Programme Description
In recent years, the ecosystem of social business has speedily evolved, and some social entrepreneurs and successful social innovation projects have emerged. In a rapidly changing world, social entrepreneurs develop strategies by drawing on and merging inventive thought from both non-profit and business sectors, start businesses with the dual purpose of profit and social value, and address social problems, such as poverty and unemployment, unfair trade, etc., with innovation. This Programme with a focus on the developmental needs in the Greater Bay Area (GBA) and emerging economies in Asia, provides students with a holistic experience of social entrepreneurship, enhances students with academic and professional foundations, and helps students develop networks through internship and field visits with organisations in Hong Kong and other cities in the GBA, enables students’ understanding of the complex dynamics of social transitions in GBA and Asia, in order to equip students for their future careers.
| Study Mode | Normal Period of Study | JUPAS Code | EdUHK Programme Code |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full-time | 2 Years (for Senior Year Admissions) | N/A | A2B103 |
| Enquiry (Admissions) | Enquiry (Programme) | Download Leaflet | Programme Webpage |
|---|---|---|---|
| (852) 2948 6886 Submit Your Enquiry |
Ms Yanmi Lam (852) 2948 7428 ssps@eduhk.hk |
Download Leaflet | Programme Webpage |
Programme Aims
The programme prepares young people with the skills and knowledge to create high-impact social careers, with a focus on the developmental needs in the Greater Bay Area (GBA) and emerging economies in Asia. Specifically, it aims to:
- provide students with a holistic experience of social entrepreneurship, taking students from ambition stages all the way to developing pitches for investors;
- enable students to build support among stakeholders and manage and grow social ventures to scale and maximise impacts;
- enhance students’ understanding of the complex dynamics of social transitions in the GBA and comprehensive understanding of regional developments from a comparative perspective; and
- provide students with the academic and professional foundation to become professionals in social enterprises and government / non-government organisations, corporations; and local / national / international associations and organisations, and provide a strong foundation for career advancement and future postgraduate studies.
Programme Intended Learning Outcomes (PILOs)
Upon successful completion of the Programme, students will be able to:
- understand the principles, ethics, and practice of social entrepreneurship and social enterprise management (PILO1);
- analyse contemporary development and social issues in GBA, Greater China, and Asia from a comparative and multidisciplinary perspective (PILO2);
- apply substantive knowledge of development, institutions and processes in social entrepreneurship (PILO3);
- design financially sustainable solutions to address issues related to human development in local, national, regional and global contexts (PILO4); and
- communicate analysis of social and developmental problems and solutions to relevant stakeholders, investors, and the broader community (PILO5).
What Our Students Say
EdUHK opens the door of opportunities for us who want to dream big. One of the initiatives, “The Education and Social Entrepreneurs (EASE) Fund Scheme”, provides successful applicants with seed funding to jump-start their businesses. I look forward to drawing on these resources and starting my business in future.
Yeung Siu-hung
Bachelor of Social Sciences (Honours) in Social Entrepreneurship and Development Studies
Programme Structure
| Domain | Credit Points (cps) |
|---|---|
| Major | |
| - Major Core | 15 |
| - Major Elective | 6 |
| - Internship | 6 |
| - Cross-Faculty Core Course (CFCC) | 3 |
| - Major Interdisciplinary Course | 3 |
| - Field Visit (non-cps bearing) | 0 |
| Final Year Project | |
| - Honours Project I: Research Methods and Proposal / Capstone Project I: Research Methods and Proposal | 3 |
| - Honours Project II: Research Report / Capstone Project II: Project Output | 3 |
| Electives / Minor | 15 |
| General Education (GE) | 6 |
| Total: | 60 |
| Information Technology Competence Requirement | |
Notes:
(1) Classes will be held in Tai Po Campus and Tseung Kwan O Study Centre / North Point Study Centre / Sports Centre / Kowloon Tong Satellite Study Centre as decided by the University.
(2) Students admitted into this programme are required to visit the Greater Bay Area (GBA) and/or other parts of Mainland China. Programme may also require students to participate in other non-local learning experience for completion of the programme. While the visits are heavily subsidised, students are still required to contribute part of the estimated cost of the visits ("student contribution"), whereas personal entertainment, meals expenses, travel document fee and personal insurance costs will not be supported. The estimated cost of the visits for students admitted to the 2024/25 cohort is not available yet as it is subject to a variety of factors such as changes to the cost of the visits as a result of inflation, trip duration, traveling expenses, the exchange rate, etc. The exact amount of student contribution is thus not available.
List of Major Courses (All required)
| No | Course Title | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Major Core Courses (15 cps) | |||
| 1 | Managing and Organising Social Enterprises | ||
| 2 | Organisational Budget Management | ||
| 3 | Stakeholder and Customer Engagement | ||
| 4 | Leadership in Social Innovation and Development | ||
| 5 | Tool Kits for Social Entrepreneurship | ||
| 6 | Field Visit (non-cps bearing) | ||
| Major Elective Courses (6 cps) | |||
| 7 | Institutions and Development in the Greater Bay Area | ||
| 8 | Economic Growth and Sustainable Livelihood in China | ||
| 9 | Regional Cooperation in Greater China: Challenges and Issues | ||
| Internship (6 cps) | |||
| 10 | Internship | ||
| Major Interdisciplinary Course (3 cps) | |||
| 11 | Comparative Social Policy | ||
| Final Year Project (6 cps) | |||
| 12 |
Honours Project I: Research Methods and Proposal / |
||
| 13 |
Honours Project II: Research Report / |
||
| Cross-Faculty Core Course (CFCC) (3 cps) | |||
| 14 | Cross-Faculty Core Course (CFCC) | ||
The Cross-Faculty Core Course (CFCC) will comprise 3 individual components with 1 credit point each and separately assessed with the aim to widen students’ horizon and 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 opportunities to undertake visits 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 Faculties.
Apart from the major courses, the programme includes the Minor(s)/ electives domain and the general education domain. Students are free to choose elective courses offered by any of the University’s departments.
Students will be required to take one education course (3cps) through a GE course on education or an elective education course provided by the Faculty of Education and Human Development) in order to fulfill the two-way traffic graduation requirement.
Students are only required to complete 6 cps in total for General Education.
For detailed information and the course synopsis about General Education courses, please visit the website at www.eduhk.hk/geo.
Medium of Instruction
The programme will mainly be conducted in English. Most of the Major courses will be taught in English. For some non-Major courses, Putonghua or Cantonese will be adopted as the medium of instruction when the language is considered to be the most effective for teaching.
Career Prospects/Professional Qualifications
Through dedicated and practical training, the programme will prepare more young people who have the ambition to start a social venture, and grab the numerous funding opportunities that governments and businesses have offered. Graduates may also pursue an impactful career by joining existing social enterprises, government, socially responsible corporations, and NGOs as project or executive officers. In Hong Kong, social enterprises and non-governmental organisations have already provided approximately 80% of social services. These organisations often need to solicit resources from public or private sources, and communicate effectively with different stakeholders in society. Graduates will find ample employment opportunities.
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