SMU and SUTD announced that they will be jointly offering a dual degree programme. This will be the first of its kind locally. The first intake will admit up to 45 Singaporeans. Students taking the course will graduate with a business management degree from SMU and an engineering degree from SUTD. SMU President Arnoud De Meyer said that the presidents of both universities as well as some faculty started out as engineers themselves, but went on to take business courses later on. Therefore, he believed that the programme will be beneficial to local students. Students will take lessons on both campuses and benefit from the resources of both universities. They will need to meet the requirements of both universities, such as 16 weeks of internship, 80 hours of community service and hostel residency at SUTD in their first year. Students may submit their applications for the course through the SUTD website by April 1. Both universities will jointly conduct interviews for shortlisted applicants and successful applicants will begin lessons at SUTD in early May.