GENERAL EDUCATION

The General Education programme aims to provide students with a broad knowledge base across academic disciplines and cultivate their intellectual-analytical ability, aesthetic appreciative ability and moral reasoning ability.

GE Structure


Intended Learning Outcomes

GEN1000 Perspectives on General Education

This module is mandatory for all Year 1 students. The aim of this module is to help all freshmen at HSUHK to acquire a basic understanding of university, general education and learning, to examine preliminarily the diverse nature and approaches of humanities, social sciences, science and technology, and the interconnectedness thereof, and to burgeon in students an intellectual ability of multidisciplinary inquiries related to contemporary issues and challenges of the 21st century. Thus, all freshmen would have a first taste of what the various academic disciplines are in the four main categories.

 

The Fours Clusters

Upon completion of module(s) in Cluster 1 (Humanities), students should be able to:

  • Examine the meanings and values of human phenomena;
  • Articulate the representations of humanities in various forms; and
  • Assess the changes and transformations of humanities traditions.

Upon completion of module(s) in Cluster 2 (Social Sciences), students should be able to:

  • Examine human behaviours and decision-making processes;
  • Apply evidence-based social science approaches; and
  • Evaluate the social, political, economic, and cultural factors that influence social phenomenon.

Upon completion of module(s) in Cluster 3 (Science and Technology), students should be able to:

  • Examine the meanings and significance of science and technology in human civilization by exploring its history, development, and impact;
  • Evaluate the connections between technologies and their social and/or humanistic implications in ancient and modern world; and
  • Develop a scientific mind set and methodology in dealing with humans’ daily-life challenges.

Upon completion of module(s) in Cluster 4 (Moral Reasoning), students should be able to:

  • Articulate various ethical theories in different moral traditions;
  • Reason contemporary ethical issues by assessing the argument of various ethical concepts and theories; and
  • Establish his/her own ethical stances.

GEN4001 Capstone Project on General Education

This one-semester 3-credit module is designed for Year 3 or Year 4 students who have received a cumulative GPA of 3.3 or above and have completed 15 GEN credits. It is designed to gather three or four students from different disciplines in a small group to complete a guided research project. The aim of this research project is to help students integrate whatever they have learned from the previous general education experience with that of his/her major by conducting a research project. The project, under the guidance of a faculty member, should demonstrate the learning outcomes of: (a) an ability to conduct research independently, (b) an ability to critically analyse a selected contemporary issue which demands disciplinary perspectives of participating students, (c) the skills to access and integrate information sources of different natures and kinds, and (d) the social skills involving team work.

GE Requirements

Year 1 Entry Students:

 

All Year 1 entry students are required to pass SEVEN modules (21 credits) in General Education.

 

Types of Requirements
(No. of Modules)
Descriptions
(Students are required to pass the GE requirements prescribed below.)
No. of Credits
GE – Foundation
(1 module)
GEN1000 Perspectives on General Education3
GE – Cluster
(4 modules)
At least ONE module from each of the following four academic clusters:
Cluster 1: Humanities
Cluster 2: Social Sciences
Cluster 3: Science and Technology
Cluster 4: Moral Reasoning
12
GE – Elective
(2 modules)
Option 1: Any TWO GE modules in any cluster
OR
Option 2: Any one of the GE modules in any cluster plus GEN4001 Capstone Project on General Education as the second GE elective
6
7 modulesTotal21

 

Once a module is listed as major core/ major elective of an individual programme, the students of that specific programme are restricted from taking that module as to fulfil their GE requirement. 

All Common Core GE modules should only serve the purpose of fulfilling GE requirement, instead of fulfilling other requirements such as major core/elective and business core/elective.

 

Senior Intake Students:

Students admitted to Year 2 or Year 3 may be granted with credits transfer. The application will be reviewed and approved by the respective Programme Director of the major programme enrolled by a student. The policy of credit transfer is stipulated in the Academic Regulations for Undergraduate Programmes.

In addition to the policy on credit transfer, senior-year entrants also need to comply with the prevailing policy governing credit transfer for the Common Core General Education Curriculum approved by the University.

GE Credit Transfer policy

Types of Requirements (No. of Modules)Descriptions
(Students are required to pass the GE requirements
prescribed below.)
GE requirement for
students admitted to Year 2
(Students who transfer from an undergraduate programme at a recognized institution in Hong Kong or overseas.)
GE requirement for students admitted to Year 2
(Graduates of Higher Diploma or Associate Degree)
GE requirement for
students admitted to Year 3
GE-Foundation
(1 module)
GEN1000 Perspectives on General Education3Credit Transfer (3)*Credit Transfer (3)*
GE-Cluster
(4 modules)
At least ONE module from each of the following four academic clusters:
Cluster 1: Humanities
Cluster 2: Social Sciences
Cluster 3: Science and Technology
Cluster 4: Moral Reasoning
121212
GE-Elective
(2 modules)
Option 1: Any TWO GE modules in any cluster
OR
Option 2: Any one of the GE modules in any cluster plus GEN4001 Capstone Project on General Education as the second GE elective
3 + Credit Transfer (3)*Credit Transfer (6)*Credit Transfer (6)*
Total:18 credits
(6 modules)
12 credits
(4 modules)
12 credits
(4 modules)

*Credit Transfer: Students are NOT required to study another module to replace the 3 credits of GEN1000, and 3 or 6 credits of GE electives.