Credit Accumulation and Transfer Policy

The University of Hong Kong first introduced a credit unit system in 1998 as part of its Institutional Curriculum Reform initiative. Since the implementation of the four-year undergraduate curriculum in 2012, the University has seized the opportunity to continuously improve its credit unit system, and all undergraduate degree curricula adhere to a uniform policy of credit accumulation and transfer.

Credit Unit System

1.   The University’s credit unit system is based on the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS).

2.   In all regulations approved by the Senate, the progression and completion requirements of undergraduate degree curricula will be expressed in terms of credit-units as outlined in this policy statement.

3.   The HKU credit unit system is a semester-based system and courses should normally be completed (including any assessment or non-classroom activities) within the semester in which the approved learning activities take place.

4.   Unless with the Senate’s approval, no student in a standard four-year undergraduate degree curriculum from 2012 shall be required to complete more than 240 credits: credit requirements for major programmes will be determined by Senate, but in all cases will be within the range of 72 to 96 credits; credit requirements for minor programmes will be determined by Senate, but in all cases will be within the range of 36 to 48 credits. The Common Core Curriculum will consist of 36 credits for all single undergraduate degree curricula and 24 credits for all double degree curricula for the 2012 curriculum. For the new 2010 curriculum, no student in a standard three-year undergraduate degree curriculum shall be required to complete more than 180 credits: credit requirements for major programmes will be determined by Senate but in all cases will be within the range of 72 to 96 credits for the first major and 60 to 72 credits for the second major; credit requirements for minor programmes will be determined by Senate but in all cases will be within the range of 36 to 48 credits. The Common Core Curriculum for all undergraduate degree curricula will consist of 12 credits for the 2010 curriculum.

5.   A semester as defined by the Senate (but excluding the Summer Semester and extended semesters as approved by Senate for the clinical faculties) will consist of 30 credits of undergraduate academic work and a standard four-year undergraduate degree curriculum will consist of eight semesters.

(a)	Students may choose to take unbalanced study loads in different semesters but will not normally be allowed to take fewer than 24 credits or more than 36 credits in any one semester. Students may, of their own volition, take additional credits not exceeding 6 credits in each semester, and/or further credits during the Summer Semester, up to a maximum of 216 credits upon graduation under the 2010 curriculum and 288 credits under the 2012 curriculum. The maximum study load of 72 credits per academic year shall normally include courses taken to make up for failed credits. Notwithstanding the heavy curriculum requirements for the achievement of two degrees, students in double degree curricula cannot be required to complete more than 72 credits in each academic year, unless with Senate’s approval.
(b)	Students may choose to take an unbalanced study load in different years and may, with the approval of the relevant Faculty Board, exceed the maximum study load of 72 credits per academic year but shall not in any case exceed the maximum curriculum load¹ for the normative period of study of 216 credits under the 2010 curriculum, and 288 credits under the 2012 curriculum, except as provided for in (c) below.
(c)	Where students are required to make up for failed credits, students may be required or permitted by the relevant Faculty Board to exceed the annual study load of 72 credits but which shall not, in total, exceed the maximum curriculum study load¹ for the maximum period of registration of 360 credits under the 2010 curriculum and 432 under the 2012 curriculum.

6.   The standard undergraduate course is valued at 6 credits and represents one-tenth of a full year’s academic work. Courses with other multiples of 3 credits may be allowed by the Senate with good academic or professional rationale in order to reflect differences in academic study load. No course should have a credit value of less than 3 credits and no course should normally have a credit value of more than 30 credits.

7.   The standard 6-credit course is a unit of student learning which includes all learning activities and experiences both within and outside the classroom, and any assessment tasks and examinations required to achieve the learning outcomes of the course within the semester as defined by the Senate.

8.   A standard 6-credit course normally consists of approximately 150 hours of student learning as defined in paragraph 7 above; but in all cases the student study load required for a standard 6-credit course will be within the range of no less than 120 hours and no more than 180 hours.

9.   In addition to the primary definition of course study load described in paragraph 8 above, study load should also be defined according to the output requirements for all assessable coursework and examinations, and the contact hours of instruction required for achieving the stated learning outcomes of the course.

10.   Every undergraduate degree curriculum and major and minor programme will provide a Credit Unit Statement for its courses in which the standard 6-credit course will be defined according to: (a) total student commitment of approximately 150 hours (but within the range of 120-180 hours), (b) the output requirements for assessable coursework and examinations, and (c) the number of contact hours of instruction required in order to achieve the stated learning outcomes of the courses within the curriculum or programme. All undergraduate degree curriculum and major and minor programme Credit Unit Statements approved by the Senate will form part of this Credit Accumulation and Transfer Policy document.

11.   All credit-bearing courses within major programmes and non-programme based curricula will be classified as either Introductory Courses or Advanced Courses. Introductory Courses are normally taken in the first two semesters of study under the 2010 curriculum and the first four semesters of study under the 2012 curriculum, unless taken to meet pre-requisite or co-requisite requirements for progression in the major programme or the degree curriculum. Advanced Courses are normally taken in the subsequent semesters of study. The learning outcomes required in all courses should reflect the desired progression in learning from Introductory to Advanced Courses.

12.   Students must achieve the stated learning outcomes of the courses in order to be awarded credit for the purpose of credit accumulation towards meeting undergraduate degree curriculum requirements.

13.   Credits awarded for one course may not be counted towards the fulfillment of requirements of more than one part of a curriculum or programme, but a course or combination of courses which constitute a prerequisite for more than one major or minor programme may be used to satisfy the requirements of both programmes up to the credit limits specified by Senate, especially in cases where students require such credits in order to declare a double major.

Grade Point Average (GPA)

14.   All course results, including failures, will be included in the calculation of Semester GPA, Year GPA and Cumulative GPA.

15.   The calculation of the various forms of GPA stated in paragraph 14 above will be made according to a standard set of formulas elaborated at Annex I (document 269/1214).

Advanced Standing

16.   Students may, with the approval of the relevant Faculty Board, be granted Advanced Standing for approved studies completed before admission to the curriculum. In such cases, credit is granted to advance a student’s progress through an undergraduate degree curriculum or major programme. Such advancement may be granted with regard to individual course credits, particular sections of a curriculum or programme, or blocks of credit required for progression from one semester to another. Students awarded Advanced Standing will not be required to complete any further courses in order to satisfy the requirements of those parts of the curriculum or programme for which they have been granted Advanced Standing. A maximum of 120 credits of Advanced Standing may be awarded, and students who are awarded Advanced Standing will not be granted any further credit transfer for those studies for which Advanced Standing has been granted.

Credit Transfer

17.   Students may, with the approval of the relevant Faculty Board, transfer credits for courses completed at other institutions (whether inside or outside of Hong Kong) at any time during their candidature, but the results of those courses will not be included in the calculation of GPA. The principles for granting credit transfer are set out at Annex II (document149/115).Subject to paragraphs 16 above and 19 below, a maximum of 120 credits may be transferred. Students awarded credit for courses completed outside the University in satisfaction of requirements for undergraduate degree curricula will not be required to complete any further internal courses in order to satisfy those requirements.

Course Exemption

18.   Students who are exempted from required courses must replace the relevant number of exempted credits with courses of the same credit value.

Residency Requirement

19.   In order to qualify for the award of any standard 4-year undergraduate degree, students who are awarded Advanced Standing must accumulate a minimum of 120 credits during their candidature at the University through study at this University or from transfer of credits for courses completed at other institutions, subject to the provisions of Statute III.5 and Regulation UG2(b)² of the “Regulations for First Degree Curricula”. Students in undergraduate degree curricula requiring more than four years of study must accumulate at least half of the credits normally required for those degree curricula during their candidature at the University.

20.   Any student may complete the credit requirements for graduation in a degree curriculum in less than four academic years or eight semesters within the limitations of paragraphs 5, 17 and 19 above and in accordance with Statute III.5. All students must complete the credit requirements for graduation in a degree curriculum within the prescribed maximum period of registration.


¹	The Senate is the approving authority for a waiver of the maximum curriculum load, a case of which must be made by the relevant Faculty Board with justifications.
²	Regulation UG2(b) of the “Regulations for First Degree Curricula” reads: “in accordance with Statute III.5 and notwithstanding the granting of advanced and/or transfer credits, a minimum of two semesters of study at this University shall be required before a candidate is considered for the award of a first degree, other than a degree in medicine or surgery, and a minimum of four semesters of study at this University shall be required before a candidate is considered for a first degree in medicine or surgery”.