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[NP-SDAA] Specialist Diploma in Agritechnology and Agribusiness (SDAA)

Offered by School of Life Sciences & Chemical Technology

Specialist Diploma

About Course
Course Structure
Entry Requirements
Financial Matters
Course Schedule
Register Interest
Area of interest
Agri-Tech Business, Business

About Course

Course Objectives

The course curriculum proposed aims to develop competent skilled manpower in support of the management of theagricultural industry. It provides fresh diploma graduates with the knowledge and skills needed for a career in theagricultural related industries. It also helps mid-career professionals to upgrade their skills for career switch.

Course Description

Singapore currently imports more than 90% of our food from more than 170 countries and regions. Singapore was rankednumber 1 in the world in the Global Food Security Index for the second year running in 2019 due to the diversifi ed importsources and long-term planning. There is a need to transform the local agriculture sector into one that is high-tech, highlyproductive and resource-effi cient. This new strategy has also triggered training needs to equip the workforce with skillsetsin agritechnology as more farms are adopting high-tech farming methods to improve productivity.

Trainer's Profile

Saiful Anuar bin Mohamad Said

Saiful Anuar bin Mohamad Said holds a First Degree in Botany from the National University of Singapore and a Master’s degree in Arboriculture from the University of Aberdeen, Scotland.

As a Senior Lecturer at Ngee Ann Polytechnic, Saiful Anuar specialises in Plant Pathology, Tree Management and Preservation, Plant Propagation, Green Roofs, and Lightning Protection for Trees. His extensive background in horticulture and arboriculture enriches his teaching and research endeavours.

Before joining Ngee Ann Polytechnic, Saiful Anuar held several prominent positions, including Assistant Curator at the Plant Introduction Unit of the Singapore Botanic Gardens, Research Officer at the Plant Health Branch of the National Parks Board, and a role in the Arboriculture Unit at the Singapore Botanic Gardens.

He transitioned to academia by teaching part-time horticulture courses and the Certified Arborist course at the Centre for Urban Greenery and Ecology (CUGE).

At Ngee Ann Polytechnic, he lectures in the Diploma in Landscape Design and Horticulture programme and the Specialist Diploma in Agritechnology and Agribusiness in the CET space. He has been a key trainer for the Sustainable Indoor Gardening course for the past four years, as well as the Certified Therapeutic Horticulture course.


Rajam Chitra Thiruvetpuram

Dr Chitra is a seasoned botanist with over 25 years of experience in botanical research and more than 16 years of teaching. Her expertise lies in plant science with a specialisation in microbiology and plant pathology, particularly focusing on sustainable urban farming, plant disease management, and soil science. As a dedicated educator, she teaches various plant science modules, fostering a dynamic learning environment that emphasizes both theoretical knowledge and practical application.

Dr Chitra’s contributions to education and research have been recognized with the PS21 Excellent Service Award (Gold) and the School Teaching Award in 2014. Her commitment to excellence is evident in her development of learning materials for both Pre-Employment Training (PET) and Continuing Education and Training (CET) courses.

Before joining academia, Dr. Chitra served as a Senior Scientist at Monsanto Research Centre in India, where she was involved in bioinformatics analysis and the curation of plant literature databases. Dr Chitra's also explored seed-borne viruses in legumes, including peanuts and beans, under both field and laboratory conditions. At the National University of Singapore, she studied the expression of flowering genes in Arabidopsis thaliana. Her current research focuses on sustainable urban farming and the identification and management of pathogens in edible and ornamental plants.

Soh Eng Lam

Soh Eng Lam is a Senior Lecturer, concurrently holding the appointment of Senior Manager and Program Manager for the Specialist Diploma in AgriTechnology and Agribusiness in the School of Life Sciences & Chemical Technology at Ngee Ann Polytechnic. Besides teaching in the Life Science School, he has co-developed courses and teaches at the Design and Environment School in NP in the green economy and green urban solutions.

His academic qualifications include Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Landscape Architecture, Architecture, Environment Science, Human Resource Management, Sustainable Development, Law, Technopreneurship & Innovation from local and overseas Universities.

Eng Lam also holds professional certifications in ACTA, ACLP, Arboriculture, Aquaponics Designs, Project Management, International HR Management, FinTech, Internet-of-Things, BlockChain, Data Analytics, and Cyber Security Protection.

Eng Lam's areas of expertise include Landscape Architecture, Landscape Management, Water Efficient Designs, FINTech, Green Building Technology, Green Solutions and Facilities Management.

His research interests are in Biophilic Design, Sustainable Architecture, Landscape Technology, Resource Analysis with GIS, and Tree Mechanics. In addition, he has completed scientific research projects in collaboration with the industry in sustainable agriculture.

Course Structure

TPG course reference No.

TGS-2021008710

Specialist Diploma in Agritechnology and Agribusiness

Post-Diploma Certificate in Agribusiness and Analytics
Agribusiness and Financial Management (NP-013535)
This module aims to equip students with vital decision-making skills, leadership, and management qualities in the agri-business industry. Students will be introduced to fundamental business management principles and processes, including ethical and legal requirements, resource management and project management in agri-business. Students will also learn basic marketing principles such as customer behavior, product, distribution channels, promotion, and pricing. Core entrepreneurial know-how in setting up a business and the value creation process from generating and evaluating business ideas will also be incorporated. Students will also learn to apply cost-benefit analysis and business finance concepts for the management of an agri-business.
Agricultural Analytics & Productivity (NP-013534)
This module aims to equip students with the knowledge of the emerging phenomena of using data to achieve business objectives. Data analytics enables businesses to realize the full potential of data (generated from various business processes, primary and complementary sources), thus improving the effectiveness in generating business insights and intelligence for optimal decision-making purposes. The module will demonstrate how data can be prepared and used in the agricultural industry for productivity and decision-making. Students will learn to use data analytics to unlock the value of data and enacting decisions. This technology can be applied in areas such as predictive maintenance, sales forecasting or supply optimization. Students will also be equipped with the foundational skills and knowledge required to get started with data analytics. This includes explaining various data modeling techniques, data preparation techniques, perform modeling and prediction, and hands-on lab exercises on agriculture-related use-cases.
Agricultural Supply Chain and Management (NP-013536)
This module aims to equip students with the knowledge and skillsets required to handle perishable and time-sensitive products, keeping them fresh throughout the entire supply chain. The areas of coverage range from warehousing to distribution of products based on the various Singapore Standards for the cold chain management. Students will be introduced to quality management systems to ensure proper management of agricultural products from post-harvesting to retail. Packaging and traceability technology, as well as new retail technology, will also be covered. The module provides the framework to understand and manage production, sourcing, supply chain risks and the distribution networks that bring foods to consumers locally and globally. It also introduces regulatory and funding frameworks that are relevant to agribusiness and new farming techniques.
Post-Diploma Certificate in Agricultural Production and Technology
Agricultural Biology (NP-013531)
This module aims to equip students with the knowledge of plants' fundamental role in nature and their application to agriculture and management. Students will study plant biology that encompasses plant morphology, function, growth, development, relationships with other organisms, and the physical environment. They will study plant physiology, post-harvest physiology and examine how the plant responds to biotic stresses such as bacterial, fungal, viral pathogens, nematodes and pests, abiotic stresses such as heat, drought, salinity and flooding etc. Students will also study crop cultivar development by applying crossbreeding and selection and using advanced breeding technologies to develop breeding schemes leading to the release of improved crop varieties and cultivars. They will be given an overview of the impacts of gene action, heritability, and genotype x environmental interactions on breeding and selection outcomes. The module will introduce students to the mechanisms for the interaction between plants and soil, nutrition from soil and symposium for nutrient deficiency. The knowledge for plant tissue culture and its application, methods of producing genetically modified crops will be presented.
Plant Production Principles and Technologies (NP-013532)
This module aims to equip students with the core principles underlying sustainable plant production, cropping systems, and practices used in modern agriculture, particularly plant factories or vertical farming. An overview of the principles and concepts behind modern technology's role in plant production, plant breeding and selection, crop modeling and soilless technique will enable students to explore issues posed by challenges facing agriculture, such as climate change and food security. Students will be introduced to crop physiology, soil management, crop nutrition, pest and diseases management, growing media, microorganisms, and soil-plant biology to further their understanding and concepts behind plant-based food's effective production. Furthermore, students will develop skills to assess plant production practices, analyze plant production data and architectural designs, and integrate these disciplines into identifying farming systems best suited in the built environment.
Smart Farming Technologies (NP-013533)
This module aims to equip students with the core principles underlying sustainable plant production, cropping systems, and practices used in modern agriculture, particularly plant factories or vertical farming. An overview of the principles and concepts behind modern technology's role in plant production, plant breeding and selection, crop modeling and soilless technique will enable students to explore issues posed by challenges facing agriculture, such as climate change and food security. Students will be introduced to crop physiology, soil management, crop nutrition, pest and diseases management, growing media, microorganisms, and soil-plant biology to further their understanding and concepts behind plant-based food's effective production. Furthermore, students will develop skills to assess plant production practices, analyze plant production data and architectural designs, and integrate these disciplines into identifying farming systems best suited in the built environment.

Entry Requirements

Condition 1

Highest qualification

Local polytechnic diploma in science, engineering, information and communications, and business management.
or

Condition 2

Highest qualification

University Degree in science, engineering, information and communications, and business management.

Financial matters

Course fees payable (incl. GST & excl. supplementary fee)

Description Post-Diploma Certificate in Agricultural Production and Technology Post-Diploma Certificate in Agribusiness and Analytics Total course fee
Full Course fee $4,900.10 $4,900.10 $9,800.20
PR Sponsored by SME $510.23 $510.23 $1,020.46
Singapore Citizen Sponsored by SME $510.23 $510.23 $1,020.46
Singapore Citizen Aged 40 & Above $510.23 $510.23 $1,020.46
Singapore Citizen Aged Below 40 $735.01 $735.01 $1,470.02
Singapore PR $1,960.04 $1,960.04 $3,920.08
Long-Term Visit Pass Plus $4,900.10 $4,900.10 $9,800.20

GST rate

The course fees payable above are inclusive of 9% GST rate.

Payment option

The first payment needs to be made after accepting the offer.

Allowed payment by

The course fee allows to be paid by:
Post-Secondary Education Account (Adhoc withdrawal form);
Post-Secondary Education Account (Standing order form);
SkillsFuture Credits (SFC);
Credit card (e-payment);
Debit card (e-payment);
PayNow (e-payment).

Important note: All course fees are determined based on prevailing funding policies and subject to review and revision annually.

Nett Supplementary Fees Payable

  • GPA Insurance Fee S$2.11,subject to GST,fees payable S$2.30 Allow payment by Post-Secondary Education Account (Adhoc withdrawal form); Allow payment by Post-Secondary Education Account (Standing order form)
  • Other Fees S$7.43,subject to GST,fees payable S$8.10 Allow payment by Post-Secondary Education Account (Adhoc withdrawal form); Allow payment by Post-Secondary Education Account (Standing order form)

Refund and withdrawal policy

  • Please note that a 100% refund will be available if the withdrawal request is submitted more than or equal to 14 days before the course start date.
  • Please note that a 50% refund will be available if the withdrawal request is submitted less than 14 days before the course start date.
  • Please note that no refund will be available if the withdrawal request is submitted on or after the course start date.

Course 
Schedule

Class Day(s): Tue, Wed and Thu
Time: 6.30pm to 10pm
Delivery Mode: Classroom, Synchronous eLearning, Asynchronous eLearning