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| How to earn a qualification
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The OUHK
has two
semesters a year, normally starting in April and October.
Some
part-time face-to-face postgraduate programmes may start earlier.
Courses last
for one or two semesters. It is possible to take more than one course
at a time, and it's possible to stop registering for further courses
for a while.
This is one
of the strengths of the OUHK's system -- you can tailor your study
schedule to suit your own needs.
The
OUHK's flexible credit system
The OUHK uses
a flexible credit system . Most courses have values of five,
ten or 20 credits, as follows:
| 5-credit
course |
|
Usually
1 semester of study (about 20 weeks) |
| 10-
or 20-credit course |
|
Usually
2 semesters of study (about 40 weeks) |
As you pass
courses, you accumulate credits towards a qualification. The number
of credits you need for different qualifications is shown in Table
1.
Table 1 Credit
requirements for OUHK qualifications
| Qualification
|
Total
credits required |
| Certificate
|
30
|
| Diploma
|
60
|
| Associate
Degree |
80
|
| Higher
Diploma |
90
|
Bachelor's
Degree |
120
|
| Bachelor
with Honours degree |
160
|
| Master's
Degree |
60
|
| Postgraduate
Certificate |
20
|
| Postgraduate
Diploma |
40
- 50 |
Registration
value
You should
note that each OUHK course carries a registration value that
is different from its credit value . Registration value is
used to indicate a student's study load per semester. A total registration
value of 20 is about the normal load for a full-time student.
The following
formula shows how the registration value is calculated:
Registration
value = credit value 
no. of semesters it takes to complete the course
For example:
Students entering
undergraduate and postgraduate programmes for the first time can
register for courses with a total maximum registration value of
15. For continuing students, the maximum is 30.
Levels
of OUHK courses
OUHK courses
are offered at different levels:
-
Pre-foundation
level (course codes starting with '0', e.g. CE 0 70)
These courses may be counted towards sub-degree or Associate
Degree programmes, but not towards degrees.
-
Foundation
level (course codes starting with '1', e.g. A 1 01)
These are entry-level courses for degree programmes, and are
excellent starting points if you lack tertiary education experience
or specific subject knowledge.
-
Middle
level (course codes starting with '2')
Some of these courses have advisory
prerequisites.
-
Higher
level (course codes starting with '3' or '4')
These courses usually have advisory
prerequisites.
-
Postgraduate
level (course codes starting with '8' or '9')
These are Postgraduate Certificate, Postgraduate Diploma, Master's
or Doctoral courses.
Free
choice courses
Free choice
courses can be taken for most 120- and 160-credit degree programmes.
-
What
is a free choice course? It is a course outside the set
of required programme-specific courses. Students have the opportunity
to take a certain number of credits in free choice courses,
and these count towards the degree.
-
Which
courses can be selected as free choice courses? You can
select any courses at Foundation, Middle, or Higher level as
your free choice courses; however, no more than 40 credits can
be taken at Foundation level. Credits obtained from Pre-foundation
and Postgraduate level courses cannot be counted as free choice
credits.
Excluded
combinations
-
What
is an excluded combination?
An excluded combination is two different courses that contain
a high proportion of common material. (See the list of excluded
combinations .)
-
Why
you should avoid excluded combinations. Normally, you should
not take courses that form an excluded combination as you are
not allowed to count both courses towards a single award. However
, if you are pursuing more than one programme, you may register
on courses that form an excluded combination if you need to,
provided that they do not fall under the category of 'Courses
not allowed to be taken again' .
How
long does it take to get an OUHK qualification?
-
Flexibility.
The length
of time OUHK students take to complete their studies varies
because most of them study part-time and at their own pace.
In general, there is no time limit set to complete a programme.
-
Some
examples. Most people take around five years to gain the
120 credits needed for a Bachelor's Degree (usually taking one
or two courses at a time). However, some students have managed
to compress this amount of study into three years. Other students
who want to take their time or have a break in their studies
may take longer.
How
much time will I need to take one course?
Although the
OUHK provides students with a flexible way to study, you are required
to complete the assignments and examination according to the schedule
for each course. In general, you should allow at least ten hours
a week for one course, not including the time required for attending
face-to-face sessions.
How
do I choose my first course?
-
If
you have decided on a career path and study programme already.
For you,
choosing your first course will be easy. You just have to decide
when you can begin, and then check which Foundation courses
in that programme will be presented in the upcoming semester.
-
If you
are less certain of what career path or study programme you
wish to take. One approach is to select a course at an
appropriate level that interests you. You can decide which programme
you want to follow later. However, you need to be sure to notify
the University about your intended programme of study when you
register for the final course of your programme, at the latest,
to ensure that your award is processed at the appropriate time.
You should also read your programme's course requirements carefully
to ensure you choose the correct mix of courses to earn your
qualification.
-
Where
to find information about courses and programmes.
-
You
can browse or search for OUHK programmes and courses here.
Print versions of the Prospectus and Courses
Supplement are available on request.
-
You
can make sure that a course matches your expectations by
reading the Course Guide (which is an introduction
to the course) or browsing the course materials (including
study units). To view a Course Guide , do a course
search --> then click on the course title -->
click the Course Guide link at the top. The course
materials and set books for most OUHK courses are available
in the OUHK Library on the University's Ho
Man Tin campus and at many public
libraries.
-
Where
to find out more about course selection, programmes and study
life. You are welcome to join our information
seminars or contact the Admissions
and Student Records Office. You can also make use of the
OUHK's academic counselling services.
-
If you
want to determine if your English, mathematics or science skills
are adequate for university study. You can obtain a self-diagnostic
test from the Information Centre of the University or by email to the Admissions and Student
Records Office stating the test you want.
Advice
on course selection from the University's academic
staff
If you are
unsure about which of the OUHK's programmes or courses is right
for you, you may want to talk to one of the University's academic
staff. The academic staff can answer questions about the content
of specific courses, the best ways to choose and plan a programme
of study, and more. You can contact the Schools who will then put
you in touch with the appropriate staff for information about the
programmes in which you are interested:
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