General Academic Regulations | Student Handbook

1. Admission

1.1

Applicants for admission to a programme of the University are required to meet the stipulated entrance requirements of the programme. A waiver may be given to mature applicants with specific talents or achievements and a wealth of experience as defined in the general entrance requirements. The University does not discriminate on the basis of age, gender, race, nationality, religion, ethnic origin or disability upon admission. Students with disabilities are encouraged to inform the University of their needs so that timely assistance may be provided.

2. Registration

2.1

After being accepted by the University for admission to a programme, applicants must pay the requisite fees and complete the registration procedures as prescribed by the University. Current students will be re-registered automatically each semester throughout the period of study if fees have been paid up to date.

2.2

Major

2.2.1	All undergraduate students at the University are required to declare a major within their programme of study upon admission; and
2.2.2	Students are required to take the stipulated credit points of the declared major and complete all the specific course requirements of the declared major.

2.3

Double Major

2.3.1	Students admitted to a full-time undergraduate degree programme may be permitted to enroll in a second major in addition to their first major, subject to programme specific requirements and GPA requirement of normally 3.0 or above in the first year of study; and
2.3.2	Students are required to fulfill the course requirements of their first major. If they also fulfill the course requirements of their second major, they will have their second major recorded on their transcript.

2.4

Minor

2.4.1	Students on full-time undergraduate degree programmes can enroll in a minor;
2.4.2	Students admitted to a full-time undergraduate degree programme can enroll in a second minor in addition to their first minor (if any); and
2.4.3	Students who have fulfilled the course requirements of their minor(s) will have the minor(s) recorded on their transcript.

2.5

Double Counting
Double counting of up to nine credit points for a five-year programme and six credit points for a four-year programme to fulfill no more than two domain requirements (e.g. for both the first and second majors) within a full-time undergraduate degree programme may be allowed.

2.6

Each student is issued with a Student Identity Card. The Card enables a student to gain access to the University's facilities such as the Library, sports centre, and student halls.

2.7

Classes for all programmes are normally scheduled from Monday to Saturday.

3. Fees

3.1

Once admitted to the University, students (except those studying for Professional Development Programmes) are normally required to pay the following fees:

Admission Acceptance Fee	Payable by a stipulated due date upon offer of admission
Tuition Fee	Payable in two installments, one in each semester by a stipulated due date
Caution Money	A deposit to make good any outstanding debts to the University incurred in, for example, damage to the property of the University. Unused caution money is converted to graduation fees.
Continuation Fee	A fee required for students who are allowed to retain their student status without having to attend any courses in the programme, e.g. cases of deferment of studies, cases pending for graduation and cases with suspension of studies.
Students' Union Membership Fee	An annual fee chargeable to full-time students
Graduation Fee	A lump sum to cover the cost for graduation, including the cost of an award certificate; the lump sum can be covered by caution money subject to no outstanding claims.
Other Fees	Information available on the websites of related units

3.2

Students who fail to settle overdue University fees without prior approval will be treated as having unofficially withdrawn from the programme. An administration fee will be charged to these students for reactivating their student status in addition to the full settlement of overdue fees. Re-instatement of the student status will not be considered for unofficially withdrawn students with prolonged overdue fees. They will be required to re-apply for admission to their programmes.

3.3

Students who have to extend their studies beyond the normal period of study in order to fulfill the requirements of the programme, major, second major, minor or second minor, are required to pay additional fees on a pro-rata basis according to the number of course/credit points (including Field Experience) taken in the extended period of study.

4. Course Enrolment

4.1	Students must ensure the completion of course registration before the course starts. 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 (as stipulated in 14.1) unless deferment of studies has been approved by the relevant Programme Leader/Coordinator.
4.2	Registration in some courses is restricted to students having the necessary prerequisites.
4.3	Students can add or drop a course during the add-drop period or before the third class meeting. Students are permitted to drop a course after the add-drop period but before the examination period or the deadline for submission of final assignments, whichever applicable, only for strong personal reasons, such as serious illnesses; the grade W (Withdrawn) will be recorded on the students' transcript.
4.4	Failure to attend a course does not automatically result in the course being dropped. Students who are reported for prolonged absence in a course without permission will be accorded a grade F (Fail) for the course (as stipulated in 13.2).
4.5	Students may audit a course without charge, subject to the permission of the course lecturer. They will not earn credit points for their audited courses.
4.6	A visiting student is not enrolled in any particular programme, but may take courses. Students who have completed their programme but wish to take further courses will be considered visiting students.

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

5.1	New students will normally not be considered to transfer to another programme if the programmes are 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.
5.2	A current student, who wishes 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 and consult the relevant Programme Leaders/Coordinators for advice and approval. The change, once approved, normally takes effect from the next semester/academic year. (Also see 8.5 for the maximum study period.)

7. Study Load

7.1	Courses are the basic units of study into which students are registered and for which grades are assigned. Each course is assigned a number of credit points. Related courses are grouped under a learning domain.
7.2	The number of credit points assigned to a course is indicative of the number of 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 each for 13 teaching weeks in a semester. In terms of study time, students are normally expected to engage in no less than 2 hours of independent learning for each contact hour.
7.3	Students have to earn before graduation the number of credit points as required by the programmes of study. The minimum and maximum number of credit points is normally within the range of 12 (except summer semester) to 18 for taught courses in a semester for full-time programmes, whereas not more than 11 (up to 12 for students admitted in 2019/20 and thereafter) in a semester for part-time programmes. Students are not allowed to take zero credit point/course unless with prior approval.

8. Period of Study

8.1

The length of a programme is stipulated in the curriculum. To complete the curriculum, students are required to complete satisfactorily all the specified course requirements including coursework, school attachment, block practice, internship or similar programme required activities, as applicable.

8.2

Normally, there are two semesters in each academic year for academic activities, such as coursework, field experience, overseas immersion, internship and summer institute. In addition to the two regular semesters, a 6-week Summer Semester is offered for students of full-time undergraduate degree programmes who wish to study courses before the commencement of Semester 1 of the new academic year. Taking courses in Summer Semester is optional unless fixed in the programme curriculum.

8.3

The maximum period of study for a programme will be determined as follows:

Length of Programme	Maximum Period of Study
1 year	2 years
2 years	3 years
3 years	5 years
4 years	6 years
5 years	7 years

8.4

For students admitted to Full-time undergraduate programmes via Senior Year Admission Route, the maximum period of study is the respective normative length plus 2 years.

8.5

Students are expected 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 fail to complete a programme within the maximum period of study will normally be required to discontinue their studies at the University (as stipulated in 12.1(v)). Students will have to pay additional fees on a pro-rata basis according to the number of course(s)/credit point(s), including Field Experience taken in the extended period of study.

8.6

Students who wish to extend their period of study beyond the maximum programme duration are required to apply in writing to obtain prior approval from the Programme Leader/Coordinator. Likewise, students who wish to pursue a fast track to complete a programme below its normal period of study should obtain prior approval accordingly.

9. Course Assessments and Grades

9.1

Grading System

9.1.1

Students' performance in each course is expressed in terms of the following system:

Course Grade	Interpretation	Grade Point Equivalent
A+* A A-	Distinction	4.33 4.00 3.67
B+ B B-	Good	3.33 3.00 2.67
C+ C	Satisfactory	2.33 2.00
C- D**	Below Satisfactory	1.67 1.00
F	Fail	0.00

* Grade A+ is only given for outstanding performance in the course
** Grade D is the minimum level required for course progression

Operational Grade	Interpretation
DN	Distinction
CR	Credit
PS	Pass
FL	Fail
IP	In Progress
YC	Complete
YI	Incomplete
W	Withdrawn

9.1.2

Students' performance in a programme within a prescribed period of time, excluding courses without grade point equivalent, is described in a Programme GPA (Grade Point Average), which is calculated by the sum of the product of GPE^# (Grade Point Equivalent)^# earned for each course attempted (including failed courses) and its credit points within a programme, divided by the total number of credits attempted within a programme:

^# Grade Point Equivalent - as given in the table in 9.1.1 above.

9.2

Review of Course Grade

9.2.1

Resolving grade disagreements with the lecturers concerned
A student who disagrees with a course grade should approach the course lecturer or Field Experience Supervisor concerned immediately after the announcement of the assessment results approved by the Head of the course-offering unit. The course lecturer or Field Experience Supervisor may recommend a grade adjustment if he/she finds any technical errors (such as wrong score entries, or calculation errors when totaling marks) or after hearing the student's representation. Recommendations for grade adjustments should reach the Chairperson of the Departmental Assessment Panel of the course-offering unit concerned or Field Experience Coordinator concerned with justifications for approval by the Head of the course-offering unit. The student will be informed of the result as soon as possible.

9.2.2

Formal procedures on grade reviews
If the student remains dissatisfied with the outcome after contacting the course lecturer or Field Experience Supervisor according to the procedures in paragraph 9.2.1, he/she may request for a formal review of his/her course grade(s), for one or more of the following reasons:

(i)	the assessment result has been caused by a material error or irregularity in marking;
(ii)	the assessment was not conducted in accordance with the General Academic Regulations and the assessment scheme for the programme concerned; and
(iii)	there are special circumstances which the student has not been able to present to the relevant Head of the course-offering unit prior to the decision being made.

9.2.3

The formal request for a grade review should be made by the student to the respective Faculty Dean in writing within 14 working days after the announcement of the assessment results approved by the Head of the course-offering unit.

9.2.4

Upon receipt of the request, the Faculty Dean will pass it to the department/centre/office concerned. In light of the course-offering unit's response, the Faculty Dean will decide whether there are prima facie grounds for review. If so, the Faculty Dean will inform the respective Head of the course-offering unit for follow-up action.

9.2.5

The Head of the course-offering unit will re-convene the Departmental Assessment Panel meeting to hear the case. The student concerned will be invited to attend the hearing with the right to be accompanied by one other current student or staff of the University. In the case of internal disagreements or other exceptional circumstances, an external view may be sought.

9.2.6

The Head of the course-offering unit after consideration of the case including the recommendation from the Departmental Assessment Panel, if any, will inform the student of the result normally within one month of the student's request for review. Grades after review may be upgraded, downgraded or left unchanged. The decision of the Head of the course-offering unit is final.

9.3

Advanced Standing

9.3.1

Advanced standing will be granted to applicants who have completed a recognized programme at the University or other institutions before admission to the University's programme. Upon approval for advanced standing, the credits obtained from the recognized courses will be transferred to the programme of study and the minimum programme requirements in credits will be reduced. Students are allowed to complete the programme within a shorter period of time. Unless otherwise approved, students who are admitted with advanced standing will not be eligible for credit transfer or course exemption at a later stage on the basis of their entry qualifications. (Also see paragraphs 9.4.1.2 and 9.5.1 below.)

9.4

Credit Transfer

9.4.1

Credit Transfer may be granted for courses completed successfully at the University previously or another accredited tertiary institution.

9.4.1.1

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. Students may apply for credit transfer within the first two weeks of each semester in each academic year. For courses on offer in the summer semester, applications should be submitted one week before the commencement of the semester.

9.4.1.2

The total number of credit points transferred will not exceed 50% of the total credit points of the programme (except as stipulated in 9.4.2 below).

9.4.2

For a student who has successfully completed an approved student exchange programme of the University.

Applicable to all undergraduate programmes except for Senior Year Programmes
(i)	normally a total of up to 15 credit points (for students admitted in 2018/19 and before) and 18 credit points (for students admitted in 2019/20 and thereafter) in each regular Semester (and up to 6 credit points in each Summer Semester from 2018 onwards) will be transferred to his/her undergraduate degree programme. Only the number of credits transferred will be recorded on the student's transcript.
Applicable to Senior Year Programmes
(ii)	normally a total of up to 6 credit points (for students admitted to Entry Year/Year 3 from 2022/23 regardless of the number of outbound exchange programmes they have undertaken), will be transferred to his/her undergraduate degree programme. Only the number of credits transferred will be recorded on the student’s transcript.

9.5

Course Exemption

9.5.1

Students may be granted an exemption for course(s) completed in other institutions for recognized 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 calculations of GPAs.

9.6

Late Submission of Assignment

9.6.1	Students who wish to submit an assignment later than the due date should obtain permission in advance from the course lecturer; otherwise, this will be treated as failure to submit the assignment as required.
9.6.2	The grade of all assignments submitted late with the approval of course lecturers may be lowered, on a case-by-case basis, by up to one full grade.
9.6.3	Students who fail to obtain prior approval will be given a "fail" grade (grade F) for late submission or non-submission of assignments.

9.7

Repeating Courses

9.7.1	Students may be required by the Board of Examiners to repeat the failed courses or courses with a low grade (i.e. C- or D) to fulfill programme graduation requirements.
9.7.2	Normally, students are not allowed to retake a course completed and passed in a previous semester, unless it is required by the Board of Examiners. They may be asked to take other courses to improve their Grade Point Average (GPA).
9.7.3	Students who repeat a failed course are normally required to retake the full range of course activities, including attendance at lectures and all stipulated assessment tasks.

9.8

Academic Warning*

9.8.1

An Academic Warning* will be issued to any student whose Major Subject GPA is below 2.00. 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

9.9

Academic Probation

9.9.1	Students will be put on academic probation in the next semester when their Semester GPA is below 2.00. They will not be allowed to take the study load beyond the maximum credit points in the probation semester. Those who wish to take more credit points than what is stipulated in the programme should seek prior approval from their Programme Leader/Coordinator.
9.9.2	The academic probation status will be lifted, when a student obtains a Semester GPA of 2.00 or above at the end of the probation semester. Otherwise, probation shall continue to apply in the next semester unless 12.1(i) applies.

9.10

Field Experience

9.10.1	Field Experience is a salient component of teacher education programmes. Students should respect and observe the regulations of the schools where they take their block practice, and display appropriate professional knowledge and attitude. Any misconduct, upon verification, will be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including immediate dismissal from the University.
9.10.2	Students' performance in Field Experience will be graded as follows: Students' overall performance in Field Experience will be based on the grade in the final Block Practice/Field Experience/Practicum or the overall grade in the Block Practice/Field Experience/Practicum (whichever applicable) adopting a grading system of distinction/credit/pass/fail.
9.10.3	Students who receive a failed 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 fulfill 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 endorsement of the Chairperson of the Case Conference on the student's report. The students will not be allowed to conduct Teaching Block Practice until FE probation is lifted.
9.10.4	Students should complete a minimum of 7 credit points in each Field Experience and Experiential Learning Semester (for students admitted in 2019/20 and thereafter). Students shall only take Field Experience 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.

10. Graduation Requirements

10.1

Students are responsible for the completion of all the graduation requirements of the programme in which they are officially enrolled. To graduate, students must:

(i)	achieve the minimum number of credit points required by the programme and satisfy all other programme specific requirements such as Field Experience, language exit requirements as well as the Information Technology Competence test and/or Information Technology Competence in Education required by the University;
(ii)	obtain a Programme GPA of 2.00 or above;
(iii)	complete at least half of the total required programme credit points at the University and at least half of the required credit points in their major(s) at the University;
(iv)	complete the requirements of their first major for undergraduate degree programmes;
(v)	complete the requirements as prescribed by the programme; and
(vi)	obtain a Major Subject GPA of 2.00 or above (for students of undergraduate degree programmes with a major subject study, and students of co-terminal double degree programmes who will have one combined Major Subject GPA based on the two Major Subjects).

10.2

Students who have fulfilled the requirements of a second major and/or one/two minors and other programme requirements but failed to fulfill the requirements of their first major will not be permitted to graduate (applicable to students of undergraduate degree programmes with a major subject study).

12. Discontinuation of Studies

12.1

A student will normally be required to discontinue his/her studies at the University if he/she:

(i)	fails to have probation lifted after he/she has been put on academic probation for two consecutive semesters; or
(ii)	fails Field Experience in programmes leading to Qualified Teacher Status; or
(iii)	fails to meet the graduation requirement as prescribed by the Programme; or
(iv)	has received warning(s) but has failed to improve to meet the expectations of the University with respect to professional and personal behaviour; or
(v)	has exceeded the maximum period of study without prior approval (as stipulated in 8.5).

12.2

Normally, students who are required to discontinue their studies at the University will not be considered for re-admission to the same programme in the following three academic years.

13. Leave of Absence

13.1	Where special circumstances require students to take a leave of absence exceeding 7 days but less than one semester, students must seek approval from the Programme Leader/Coordinator by submitting a leave application form.
13.2	Students who are absent for a prolonged period in a course without prior permission (as stipulated in 13.1) will be given a grade F (Fail) by their course lecturers. The grade F will be recorded on the students' transcript.
13.3	Where necessary, individual courses/course lecturers/programmes/departments will specify their attendance requirements.

14. Deferment and Withdrawal

14.1	Students can apply for deferment of study if there is a genuine need. The minimum period of deferment in each application is one semester and the maximum duration for approved deferment within a programme is normally up to two academic years. The deferment period is included in the maximum period of study (as stipulated in 8.5). A continuation fee per semester is required upon approval of the application. Students who have not settled the continuation fee will be considered to have withdrawn from the programme of study at the University (as stipulated in 4.1). No re-instatement of student status will be considered for withdrawal students.
14.2	The President of the Students' Union may apply in writing to the relevant Programme Leader/Coordinator for deferment of study for one year on grounds of heavy commitment in the Students' Union. Such an application should normally be made within four weeks after the announcement of the election results and is subject to the payment of a continuation fee.
14.3	Students who fail to return to the University to resume studies at the end of the approved period of deferment will be considered to have withdrawn from the programme, effective on the day following the deferment period.
14.4	Students who wish to withdraw from studies shall submit a withdrawal form to the University. Effective date of withdrawal is given 3 working days from the date of submission of the completed form.

15. Suspension of Student Activities

15.1	Field Experience Coordinators will report to the relevant Associate Dean to seek his/her approval in consultation with the Director/Co-Director of School Partnership and Field Experience to suspend any student immediately from Field Experience/practicum placed by the University, should they and/or school personnel have major concerns about the behaviour of the student on block practice or on other Field Experience/practicum activities. Students of teacher education programmes who demonstrate that they are unsuitable to enter the profession will be prevented from joining Field Experience/practicum or suspended from continuing such activities.
15.2	The relevant Associate Dean has the authority to prevent or suspend a student from other activities such as overseas immersion, internship, summer institute and academic exchange if the student, on the report of the Programme Leader/Coordinator, is found to be unsuitable.
15.3	Conversely, if an Field Experience Coordinator has strong grounds for concern that a student is experiencing serious bodily or emotional harm on account of the Field Experience/practicum placement, he/she will report this to the relevant Associate Dean for his/her approval to remove the student immediately from the placement school.
15.4	The decision of suspension will be relayed in confidence to the relevant programme personnel. If the student is dissatisfied with the decision, he/she can appeal to the relevant Faculty Dean.

16. Review of Board of Examiners' Decisions on Discontinuation

16.1

A student who is required to discontinue his/her studies by the Board of Examiners under the General Academic Regulations will be notified by the Secretary of the Board of Examiners immediately after the decision for discontinuation is made, and be advised to

(i)	send new/additional information he/she might have to the Chairperson of the Board of Examiners for consideration; and/or
(ii)	ask for an opportunity to present his/her case before the Board of Examiners by the stipulated deadline, if he/she so wishes.

16.2

The Chairperson of the Board of Examiners, after consideration of the student's submission, will decide if there are grounds for the case to be re-considered by the Board of Examiners. If the student asks for a hearing before the Board of Examiners, the Chairperson will decide whether to invite the student to appear before the full Board of Examiners, or to form a separate panel to hear the case, if deemed appropriate. The Panel should involve at least the Chairperson of the Board of Examiners or a senior academic staff member nominated by the Faculty Dean as Chairperson, the Programme Leader/Coordinator, and the relevant teaching staff from the subject department(s).

16.3

The Panel, after hearing of the case, will convey its recommendation to the Board of Examiners for the final decision. Depending on the recommendation, the Board of Examiners may make decisions through one of the following ways:

(i)	decision by circulation; or
(ii)	a full Board of Examiners meeting to be convened.

16.4

The decision of the Board of Examiners will then be conveyed to the student accordingly.

16.5

If the student feels that there is perceived injustice in the above procedures governing the review of the decision of the Board of Examiners on discontinuation, he/she can make an appeal to the Students' Appeal Committee following the prevailing procedures stipulated in the Student Handbook. The decision of the Students' Appeal Committee will be final.

18. Academic Honesty

18.1

Students are required to carry out all academic activities honestly and in good faith. Any act that contravenes standards of academic honesty such as plagiarism, impersonation, cheating in examinations and collusion is strictly prohibited by the University.

18.2

Any alleged cases of academic misconduct will be handled by the Head of the academic department concerned, who will then conduct a thorough investigation. An investigation report should be sent to the relevant Associate Dean who will consider whether there are prima facie grounds for referring the case to the Student Disciplinary Committee for further consideration, decision and action. Any proven act of academic misconduct may result in suspension of studies, postponement of graduation, dismissal from the University or other forms of penalties.

Glossary

Academic Board	The major academic forum of the University for the oversight and development of all academic matters of the University.
Academic Year/ Semester	An academic year consists of two semesters (and one 6-week Summer Semester for full-time undergraduate degree programmes only). Normally, Semester 1 commences in early September and ends in mid December while Semester 2 starts in early January and ends in June. The last numbered week in each semester is reserved for assessment purposes. For some programmes, a Summer Semester of 4-5 weeks may be added. In addition, some programmes may arrange Semester 2 into Semester 2A and Semester 2B. Taking courses in Summer Semester is optional unless fixed in the programme curriculum.
Advanced Standing	It may be granted to applicants who have completed a recognized programme at the University or other institutions before admission to a post-secondary programme.
Assessment	The student's academic performance will be assessed in summative and formative processes, which may include written assignments, portfolios, artifacts, class tests, performance tasks and examinations. Its precise nature will be specified in the course description.
Auditor	Students are allowed to attend the course without charge with permission of the course lecturer. They are not allowed to submit assignments nor sit for examination. They will not earn credit points for the course; and the audited courses will not appear on the students' transcript.
Board of Examiners	The University's board recommends award classifications, determine the remedial work for problem cases and cases of special circumstances that need special consideration, and decide cases for the discontinuation of studies.
Course	A course is a unit of study with credits and assigned with a particular lecturer or teaching team. Courses are normally assigned with three credit points.
Core Course	The course that must be completed by the students to meet the curriculum requirements.
Course Code	The code given to a course.
Course Exemption	Course Exemption may be granted for courses completed in other institutions for recognized qualifications. The exempted courses will not appear on the student's transcript and will be excluded from the calculation of GPAs.
Course Lecturer	Staff delivering the course.
Course Registration	The enrolment of a student in a course.
Credit Transfer	Credit Transfer may be granted for courses completed successfully at the University previously or another accredited tertiary institution. The credit points transferred will be counted towards the graduation requirements but will be excluded from the calculations of GPAs.
Credit Point/Credit	All programmes of study adopt a credit point system. Credit points show how much the successful completion of a course will contribute to the qualification of which it is a part. The number of credit points assigned to a course is indicative of the hours of study it requires. One credit point should normally be equivalent to one hour of teaching per week for 13 teaching weeks in a semester. Each contact hour should require no less than 2 hours of independent learning.
Departmental Assessment Panel	The Panel considers possible moderation of grades in a course, monitors grade distribution and endorses the assessment results of courses/clusters of courses/courses with similar nature for approval by the Head of the course-offering unit.
Elective Course	Any of the courses other than core courses in a programme.
Field Experience	Field Experience is observation of teaching in schools and subsequently teaching practice in schools or other institutions.
Grade Point Average (GPA)	GPA	Students' performance in the programme as a whole or within a prescribed period of time, excluding courses without grade point equivalent, will be set out in a Programme GPA. For details, please refer to Sections 9.1.2 of General Academic Regulations.
	Semester GPA (SGPA)	A student's GPA obtained in a semester.
	Year GPA (YGPA)	A student's GPA obtained in an academic year.
	Programme GPA (PGPA)	A student's GPA obtained within a programme.
	Major Subject GPA	A student's GPA for his/her major subject of study.
Mature Applicant	An applicant who does not possess the minimum programme entrance requirements but is at least 25 years of age on 31 August in the admission year and can demonstrate to the University's satisfaction his/her suitability for and capability to pursue his/her chosen programme, then he/she may be exempted from some entrance requirements and admitted as a mature student.
Major	Major	A major field of study in a programme.
	First Major	The major field of study that students on full-time undergraduate degree programmes declared upon admission.
	Second Major	The additional major field of study taken by students on full-time undergraduate degree programmes.
Operational Grade	A course grade assigned for administrative purposes to assist in the management of student records. Operational grades do not count in the calculation of students' GPAs. Definitions are explained as follows:
	IP (In Progress)	An IP grade is shown where students will register in subsequent Semesters to complete the assessment of the course.
	YC (Complete)	Successful completion of a designated course.
	YI (Incomplete)	A temporary grade to be granted due to special circumstances that have prevented a student from completing required work, or attending the examination for reasons acceptable to the course lecturer. Where a “YI” grade is assigned by the course lecturer with a schedule for the completion of work, the Head of course-offering unit will approve the schedule via the Departmental Assessment Panel. A “YI” grade will be converted into an “F” grade four weeks after the “YI” grade is officially released unless an alternative grade has been assigned by the course lecturer concerned. Grade “YI” is not included in the calculation of Programme GPA.
	W (Withdrawn)	Assigned when a student has registered for the course in a semester and subsequently submitted a notification of withdrawal from the Course.
University/ EdUHK	The Education University of Hong Kong.
Mode of Study	The full-time, part-time or mixed-mode pattern of study.
The Portal	The University's portal for staff and students.
Programme	The structured combination of courses which leads to a specified award.
Registration	The enrolment of a student in a programme.
Statement of Results	The official letter certifying a student's completion of a programme, programme mode and duration and impending graduation.
Testimonial	The official document certifying a student's enrolment in a programme, year of enrolment, programme mode and duration.
Transcript	The official academic record of a student's full updated list of course grades attained in a programme.
Visiting Student	Students who have completed their programme but wish to take further courses will be considered visiting students. Local and non-local applicants who do not wish to enroll in a full programme of study in the University but plan to take selected course(s) within one or more programmes may apply for admission as Visiting Students. Visiting students shall not register in any particular programmes, but may only take courses. Visiting students are not eligible for any formal academic award. Those who have successfully completed the course assessment will receive a transcript.

Chapter 4.1 General Academic Regulations