Slide 01
HKU Terminology 101
A fun and engaging guide that acquaints you with essential terms and phrases commonly used at HKU, making your campus experience a breeze!
Slide 02
Do you know the meaning of
- Academic Year
- Credits
- Major/minor Declaration
- Syllabus
- UG5
- Free Elective
- Enrolment
- Advanced Standing
- GPA
- Retaking
Slide 03
Academic year
An academic year comprises 2 regular semesters and 1 optional summer semester
- First semester (September to December)
- Second semester (January to May)
- Summer semester (Jun to Aug)
Slide 04
Credits
Indicate its study load relative to the total study load
- Typically, 24-30 credits per semester (Can add extra 6 credits)
- Max 72 credits per year
Slide 05
Major / Minor Declaration
Here is the List of available major (
https://aas.hku.hk/list-of-major/) / minor (
https://aas.hku.hk/list-of-minor/)
Declaration (if you are allowed to):
- Earliest: before the start of second year
- Last chance: first semester of your final year
- Limitation: unlimited times; but only during the pre-enrolment period, enrollment period & add/drop period
What would happen if you cannot complete a second major or a minor?
- Second majors/minors would not be shown on your transcript
- The courses would be counted as free electives
Slide 06
Syllabus
The list of requirements and courses that you need to complete to get your degree
Always refer to the one of your admission year
- i.e. the year that you were admitted to the first year.
- If you are directly admitted to the third year (unless you are from BSC(IM), BSC(ACD) or BASc(SDS)), you should refer to the syllabus of the year before last. (i.e. your admission year – 2)
Slide 07
How to decipher the syllabus?
- Core courses: must study
- Disciplinary elective courses: choose from a list
- Prerequisites: complete before taking the course
- Corequisites: take before or together with the course
EXAMPLE:
If you need to take one disciplinary elective from List 1, which consists of courses A and B. Course C is a prerequisite for A, and course D is a corequisite for A.
You can choose to study either just course B or courses A and D (but you must study course C beforehand).
Slide 08
UG5
UG5 of Regulations for First Degree Curricula
- 12-18 credits Language enhancement
- 0-6 credits Artificial Intelligence Literacy
- 36 credits Common Core Curriculum (24 credits for BASc, double degree or MBBS students)
- A capstone experience as specified in the syllabuses of your degree curriculum
- UG5E1001
Common Core courses (
https://commoncore.hku.hk/)
- For all UG students
- If you are taking ≥5, at least 1 course in each AOI
Slide 09
Free Elective
- Courses in any disciplines, excluding Common Core and Language Enhancement courses
- It is NOT a category that must be fulfilled. Instead, it is more like the "remaining credits"
For example, in a 4-year curriculum requiring 240 credits, 54 credits are allocated to UG5, and 72 to 96 credits are for your first major. Any leftover credits fall under free electives.
- You MAY utilize these credits to fulfill an optional second major and/or minor(s).
Slide 10
Enrolment
- Enrolment period: in August
- Add/drop period: First 2 weeks of the semester
- NO LATE DROP after the add/drop period
- NOT all courses operate on a first-come, first-served basis
- No changes could be made during the suspension period
- Vacancies may appear at any time throughout the period, so check the SIS occasionally
Slide 11
Advanced Standing
Granting of credits to students in recognition of studies completed PRIOR to admission to HKU
- Usually applicable for: GCE, IB, DAS to year 3
- Must apply at the time of your admission
- Maximum: 120 credits
- Subject to approval
- Study fewer credits!
Slide 12
GPA
Grade Point Average
A+ = 4.3 C+ = 2.3
A = 4.0 C = 2.0
A- = 3.7 C- = 1.7
B+ = 3.3 D+ = 1.3
B = 3.0 D = 1.0
B- = 2.7 F = 0
Calculation= sum of (grade point * credits) / total credits attempted
- Only letter grades are calculated
CGPA = Cumulative from all semesters
GGPA = Graduation GPA
- Special proviso: Either the 5 Common Core courses with the highest grades (covering all AOI) or all 6 courses will be taken into account, whichever generates a higher score.
- Affects your CLASS OF HONOURS!
Slide 13
Retaking
- Re-taken course grade does NOT replace the fail grade
- All courses and the grades obtained in EVERY ATTEMPT will be shown on your transcript and counted towards your GPA calculation
- Cannot repeat a passed course
- Ways of retaking are subject to the department
Slide 14
Contact Us
Still baffled by some HKU terms? No worries!