Operational Guidelines Supporting General Academic Regulations | Student Handbook

1. Registration

(The following operational guidelines on second major, minor(s) and double counting are only applicable to students in undergraduate programmes. For details, please refer to ‘Undergraduate Curriculum’ in the Registry’s website. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for Second Major/Minor(s) are also available at the website for easy reference.)

1.1

Second Major

1.1.1	All undergraduate students are required to declare a major within their programme of study upon admission. Students who are admitted to a full-time undergraduate degree programme (with no programme/curriculum restriction) may be permitted to enrol in a Second Major in addition to their First Major, subject to programme specific requirements and programme GPA requirement of normally 3.0 or above in the first year of study. For the list of eligible programmes with Second Major, details of prescribed courses and requirements, please refer to the website here.
1.1.2	To facilitate planning, you will be required to indicate your intended Second Major before finishing the first year of study by submitting your application for taking Second Major online in March of the respective academic year to obtain prior approval* of the relevant party or unit. Before making an application, you should study the details posted online carefully to ascertain whether you have met the programme requirements of taking Second Major and consult the relevant Programme Leader/ Coordinator for guidance and advice. *For FLASS and FEHD, applications for taking the Second Major will be approved by the Head of Department which offers the Second Major Subject. For FHM, applications for taking the Second Major will be endorsed by the Programme Leader of respective programmes, followed by the approval of Associate Dean (US).
1.1.3	Online application form for taking Second Major is available via The Portal (under 'Second Major/Minor(s)' on the left panel of the homepage). Application made after the deadline will not be considered. After students' assessment results (via the recommendation of Departmental Assessment Panel) were approved by the Head of course-offering unit, the application result will be notified to the student by the respective academic department via student email account in August of the respective year. The result will also be available at the website of Second Major/Minor(s) and indicated in the DegreeWorks at The Portal for information. Intranet announcement of submission procedures and deadline will be made by Registry via The Portal before March of the respective academic year.
1.1.4	Normally, the minimum credit requirement for a Second Major is 30 credit points out of the available credit points in the Elective domain. When you have completed all the prescribed Second Major courses and requirements, you are required to declare the Second Major with the Registry in the final semester (within two weeks after the add/drop period according to the Academic Calendar of the respective academic year) of your study. Online declaration form and details can be found via The Portal (under 'Second Major/Minor(s)' on the left panel of the homepage). Intranet announcement of submission/declaration procedures and deadline will be made by Registry via The Portal after the add/drop period. Declaration made after the deadline will not be processed.
1.1.5	Students who have declared Second Major and completed both First and Second Majors will receive a single degree award (based on the First Major) with both majors recorded on their transcripts. Please note that Second Major will not lead to a Qualified Teacher Status. Teaching practice or immersion/internship will not be arranged/ involved for students of Second Major.
1.1.6	If a student fails to fulfil the requirements of his/her First Major, he/she will not be allowed to graduate even though he/she has satisfied the requirements of his/her Second Major and all other conditions for graduation. If a student fails to fulfil the requirements of his/her Second Major but successfully completes the requirement of his/her First Major and all other conditions for graduation, he/she can opt for graduation without the Second Major. You should be aware of your responsibilities to fulfil all the graduation requirements within the normal study period. You should also refer to the GAR (Section 8) on 'Period of Study'. The University does not guarantee that related arrangements such as course registration, timetable, examination schedule etc. will tally with students' study plans and if necessary, you would need to extend the period of study and pay additional fee on a pro-rata basis to complete the requirements for a Second Major.
1.1.7	There is no shifting of Second Major to become the First Major. If you wish to change your Second Major, you should meet the specific requirements and consult the relevant Programme Leader/ Coordinator for advice and approval, as stipulated in the GAR. Please follow the procedures for application for Change of Programme/Major/Minor or Mode as stipulated in this operational guideline (Section 9).
1.1.8	If students fail to declare Second Major within the period specified by Registry, their completed courses / number of credit points will be counted towards the number of credit points in Electives fulfilled in their programme for graduation WITHOUT notification by Registry. For detailed information on the requirements of Second Major and procedures for claiming Second Major, please refer to the website of Second Major/Minor(s) via The Portal (under ‘Second Major/Minor(s))’ on the left panel of The Portal homepage).

1.2

Minor(s)

1.2.1	Students who are admitted to a full-time undergraduate degree programme* (except those programmes with programme/ curriculum restriction) have the option of taking a Minor of 15 cps (or two Minors) of taught courses for graduation with Minor(s). No teaching practice will be involved in Minor subjects. For details of Minor(s) and prescribed courses and requirements for Minor(s), you may refer to the website here. * If the individual undergraduate degree programme is also offered in part-time mode for which the curriculum is same as its full-time mode, the students of the respective part-time programme may be allowed to take minor. For enquiry, please contact the respective Faculty/ programme.
1.2.2	You can choose to declare a Minor (or two Minors) when successfully completing requisite courses/requirement for a particular Minor (or two Minors) before graduation. The Minor(s) will appear on your transcript. When you have completed all the prescribed credit points for registering a Minor (or two Minors), you are required to declare the Minor(s) with the Registry in the final semester (within two weeks after the add/drop period according to the Academic Calendar of the respective academic year) of your study. Online declaration form and details can be found via The Portal (under 'Second Major/Minor(s)' on the left panel of the homepage). Intranet announcement of submission procedures and deadline will be made by Registry via The Portal before the add/drop period.
1.2.3	If students fail to declare Minor(s) within the period specified by Registry, their completed courses / number of credit points will be counted towards the number of credit points in Electives fulfilled in their programme for graduation WITHOUT notification by Registry. For detailed information on the requirements of Minor(s) and procedures for claiming Minor(s), please refer to the website of Second Major/Minor(s) via The Portal (under ‘Second Major/Minor(s)’ on the left panel of the Portal homepage). Declaration made after the deadline will not be processed.

1.3

Double Counting

1.3.1

Double Counting is only used to fulfil the requirement of a domain (which is prescribed by the programme) but will not reduce the number of credit points a student needs to take overall in a programme. You are only allowed to double count up to a maximum of 9 credit points within a 5-year undergraduate degree programme and 6 credit points within a 4-year undergraduate degree programme (including Senior Year programmes^Note1) to fulfil no more than two domain requirements within the programme. You are required to take another course(s) to meet the credit requirement of your programme. Double-counted credits can be made up by Major/Core/Minor/Free Elective. Where necessary, individual programme may need to consider and specify what course(s)^Note2 that you should take to make up the shortfall of the credit requirements. For details of the course(s) in relation to double counting, you may refer to your Faculty's website or contact your Faculty.

Note 1: For Bachelor of Health Education (Honours) programme (2-year Full-time / 3-year Part-time), the double counting policy is only applicable to cohort admitted from 2022/23 and thereafter.
Note 2: Course(s) required to be taken to make up the shortfall of the credit requirements must be made known to students by Faculty on the respective website before implementing double counting.

1.4

Student EdU Card (the "Card")

1.4.1

The Card is issued to all registered students of the University for the purpose of identification and physical access. Upon completion of the programme registration procedures, you will be assigned a unique student number and issued a Card. The front of the Card displays your photograph, name (English and Chinese), student number, level of study (except exchange students, visiting students and elderly students), programme code, mode of study and the valid date of the Card. For more information on the use of the Card, please refer to EdU Card Users' Guide. The Card is free-of-charge, but for Card replacement due to loss or damage, it will cost HK$100. Application Form for Replacement of Student EdU Card can be downloaded from the Registry Website (under 'Useful Forms').

1.5

Double Registration

1.5.1

Students who are enrolled in any full-time award-bearing programmes (lasting for one year or longer) of the University are not permitted to simultaneously register for another qualification at this University or a post-secondary qualification at any institutions except with prior approval by the Registrar. You must apply to the Registrar in writing for double registration before registering for study for another qualification at the University/other institution. You are required to submit your written request (with supporting document(s) and justification(s)) to the Registry for processing. The Registrar will consider your request in consultation with the Programme Leader/Coordinator. You will be notified of the result of your application by writing. Violation of the regulation may lead to discontinuation of studies at the University. In case of doubt, please seek advice from the Registry.

1.5.2

For non-local students, please note that double registration may affect your study visa and/status in Hong Kong. You are advised to contact the Immigration Department for enquiries or refer to the website of the Immigration Department for information.

2. Fees

2.1

Tuition Fees

2.1.1

Students from UGC-funded programmes are normally required to pay for tuition fees in two instalments by a stipulated due date, one in each semester. Students who have to extend their studies beyond the normal period of study in order to fulfil the requirements of the programme are required to pay additional fees on a pro-rata basis according to the number of courses/credits (including Field Experience). For programmes which the settlement of tuition fees is not followed as aforesaid, the fee calculation of the student concerned will be handled by the programme-offering unit. Students may contact the programme-offering unit/Finance Office should they have any queries on the fee charge in regard to special study plan. For detailed information on settlement of tuition fees, please refer to Chapter 6 (Student Finance) of the Student Handbook.

2.2

Other Fees

2.2.1	Some other fees specified in the table of 'Other Fees' in Chapter 6 (Student Finance) of the Student Handbook, such as Student Card Replacement, Application for Academic Documents/Credit Transfer/Change of Programme and Continuation Fee are not included in the Consolidated e-Billing. Consolidated e-Billing mainly includes fees/fines/charges issued by the Finance Office, such as tuition fees, immersion fees, hall fees and caution money. If you have any queries on the charge of the 'Other Fees' in Chapter 6, you are advised to contact the Finance Office for details.
2.2.2	Students must settle the tuition fees and/or other fees/charges in the Consolidated e-Billing by the due dates, if, for any reasons, you are unable to pay the fees by the due dates, you should contact the Finance Office before the due dates for assistance. Failure to pay the required fees by the due dates without prior approval from the University will result in serious consequences including withholding the issue of academic documents, de-activation of student cards and suspension of access to the University's Library/other facilities/accommodation in the student hall. You will be treated as 'UNOFFICIALLY WITHDRAWN' from the programme and your student status will be suspended with immediate effect. For detailed information on settlement of tuition fees, please refer to Chapter 6 (Student Finance) of the Student Handbook.
2.2.3	Re-instatement of the student status will not be considered for unofficially withdrawn students with prolonged overdue fees. You will be required to re-apply for admission by adopting normal procedures. For detailed information on 'Settlement of University Fees/ Charges', please refer to Chapter 6 (Student Finance) of the Student Handbook.

3. Course Enrolment

3.1

It is the responsibility of students to ensure the completion of course registration before they take the full range of course activities including class attendance and all stipulated assessment tasks. If course registration is performed on-line via The Portal, you must ensure that the whole registration process has been completed. Incomplete course registration will lead to serious consequences: you will not be allowed to attend any activities of those unregistered courses or to take any related assessment tasks such as examinations and as a result your assignments/answer sheets will not be marked nor will grades be given/recorded on the Transcript. Students who have not registered for any course in a semester (excluding the summer semester) will be considered to have withdrawn from their programme at the University unless deferment of studies has been approved by the relevant Programme Leader/Coordinator (stipulated in GAR 4.1). Upon approval of deferment of studies, the student has to pay a continuation fee in order to retain his or her student status and to continue using the facilities of the University.

3.2

Student who is treated as having unofficially withdrawn from the programme due to overdue fees will not be able to perform online course registration. The registered course(s), if applicable, will be removed for unofficially withdrawn students with prolonged overdue fees in the respective academic year.

3.3

Registration in some courses is restricted to students having the necessary prerequisites.

3.4

The number of credit points assigned to a course is indicative of the hours of student effort, which include both contact hours and study time. In terms of contact hours, one credit point should normally be equivalent to one hour of teaching per week for 13 teaching weeks in a semester. This includes one online lesson out of the total of 13 lessons in a 3 credit-point course. The maximum number of online lessons for a course which is used to replace face-to-face contact time shall not exceed 1 lesson and the accumulated number of online hours shall not be used to replace the contact hours for more than one face-to-face lesson. In terms of study time, students are normally expected to engage in no less than 2 hours of independent learning per week for each contact hour.

3.5

Students shall complete before graduation the credit points as required by individual programmes of study. Students who wish to take credit points less than the minimum number of credit points or take credit points beyond the maximum number of credit points as required in a semester should obtain prior approval from their Programme Leader/Coordinator. For details of the number of credit points in a semester required by your programme, please refer to the programme handbook or the Faculty's website. Likewise, students are not allowed to take zero credit point/course unless with prior approval (stipulated in GAR 7.3) from their Programme Leader/Coordinator. Students not taking any credit point/course in a semester without prior approval will be considered to have withdrawn from their programme at the University (stipulated in GAR 4.1). Students who obtain approval of taking zero credit point/course or join the Student Exchange Programme – Outbound in a semester may be required to settle the tuition fees (if any) for the respective semester. No continuation fee is levied. However, a continuation fee per semester (Please refer to the Chapter 6 - Student Finance) will be charged to students whose registration status should be retained for the sake of performing non-credit-bearing activities such as Field Experience, language or ITC assessments.

Note: To avoid missing deadline of settlement of tuition fees, students who join Student Exchange Programme – Outbound are strongly advised to settle the tuition fees (if any) for the respective semester before their departure. Exchange students whose tuition fees are charged on course/credit-point basis are required to settle the amount as specified in the consolidated e-billing statement or check with Finance Office or their Faculty/programme unit for the exact amount to be paid.

3.6

Classes for all programmes are normally scheduled from Monday to Saturday with possible scheduling of combined classes for programmes/courses of different modes of study such as full-time, part-time and mixed-mode. You may refer to your own timetable via The Portal after course registration.

3.7

Add/Drop Course(s)

3.7.1	Students can add or drop a course during the add/drop period or before the third class meeting. Online add/drop of courses will normally be performed during the add/drop period^{Note 1} as specified in the academic calendar of the respective academic year (i.e. normally the first two weeks in a regular semester). For courses which are not available for online add/drop or the add/drop period of the course(s) concerned is not within the add/drop period as specified in the academic calendar, students should add or drop the course(s) through paper form by filling out the Application form for Change of Courses (Add/Drop) and follow the proper procedures as specified by your Faculty^{Note 2}. Note 1: For the online add/drop period of the individual courses, students should refer to the intranet announcement on the Portal and information on the Registry website. Note 2: Not Applicable to GE Courses. Students should contact the GE office for the add/drop procedures for GE courses.
3.7.2	Students are permitted to drop a course after the add/drop period (or after the second class meeting if applicable) but before the examination period or before the deadline for submission of final assignments, whichever applicable, only for strong personal reasons, such as serious illnesses. Students should apply in writing to the course lecturer concerned for recommendation and the Programme Leader/Coordinator for approval of the late drop. When the application is approved, the respective Programme Leader/Coordinator should inform the Faculty for necessary action. And the Faculty should inform the Registry for record and the course lecturer concerned for grade input. The grade W (Withdrawn) will be given through the course lecturer and recorded on the students' transcript.
3.7.3	There will be no online add/drop arranged for summer courses. Students are advised to make use of the application form that could be downloaded from Registry website (Current Students -> Course Registration -> Add/Drop Courses -> Application Form for Add/Drop Summer Courses) for adding or dropping the summer courses. The completed form should be returned to General Education Office (for General Education course) / respective Programme Office (for other courses) for further processing. Please contact respective Programme Office or General Education Office if you have further questions.

3.8

Academic Advising
Under the provision of Academic Advising (please visit this website for details), all undergraduate students are required to meet with your Academic Advisors in person at least once by the end of February to discuss your study plans including your planning of courses to be taken in future semesters/years of study, and other academic-related matters. Students can monitor your academic progress and submit your study plans through the DegreeWorks platform. All advisees should share with their advisors their study plan and/or degree audit report for the advising meetings to seek advice on the learning journey and career development. It is also important for students to review and update their own study plan regularly whenever necessary.

3.9

Course Registration for Second Major
After submitting their applications for taking Second Major, respective students will be pre-registered in the Second Major course(s) starting from the first semester of their second year of study by the relevant department (on condition of timetable conflict-free). If your application for taking Second Major is unsuccessful, you may drop the relevant course(s) for the Second Major during the add/drop period in the first semester of your second year of study, as necessary. Upon approval of your application for taking Second Major, those courses being offered in the second semester of your second year of study and the subsequent semesters will also be pre-assigned^Note by the department on condition of timetable conflict-free. The department will inform you about the arrangement of pre-assignment before the main round of online course registration. You may contact your subject department for enquiry, if necessary.

Note: The pre-assignment of Second Major course(s), whether successful or not, is based on the available timeslot of the student’s timetable.

3.10

Course Registration for Minor(s)
Students, if interested, can plan their progress towards completion of the requirements of Minor and register in course(s), according to the list of Minor of respective academic year. Students, upon successful completion of Minor, are required to claim Minor(s) in the second semester of their final year of study via online declaration on their own.

3.11

Course Registration for Field Experience and Experiential Learning Semester
Students of full-time Bachelor of Education programmes who are admitted in 2019/20 and thereafter should complete a minimum of 7 credit points in each Field Experience and Experiential Learning Semester. They can only register Field Experience^{Note 1} and/or Experiential Learning Courses (including Co-curricular and Service Learning courses and Experiential Learning courses) and Honours Project/Capstone Project, but not other regular taught courses in the Field Experience and Experiential Learning Semester (stipulated in GAR 9.10.4). Normally, the maximum credit points for the Field Experience and Experiential Learning Semester are 13 credit points in Semester 2 of Year 3 and 13 credit points^{Note 2} (or 10 credit points^{Note 2} for students admitted in 2024/25 and thereafter) in Semester 1 of Year 5 respectively. Please note that individual programmes may have specific requirements on the range of credit points required for students. Please contact the respective Faculty for details. Students may take Learning Experience Outside the Classroom (CLOC) course(s) for recognition of approved activities/experience outside the classroom in the Field Experience and Experiential Learning Semester. The credit points of the CLOC course are NOT counted in the minimum and maximum credit points required within a semester. However, students should make sure that there will be no time conflict between the timetable of the CLOC course(s) and block practice period or regular class/activities. For more details on the CLOC course, please refer to sections 3.12, 5.1 and 7.3.9 of this Chapter.

Note 1: Students of full-time Bachelor of Education programme can also take FE elective course(s) under free elective domain during the Field Experience and Experiential Learning Semester as long as there is no time-clash with the compulsory FE course(s).

Note 2: The number of credit points does not include that of the Honours Project / Capstone Project which is a cross-semester course taken in Semester 1 and 2 of Year 5 but with its credit points counted in Semester 2 of Year 5 only.

3.12

Enrolment for Learning Experience Outside the Classroom (CLOC) Course
Students may take CLOC course(s) on a voluntary basis to enrich their learning experience outside classroom. The number of credit points assigned to the CLOC course can range from 1 credit point to 3 credit points, depending on the learning hours involved. The upper limit that can be accumulated is 6 credit points, exclusive of a) activities/experience which form credit-bearing components of or are embedded in the curriculum; b) credit-bearing courses such as Block Practice, Experiential Learning Courses, Co-curricular and Service Learning Courses; and c) mainland/overseas student exchanges for which a transfer of credits has been approved. Upon successful completion of the CLOC course(s) on the approved list acknowledged by the University, students will be eligible to claim a maximum total of 6 credit points during the study period of their programmes. The credit points will not be included in the calculation of the GPA nor the credit points for fulfilling the graduation requirement but will be recorded on the students’ Transcript of Studies.

4. Student Records

4.1

Change and/Update of Personal Particulars

4.1.1

Your personal particulars recorded at the time of registration will be maintained in the University's permanent student records. During your study at the University, you should report any changes in your personal data to the University immediately. You can go to The Portal (Navigation: The Portal > e-SIS > Main Menu > Personal Information) to use online self-service for updating your address and/or contact phone number at any time or complete the Application Form for Change of Personal Particulars which can be downloaded from the Registry website or obtained from the Student Records Service Desk at Information Centre. Meanwhile, final-year students are invited to provide/update your personal email address online via The Portal (Navigation: The Portal > e-SIS > Main Menu > Personal Information > Update Personal E-mail Address) to facilitate future communication with the University on administrative matters and surveys (e.g. Institutional Research on Graduates, Graduate Employment Survey etc.) after expiry of your student status.

4.1.2

Submission of the Application Forms for Change of Personal Particulars, whilst studying at the EdUHK, for change of your Hong Kong Identity Card number, name, date of birth must be supported by legal documentary evidence. Any request for change of name by final-year student will need to be submitted to Registry before expiry date of the student status or the expiry date printed on his/her student card (whenever is earlier). For example, the student card expiry date of a full-time undergraduate student is normally 31 August. Application form for Change of Personal Particulars can be downloaded from the Registry website or obtained from the Student Records Service Desk at Information Centre. For graduates who have subsequently changed their names after expiry of their student status at the University, their requests will not be entertained.

4.1.3

Since most of the non-local students do not have a HKID Card at the time of registration, they are required to update their personal particulars by providing the Registry with their HKID number once they have obtained their HKID card. Students may come to the Student Records Service Desk of Information Centre to present their HKID card. Your HKID number links to the student registration and record system of the University, which in turn forms the basis of the administration of your study at the University. With incomplete personal data, there will be significant implications on the following:

(a)	the assessment and record materials in relation to your programme/courses as well as issuance of Transcript of Study, Statement of Results and award certificates;
(b)	your application for the i-Work system and correspondingly your eligibility to work on campus; and
(c)	regular reporting to the HKSAR Immigration Department.

4.1.4

Referring to the Joint University Programmes Admissions System (JUPAS) website, according to EDB, "non-local students" for the purpose of admission to post-secondary programmes are defined as follows:

"The student is a holder of the following documents issued by the Immigration Department of the HKSAR:

NLS1	Student visa / entry permit
NLS2	Visa / Entry permit under the Immigration Arrangements for Non-local Graduates
NLS3	Dependant visa / entry permit (for students who were 18 years old or above)^Note

^Note EDB in November 2018 reviewed and redefined its definition of dependant visa / entry permit for non-local students, applicable to ALL JUPAS APPLICANTS in 2019 and thereafter, as students holding dependant visa / entry permit who were 18 years old or above when they were issued with such visa / entry permit by the Immigration Department of the HKSAR."

Students who hold any of the above mentioned documents (NLS1/ NLS2/ NLS3) to study at the University are responsible to renew their visa/permit prior to the expiry date at the Immigration Department of HKSAR in order to continue studies at the University. They are required to inform the Registry (by writing to exam@eduhk.hk) if there are any changes to their visa/permit status and/ expiry date (such as extension of stay) during the period of their study at the University after registration. Non-local students without a valid visa / entry permit will no longer be eligible for studying in Hong Kong and their Student Identity Card (EdU Card) will be disabled, which would result in their being barred from entering the Library, dormitory and logging-in to The Portal as these persons without a valid student visa are not students. Please visit Registry's website for more information. For enquiries, please contact the Registry at 2948 6177.

4.1.5

Students who have changed their local/non-local student status or visa/ permit type (such as from holding a student visa to an employment visa, or vice versa) during their period of study at the University should report to Registry for updating this change in the University's records with original copy of supporting documents. For the adjustment in fee billing arising from the relevant change, please refer to the section on "Tuition Fees Arrangements under Special Circumstances" of Chapter 6 "Student Finance" in this Handbook, and approach Finance Office for enquiries.

4.1.6

All graduates will automatically join the alumni network and enjoy various alumni privileges. Upon graduation, your personal particulars will be forwarded to Alumni Affairs and Development Office (AADO) for maintaining a close connection between you and the University. If you do not want to be contacted for alumni affairs purpose upon graduation, please inform AADO separately. Information on alumni services and activities can be obtained from the AADO website.

4.2

Leave of Absence

4.2.1	Class participation is an important element of learning in a programme. You should develop a strong sense of responsibility and be punctual in attending classes. The University places great emphasis on the punctuality and attendance of students. You are therefore expected to attend all scheduled classes and activities.
4.2.2	Students must seek approval from the Programme Leader/Coordinator by submitting a leave application form, if they wish to take a leave of absence exceeding 7 days but less than one semester. Application forms can be obtained from the Faculty or downloaded from the Faculty's website. You should complete the form and follow the required procedures as stipulated by your Faculty for approval. Where necessary, individual courses/course lecturers/programmes/departments will specify their attendance requirements. Please check with the relevant course-offering unit/Faculty for details.
4.2.3	The University respects the rights of all religions. Should your religious affiliation prevent you from attending any scheduled academic activities associated with your programme of study in the University, please inform your Programme Leader/Coordinator and/or the Registry with documentary evidence in advance. The University will try to make appropriate adjustments as far as possible.

5. Study Load

5.1

Students should not overload their studies. Normally, full-time students should study taught courses between the range of 12 (except summer semester) and 18 credit points^Note every semester whereas part-time students should study not more than 11 credit points (up to 12 for students admitted in 2019/20 and thereafter) in a semester. On top of the regular study load for Semester 1 and Semester 2, students can make use of the Summer Semester (6-week) to take courses of second major/minor/General Education/Co-curricular and Service Learning (CSL), etc. and earn credits in order to fulfil the total number of credit points required in the programme. No maximum study load will be specified for Summer Semester. Students who want to study more than the maximum number of credit points required or less than the minimum number of credit points required in Semester 1/2 should obtain prior approval from their Programme Leader/Coordinator. Please note that individual programme may have specific requirements on the range of credit points required for students. Information may be obtained from the programme handbook or Faculty’s website. The study load restriction does not apply to the enrolment in the CLOC course which may be taken outside class hours. However students are advised not to overload themselves and commit too many activities in the same semester. Students are advised to seek advice from the Academic Advisors as deemed appropriate.

Note: The students of the Full-time Bachelor of Education programmes should take note of the minimum and maximum credits points allowed in the Field Experience and Experiential Learning Semester. For details please refer to section 3.11 of this Chapter.

5.2

Students whose Major Subject GPA in a semester is below 2.00 will receive an Academic Warning. Students who receive an Academic Warning* are not allowed to take the study load beyond the maximum credit points in the following semester or academic year. Those who wish to take more credit points than what is stipulated in the programme should seek prior approval from their Programme Leader/Coordinator.

*applicable to students of degree programmes with a major subject study.

6. Period of Study

6.1

Students are required to graduate within the stipulated period of study, inclusive of any change of programmes/majors, periods of leave of absence, deferment of study*, suspension of study and Field Experience activities. Students who cannot complete a programme within the maximum period of study will be required to discontinue their studies at the University. You must apply in writing to obtain prior approval from the Programme Leader/Coordinator if you wish to extend your period of study beyond the maximum programme duration or pursue a fast track to complete a programme below its normal period of study. Information on the maximum period of study for a programme can be obtained from Section 8.3 and 8.4 of GAR in Chapter 4 ‘Rules and Regulations’. For student-athletes admitted to Bachelor of Health Education Programme or 4-/5-year full-time undergraduate programme from 2022/23 academic year onwards, please refer to the Table 1 below for the maximum period of study.

Table 1

Programme	Length of Programme	Maximum Period of Study (applicable to student-athletes admitted from 2022/23 academic year onwards)
Bachelor of Health Education Programme	Full-time: 2 years Part-time: 3 years	6 years
Four-year Full-time Undergraduate Programme	4 years	7 years
Five-year Full-time Undergraduate Programme	5 years	8 years

*exclusion of mandatory military service periods from the period of study

6.2

Students who have to extend their studies beyond the normal period of study in order to fulfil the requirements of the programme are required to pay additional fees on a pro-rata basis according to the number of courses/credits (including Field Experience). Correspondingly, students who pursue a fast track to complete a programme are required to pay full tuition fees of the programme within the approved period of study. Neither reduction nor refund of fees will be arranged despite the shortened period of study time.

6.3

It is optional for students to take courses in Summer Semester unless fixed in the programme curriculum.

6.4

Students who have successfully completed their programme should not be allowed to extend their period of study for studying further courses or joining further extra-curricular activities in the programme. If necessary, they will be advised to consider applying for admission as Visiting Students to take course(s). Please refer to Section 4.6 of GAR in Chapter 4 ‘Rules and Regulations’.

7. Assessment-related

7.1

Method
(Please refer to Registry website for details of the Policy on Student Assessment.)

7.1.1	The focus of assessment is to provide the opportunity for students to demonstrate their progress in relation to the key outcomes as defined by the University, programmes and courses.
7.1.2	Course-based assessments will include a full range of assessment tasks allowing students to: monitor their own progress and seek further support where they identify any areas of specific need; and have the opportunities to receive feedback on their learning.
7.1.3	The overall course-based assessment load will be commensurate with the credit points and nature of the assessment task(s) of a course.
7.1.4	Timely feedback on all assessments will be available to students within a period of time depending on the course concerned but no later than one month after submission.
7.1.5	Full details of the methods of assessment for individual courses and the weightings assigned to each component of assessment will be stipulated in each course outline. Related assessment criteria will be given to students by the course lecturer within the first two class meetings.

7.2

Late Submission of Assignment and Absence from Assessment Activities

7.2.1	Students should follow the deadline for submission of assignments and present themselves for tests, examinations and prescribed assessment activities at the appointed time.
7.2.2	Applications for late submission of assignment from students supported by valid reasons may be approved by the course lecturer. However, final-year students intending to apply for late submission of assignment for any courses taken in the final semester of their programme of study should seek advice from the course lecturer concerned on the new submission deadline and ensure that the course grade will be released on schedule according to the University’s Academic Calendar and/ Grade Release Schedule announced by the Registry at the Registry website. Otherwise, their graduation will be delayed if grade submission from the course offering unit is postponed. The course lecturer concerned may need to explain to the student the consequence of possible delay in graduation if he/she seeks approval of late submission of assignment, if necessary. Please refer to Academic Calendar or Grade Release Schedule for the important dates of grade submission deadlines from DAP, grade release dates as well as dates of BoE meetings.
7.2.3	Students who are unable to complete a class test/examination/other assessment task should apply to the Head of Department through the course lecturer for special consideration. The application must be accompanied by original copies of any relevant documentary evidence, including medical certificates in cases of illness or disability.
7.2.4	If the Head of Department is satisfied that a student's absence from or inability to complete a class test/examination/other assessment task has a valid cause, the student will be permitted to complete further assessment work in a form to be determined by the Head of Department in consultation with the course lecturer. The grading of the further assessment work so prescribed may be lowered, on a case-by-case basis, up to one full grade.
7.2.5	If the Head of Department, after considering all available information, decides to reject a student's request for special consideration, the student will be accorded a fail grade (grade F) in the unattended component(s) of assessment for the course.

7.3

Course Assessments and Grades

7.3.1	Students’ performance in each course is expressed in terms of the Course Assessment and Grading System delineated in Section 9 of GAR in the Student Handbook for details.
7.3.2	Students will be put on ACADEMIC PROBATION in the next semester when their Semester GPA is below 2.00. When a student obtains a Semester GPA of 2.00 or above at the end of the probation semester, the academic probation status will be lifted. Otherwise, probation shall continue to apply in the next semester. A student who fails to have probation lifted after he/she has been put on academic probation for two consecutive semesters will normally be required to discontinue his/her studies. Note: Normally, students, whose GPA below 2.0 in Summer Semester, will not be put on academic probation in Semester 1; Students, whose GPA below 2.0 in Semester 2, will not be put on academic probation in Summer Semester but in Semester 1 of the following academic year. In other words, GAR Section 9.9 on academic probation will only be adopted in Semester 1/2 (except those students enrolled in a programme with a fixed Summer Semester).
7.3.3	An ACADEMIC WARNING will be issued to students of undergraduate degree programmes (which have a Major Subject) whose Major Subject GPA is below 2.00.
7.3.4	When releasing assignment grades to individual students, course lecturers should include the statement that “These Grades are Provisional / NOT FINAL and subject to further moderation.” Overall course grades will be approved and confirmed final at the time of the FORMAL GRADE RELEASE of the University.
7.3.5	Overall course grades will be announced via Grade Enquiry after the approval of the Head of Department, according to the online grade release date announced at the Registry's website (under "Current Students" → "Examination" → "Grade Release Schedule") and The Portal. Students can view their course grades and download their grade results from The Portal, under the "Grade Enquiry" function, free of charge or apply for the official transcript of studies which requires an application fee.
7.3.6	For the Cross-faculty Core Course comprising 3 course components, the assessment result of individual course component will be approved by the Head of the relevant hosting department through the corresponding Departmental Assessment Panel. Upon approval, the assessment result of each course component will be announced according to the Grade Release Schedule. Students who fail any of the course components will be required to retake the respective course component, subject to the decision of the Board of Examiners.
7.3.7	Students are strongly advised to check "Grade Enquiry" via The Portal or Mobile App ("MyEdUHK") from time to time. Grades should be released by the course-offering unit for graduating class students of full-time undergraduate programmes no later than June of the respective year. Should course grades not available by the end of June of the respective year, graduating class students can contact the relevant course-offering unit for enquiry.
7.3.8	Students who wish to take extra course(s) offered in other programmes of the University, which is not required by their current Programme, should seek approval from the relevant Head of Department / Subject Coordinator and their Programme Leader/Coordinator before course registration. The credit points earned will not be counted towards the graduation requirements. The assessment result will not be included in the programme GPA calculation but will be included in the cumulative GPA and will be presented in your transcript of studies. You may download the application form from the Registry website. A copy of the approved application form should be sent to the Registry via the respective Faculty for record.
7.3.9	Students may take CLOC course for recognition of approved activities/experience outside the classroom (i.e. course with course code starting with “SL”) on a voluntary basis and earn a maximum of 6 credit points during their study period of the programmes. The credit points earned will not be included in calculation of GPA nor the credit points for fulfilling the graduation requirement. However, the earned credit points and the grade “YC” (i.e. Complete) will be recorded on the students’ Transcript of Studies for the successfully completed CLOC course(s). For final-year students who plan to take CLOC course(s) in their final semester should note that their graduation will be delayed if the grades of the CLOC course(s) cannot be available according to the Grade Release Schedule of graduating class announced by the Registry at the Registry website.

7.4

Departmental Assessment Panel and Board of Examiners

7.4.1

The course lecturers’ feedback (such as the grade/mark/score) attached on assignments may not be equated to the final course grade that would be released formally via The Portal (Grade Enquiry). Assessment results in a course will be approved by the Head of the course-offering unit through the Departmental Assessment Panel (DAP) which is to assure course assessment quality and to oversee the student assessment, including double marking, grade moderation etc., within the course-offering unit. After approval, the course grades are announced via The Portal according to the date of online grade release announced at Registry website. If you wish to request for a review of a course grade, you should refer to the GAR, 'Review of Course Grade' (Section 9.2).

7.4.2

The BoE will then mainly consider overall performance of students, determine cases for discontinuation of studies and determine the award classifications for graduating students according to the GAR. You may refer to the website for the schedule of the BoE meetings for respective programmes. If you wish to request for a review of the Board of Examiners' Decisions on Discontinuation, you should refer to the GAR, 'Review of Board of Examiners' Decisions on Discontinuation' (Section 16), and 'Procedures for Appealing Against the Decisions of Board of Examiners (BoE) for Discontinuation of Studies or the Decisions of Student Disciplinary Committee or Academic Departments for Disciplinary Actions or the Decisions of Equal Opportunities Complaint Committee' under the 'Rules and Regulations' in this Student Handbook for details. Late applications and applications without providing the BoE with new/additional information will normally not be considered.

8. Credit Transfer and Course Exemption

8.1

Credit Transfer
(For those cases of credit transfer arising from change of programme/major/minor or mode of study, please read in conjunction with the Notes and Procedures for Application for Change of Programme/Major/Minor or Mode of Study.)

8.1.1

Credit transfer may be granted for courses completed successfully at the University previously or another accredited tertiary institution. The transferred courses will appear on the student's transcript. The credit points transferred will be counted towards the graduation requirements but will be excluded from the calculation of the student's GPA. The total number of credit points transferred will not exceed 50% of the total credit points of the programme. (except as stipulated in 8.1.3 (e) & (f) below).

8.1.2

Students may apply for credit transfer within the first two weeks of each semester in each academic year through submitting the application form and supporting document to Registry. For courses on offer in the summer semester, applications should be submitted two weeks before the commencement of the semester. Previously approved cases for credit transfer are available at Qualification Recognition and Credit Transfer website for your reference. Also, application forms and procedures can be obtained from the Student Records Service Desk at Information Centre or downloaded from Qualification Recognition and Credit Transfer website.

8.1.3

Guidelines on the granting of Credit Transfer are specified as follows:

(a)	Only qualifications of equivalent or higher level studies at the University, local or non-local institutions will be accepted for credit transfer.
(b)	Programme Committees and academic departments may prescribe specific requirements and a time-limit for eligibility for credit transfer. The latest requirements and time-limits are listed in Qualification Recognition and Credit Transfer website.
(c)	Normally, no credit transfer will be granted to General Education (GE) courses except any courses having prior study arrangement with the University, like block credit transfer of GE courses of student exchange programme. No credit transfer will be granted to substitute a failed or a completed course.
(d)	No credit transfer will be granted to Field Experience (FEX) courses. Please consult your Field Experience Coordinator for questions relating to field experience.
(e)	Cross-faculty Core courses (CFCC) will be excluded from granting credit transfer.
(f)	For undergraduate students undertaking Student Exchange Programmes (Outbound), block credit transfer of up to 18 credits points per regular semester (or up to 9 credit points for students who completed Global Summer Programmes) in specific domains will be granted upon successful completion of the University level accredited credit-bearing courses at the host institutions. For detailed information, please visit Block Credit Transfer Policy for Student Exchange Programmes/Global Summer Programmes (Outbound) website.
(g)	For senior year full-time undergraduate students who are admitted in 2022/23 and thereafter undertaking student exchange programmes, block credit transfer of up to 6 credits in specific domains (regardless of the number of outbound exchange programmes they have undertaken) will be granted upon successful completion of the University level accredited credit-bearing courses at the host institutions. For detailed information, please visit Block Credit Transfer Policy for Student Exchange Programmes/Global Summer Programmes (Outbound) website.
(h)	Unless otherwise approved, students who are admitted with block credit transfer/advanced standing will not be eligible for subsequent credit transfer on the basis of their entry qualifications. (Also see 8.1.1 & 8.2.1)
(i)	Applicants may be requested to take an assessment or test in order to ascertain that the level of work completed has met the requirements of programmes, Faculties and/or academic departments.
(j)	Applicants have to take the full range of course activities, including but not limited to lectures, tutorials and assessment tasks of the courses, until they have received the official notification of result from the Registry.
(k)	It will normally take 2 to 4 weeks to process an application. Therefore students are suggested applying for credit transfer as early as possible within the first two weeks of each semester or two weeks before the commencement of the summer semester. Late applications will only be considered on condition that there was enough time to complete the application process (normally 4 weeks) before the end of the courses concerned.
(l)	Applicants may appeal against the final decision on credit transfer. To appeal, the applicant shall write to the Registry with justifications and additional information/evidence within either 14 working days of being notified of the decision or the latest day on which the appeal can be processed completely before the end of the courses concerned, whichever the shorter will be adopted.

For details, please refer to the Qualification Recognition and Credit Transfer website.

8.2

Course Exemption

8.2.1

Students may be granted an exemption for course(s) completed in other institutions for recognised qualifications. Students admitted to Senior Year programmes from 2023/24 onwards may be granted an exemption from specific course(s) based on prior study at the University. Students who are so exempted must replace the exempted course with a course of the same credit value. The exempted courses will not appear on the student's transcript and will be excluded from the calculation of GPAs. Students who wish to apply for course exemption should submit their requests by writing to their Programme Leader/Coordinator for approval and special arrangement, if any.

9. Change of Programme/Major/Minor or Mode of Study

9.1

New students will normally not be considered to transfer to another programme if the programme is offered in the same mode of study and programmes of the same academic level, in particular the UGC-funded undergraduate programmes, during their first semester of registration. Current students, who wish for special reasons to change from one programme/major/minor or mode of study to another during the course of study should meet the stipulated requirements.

9.2

Applications for change of programme are limited to programmes offered by the same fund-type (i.e. Change of programme from a UGC-funded programme to another UGC-funded programme or from a Self-funded programme to another Self-funded programme) and the programme changes should normally be made on the same academic level. If a student wishes to change to another fund-type programme and/or programme with a different academic level, he/she should submit an admission application to the Admissions, Registrations and Academic Planning Section of the Registry (https://www.eduhk.hk/acadprog/) (Except for those students from a UGC-funded programme who wish to transfer to a Self-Funded programme or those students from Master of Philosophy who wish to transfer to Doctor of Philosophy, or vice versa).

9.3

Application exercise will be arranged two times in an academic year and applications must be made within the periods specified in the application procedures below or any period specified by the respective Faculty. Before making an application, you should study carefully the details posted on the respective Faculty's website to ascertain whether you have met the entrance requirements of the accepting programme/major/minor/mode of study and consult the relevant Programme Leader/Coordinator for guidance and advice. Application forms can be obtained from the Student Records Service Desk at Information Centre (Room 11, Ground Floor, Cho Kwai Chee Foundation Building, Tai Po Campus) or downloaded from the Registry's website.

9.4

Submission Procedures
A student who wishes to apply for transfer is required to

(a)	check carefully whether he/she has met the entrance requirements of the accepting programme/major/minor, and whether the major/minor he/she intends to take is among the eligible combinations. (Details of the entrance requirements for each programme are posted on the respective Faculty's website.)
(b)	consult the relevant Programme Leaders/Coordinators of both the releasing and accepting programmes/majors/minors for advice and initial approval; and
(c)	complete the application form with recommendation of the Programme Leader/Coordinator of the releasing programme/Major/Minor (Section III of the form) and submit the completed form together with a photocopy of the student's transcript (obtainable from Grade Enquiry in Teaching & Learning via The Portal) and any other documentary proof to support the application to the Academic Regulations and Records Section of the Registry via the Student Records Service Desk of Information Centre during the periods stipulated below for processing. Late or incomplete applications will not be considered.

9.5

Submission Period for applications for change of programme/major/minor or mode of study (if applicable)

(a)	1-30 November of the current academic year (for transfer to be effective in Semester 2 of the current academic year); and
(b)	1-31 March of the current academic year (for transfer to be effective in Semester 1 of the next academic year); or
(c)	Other deadlines to be specified by relevant Faculty.

9.6

Application for change of mode of study^Note will be approved by the Programme Leader/Coordinator of the releasing programme provided that the same programme curriculum is offered. Otherwise, it may be considered as the application for change of programme.

(Note: Students enrolling in the part-time PGDE programme who wish to change to full-time mode during their course of studies for a variety of reasons (e.g. unable to meet the block teaching practice requirements or no longer be able to teach in schools) are advised to submit their applications for transfer from part-time to full-time mode by mid-January of the respective year in order to transfer with effect from the following academic year. Some of these students' applications may be rejected or considered alongside new applicants for the sake of fairness and equity. Please note that approval of applications for switching to full-time mode of the PGDE programme is subject to the following factors: (a) very limited study places in FT PGDE programmes; (b) the intake quota is subject to very tight control by the Hong Kong Government; (c) some subjects may not be offered in the full-time mode; and (d) some subjects may have changed their minimum entry requirements in the coming academic year.)

9.7

For non-local students, any transfer of programme or mode of study approved by the University will be reported to the Immigration Department via the Global Affairs Office for visa endorsement before the transfer or the change comes into effect. Please note that any transfer of programme or mode of study may affect students' applications for extension of study visa. For details of the Immigration Guidelines, you may refer to the website of the Immigration Department.

9.8

Application fee for each application for transfer is HK$50 (non-refundable). The Registry will inform the student of the result of his/her application for transfer of programme before the commencement of the effective semester/academic year. Student should remain in the releasing programme until he/she is notified of the application result. The student is required to complete his/her studies successfully in the releasing programme before transferring to the accepting programme approved to him/her. For more details, please refer to the Registry website.

9.9

Please note that the period of study to be completed in your accepting programme is counted from the date of admission of the releasing progamme. (Also see GAR 8.5 for the maximum study period.) You may need to extend your study beyond the normal length of the programme by writing to obtain prior approval from the Programme Leader/Coordinator and upon approval, you may be required to pay additional tuition fee on a pro-rata basis.

10. Deferment and Withdrawal

10.1

Deferment of Study

10.1.1	You can apply for deferment of study if there is a genuine need. You may be required to provide supporting documents such as original copy of medical records. The minimum period of deferment in each application is one semester and the maximum duration for accumulative approved deferment within a programme can be up to two academic years, depending on the duration of programme that student studies.
10.1.2	You are required to submit your application to the relevant Programme Leader/Coordinator for approval via the Registry. The form can be downloaded from the website or obtained from the Student Records Service Desk at Information Centre (Room 11, Ground Floor, Cho Kwai Chee Foundation Building, Tai Po Campus). You will be informed of the result by the Registry once it is available. The deferment period is included in the maximum period of study (stipulated in GAR 8.5). If application for deferment of study is made and approved during the course of study (i.e. after the add/drop period but before the examination period or the deadline for submission of final assignments, whichever is applicable), all the course registration in the respective semester will be removed. Otherwise, F grade will be given to the student and recorded on the transcript (stipulated in GAR 4.4). Students should obtain recommendation from the course lecturer and approval from the Programme Leader /Coordinator for late drop of the course with supporting document such as medical certificate. If the application is approved, an operational grade “W” will be recorded on students’ transcript (stipulated in GAR 4.3).
10.1.3	The tuition fees paid will NOT be refunded nor carried forward upon resumption of studies if your application for deferment of studies is received after the first half of the semester (based on the Academic Calendar of the respective academic year). If you have outstanding fees by the time you apply for deferment of studies, you are required to settle the outstanding fees upon resumption of studies. For details, please refer to Chapter 6 (Student Finance) of the Student Handbook. In addition, you may have to retake incomplete course(s) of that academic year upon resumption of studies (including field experience). Moreover, you may be required to extend your study beyond the normal length of the programme and pay additional tuition fee on a pro-rata basis.
10.1.4	For non-local students, please note that your deferment of study may affect your applications for extension of study visa. You may refer to the website of the Immigration Department for details. You should apply to the Immigration Department for an extension of study visa/entry permit, if necessary. A valid student visa/entry permit has to be obtained from the Immigration Department when resuming studies. Upon resuming your studies, you are required to provide the Registry with your updated student visa details by writing to Academic Regulations and Records Section of Registry at exam@eduhk.hk.
10.1.5	A non-refundable continuation fee* per semester is required and should be settled within 2 weeks upon approval of the application. Should you fail to settle the continuation fee, you will be regarded as having withdrawn the application for deferment of studies and considered to have withdrawn from your programme at the University (as stipulated in GAR 4.1) or you will be given a grade F (Fail) for the registered course(s) by your course lecturer (as stipulated in GAR 13.2). *HK$300 per semester (for UGC-funded programmes) / HK$1,500 per semester (for self-financed programmes)
10.1.6	Students who are required to perform mandatory military service as required by student’s nation should apply for deferment of study. The approved deferment period will be excluded from the period of study, as stipulated in Section 8.3 and 8.4 of GAR in Chapter 4 'Rules and Regulations' and the associated continuation fee (stipulated in Section 10.1.5) required for deferment of study will correspondingly be waived.

10.2

Withdrawal of Study

10.2.1

If you decide to withdraw from study, you should notify the University as soon as possible by completing the withdrawal form. The form is available at the Student Records Service Desk of Information Centre or you can download the form from the website. You must return your Student Identity Card (EdU Card) and clear the locker (if applicable). In addition, you should ensure that all outstanding fees, including library fines and hostel fees, and items on loan from the University have been settled prior to your withdrawal. Failure to do so will result in the deduction of caution money and/or withholding the issuance of academic documents. You are reminded to generate the unofficial transcripts as your record via The Portal (Grade Enquiry) and strongly recommended to seek advice from your Programme Leader/Coordinator and the counselling service of the Student Affairs Office before submitting the completed withdrawal form to the Registry. If you have withdrawn from your programme of study, you will have to re-apply for admission by following normal admission procedures. Please note that you are required to pay the full tuition fees for the whole semester regardless of your effective date of withdrawal in the respective semester.

11. Examination-related

11.1

Assessment of academic performance normally comprises coursework, block practice (if appropriate) and examination. You will be informed of the assessment criteria by the course lecturers concerned in the first two class meetings.

11.2

Written examinations for courses are usually held after the end of teaching period. As specified in the Academic Calendar, the examination periods are in early December (Semester 1) and late April (applicable to graduating classes of full-time undergraduate programmes) / late May (Semester 2).

11.3

For examinations taken by a large number of students and administered by the Academic Regulations and Records Section of the Registry, students of the same course may be allocated to different examination venues. Full-time students may be required to attend examinations in the morning, afternoon or evening sessions. If there are part-time or mixed mode students/students undergoing block practice and sitting for an examination, the examination will normally be arranged in the evening session/on Saturday. Students may need to take their examinations on two or more consecutive days. For some students, they may need to attend two examinations on the same day.

11.4

For examinations administered by the Registry, (a) the consolidated Examination Timetable will be posted on the Registry’s website normally three weeks before the examination period; and (b) you can also check your individual Examination Timetable together with your examination seat number(s) via The Portal normally two weeks before the examination period.

11.5

Under special circumstances, amendments to the centralised examination timetables would occasionally be made after the announcement. Students should check regularly the examination timetables on the website for any possible amendments. Please refer to the information posted online.

11.6

You are strongly advised to arrive at the examination venue fifteen minutes before the scheduled time. The seat allocation list will also be posted at the entrance of the venue. If you need to check your seating arrangement, please arrive at the examination venue thirty minutes before the examination starts. You must bring your Student Identity Card (EdU Card) for attendance checking by the invigilators(s). If students with special educational needs require any special examination arrangements, please contact the Academic Regulations and Records Section of the Registry at 29486177, well before the examination so that there will be adequate time to make necessary arrangements.

11.7

For examinations NOT administered by the Registry, you should follow the arrangements as announced by the course lecturers concerned. As individual courses may have their own patterns of class meeting schedule for different reasons, course lecturers may flexibly arrange the examinations during class, if necessary, which could be earlier than the examination periods as specified in the Academic Calendar. They may take place in the classrooms or other venues as decided by the course lecturers. For these examinations, enquiries should be addressed to the course lecturers concerned.

11.8

Examination Arrangements During Bad Weather

11.8.1

The University has established special examination arrangements in the event of tropical cyclone and rainstorm (Please refer to the Chapter 15 of the student handbook.). If an examination administered by the Registry is cancelled because of bad weather, you may check the Registry’s website for the Contingency Examination Schedule which is posted normally three weeks before the examination period. For examinations that are NOT administered by the Registry, you should contact the course lecturer(s) or the Department(s) concerned for the contingency arrangements.

11.9

Student Conduct at Examinations

11.9.1

You must follow the instruction of the invigilator(s). Please refer to the Guidelines Governing the Invigilation of Examinations. Violation of any regulations will be subject to disciplinary action by the University (Also see GAR Section 18 for 'Academic Honesty').

12. Graduation and Exit Requirements

12.1

Information Technology Competency / Digital Competency Requirement

12.1.1

Changes in emerging technologies have placed at the forefront the development of knowledge, skills and attitudes that will equip students with the required level of Information Technology Competency in Education (ITCE) (for students admitted in 2023/24 or before) / Digital Competency Requirement (DCR) (for students admitted in 2024/25 only) to succeed in learning and teaching. In recognition of the impacts of technologies in education, students admitted in specific programmes have to pass IT e-Portfolio Checking or complete the Student Teacher Education Program (STEP) ^{Note1, Note2} or complete the Artificial Intelligence Literacy (AIL) program ^{Note1, Note2} for graduation. For details, please visit https://www.eduhk.hk/mit/en/dcr and https://www.lttc.eduhk.hk/for-students/dcr.

Note 1: Only applicable to students admitted in or after 2020/21.
Note 2: STEP and AIL are only offered in the academic year 2024/25. After 2024/25, students can only take IT e-Portfolio Checking to fulfill ITCE/DCR until graduation year.

12.2

Language Proficiency

12.2.1

Language Exit Requirements for Full-time Undergraduate Students

The University recognises the importance of language proficiency. As such, all students are expected to develop and demonstrate the ability to communicate effectively in Chinese, English and Putonghua. Students of full-time undergraduate programmes (except senior-entry students, and students of top-up degrees and conversion programmes) are subject to Language Exit Requirements (LERs) for English and Putonghua and are required to complete language enhancement programmes in Chinese, English and Putonghua, under which some language assessments (e.g. International English Language Testing System (IELTS), Putonghua Shuiping Ceshi (PSC), Tertiary Putonghua Test (TPT), etc.) are conducted to diagnose and track students' language proficiency development. For the details of LERs such as attainment and exemption guidelines as well as relevant procedures, please refer to the CLE website. Upon students’ submission of the LERs assessment results to CLE, the Registry will update the LERs attainment remarks on students’ transcripts after the Board of Examiners (BoE) for the final semester of the last year of study.

12.3

Field Experience and Exit Requirements for Teachers’ Professional Conduct and Ethics (applicable to programmes leading to Qualified Teachers Status)

12.3.1	Students who receive a failure grade in a Teaching Block Practice will be put on FE probation. Normally, the minimum period for FE Probation is one semester. A Case Conference will be convened to discuss the case, review evidences after investigation and recommend remedial work for every failure case. The student concerned is required to fulfil the remedial work and produce a report with evidences to show how he/she has addressed the recommendations. The FE probation status will be lifted, upon the Chairperson's endorsement of the student's report. The students will not be allowed to conduct Teaching Block Practice until FE Probation is lifted.
12.3.2	Students of part-time/mixed-mode programmes are required to submit teaching timetable before the field experience supervision period in order to verify their fulfilment of the field experience requirements and to proceed and complete the FE as scheduled. Should students fail to submit their teaching timetable or incomplete FE as scheduled without special approval, they will be given a failure grade in FE. Upon the advice from Director of SPFE, the eligibility of the student to retake the FE in next year will be subject to the Board of Examiner's consideration and endorsement. Additional tuition fees for retaking or taking outstanding FE course(s) beyond the normal period of study will be charged as appropriate.
12.3.3	Regardless the reason for failure in the Field Experience (including 12.3.1 and 12.3.2 stated above), the failed result will be recorded in the student's transcript of studies.
12.3.4	Starting from the 2024/25 cohort, students admitted to the full-time Bachelor of Education or Co-terminal Double Degree programmes are required to fulfil the “Exit Requirements for Teachers’ Professional Conduct and Ethics”, which consists of three components: a) Fulfilment of assessment requirements of Field Experience; b) Satisfactory completion of two required courses related to Teachers’ Professional Conduct and Ethics; and c) Fulfilment of relevant co-curricular requirement.

12.4

Other Specific Graduation Requirements

12.4.1

Students are required to complete all the graduation requirements specified in Section 10 of the GAR. In addition to fulfilling the University's requirement on graduation, students are responsible for the completion of all the graduation requirements such as Immersion, Internship, Final Year Project, Honours Projects, Capstone Projects, Co-curricular and Service Learning Course (CSL) and non-credit bearing language enhancement course etc. as prescribed by the programme in which they are officially enrolled. Students should obtain the relevant information on the programme specific requirements from the Programme Handbook or make enquiry to the respective Faculty Office if they have any questions^Note.

Note: Students are advised to visit the websites of EDB directly for teacher-related matters such as 'Teacher Registration' and 'Appointment Matters'.

13. Academic Documents

13.1

The following types of academic documents are only issued to students upon application and payment of fees, unless otherwise specified. You can apply for academic documents online via The Portal (Navigation: The Portal > e-SIS > e-SIS > Student Services > Application for Academic Documents) or by downloading the application form from Registry's homepage under 'Forms Download' or obtain it from the Student Records Service Desk at Information Centre (Room 11, Ground Floor, Cho Kwai Chee Foundation Building (Block A), Tai Po Campus). Please complete the form clearly and return it in person or by post to the Student Records Service Desk of Information Centre with the payment slip. For charges of those documents, please refer to the section on 'Other Fees' of 'Student Finance' in the Student Handbook. Please note that if you have any unsettled outstanding University fees incurred during your study or upon withdrawal of studies or if you have not returned all loan items such as academic dress before /after graduation, the University will WITHHOLD the issuance of all types of ACADEMIC DOCUMENTS (as specified below) to you.

(a)	Transcript of Studies Transcript of Studies is an official document containing the full updated list of course grades attained by you in the programme. You can print your assessment results of each semester during the course of study via Grade Enquiry at The Portal after the announcement of assessment result approved by the Head of course-offering unit. If you wish to obtain an official copy of the results, you may submit your application and payment of fees to the Registry.
(b)	Testimonial A standard Testimonial is issued by the University upon your request certifying your enrolment in the programme, the year of enrolment, the programme mode and duration only. Graduates or current students may send the requests for testimonials with application and payment of fees to the Registry for processing.
(c)	Statement of Results One copy of the Statement of Results is issued free of charge to you after you have satisfied the graduation requirements. It is an official letter certifying your completion of programme, the programme mode and duration, and your impending graduation.
(d)	Award Certificate Upon successful completion of a programme of study, you will be issued an award certificate according to the schedules determined by the University, which is available at the Registry's website. NO duplicate copies of award certificates will be issued. You may request for a certified true copy of the certificate on payment of the required fee and presentation of the original certificate. If your original certificate is lost or damaged, you may apply for a replacement of certificate. Please note that replacement of certificate is only applicable to graduates of higher/postgraduate diploma or undergraduate or professional doctorate/taught/research postgraduate programmes (except joint degree programme such as BACEE and Professional Development Programmes) with supporting documents and payment of the required fee. For more details, please refer to the online application form.

For personal reference letter, you should approach the lecturing staff direct during the course of study. Otherwise, no personal reference letter (except the standard testimonial) will be issued to graduates.

Chapter 5 Operational Guidelines Supporting General Academic Regulations