Overview

The University’s undergraduate curriculum is defined as the totality of experiences afforded to students to achieve its Educational Aims (EAs). Students are encouraged to learn not only in the classroom but beyond. Out-of-classroom learning experiences are valuable and contribute to the achievement of EAs, especially in the development of graduate attributes and skills. The Senate approved at its meeting on July 4, 2017 a credit award scheme for out-of-classroom learning experiences, and approved measures to enhance the scheme in January 2021. All kinds of out-of-classroom learning experiences/activities may quality for such credits, on condition that the outcome of each experience/activity can be mapped to at least one of the University’s six EAs.

Credits*

For each out-of-classroom experience/activity, either one credit or two credits may be earned. The credits are academic credits, but will not contribute to the University’s degree requirements (i.e. they will not count towards the 240 credits required for graduation from a normative four-year programme). Where an experience/activity involves not less than 20 hours of learning, one credit will be awarded. Where a more advanced experience/activity involving 50 hours or more of learning, with the majority of the hours being highly relevant to the UEAs against which the experience/activity is mapped, two credits will be awarded. Credits can be accumulated one at a time, but students are only able to claim actual, transcriptable credits in blocks of three, as no course should have a credit value of less than three credits under the University’s undergraduate curriculum structure. Standalone credits may be recorded in E-portfolios. The upper limit that can be accumulated is six credits, exclusive of: i) experiences/activities which form credit-bearing components of or are embedded in the curriculum; ii) credit-bearing courses such as the HKU-HKJC Nurturing Global Leaders Programme; and iii) mainland/overseas student exchanges for which a transfer of credits has been approved. In any case, no double counting of credits will be allowed under any circumstances. Examples of out-of-classroom experiences/activities mapped to EAs are in document 343/517. Apart from the requirement that such experiences/activities should be out-of-classroom, they must contribute to the achievement of at least one of the University’s six EAs. For instance, being an ordinary member of a student body may not count but being an office bearer with a leadership role and making significant contributions may be eligible for mapping to EA2, EA5 or EA6. * The hours required must broadly follow the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ETCS), with one credit being equivalent to 20-30 hours of learning Sharing from awardees of the “Credit Award Scheme for Out-of-Classroom Learning Experiences” in 2020