Excerpted from my email to a SP graduate dated 18/8/08:
NUS Env eng is normally quite hard to get in for poly grads. On the other hand, NTU env eng is more open to poly grads. In NUS, its env eng originally branched off from chem eng so its syllabus involves a large does of chem eng contents e.g. thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, process control. NTU env eng branched off from civil eng so it tends to lean more towards materials of construction, building design etc. But of course, env eng in both unis converge on common topics especially in the final years.
The labour market in Singapore right now is quite tight. Env eng grads are no exception. Even chem grads are finding it difficult to get relevant jobs. In fact, the trend now is for employers to hire someone who can multitask. E.g. why employ an env eng grad when a chem eng grad can do the same job and other things too? A good indication is the no. of classes in NUS chem eng and env eng. 10 yrs back: 4 classes chem eng, 1 class env eng. 2 yrs back (this year I am not exactly sure): 10 classes chem eng, 2 classes env eng. It appears that demand for env eng grads has always been small.
Don't misunderstand. I am not trying to discourage you. If your interest is there, you can always shine in whatever you study and still gain employment. Furthermore, who knows what will happen in 4 or 5 years time? There may be a sudden surge in env eng grads by then. However, I personally feel that env eng will always be less versatile, especially compared to chem eng.
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