SMU Graduates see increases in employment rates and salaries in latest employment survey

Singapore, 2 March 2016 (Wednesday) – Graduates from Singapore Management University’s (SMU) 12th cohort have registered a strong overall employment rate of 93.7% and high starting salaries across all six of the university's degree programmes.

The results were revealed in an annual Joint Graduate Employment Survey (GES) conducted by Singapore’s five autonomous universities, namely Nanyang Technological University, National University of Singapore, Singapore Management University, Singapore Institute of Technology, and the Singapore University of Technology and Design.

76.2% or 1,248 participants of the 1,638 SMU alumni who graduated in 2015 took part in the survey.

The survey showed that 93.7% of SMU graduates in the labour force gained employment within six months after completing their final examinations, with two out of three being offered jobs before graduation. A quarter of those who received job offers landed full-time employment through internships which are compulsory for SMU undergraduates.

The mean gross monthly salary of SMU graduates in full-time permanent jobs is a record $3,624, since SMU graduated its pioneer cohort in 2004. This is an increase over the previous year’s salary of $3,592.

SMU Provost, Professor Lily Kong said, “Once again, the consistently strong survey results is a testament to SMU’s high quality, value-add education which equips our students with a total skill-set, consisting of (hard) domain knowledge skills, (soft) people skills and ‘heart’ skills. Our holistic educational experience is built on a multi-pronged pedagogical approach that involves interactive pedagogy, experiential learning and technology-enabled education. Combined with opportunities for global exposure, community service, and internships, SMU helps our students to grow and become confident, articulate and well-rounded individuals and leaders.”

“This transformative experience is impactful as evidently shown in this year’s survey which revealed that close to nine in ten of our students felt that they have undergone a significant growth as a result of their time at SMU, and some of whom believe they have had a complete transformative experience,” she added.

“In addition, more than 80% of the students who took part in the survey were convinced that SMU has prepared them well in the areas of their career and employability. Through our internship programme, which is compulsory, many of them are talent-spotted and offered jobs by their host companies even before they graduate,” said the University’s chief academic officer.

SMU students also have access to extraordinary career services workshops from their freshman year as part of SMU’s pioneering Finishing Touch (FT) programme. The compulsory programme prepares SMU undergraduates in career management skills and gears them towards employability and career readiness by helping students develop and focus on their career goals progressively throughout their four-year course of study.

Recognising the importance and value of having real-world and career-relevant work experience for its students, SMU is the first university in Singapore to make internships compulsory for all students. Students are provided opportunities through the Dato’ Kho Hui Meng Career Centre (DKHMCC) which works closely with industry to ensure successful placement of students in internships and jobs. The DKHMCC’s close and regular contact with employers is vital in helping SMU students be market relevant and business-ready.

Yet another factor that contributed to SMU’s impressive employment record is the University’s broad-based curriculum which opens up more opportunities for our graduates. The versatility of SMU graduates was demonstrated in the wide variety of professions and industries that they are employed in, ranging from finance and insurance, information and communication, legal, accounting and auditing, public administration and defence, business and management consultancy, and advertising services and market research.

SMU’s 2015 graduates continue to do well across the six Schools.

The most significant increase in salary was recorded for Social Sciences graduates. The survey showed that the 2015 Social Sciences graduates achieved a 12.1 per cent increase over the 2014 cohort, receiving $3,550 as the mean gross monthly salary. The median gross monthly salary is $3,200. Those with Cum Laude or better also saw a higher mean gross monthly salary of $4,012 compared to last year’s $3,545.

The mean gross monthly salary of Economics graduates in the 2015 cohort is $3,946 which moved 8.3 per cent higher from last year. The median gross monthly salary is $3,500. Those with Cum Laude or better earned a significantly higher average monthly salary of $4,380 compared to last year’s $3,824.

SMU's Accountancy graduates garnered a mean monthly salary of $3,427. The median gross monthly salary is $3,000. Those with Cum Laude or better achieved a high mean gross monthly salary of $3,701.

The Business Management graduates' mean gross monthly salary is $3,611. The median gross monthly salary is $3,300. Those with Cum Laude or better were paid a higher mean gross monthly salary of $4,130, compared to last year’s $4,116.

The mean gross monthly salary of SMU’s Information Systems (IS) graduates increased 3.7 per cent to $3,660 for the 2015 cohort. The median gross monthly salary is $3,500. Those with Cum Laude or better earned a mean gross monthly salary of $3,834.

Please refer to Annex for the detailed figures.

The follow-up survey on SMU Law graduates showed that 99 per cent of the respondents who were in the labour force were employed. The mean and median gross monthly salaries of Law graduates in full-time permanent employment were $4,997 and $4,731 respectively. Those who attained a GPA of 3.4 and above had a mean gross monthly salary of $ 5,313.

Explanatory Note: Cum Laude and Merit Awards

SMU uses the cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) criteria to identify degree candidates with academic excellence in the following award categories: Summa Cum Laude, Magna Cum Laude and Cum Laude. These are Latin awards adopted from the American system, and can be translated as with Highest Distinction, with High Distinction and with Distinction, respectively. All Cum Laude awards are highly selective.

They do not equate to the various classes of degree honours conferred by universities that follow the British system of academic honours. A graduate needs a GPA of at least 3.40 out of 4.00 to be awarded Cum Laude. All SMU bachelor degrees are four-year full-time programmes.