[7 March 2006]
100% of SMU graduates land jobs within six months upon graduation with more than half offered employment even before they graduated

Average starting salary of SMU graduates over $2,500

Graduates of the Singapore Management University (SMU) are in high demand in the job market, with local and regional employers quickly snapping up the second batch of SMU graduates, many of whom even before they have graduated. The second Graduate Employment Survey conducted by SMU revealed that, for the second straight year, 100% of economically active. 1 SMU graduates found jobs either before graduation or within six months of their graduation. Among them, 90% were employed in full-time permanent jobs, while another 10% were on part-time or temporary employment. More than half (65%) of the graduates received job offers even before they graduated. About 75% (or three-quarters) found jobs within one month of graduation. Moreover, 75% of the SMU graduates received two to more than ten job offers.

Also notable from the findings of the survey was that the average starting gross monthly salary for SMU graduates in full-time permanent employment 2 is over S$2,500. Average gross monthly salary of SMU's business management graduates has increased by close to 5% to about S$2,600 compared with figures from the last survey in 2004. For SMU's business management students who graduated Cum Laude* or higher, their average monthly salary is about S$3,000.

SMU graduates were hired in a wide spectrum of professions, including financial, accounting, consulting and services sectors, with more than 40% in banking, finance, auditing and accounting. A large number of SMU graduates have been hired by employers such as Citibank, United Overseas Bank, DBS Bank, Morgan Stanley, HSBC, Deutsche Bank, Standard Chartered Bank, NOL and Ernst & Young, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Deloitte & Touche as well as the public sector. Additionally, about 3% of SMU graduates have secured jobs abroad or overseas postings in countries like Japan, China and Hong Kong. About 21% of SMU graduates accepted job offers at the companies in which they had spent internships 3 during their vacations, attesting to the popularity and high regard of our graduates with employers who have worked with them as interns. The annual survey included 337 SMU alumni who graduated in May, July and September 2005 and gathered a healthy response rate of 86%.

“The 100% employment of our graduates attests to the confidence the industry has in the SMU education. Employers have told me that they see the important qualities of leadership, adaptability, communication and interpersonal skills rightaway in SMU students, something which other graduates may take years to hone. This shows that SMU's seminar-style pedagogy and flexible but integrated curriculum, which together foster hands-on, team-oriented, project-based learning is producing a certain competence that is highly sought after and very relevant to the marketplace. It is also true to say that a unique combination of industry exposure through internships, community service, overseas study missions, exchange programmes and our rigorous career preparation courses have given our graduates a head-start in the workplace,” said Professor Howard Hunter, President, Singapore Management University .

The SMU undergraduate degree is a four-year full-time programme that is focused, yet broad-based, and involves a minimum 10-week internship at an organisation and a two-week community service programme. The Office of Career Services, through its start-to-finish approach in preparing students for the workplace, organises a variety of networking events, career talks and company visits, among other career preparation resources. The next cohort of SMU students will celebrate their graduation at Commencement 2006 in July this year.

* 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 US 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.

1 This refers to graduates who are working or were looking for jobs.

2 Full-time permanent employment refers to employment of at least 30 hours a week and where the employment is not temporary. It includes those on contract of one year or more.

3 All SMU students are required to fulfill a minimum of 10 weeks of internship with a business organization before they graduate.