The Structure of University Academic Programmes

1. The academic curriculum of the University is organized into Programmes. Each Programme leads to a named award of the University. Students are admitted to a Programme and remain enrolled on this Programme unless they are permitted to change their enrolment. The programme structure presented in this document refers to the 3-year bachelor's degree curriculum, associate degree and taught postgraduate programmes.
    
   Credit Units
    
2. Programmes are organized on the basis of credit units defined in terms of student work, with one credit unit being earned for about forty-to-fifty hours of student work. In most cases, this notional student work input can be related to contact hours. The "rules of thumb" approved by Senate are that one lecture hour, or one tutorial hour per week for a Semester requires student work sufficient to earn one credit unit; and one laboratory hour per week for a Semester requires student work sufficient to earn one-half a credit unit. It is understood that Programme Committees may wish to deviate from these rules of thumb, where they do not reflect the actual circumstances of the Programme.
    
   Number of Credit Units for University Awards
    
3. Senate has established a minimum number of credit units that students are required to earn for each award. These minimums are as follows:
    

   Bachelor's Degree	90 credit units
   Associate Degree	66 credit units
   Master's Degree	30 credit units*
   Postgraduate Diploma	18 credit units
   Postgraduate Certificate	12 credit units

   * For programmes with special approval from the University, the minimum credit unit requirement can be reduced to 24 credit units.
    
4. No maximum for credit units required has been set, but Programme designers should be aware that full-time students are expected to carry no more than a maximum credit unit load per Semester of eighteen units.
    
   Courses
    
5. The units of instruction at the University and the component parts of Programmes are "courses". Courses must be designed to earn whole credit units. To facilitate scheduling and therefore flexibility for students, departments are urged as far as possible to offer courses that earn multiples of three credit units.
    
6. Each course must be assigned a "level" to indicate the degree of academic difficulty associated with the course. Unless explicit approval is given, students may not meet programme requirements by studying courses at a level different than their programme level (i.e. P, B, or A). The levels approved by Senate are as follows:
    

   Postgraduate:	P5; and P6
   Bachelor's Degree:	B1; B2; B3; and B4
   Associate Degree:	A1; and A2

7. Equivalent courses may be defined for programmes where there is sufficient overlap in content that students may use any equivalent course to meet programme requirements, recover a failure, or improve a course grade. Where necessary, substitute courses may be assigned to enable students to complete programme requirements.
    
8. Not all courses are designed for specific Programmes and may be suitable for students irrespective of the Programmes on which they are registered.
    
9. Courses should be designed so that assessment can be completed in the Semester in which the course is completed. Formal written examinations should have a duration of 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, or 3 hours.
    
   Structure of Programmes
    
10. The basic building blocks of Programme design are:
     

    Required Courses:	Courses that students must pass to earn the award.
    Programme Electives:	Courses "elected" by students from defined sets of courses prescribed for the Programme.
    Free Electives:	Courses chosen by students from any available course, not specifically excluded by the Programme and for which they have the prerequisites.

11. Vertical structure can be introduced into a Programme by the use of prerequisites, or precursors. Prerequisites are requirements that must be fulfilled before a student is able to register in a particular course. Note that this might include educational or other achievements gained before entry to the University, e.g. a particular A level, or relevant work experience. Precursors to courses are not requirements, but students are advised to complete precursors before taking such courses.
     
12. While setting prerequisites will be necessary in some cases, once established they make it more difficult for students to progress through their studies. Prerequisites should therefore be used with discretion.
     
    Programmes Leading to Bachelor's Degrees and Associate Degrees
     
13. Programmes leading to Bachelor's Degrees and Associate Degrees must include:
     

    13.1	A structured, integrated core — The structured core for Bachelor's Degrees must comprise at least sixty credit units, and for Associate Degrees at least forty-eight credit units. The core element of the Programme is normally based on a discipline, or professional area of specialization. The core provides for a planned, objective-oriented educational experience that requires students to progress from introductory to advanced material and to gain an in-depth appreciation of their specialist area, or areas.
    13.2	Opportunities for studies "out-of-discipline" — Undergraduate Programmes must be designed to permit students to study courses outside their area of specialism. Programmes leading to Bachelor's Degrees must include at least nine credit units earned "out-of-discipline". Programmes leading to Associate Degrees must include at least six credit units earned out-of-discipline.  With the discontinuation of all out-of-discipline courses from Semester A 2011/12, students are required to take General Education courses from the 3 distributional areas, namely, 'Arts and Humanities', 'Study of Societies, Social and Business Organisations' and 'Science and Technology' to fulfil the out-of-discipline requirement leading to the award of the degree.
    13.3	University Language Requirement — Senate requires that all Undergraduate Programmes include six credit units earned in fulfilment of the University language requirement. The language requirements must be met either through studies to meet the University English attainment requirement, or through study of language courses approved by Senate to meet the requirement.
    13.4	Chinese Civilisation Requirement — All Bachelor's Degree Programmes must include six credit units earned in courses in Chinese Civilisation. [New students admitted from 2011/12 to the 3-year degree curriculum are required to take only a 3-credit-unit course GE1501 Chinese Civilisation - History and Philosophy to fulfil the Chinese Civilisation Requirement.]

14. Exemption from the University Course Requirements — College/School Boards may at their discretion exempt students in part-time, evening programmes from the University's language, Chinese Civilisation and out-of-discipline requirements.
     
15. College/School Requirement — Requirements may be established by College/School Boards for the awards offered under the Board. Programme designers must incorporate these requirements in Programmes.
     
16. Free Electives — Senate encourages Programme designers to allow students sufficient room in their studies for courses freely chosen from those on offer in the University. Opportunities to develop one's own interests and talents should be an integral part of any education.
     
17. Minors — Programmes may allow students to select minors as part of their programme of study. Minors comprise a structured group of courses totaling at least 15 credit units, allowing for significant exposure to a subject area or topic of professional interest. Minors will be noted on student transcripts.
     

Revised by the Senate on 4 June 2013