aged 40 and above, 486.00 for Singaporeans and PRs aged 21 and above, 1,620.00 for international students. This course is eligible for Union Training Assistance Programme (UTAP) and is SkillsFuture credit claimable. You may also be able to offset the costs through your PSEA account.
Prospects: You will be able to code simple programs in Python
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Degrees
- Singapore Institute of Technology (Awarded by DigiPen)
A niche degree, this one is for the ones keen on a career in the video game industry. Offered by DigiPen, an institute known for its rigorous curriculum and intense workloads, stuff you’ll learn how to do include programming real-time 2D/3D applications, optimising high-level language programs, and the necessary mathematical concepts such as calculus and linear algebra. Students will also have to complete a number of projects and go on a mandatory 3-month immersion trip to DigiPen’s home campus at Redmond in the USA (exciting!)
Programme Duration: 4 years
Accreditation: The DigiPen Institute of Technology Singapore is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (“ACCSC”, or “the Commission”), a recognized accrediting agency by the United States Department of Education.
Curriculum: The degree will cover the programming languages C/C++, motion dynamics, game implementation techniques and computer graphics, just to name a few subjects.
Course Fees: With tuition grant: 43,320 for locals, 84,000 for Permanent Residents, 114,360 for international students
Prospects: Some positions graduates can expect to fill are game scripters, software engineers, artificial intelligence programmers, technical writers and technical program manager. Check out the full list at DigiPen for more careers!
- National University of Singapore
NUS’s Computing department can trace its roots all the way to 1975 and is one of the leading computing schools in both Asia and the world (#6th internationally, QS Rankings by Subject 2023). The department offers courses in computer science, information systems, computer engineering. business analytics, as well as information security.
One of the modules that caught our interest is the CS1101S Programming Methodology module, which has been ‘gamified’, where students “take on challenging missions to level up and occasionally meet Sumobots, Jedi Knight and Darth Vader” (NUS 2017 computing brochure). Sounds cool.
Programme Duration: 4 years
Curriculum: There are 10 focus areas for NUS’ Bsc in Computer Science. As such, students will take modules that revolve around 1) Algorithms & Theory, 2) Artificial Intelligence, 3) Computer Graphics and Games, 4) Computer Security, 5) Database Systems, 6) Multimedia Information Retrieval, 7) Networking and Distributed Systems, 8) Parallel Computing, 9) Programming Languages, and 10) Software Engineering.
Course Fees: With MOE tuition grant: 8,200 per annum for locals, 11,500 for Permanent Residents, 17,550 for international students.
Prospects: Expect opportunities for entry-level positions such as software developer, database administrator and data analyst to be open to you. Some of NUS’ computer science students/grads have been reported to have secured internship opportunities/jobs at Silicon Valley companies. For those interested in furthering their knowledge, NUS also offers a Master’s in Computing with a Computer Science specialization.
- Singapore University of Technology and Design
Young but strong, SUTD’s ISTD is very much a computer science degree with an engineering slant. Students studying this pillar will be taught the programming languages Python and Java in their formal classes and have exposure to the others through short courses or internships. Aside from ‘traditional computer science’ subjects like algorithms and database management systems, students can also study Computer engineering modules like Microelectronic Circuits and Devices.
Programme Duration: 3.5 years over 8 terms
Curriculum: Take modules on topics such as blockchain technology, artificial intelligence, and computational data science, as well as introductory modules to probability and statistics, as well as information systems and programming.
Course Fees: With tuition grant: 13,500 per academic year for locals, 19,350 for Permanent Residents (PRs), and 29,900 for international students
Prospects: SUTD ISTD graduates have reportedly found jobs across various industries in companies such as DSTA, KPMG and IBM. They also have a 100% employment rate (2018).
- PSB Academy
- Bachelors of Science with Honours in Computer Science (Awarded by Coventry University)
PSB Academy has been in the news recently for its new campuses and dedication to providing students with top facilities and studying environments, and students taking up this degree will most likely study in their new campus at Jackson Square! Course intakes happen during March, July and November.
Programme Duration: 16—24 months, module exemptions possible
Accreditation: PSB Academy is EduTrust certified.
Curriculum: Take modules delving into software engineering, Android application development, and open source development. Everything will culminate in an individual project during the final year.
Course Fees: With exemptions: 25,833.60 (locals/international). Without exemptions: 38,750.40
Prospects: Expect opportunities for positions such as IT consultant, network engineer, systems analyst and multimedia programmer to be open to you.
- Nanyang Technological University
With its beginnings in 1988 as the School of Applied Science, NTU’s School of Computer Science and Engineering (SCSE) has come a long way. Today, it ranks number 11 internationally for Computer Science and Information Systems (QS Rankings 2023). Classes are taught through lectures, tutorials, and hands-on practice.
Programme Duration: 4 years, Part-time available
Curriculum: Modules such as Net Centric Computing, Computer Graphics and Visualisation, Advanced Software Engineering and Data Science and Analytics
Course Fees: With tuition grant: 8,250 per annum for locals, 11,550 for Permanent Residents, 17,800 for international students. Without tuition grant: 33,050
Prospects: 90% of SCSE grads obtain jobs within 6 months of graduation, and according to MOE’s graduation employment surveys, have consistently been NTU’s top earners.
- Kaplan Higher Education Singapore
- Bachelor of Science in Computer Science (Single major, awarded by Murdoch University)
Kaplan is one of the largest private higher education providers in Singapore, so it’s quite unlikely that you haven’t heard of them! Their Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, awarded by Murdoch, is delivered through a combination of lectures, tutorials, and workshops and is recognized by the Australian Computer Society (ACS). One of the pluses of this degree is its flexibility: students can customize their own timetables to accommodate their schedules.
Programme Duration: 16 –28 months
Accreditation: Kaplan is EduTrust certified.
Curriculum: Modules include Software Architectures, Data Structures and Abstractions and Operating Systems and Systems Programming.
Course Fees: Please enquire with Kaplan
Prospects: Expect careers as a Computer Network Architect, Web Developer, Information Security Analyst or Computer Programmer, just to name a few.
- Singapore Management University
This is SMU’s first SkillsFuture Work-Study Degree that includes a 52-week apprenticeship in a software development team, with one of the course’s anchor partners (currently UBS, GovTech and NCS). The degree’s syllabus is co-developed and co-taught with industry partners. Students who do well may be able to pursue a second degree.
Programme Duration: 4 years full-time
Curriculum: Modules include Operating Systems & Networking, Enterprise Solution Development, Collaborative Software Development, Foundations of Cybersecurity, and Data Management
Course Fees: 11,500 for Singaporeans, 16,050 for Permanent Residents, 24,850 for internationals, 45,600 without subsidies. These figures are per annum.
Prospects: Expect careers as a DevOps Engineer, Software Quality Engineer, IT Consultant, Full-stack Software Developer and more.
Again, we reiterate that the list is by no means exhaustive. If you have a course that you’d like to recommend, do drop us a comment so the Digital Senior team can add it!
