Students are required to take Final Year Project (in the form of Scientific Study in Psychology II: Honours Project” or “Capstone Project”) and a mandatory course "Research Methods in Psychology" to equip students with basic research knowledge and skills.

The advancement of psychological knowledge depends on systematic, innovative, rigorous, ethical, and theoretically-informed approaches and scientific methods of investigation. “Research Methods” deals with fundamental principles and practices relevant to contemporary psychological research. As an introduction to scientific research methods in psychological science, it examines the research process in its broadest context, covering areas such as: philosophy of science, theories of knowledge, ethical processes, research methodologies and research outcomes. The course provides a basic grounding in research design and data analysis. The course will cover a selection of experimental, quasi-experimental, and nonexperimental research methods that generate answers to specific research questions.

The aim of “Scientific Study in Psychology II: Honours Project” is to enable students to demonstrate their ability to plan and execute psychological research based on the ideas generated from Scientific Study in Psychology I: Research Internship. It is designed to foster independent thinking and to encourage academic debate on significant issues and principles of psychological research via individual supervision. Additionally, the project requires demonstration of competence and skills in collecting, analyzing, interpreting, discussing, and reporting empirical research data within the mode of scientific research.

“Capstone Project” provides opportunities for students to consolidate and thereby, practice their understanding of psychological theories and research methods by completing an individual Psychology-related intervention programme in an education or a community setting. Such an inquiry-oriented learning avenue is expected to enable students to consolidate, integrate, and reflect upon their undergraduate experiences before their impending transitions to their post-graduation career pursuits.

Major Courses

The primary purpose of the Foundation Course, Basic Principles of Psychology, is to expose students to the major areas in the science of psychology, equipping students with a base and working knowledge of key areas, persons, events and issues in the broad discipline of psychology.

The Core Courses aim to introduce students to the content, methods, and applications of modern psychology, covering topics that represent the substantive areas (i.e. lifespan development, social psychology, personality, and abnormal psychology, biological psychology, cognitive psychology), methodological (i.e. research methods and statistical methods), and practical side of psychology.

The Core-Faculty Core Course will comprise 3 individual components with 1 credit point each and be separately assessed with the aim of widening students’ horizons and enabling them to look beyond Hong Kong. In Component I, lectures with topics related to Basic Law / National Security will be arranged; in Component II, students will have the opportunity to undertake visit(s) in Greater Bay Area; in Component III, a variety of themes which are linked to the University’s development niche areas will be offered by the Faculty.

The Major Interdisciplinary Course aims to provide opportunities for students to understand the theoretical foundations of counselling and guidance, the roles and responsibilities of a counsellor and to develop appropriate strategies in meeting the emotional and social needs of a diverse population. This course will start with an overview of the personal and professional aspects of counselling, as well as the ethical and legal issues in the profession. Students will then be introduced to an all-inclusive look at the field of counselling and guidance through comprehensive coverage of different specialties of counselling and the process and theories connected to these specialties. Experiential learning regarding personal growth and basic counselling skills will also be included throughout the course.

The purpose of the Major Elective Courses is to provide students an opportunity to diversify and extend the knowledge and skills gained from the Core Courses. The Major Electives serve three areas of concentration (refer to the next session for a detailed explanation). For students who do not opt for the concentration scheme, the range of major electives serves as a platform to broaden their knowledge base in psychology.

Note: Mandatory Greater Bay Area activities in course(s) are required.

Concentration Scheme

It is desirable for psychology students to acquire more advanced knowledge of the field and the relevance of psychology to community needs, in addition to the general overview provided by Major Core courses. Therefore, the curriculum provides a concentration scheme so as to balance the breadth of content in core areas and research methods with opportunities for concentration in areas that are relevant to the needs of the community. Students may opt for one of the three areas of concentration. Each concentration involves a series of courses plus a concentration-related Internship and Final Year Project. Through consultation with their Academic Advisor, students will be able to find the concentration that best matches their interests, training goals, and career aspirations. The three areas of concentration are:

• School Psychology
• Health Psychology
• Human Relations and Communication

Internship

Students are required to take one 3-cps Internship course. Specifically, two 3-cps internship courses will be offered: “Industrial Internship” and “Scientific Study in Psychology I: Research Internship”.

“Industrial Internship” aims to provide students with experiential learning opportunities to put into practice the psychological knowledge and skills acquired from the core and major elective courses of the programme. Students will apply relevant knowledge and skills from the three areas of concentration (School psychology, Health psychology, Human Relations and Communication) to real-life working environments. The pre-professional work experience gained through the internship will also allow students to consider their future career goals.

The aim of “Scientific Study in Psychology I: Research Internship” is to provide students with experiential learning opportunities and research experiences to put the psychological knowledge and skills acquired from the core and major elective courses of the programme into practice. Students will gain hands-on research experience by working in faculty members’ active research teams. Students, under the close guidance of their supervisors, will attempt to generate an innovative research idea, develop a professional and ethical research plan, write up a research proposal, and prepare the ethics approval application for the research project.

The Electives of the programme provide flexibility of choice for students to diversify and extend the knowledge and skills gained from their Major studies, as well as to encourage them to expose to different study areas for all-round development. Students can choose a wide range of courses offered by the University in accordance with their own background and study interests, as well as their future aspirations for their career and further studies. Students may also choose to take a Second Major (30 cps) or one/two Minor(s) (15/ 30 cps).

The EdUHK’s General Education programme prepares students to be active agents of change, by broadening their intellectual horizons, helping them make connections among different areas of knowledge and between their formal studies and life outside the classroom, and strengthening their capacity for sound thinking and good judgement. It offers a varied but balanced mix of individual courses across a range of subject areas and disciplines, set within an integrated structure of (i) General Education Foundation Course, (ii) Experiential Learning, (iii) General Education Breadth Courses, and (iv) University ePortfolio with a total of 22 cps.

i. General Education Foundation Course (4 cps)

General Education Foundation Course (GEFC) is a 4-cp course that will run in Semesters 1 and 2, and will be taken by all first year students at EdUHK. The purpose of the course is to introduce first year students to a range of disciplines and methodologies from the perspectives of senior academics who are experts in their respective fields.

ii. Experiential Learning (6 cps)

Experiential Learning (EL) is composed of a 3-cp Co-curricular Service Learning Course (CSLC) and a 3-cp Experiential Learning Course (ELC) which will be offered by departments under the GE domain. Students have to take one of each component for fulfilling the EL (6 cps) requirement.

The 3-cp CSLC provides students with an opportunity to engage in learning in action and through co-curricular learning activities with direct service elements in real-life or work-place context while complementing, connecting with, and mirroring their learning experiences derived from formal curriculum. The 3-cp ELC encourages students to learn through experimentation, observation, reflection and (re-) conceptualization while undertaking a wide variety of activities, such as creative work, field studies, projects, thematic overseas trips, outward-bound training etc. These courses enrich students’ learning experiences and skills through learning, thinking and reflecting on practice, in practice and for practice, while exposing them to authentic and real-life contexts.

CSLCs will be made available for all undergraduate students to be taken starting from Year 1 and completed before final year. On the other hand, undergraduate students are required to take the compulsory Experiential Learning Course (ELC) on “Entrepreneurship and Innovation (E&I)” (3 cps) in Year 2 (the study semester will be assigned by GEO) so as to increase students’ awareness of entrepreneurship as a process and strengthen their self-efficacy beliefs and confidence to complete entrepreneurial tasks; provide students with concrete experience for proposal and reflection in “entrepreneurship models/ phases” and/or “innovation as taking a new approach to solving a problem”; and equip students with competencies and experiences that enable them to initiate/ participate in entrepreneurial value-creating processes.

iii. General Education Breadth Courses (9 cps)

The General Education Breadth Courses (GEBCs) (9 cps) are composed of General Education Breadth Learning Strands (1-3) (GELS) (Level 1-2), Positive and Values Education (PAVE) Course and General Education Interdisciplinary Course (GEIC) (Level 4). Students have to take one of each component for fulfilling the GEBCs (9 cps) requirement.

These courses aim to equip students better for the study of the ontological, epistemological and/or methodological issues in a wide variety of disciplines. Side by side with these existing components, a new 3-cp GEIC (Level 4) will be offered on cross-faculty basis and/ or cross-departmental basis for students from Year 2 Semester 2 to Year 3 Semester 1, in order to enable them to appreciate the complexity of issues and problems that transcend disciplinary boundaries and to make sense of them through dialogues across or integration of disciplines.

Students are allowed to take GELS and/ or PAVE Course(s) after the completion of GEFC or concurrently with GEFC in Year 1 Semester 2 if they are interested and their curriculum schedules allow. After the completion of any GELS/ PAVE Course, students are allowed to take the GEIC from Year 2 Semester 2 to Year 3.

iv. University ePortfolio (3 cps)

After the completion of these courses, students will take a 3-cp course at Consolidation Level to complete their University ePortfolios normally before the final year. Based on their on-going evidence-based reflections on learning since Year One through Years Two-Three/Four, students are required to complete the construction of their University ePortfolios that are made up of the artifacts and evidence derived from a wide variety of learning experiences (e.g. Language Enhancement, GEFC, GELS, PAVE Course and GEIC, Majors, Minors/Electives, Field Experience/Internship, Exchange Programme, CSLCs, ELCs etc.). It provides an intellectual platform for students to synthesize their learning experiences garnered from the academic journey at the EdUHK by critically reflecting on the values and significance of what they have learned, making connections to their lives, and charting or imagining their own future.

Students take two mandatory credit-bearing English enhancement courses during the first two years of studies as part of the English enhancement programme. These two courses will equip students with the academic literacy skills essential to their study at tertiary level. They will also receive 60 hours of mandatory non-credit-bearing English enhancement courses in Year 1 and 3. Optional IELTS preparation workshops will be held periodically on demand.

Besides, students are also required to study three Chinese enhancement courses and up to two Putonghua enhancement courses depending on their level. The Chinese enhancement programme consists of one mandatory credit-bearing course in Year 1 and two mandatory non-credit-bearing courses in subsequent semesters, which provide students with the input on Chinese language skills as well as elements of literature and culture. The Putonghua enhancement programme consists of two mandatory non-credit-bearing courses in Year 1. In addition, students can take up to 120 hours of optional non-credit-bearing Putonghua course after Year 1.