Prof Gary Pan, SMU’s associate provost of lifelong learning, said the IPMDE focuses on hands-on, application-based upskilling, with students working on real-world projects sponsored by companies and government organisations.
“Modules are taught by industry practitioners and offered several times a year, with some delivered online to allow learners to study wherever they are,” he said. “Modules can be completed in no prescribed sequence and learners have up to three years to complete the programme.”
This flexibility is further supported by a suite of specialised IGDs that can be stacked towards the IPMDE across a range of industry-aligned domains focused on digital capabilities. The recent addition of three new programmes – IGD in Carbon Reporting and Lifecycle Management, IGD in Generative AI, Large Language Models and AI Governance, and IGD in Leadership and People Management – expands the existing portfolio, which already includes areas such as the digital economy and innovation, customer experience, procurement, leadership and management, and supply chain and operations. Together, these programmes provide learners with structured pathways to deepen their expertise and stay competitive in a fast-changing landscape.
After completing an IGD, learners can choose to graduate with the qualification or progress directly to the IPMDE. The IGD provides a structured foundation for the master’s programme while serving as a recognised milestone in its own right. The IPMDE combines coursework, competency-based assessments and work-based learning through a capstone project.
Singapore citizens may receive up to 90 per cent SkillsFuture funding for the IPMDE, along with an additional S$4,000 offset on SkillsFuture-funded components through the SkillsFuture Credit (Mid-Career)*.
Working professionals who meet the relevant entry requirements may also enrol in the IPMDE without first completing an IGD. For example, an operations team leader with a Work-Study Diploma from ITE and continuing education and training certifications in cloud computing and cybersecurity may enter the programme directly, allowing him to deepen both technical and leadership skills while continuing to work.
Learning, Prof Kong said, is a journey. Improving access to graduate-level upskilling can give learners clearer pathways and greater confidence in navigating lifelong learning, while supporting workforce transformation in a rapidly changing economy.
Register your interest for the Industry Graduate Diploma or Industry Practice Master of Digital Economy programmes at SMU Academy today.
*Terms and conditions apply.