NUS graduates continue to excel in job market

• Full employment for fresh graduates from Dentistry, Nursing (Hons), and follow-up graduates from Medicine
• More than 9 in 10 fresh graduates from Business, Computing, Design & Environment, Engineering and Nursing employed within 6 months of completing their final examinations
• Above average gross monthly salary¹ for fresh graduates from Business, Computing, Dentistry and Engineering as well as follow-up graduates from Medicine and Law

National University of Singapore (NUS) graduates continue to be highly sought after in the job market, according to the results of the Graduate Employment Survey 2013. The survey findings revealed that fresh and follow-up graduates from NUS enjoy high employability and draw competitive salaries.

High Employability

Jointly conducted by the three autonomous universities, the survey showed that there is strong demand for NUS graduates. The overall employment rate² for fresh graduates from NUS was about 89%, which is comparable to last year. In particular, fresh graduates from the Faculty of Dentistry and those who graduated with an Honours degree in Nursing, as well as follow-up graduates from the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine achieved 100% overall employment rates.

The overall employment rates for fresh graduates from NUS Business School, School of Computing, School of Design and Environment, Faculty of Engineering and Alice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies, as well as follow-up graduates from the Faculty of Law and those who graduated with an Honours degree in Pharmacy was 90 per cent and above. Graduates from NUS Business School and follow-up graduates from the Faculty of Law saw slight improvements in the overall employment rate of its graduates in 2013 compared to 2012.

Competitive Salaries

The survey also revealed that the mean gross monthly salary of fresh graduates from NUS in full-time permanent employment was $3,206, which was comparable to last year. Fresh graduates from NUS Business School, School of Computing, Faculty of Dentistry and Faculty of Engineering generally received higher pay than the overall mean gross monthly salary of fresh graduates employed in full-time permanent employment.

The median gross monthly salary of fresh graduates in full-time permanent employment from NUS was $3,000, which was similar to last year. According to the survey, fresh graduates from the School of Computing, Faculty of Dentistry and Faculty of Engineering generally received higher pay compared to the median gross monthly salary among fresh graduates employed in full-time permanent employment.

The mean gross monthly salary for follow-up graduates in full-time permanent employment from NUS was $4,620. In general, follow-up graduates from the Faculty of Law and Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine received a mean gross monthly salary which was higher than that among follow-up graduates who participated in the survey. In addition, the mean gross monthly salary for follow-up graduates in full-time permanent employment from the Faculty of Law has also improved in 2013 compared to 2012.

The median gross monthly salary for follow-up graduates in full-time permanent employment from NUS was $4,500. In particular, follow-up graduates from the Faculty of Law and Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine received a median gross monthly salary that is higher than or equal to that among follow-up graduates employed in full-time permanent employment.

The broad-based, multi-faceted education at NUS ensures that graduates are skilled and ready to keep up with the demands of the industry and today's globalised workplace. Furthermore, NUS students go through a suite of systematic career preparation programmes by the NUS Career Centre to develop critical competencies that are valued by employers.

Professor Tan Eng Chye, NUS Deputy President (Academic Affairs) and Provost, said: “The results of the Graduate Employment 2013 Survey shows that the demand for NUS graduates remains strong, even in an increasingly competitive job market. We will continue to equip our students with skills and attributes that are highly valued by employers.”

“We also regularly review our curriculum to ensure that our academic programmes remain relevant to the industry. In tandem, we are stepping up our engagements with industry for talent development and experiential learning. Through these initiatives, we hope to nurture graduates who are familiar with industry operating environment and are well-prepared to meet the needs of businesses and industries,” Prof Tan added.

¹ Among graduates from NUS, NTU and SMU who participated in Joint Graduate Employment Survey 2013.
² The overall employment rate refers to the number of graduates working in all types of full-time, part-time and temporary employment, as a proportion of economically active graduates.