Academic Structure, Credit System, and the Common Core Curriculum at The University of Hong Kong

Module: 01 Academics · Sub-files: Academic Structure / Credit System / Common Core / Grading / 3-3-4 Reform / Semesters Last updated: 2026-06-15 This article focuses on the academic structure, credit system, Common Core Curriculum, major/minor options, language requirements, A–F and GPA grading, and honours classification for undergraduates at The University of Hong Kong (HKU). Data is sourced from the Registry (Academic Advising and Scholarships Office, AAS), the Common Core Office, the Teaching and Learning (TL) website, and the HKU Calendar, with effective dates noted. Nomenclature note: HKU officially refers to course weight as credits (distinct from CUHK's terminology of "units"). This article consistently uses "credits".

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# 1. Academic Structure

# 1.1 The Four-Year Undergraduate Degree (Post-2012 "3-3-4" Reform)

The most significant institutional products of HKU's "Four-Year Undergraduate Degree" are the Common Core Curriculum for all undergraduates and a flexible credit system (see Sections 2 and 3). According to the HKU Teaching and Learning website's '4-Year Undergraduate Curriculum'^※, the four-year curriculum "provides flexibility for students to design their own combination of disciplinary majors, minors and electives within and outside their home Faculties under proper academic advising".

# 1.2 The Academic Year and Semester Structure

HKU operates on a two-semester system (not CUHK's term-based system), with an optional Summer Semester. Based on the HKU Calendar 'Dates of Semesters 2025–2026'^※:

• According to the HKU First Year Experience website^※, the first semester typically includes a Reading / Field Trip Week (around mid-October in 2025–26) for consolidated revision or off-campus fieldwork.
• The Summer Semester is optional and is not a graduation requirement.

# 1.3 The Credit System

HKU's undergraduate programmes use a flexible credit-unit system that measures course weight in "credits". As detailed by the HKU AAS Curriculum Structure page^※:

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# 2. The Common Core Curriculum

The Common Core Curriculum is the flagship component of HKU's four-year undergraduate degree. Its institutional requirements are summarised below, based on the HKU Common Core Office 'Requirements' page^※.

# 2.1 Credits and Categories

Exception: According to the Common Core Office, the number of Common Core courses required for double-degree programmes and curricula like MBBS and BASc is separately defined (typically a reduced requirement, such as four courses).

# 2.2 The Five Areas of Inquiry (AoIs)

Based on the HKU Common Core Office Requirements page^※, Common Core courses are classified into five Areas of Inquiry:

'Artificial Intelligence' (CCAI) is a recently added Area of Inquiry, reflecting HKU's move to integrate AI literacy into the university-wide Common Core framework. For specific course lists and selection rules within each AoI, consult the annual announcements from the Common Core Office.

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# 3. University Language and AI Literacy Requirements

In addition to their Major and Common Core requirements, HKU undergraduates must satisfy several university-wide compulsory requirements. Based on the HKU AAS Curriculum Structure page^※:

The table above shows two recent institutional adjustments at HKU: a reduction of the compulsory English requirement from 12 credits to 6 credits (for the 2025–26 intake onwards), and the introduction of a compulsory AI Literacy requirement—the latter complementing the new CCAI category in the Common Core, signalling the entry of AI into the core undergraduate curriculum.

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# 4. Majors, Minors, and Professional Cores

According to the HKU AAS Curriculum Structure page^※, the discipline-specific component of an HKU undergraduate degree has differing structures by programme type:

HKU undergraduate programmes broadly fall into two categories: ① Flexible curricula (e.g., BA, BSc, BSocSc), where students select a Major and can add a Minor or a second Major; ② Professional curricula (e.g., BEng, BA(AS), LLB, MBBS, BDS), built around a Professional Core with less structural flexibility.

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# 5. Grading System and Honours Classification

# 5.1 Letter Grades and GPA

HKU uses a letter-grade system (A+ to F) mapped to numerical grade points to calculate a Cumulative GPA (CGPA). As shown on the HKU Faculty of Arts Assessment & Honours Classification page^※, the approximate HKU letter grade-to-grade point scale is below (refer to the official page for the definitive version):

The peak of HKU's letter-grade scale is an A+ (grade point 4.3), meaning its GPA ceiling exceeds a standard 4.0 scale. This "4.3 cap" is a common difference between Hong Kong institutions like HKU, HKUST, and CUHK, and the 4.0 scale used in the US and UK systems.

# 5.2 Honours Classification

HKU bachelor's degrees are predominantly awarded with a British-style Honours classification. According to the HKU Faculty of Arts Assessment & Honours Classification page^※, the classification is determined by the Board of Examiners based on the CGPA, and generally falls into the following categories:

• The CGPA serves as the primary basis for the Honours classification, factoring in all courses attempted, including failed ones.
• Where there are strong justifications, a Board of Examiners may, at its discretion, elevate a candidate whose CGPA falls marginally below the cut-off for a higher classification. (Specific regulations vary between Faculties; refer to the assessment statutes of the respective Faculty.)

The CGPA cut-off points for Honours classifications, and the exact scope for discretionary elevation, are governed by the regulations of each Faculty's Board of Examiners (Arts, Science, Engineering, Law, Medicine, Dentistry, Architecture, Education, Social Sciences, Business and Economics). This article uses the Faculty of Arts' publicly available statutes as an illustration; the specific cut-offs are defined by the statutes of a student's own Faculty.

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# 6. Postgraduate and Research Degrees

In addition to undergraduate programmes, HKU offers Taught Postgraduate (TPg) and Research Postgraduate (RPg, encompassing MPhil and PhD) degrees, coordinated by individual Faculties in conjunction with the Graduate School. Based on data for the 2023–24 academic year from the HKU Annual Report 2024 'University Profile'^※:

For total programme numbers and student scale, see programs.md; for faculty and departmental structures, see departments.md; for an overview of all ten Faculties, see faculties.md.

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# 7. Unavailable / To Be Supplemented

• Exact CGPA cut-offs for Honours Classification by Faculty: Cut-offs vary between Faculty statutes; this article uses the Faculty of Arts as an example and does not list them Faculty-by-Faculty (to avoid generalising a single cut-off across the University)—marked as "no university-wide unified cut-off available."
• Exact start and end dates for the Summer Semester: These dates are fine-tuned annually; refer to the Calendar for each year's specific dates. Only an approximate range is provided here.

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