UNIVERSITI Teknologi Brunei (UTB) will be offering Brunei’s first undergraduate degree programmes in Architecture and Product Design starting August 2018 under its new faculty called the School of Design (SDe).
Murhamdilah Morni, Deputy Dean, School of Design, said that the Bachelor of Science in Architecture and Bachelor of Science in Product Design will be a four-year Honours programmes.
“There is no cap on the number of students enrolled and we are expecting a significant number of eligible students for the first intake of each programme,” he said.
Plans are also underway to build a new building to house the School of Design at UTB’s Tungku campus. Teaching staff is also being recruited from both industry and academia.
“UTB’s focus has always been to create marketable programmes relevant to the needs of students and industries,” Murhamdilah said. “This is the first time both degrees will be offered locally.”
The deputy dean explained that both programmes are specifically created for graduates from local and international higher institutions with relevant diploma (Level 5) and A-Level or equivalent.
“For BSc (Hons) in Architecture programme, relevant applicants may be considered for direct entry into second year, depending on their academic result or industry experience,” Murhamdilah said.
According to him, the BSc (Hons) in Product Design is a comprehensive course that will harnesses students’ creative potential.
“Whether you want to design mobile phones or video games, or even become a fashion designer, this is a programme that is applicable across many industries,” he said.
The course focusses on design fundamentals and innovation and also teaches students elements of material sciences, manufacturing processes and technoprenurship.
“This is a degree that could easily spin off into a career in marketing or consultancy,” Murhamdilah added.
Students can learn more about both degree programmes from UTB’s booth at the Higher Education Expo taking place at BRIDEX Hall 2 from February 10-11.
The expansion of the UTB’s undergraduate programmes is also part of its aim to support the Brunei Government’s Vision 2035 to produce a well-educated, highly skilled and successful nation through provision of education opportunities.
Last year, UTB achieved a significant milestone when it entered the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) Asia University Rankings with a ranking of 165. With this debut ranking, UTB now occupies 30th place among all universities in Southeast Asia and 9th place among engineering and technology universities in the region. This makes UTB the youngest university, below 10 years, to enter into the QS Asia University Rankings within the top 165. UTB’s vision is to be among the best 10 universities for engineering and technology in Southeast Asia by 2018.
UTB has also been recognised as a 4-Star institution based on the QS Star Rating System after scoring five stars in six out of seven categories.
“These are huge achievements for such a young university,” said Siti Asmahlati Bolkini binti Haji A Ahmad, Director of International and Public Relations, UTB. “Although UTB has been around since 1986, we only started offering degree programmes in 2009 when we were upgraded to a university.”
To date, UTB has produced over 5,000 BDTVEC HND graduates; about 300 HND Level Five graduates; nearly 1,000 undergraduates and over 70 Master’s degree graduates from academic programmes offered by the Faculty of Engineering, School of Computing and Informatics, and School of Business.
The post First in Brunei: UTB to offer degree courses in Architecture, Product Design appeared first on Borneo Bulletin Online.