About NG5001
NG5001 Academic Communication for Graduate Researchers course is designed for all PhD students to further develop their academic literacies in critical reading, proposal writing and oral presentation.
First offered in AY2022/2023 Semester 2, NG5001 is a letter-graded, 4-unit course with Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (S/U) option. It was introduced to replace the following courses:
| Course Code | Course Title | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| ES5002 | Graduate English Course (Advanced Level) | ||
| ES5101 | Technical Communication for Engineers | ||
| ES5610 | Academic Communication for Business | ||
| GS6889C | Scientific Communication Primer | ||
For more information on NG5001 including its course objectives, pre-requisites and workload: https://www.nus.edu.sg/celc/graduate-courses/ng5001-academic-communication-for-graduate-researchers/
NUSMods – NG5001: https://nusmods.com/courses/NG5001/academic-communication-for-graduate-researchers
When Should NG5001 Be Read?
Students are recommended to complete NG5001 by the end of their first year in their PhD programme, as doing so will be more beneficial for their academic progress. We encourage students to complete the course no later than the end of their second year.
Who Should Read NG5001?
- Compulsory for all PhD students who are admitted from AY2022/2023 Semester 1 onwards, including those who have successfully transferred from Master’s by Research to PhD programme.
- Students who have not taken the following courses – ES5002/ES5101/ES5610/GS6889C, which are now defunct and replaced by NG5001.
- Students who are required to clear Diagnostic English Test (DET) and have successfully completed the pre-requisites as follows:
| DET Results | Course(s) to Read | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Band 1 | ES5000 | ES5001A | NG5001 |
| Band 2 | |||
| Band 3 | |||
ES5000 – Graduate English Course (Basic Level)
ES5001A – Graduate English Course (Intermediate Level)
How to Register for NG5001?
Registration for NG5001 is done via the “Select Courses” Function in CourseReg@EduRec (Navigation: myEduRec > Academics > Course Registration). Click here for CourseReg User Guide for Students.
Students can also search and view for the course and timetable information in NUSMods.
Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (S/U) Policy
NG5001 is a letter-graded course. This means that students who took NG5001 will receive a letter grade (A+, A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, D+, D, F) and have a corresponding grade point for each of this grade.
What is Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (S/U) option?
At the end of the semester, upon the release of the examination results, students may choose to either retain the letter grade and have it computed in the Grade Point Average (GPA) or choose to exercise the S/U option on the course, in which the letter grade obtained will not be shown in the transcript nor included in the GPA computation.
How does the S/U option work?
A student who has obtained a ‘C’ grade or above and decides to exercise the S/U option on the course, will be assigned a ‘Satisfactory’ (S) grade and continue to receive the units earned towards the degree. Conversely, a student who has obtained a ‘D’ grade or below will be assigned an ‘Unsatisfactory’ (U) grade, in which he/she will be required to retake the course.
Once S/U option is exercised, only the ‘S’ and ‘U’ grades will be reflected on the transcript.
Who can exercise the S/U option?
PhD students who are enrolled in NG5001 can exercise the S/U option on the course, except those who have:
- dropped the course with an ‘Fail’ (F) grade during the semester;
- been awarded an ‘Incomplete’ (IC) or ‘Withdrawn’ (W) grade;
- committed academic offences (such as plagiarism) for the course;
- outstanding fees.
Note: Graduate coursework students who enroll in NG5001 are encouraged to check with their Graduate Programme Office for further restrictions, if any.
When can students exercise their S/U option?
The S/U declaration exercise will be held over three (3) calendar days (including weekends and any public/university holidays), immediately following the release examination results for each semester. Thereafter, no further requests will be entertained.
Students who have successfully exercise their S/U option will not be allowed to change their decision, that is, they cannot revoke their S/U option made on the course.
How can students exercise their S/U option?
The S/U option declaration exercise is conducted online via myEduRec. (Navigation: myEduRec > Academics > Examination > Submit S/U Declarations). The system is open during a specified period only. Click here for S/U system and User Guide for Students.
Additional Academic Support Services after completing NG5001
Centre for English Language Communications (CELC) and NUS Graduate School aim to provide specialised writing support for NUS graduates as they advance in their careers. The following initiatives are some additional academic support services which students can explore beyond NG5001: