Academic Structure, Credit-Unit System and General Education at CUHK

Module: 01 Academics · Sub-file: Academic Structure / Credits / General Education / Grading Last updated: 2026-06-15 This article focuses on CUHK's undergraduate academic structure, credit-unit system, general education (GE), language requirements, grading and honours classification, and the structure of the Graduate School. A note on naming: the University officially labels its credit units "units", and this article uses "credits (units)" throughout.

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# 1. Academic Structure

# 1.1 The four-year undergraduate curriculum (the 2012 "3-3-4" reform)

The 2012 "3-3-4" reform simultaneously introduced the compulsory General Education Foundation Programme (GE Foundation) for all first-year students — a signature component of the restructured undergraduate curriculum (see Section 2).

# 1.2 The Credit-Unit System

CUHK's undergraduate programmes operate on a flexible credit-unit system, using "credits (units)" to quantify coursework:

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# 2. General Education (GE) — a defining feature of CUHK

General Education has been a core ethos of CUHK since its founding in 1963, integrating "the humanistic traditions of Chinese culture with Western liberal education" and embodying whole-person education^※. It is structured across two tiers — University GE and College GE — with University GE coordinated by the Office of University General Education (OGE).

# 2.1 Overall GE structure and credits

# 2.2 General Education Foundation Programme^※ (GE Foundation Programme, 6 credits)

The University's most distinctive core curriculum, compulsory for all first-year students since the 2012 "3-3-4" reform, fostering dialogue through the reading of classic texts from Eastern and Western traditions:

• Teaching format: large-group lectures paired with small-group seminars, where students read and discuss classics together in small groups (GE Foundation Programme)^※.
• International recognition: The GE Foundation Programme received the Exemplary Programme Award from the Association for General and Liberal Studies (AGLS) in the United States, making CUHK the first institution outside the US to win this award (OGE awards)^※.

# 2.3 Four Areas^※ (Four Areas of GE, 9 credits)

The elective component of University GE, spanning four broad knowledge domains, with courses offered by departments across the University:

Course selection rules: students must take at least one course from Area A (Chinese Cultural Heritage), and fulfil the remaining credits from the other Areas according to their major's stipulations, to reach a total of 9 credits. The precise requirements vary by intake year and major (Four Areas of GE)^※.

# 2.4 College GE (6 credits)

• CUHK operates a collegiate system and currently has nine colleges. Each college designs its own College GE programme, reflecting its cultural heritage and founding philosophy, and integrated with residential life education. Students must complete 6 credits following the model prescribed by their college. Details of the collegiate system belong in Module 10.

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# 3. Majors, Minors and Interdisciplinary Study

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# 4. Language Requirements

CUHK proclaims a bilingual educational environment of biliteracy and trilingualism (written Chinese and English; spoken Putonghua, Cantonese and English). Undergraduate programmes impose university-wide core language requirements:

• Students with specific prior qualifications may apply for exemption; detailed language requirements can be found on the admissions office and ELTU official pages (Module 02, Admissions).

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# 5. Grading System

# 5.1 Letter grades and grade points (Letter Grade → Grade Point)

CUHK uses an A–F letter-grade system^※ for undergraduate programmes, with corresponding grade points used to calculate the GPA:

Additional notations that do not factor into the GPA include: DI (Distinction), PA/FA (Pass/Fail), IP (In Progress), NR (Not Rated), etc. (RES grading system)^※.

# 5.2 GPA calculation

• GPA = Σ(Course grade point × Course credits) ÷ Σ(Credits taken); a distinction is made between term GPA and cumulative GPA. Repeated courses are included in the calculation.

# 5.3 Honours Classification

Graduation honours are classified into four tiers — First Class, Upper Second, Lower Second, and Third Class — based on dual thresholds of Major GPA and Overall GPA. The specific thresholds and distribution are governed by the regulations of the student's intake year.

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# 6. Academic Governance

# 6.1 The Graduate School

• Status: established in 1966 as Hong Kong's first graduate school; at its founding it offered five master's programmes (Chinese Language and Literature, Business Administration, Geography, History, Philosophy) (The Graduate School)^※.
• Currently: coordinates over 220–230 postgraduate programmes spanning the eight Faculties; each programme falls under the Graduate Division of its respective Faculty.

# 6.2 Academic administration and quality assurance

• Registry / Registration and Examinations Section (RES): handles registration, course selection, examinations, grading, and graduation.
• Office of University General Education (OGE): coordinates University GE (the GE Foundation Programme and the Four Areas).
• Academic Quality Support Section (AQS): maintains programme requirements, the Student Handbook, and academic regulations.

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# 7. Quick Facts

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