FAQs

Some commonly asked questions are listed below

Q. Which General Education courses can I take?

In principle, you are allowed to take any General Education courses offered in a semester. However, in a few cases, a GE course may be considered an exclusive course for certain programmes because a course of similar nature has been included as a programme-specific course. Your programme leader or year tutor will advise you on this.

Q. How many General Education courses should I take in one semester?

You are required to take 4 GE courses throughout your AD study, and you are advised to spread the workload evenly among the four semesters. In general, it is desirable that you take one GE course per semester. Your programme may have a schedule that encourages you to take a certain number of GE courses per semester. Please refer to your programme handbook.

Q. What if the General Education course I’m interested in is full?

Due to classroom limitations, General Education courses have limits on the number of students who can enroll. Places in courses will be allocated on a first-in-first-served basis. If your interested course is full, you will not be able to register for it. You will have to choose another course in that domain or a course in the other domain in this semester. The quota may or may not be extended, depending on availability of space and manpower. Also, your interested course may or may not be offered again next year.

Q. Must I take one General Education course in each semester?

There is no requirement that you must take a General Education course in each semester but you are strongly encouraged to do so. It is in your interest to make sure that you distribute your work load evenly to avoid giving yourself an exceptionally heavy work load in one particular semester. Your programme leader will give you guidance on this.

Q. Can I change the General Education course I enrolled if I change my mind?

As for other courses, you are allowed to add/drop a course by the first day of the 2nd teaching week. After that day, no more add/drop action is allowed.

Q. How does a course coded CGE1xxxx (Level 1) differ from a course coded CGE2xxxx (Level 2)? Are we required to take any Level 2 courses?

Courses coded CGE1xxx are Level 1 courses and CGE2xxx are Level 2 courses. Level 2 courses are more demanding than Level 1 courses. You are required to take at least two Level 2 courses (CGE2xxxx) among the courses in the 3 domains unless you take CGE2101 Advanced English Reading & Writing Skills.

Q. I did not study science in my secondary school. Will I be disadvantaged when I take a course in Science and Technology?

All GE courses do not assume rich prior knowledge in a discipline. Certainly, students who took science subjects before may find it easier to master science-related concepts in a course in Science and Technology domain, but on the other hand they may need more time to understand concepts related to Arts and Humanities.

Q. What is the workload of a General Education course? Is it lighter or heavier than programme-specific courses?

The workload of a course depends on the number of credit units. The workload of a GE course is similar to other 3-credit courses, including programme-specific courses.

Q. Is there a minimum grade required for General Education courses?

Just like other courses, you are required to pass your General Education courses in order to be eligible for graduation. In other words, you must attain a D grade at least.

Q. Are General Education courses counted in my Grade Point Average (GPA)?

Yes. You will be assessed and given a grade in GE courses just as other courses. Your good performance in GE courses will therefore contribute to a higher GPA.

Q. What if I fail a General Education course?

If you fail a General Education course in one domain, you need to take a course (which can be the same course or another course) in the same domain in another semester. If this is the case, your overall workload will be higher than usual. In some cases, your duration of study may be prolonged.

Q. I transferred here from another institution and I think that one of my courses might count toward my General Education requirements. Can I get exemption?

You need to make application in writing to the College office for approval on or before 1 September 2020. It is useful if you consult your programme leader as soon as possible.