PolyU Programme Structure: Undergraduate · Postgraduate · General University Requirements (GUR) · Credits · Grading

Module: 01 Academics · Sub-file: Programme Structure Last updated: 2026-07-02 This article explains the structural skeleton of PolyU's programmes — how they are put together, how students complete them, and what degrees come out of them — rather than listing individual courses. For "which department offers which course, JUPAS codes", see the admissions module, ../02-admissions/; for faculty and departmental affiliations, see academic-departments.md. For a detailed breakdown of the six GUR components, interdisciplinary combined programmes (BDSIS), and the virtual college (CURI), see the companion article programs-gur-and-colleges.md. Institutional data are based on official documents from PolyU's College of Undergraduate Studies and relevant academic governance bodies, with years and currency indicated. PolyU operates two GUR frameworks (one for students admitted in 2021/22 or earlier, another for those admitted from 2022/23 onwards). This article follows the University's current published official documents and distinguishes clearly between the two.

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# 1. The Structure in a Nutshell

PolyU's undergraduate programmes are four-year (in line with Hong Kong's "three-three-four" academic structure), and the graduation requirements are made up of "Major / disciplinary studies + General University Requirements (GUR) + electives". The GUR is a University-wide common framework coordinated by the College of Undergraduate Studies; every four-year undergraduate student must complete 30 credits of GUR subjects.

At the postgraduate level, programmes fall into two tracks — Taught Postgraduate (TPg) and Research Postgraduate (RPg) — with the latter coordinated by the Graduate School, established in 2020.

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# 2. The Four-Year Undergraduate Curriculum and "Three-Three-Four"

PolyU's undergraduate programmes adopted the four-year model as the norm in 2012, following the introduction of Hong Kong's "three-three-four" academic structure (six years of secondary school + four years of university). The four-year model is not simply "one extra year of study": it institutionalises the General University Requirements (GUR) as a shared framework for "broadening horizons and fostering whole-person development". According to the University, the GUR is "designed to broaden students' horizons and promote their whole-person development in their undergraduate education"^※, and contributes to the graduate attributes PolyU expects of its students.

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# 3. General University Requirements (GUR) at a Glance

The following is a quick overview of the GUR framework for students admitted in 2021/22 or earlier (based on the official GUR leaflet published by PolyU's College of Undergraduate Studies in September 2025). Four-year students complete 30 credits in total:

The above adds up to 3 + 9 + 3 + 12 + 3 = 30 credits (credit-bearing portion). For students admitted from 2022/23 onwards, the GUR components have been adjusted, with the addition of the "AI and Data Analytics Requirement" and the "Innovation and Entrepreneurship Requirement" — see the companion article programs-gur-and-colleges.md for a full component analysis, the four cluster areas, and a comparison of the two frameworks.

# GUR for Associate Degree / Top-up Students

For students articulating into PolyU from associate degree (AD/HD) programmes, the GUR is a reduced version: according to official documents, a total of 9 GUR credits (CAR 6 credits + Service-Learning 3 credits), including a 3-credit China Studies Requirement^※, plus Chinese and English reading and writing requirements. Students whose previous qualifications already meet these requirements may apply for exemption from the relevant parts.

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# 4. Postgraduate Programmes — Two Tracks

PolyU's postgraduate programmes run on two tracks:

• Taught Postgraduate (TPg): coursework-based, covering taught master's degrees (MSc / MA / MBA, etc.), postgraduate diplomas, and similar.
• Research Postgraduate (RPg): research-thesis-based, covering the Master of Philosophy (MPhil), Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), and similar, coordinated by the Graduate School, established in September 2020^※.
• Some disciplines also offer professional doctorates (e.g. Doctor of Design, Doctor of Hotel and Tourism Management), as well as professional degrees such as the Doctor of Optometry (see health-sciences.md).

According to the University, PolyU offers around 220 programmes for over 32,000 students^※ each year, spanning undergraduate, taught postgraduate, research postgraduate, and sub-degree levels.

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# 5. Degree Types and Grading

• Degree types: Bachelor's degrees (BA / BSc / BEng / BBA, etc.), master's degrees (MA / MSc / MPhil, etc.), doctoral degrees (PhD) and various professional doctorates.
• Grading system: PolyU undergraduates follow a credit-based system with Grade Point Average (GPA); the pass requirements, honours classifications, and graduation GPA requirements for each programme are set out in PolyU's academic regulations and in individual faculty/programme documents. At the postgraduate level, minimum GPA requirements also apply (as set out in the Graduate School's relevant handbooks). Specific figures vary by programme and year of admission; this site does not make University-wide claims about any single threshold — readers should refer to PolyU's academic registry and the official regulations of each programme.

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# 6. Major Flagship Undergraduate Programmes

The following lists representative flagship undergraduate programmes by faculty/school, to give an interdisciplinary overview of PolyU. Detailed programme structures are available on each department's admissions page.

# 6.1 Faculty of Engineering

# 6.2 Faculty of Business

# 6.3 School of Design

# 6.4 School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM)

SHTM undergraduates are required to complete approximately two semesters of Work-Integrated Education (WIE)^※ and to undertake internships in real industry settings — the School is known for its "teaching through real-world practice" approach.

# 6.5 Faculty of Health and Social Sciences

# 6.6 Faculty of Computer and Mathematical Sciences (new faculty in 2025)

This Faculty was formally established on 1 January 2025^※, formed by integrating the former Department of Applied Mathematics with the Department of Computing and Artificial Intelligence. Main undergraduate programmes:

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# 7. Professional Accreditation

Many PolyU undergraduate programmes are accredited by professional bodies, giving graduates exemptions from or accelerated pathways through professional examinations:

Details of professional accreditation and its validity period are subject to the official websites of the respective professional bodies and PolyU's departmental admissions pages.

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# 8. Joint / Double Degree Programmes

PolyU offers a number of joint degree arrangements and credit-transfer schemes:

• Joint programmes with leading mainland Chinese universities: some programmes are jointly run or offer joint training with Peking University, Tsinghua University, Tongji University and others, mostly at the postgraduate level;
• Credit transfer with overseas universities: through student exchange programmes, credits earned at overseas institutions can be converted (see 09-international/global-partnerships.md);
• Cross-faculty electives within PolyU: students may take subjects outside their own department under the GUR CAR framework — an engineering student can take a design-related CAR course, a business student a science-based one.

PolyU has established joint or co-run programme arrangements with a number of overseas universities, mainly concentrated at the postgraduate level:

Some undergraduate programmes allow students to pursue two disciplinary streams simultaneously and earn two bachelor's degrees — what PolyU internally calls a "Double Major" or, where approved by the faculty, a "double degree programme". The BBA programme in the Faculty of Business offers several major options (accounting/finance/marketing/management); students can apply to pursue two majors at once, gaining dual professional qualifications for a relatively modest additional study load.

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# 9. Sub-Degree and Articulation Programmes

Through its School of Professional Education and Executive Development (SPEED/CPCE), PolyU offers a range of sub-degree and articulation programmes:

• Higher Diploma (HD) and Associate Degree (AD): offered by SPEED/HKCC; upon completion, students can apply to articulate into the second or third year of a PolyU bachelor's degree;
• Articulation places: some engineering, business, and design programmes reserve places for AD/HD graduates to enter with "Advanced Standing";
• GUR for articulation students: as noted above, the GUR for articulating students is a reduced 9-credit framework (rather than the full 30 credits).

See ../12-misc/continuing-education-and-affiliates.md for details.

# Credit Transfer and Recognition Arrangements

Within the Hong Kong higher education system, PolyU operates a credit transfer application mechanism: credits earned in relevant courses at recognised institutions (including 985/211 universities in mainland China — the state's elite-university funding schemes) may be applied for recognition by the relevant PolyU department, which can convert them into elective or specified subject credits, typically capped at no more than 30% of total graduation credits (actual limits follow departmental rules). Credits earned by exchange students at overseas institutions can likewise be converted according to bilateral credit-transfer agreements. Students holding certain international professional qualifications may also apply for credit exemption — for example, those who have passed selected ACCA papers can apply for exemption from corresponding subjects in the School of Accounting and Finance.

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# 10. Online Learning and Continuing Professional Development

PolyU does not currently offer large-scale "full online degrees" at undergraduate level; however, it provides flexible learning modes through blended learning (some courses combine online pre-study with face-to-face classes), online courses from the School of Professional Education and Executive Development (SPEED/CPCE), and remote supervision for research postgraduates. According to the PolyU SPEED website^※, the School offers flexible part-time programmes that allow working professionals to complete a degree or professional qualification without leaving their jobs.

In addition, PolyU offers a range of professional certificate courses and career development programmes — such as professional certificates (data science, engineering management), continuing professional development (CPD) courses aimed at professional bodies like the engineers' and accountants' institutes, executive training for the business community, and continuing education for healthcare professionals (CPD-accredited courses from the School of Nursing and the School of Optometry) — a non-degree pathway that reflects PolyU's "lifelong learning" positioning and its close ties with industry.

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# 11. Flagship Programmes Compared: Where "Placement / Real-World Teaching" Is a Graduation Requirement

Several of PolyU's signature disciplines are not satisfied with classroom teaching alone — they have written real-world industry training into their hard graduation requirements. This pattern recurs across the flagship programmes above and deserves a side-by-side look:

This "real-world teaching" tradition is consistent with PolyU's overall positioning as an applied university — particularly in SHTM and the health disciplines, where placements and clinical training are not a bonus but a necessary condition for graduation. It is also one reason PolyU graduates are well regarded in the job market (for specific employment outcomes, see 02 Admissions · Graduate Outcomes).

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# 12. Frequently Asked Questions (Q&A)

Q1: How many credits are required to graduate from a PolyU undergraduate programme?

The total credit requirement for four-year undergraduate programmes varies by programme, but most sit in the 120–135 credit range, of which 30 credits of GUR must be completed, plus major requirements and electives. Specific requirements are set out in each programme's official Programme Handbook; this site does not make University-wide claims about a single number. See the admissions page of each faculty and the PolyU College of Undergraduate Studies GUR page^※ for details.

Q2: What dual-degree or joint programmes does PolyU run with mainland Chinese universities?

According to public information, PolyU has joint training programmes or scholar-exchange arrangements at the postgraduate level with several top mainland universities (including Peking University, Tsinghua University, and Tongji University), mostly in the form of mutual secondment of master's/doctoral students; formal undergraduate double-degree programmes with independently awarded "dual diplomas" are limited in number. Readers should refer to PolyU's Global Engagement Office^※ for current announcements; this site does not list specific joint programmes that may have changed.

Q3: Which professional bodies recognise PolyU programmes, and which examinations can graduates be exempted from?

Key accreditation status: engineering programmes are recognised by HKIE; accounting programmes are recognised by HKICPA, ACCA and ICAEW; construction and surveying programmes are recognised by HKIS and RICS; nursing programmes are approved for registration by the Nursing Council of Hong Kong (NCHK); and optometry programmes are regulated by the Optometrists Board of Hong Kong. For detailed exemption arrangements under each accreditation, the professional bodies' official websites and departmental admissions pages are the authoritative sources.

Q4: What GUR requirements apply to associate degree graduates articulating into PolyU bachelor's programmes, and how do they differ from those for four-year students?

Articulating students from sub-degree (AD/HD) programmes must complete 9 credits of GUR, comprising 6 credits of CAR and 3 credits of Service-Learning, plus Chinese and English reading and writing requirements and a 3-credit China Studies Requirement (per PolyU's official GUR articulation document^※). By contrast, four-year undergraduate entrants must complete 30 credits of GUR. Students whose previous qualifications already satisfy the relevant requirements may apply to the College of Undergraduate Studies for exemption from the corresponding parts.

Q5: Does PolyU offer fully online degree programmes?

As of this file's last update, PolyU does not offer formal degrees (Full Online Degree) completed entirely online for full-time undergraduate or postgraduate study. The School of Professional Education and Executive Development (SPEED) offers several online or blended professional certificate and associate degree programmes suited to working professionals. Blended learning arrangements at the postgraduate level vary by department — please enquire with the relevant department.

Q6: When did PolyU's BSc(Hons) AI and Data Analytics programme start admitting students?

According to a report from Pulse@PolyU^※, the undergraduate programme in "AI and Data Analytics" began admitting students in the 2022/23 academic year and expanded further with the establishment of the Faculty of Computer and Mathematical Sciences in January 2025. The programme is led by the Department of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (DSAI) and aims to cultivate graduates with combined strengths in mathematics, statistics, and AI applications.

Q7: How does PolyU's "broad-based admission scheme" work, and how is it different from applying directly to a specific major?

Several PolyU faculties admit students through a "Broad-based Admission Scheme": students enter with a JUPAS scheme code (e.g. JS3005 for the engineering scheme, JS3008 for the science scheme), spend their first and second years on common foundational subjects within the faculty, and then stream into specific majors (e.g. mechanical engineering, electrical engineering) in their later years based on interest and academic performance. The advantage of this "broad entrance, later streaming" design is that students have more time to learn about each discipline before choosing, avoiding premature specialisation; the trade-off is that streaming may face competitive quotas in popular majors within the faculty. The exact streaming mechanism, GPA thresholds, and quotas are set out in each faculty's official programme handbook.

Q8: What practical restrictions apply to double majors and major + minor combinations at PolyU?

As noted in the "Joint / Double Degree Programmes" section above, PolyU permits some programme combinations as double majors or major + minor, but not every pair of disciplines can be combined — the workable combinations tend to cluster within the same faculty (e.g. accounting + finance in the Faculty of Business) or across faculties where explicit programme-articulation agreements exist (e.g. English and Applied Linguistics + Linguistics and Translation). Students wishing to attempt unconventional combinations usually need approval from the individual department or programme leader, and may be required to take extra credits or extend their period of study. For specific arrangements, please refer to the official programme handbook and student handbook of the department concerned; this site does not make University-wide claims about "which combinations are guaranteed to work".

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