FAQ – Questions about course enrolment

Q4.1 How and when should I select courses?
Q4.2 Where can I find more information about my interested courses? For example, its assessment methods and learning outcomes?
Q4.3 How many credits can I take to the maximum? Can I take more than 30 credits?
Q4.4 Are there any requirements on the minimum number of courses that I need to take in each semester?
Q4.5 How many courses can I take for the summer semester? Do I need to pay for that?
Q4.6 Can I late drop a course?
Q4.7 Can I late add a course?
Q4.8 How are full-year courses counted towards my study load?
Q4.9 If I have completed more than 60 credits in an academic year, can I take fewer in the subsequent year(s) of study as long as I can complete a total of 240 credits upon graduation?
Q4.10 Can I take introductory courses, for example, pre-requisite courses for a major or minor, in the second or following years of studies, even in my final year?
Q4.11 What should I do if I have not met the prerequisite(s) for a course I wish to take?
Q4.12 Are there any regulations on the number of introductory courses and advanced courses that I need to take?
Q4.13 Can I take an advanced course in my first year of study?

Q4.1 How and when should I select courses?
You should select courses via SIS (Student Information System) during the course selection period before the semester start for both semester one and semester two. You can modify your enrolment in the add/drop period, usually during the first two weeks of teaching in each semester.

Q4.2 Where can I find more information about my interested courses? For example, its assessment methods and learning outcomes?
You can visit the “Course Information” section in SIS for learning more about your interested courses, such as assessment methods and other important information. The navigation is: HKU Portal -> My Page -> SIS Menu -> Enrollment -> Course Information

Q4.3 How many credits can I take to the maximum? Can I take more than 30 credits?
The University recommends you to take 24-30 credits in one semester (except the summer semester) unless otherwise permitted or required by your Faculty. Theoretically, you can take additional 6 credits to the maximum in one semester, accumulating up to a maximum of 72 credits in an academic year. If you are planning to take more than 6 courses (over 36 credits) in a semester, please apply to your Faculty for overloading. Justifications might be required. For details, please look at UG 4 of the Regulations for First Degree Curricula.

Q4.4 Are there any requirements on the minimum number of courses that I need to take in each semester?
The University recommends you to take 24-30 credits in one semester (except the summer semester). If you are planning to take less than 4 courses (under 24 credits) in a semester, please apply to your Faculty for under-loading. Justifications might be required.

Q4.5 How many courses can I take for the summer semester? Do I need to pay for that?
Under normal circumstances, you can take 2 courses at most for the summer semester. Fee exemption/reduction usually applies for HKU students. For details, please check with the course offering departments.

Q4.6 Can I late drop a course?
Late drop is usually not allowed after the add/drop period. Also, the decision to late drop a course might have far-reaching ramifications, such as jeopardizing your progress of studies and you might not meet the minimum requirement of 24 credits after dropping the course.

Q4.7 Can I late add a course?
Late add is usually not recommended after the add/drop period unless you have a very strong reason for that. Please seek approval from your Faculty on this if needed.

Q4.8 How are full-year courses counted towards my study load?
Half of the credits of full-year courses are counted towards the study load for each semester, that is, 6 credits in the first semester and 6 credits in the second semester for a 12-credit full-year course. Under normal circumstances, the final grades of full-year courses will only be counted in the GPA for the second semester after you have completed the full-year courses.

Q4.9 If I have completed more than 60 credits in an academic year, can I take fewer in the subsequent year(s) of study as long as I can complete a total of 240 credits upon graduation?
Yes, you can. However, you still need to take at least 24 credits in each of your remaining semesters otherwise you might need to apply for under-loading. For your last semester in the programme, it is possible that your outstanding credits might be fewer than 24 credits.

Q4.10 Can I take introductory courses, for example, pre-requisite courses for a major or minor, in the second or following years of studies, even in my final year?
Theoretically yes. However, for some programmes, such as BSocSc, students are not allowed to take introductory courses in their final year. Please check with your home Faculty if in doubt.

Q4.11 What should I do if I have not met the prerequisite(s) for a course I wish to take?
Please note that almost all courses are very strict on the fulfillment of relevant prerequisite requirements, if any. Please check with the Faculty/course-offering department concerned if you need help on this. Wavier is almost impossible unless you have a very strong justification for that.

Q4.12 Are there any regulations on the number of introductory courses and advanced courses that I need to take?
It depends. Some programmes do have a ceiling on the total number of credits of introductory courses that a student can take. You might need to “make up” the excess credits of introductory courses by taking the same number of credits of advanced courses. Please be reminded that level 2 courses are not necessarily advanced level courses. It is very important for you to check with your home Faculty on this if in doubt.

Q4.13 Can I take an advanced course in my first year of study?
Yes, provided that you have fulfilled the relevant pre-requisite requirement(s).