Guidelines and Procedures for Launching Minor Programmes
1. Introduction
In addition to a Major programme, an undergraduate student may register for one or two
Minor programme(s). For launching a Minor programme, the proposal must undergo
proper approval procedures for academic quality assurance.
2. Approval Procedures
2.1 A proposal on a new Minor programme should first be considered and endorsed by the
relevant programme/unit level board/committee(s) * , e.g. BSocSc Programme and
Curriculum Committee (PCC) for Minors in SocSc, Undergraduate Business
Programmes Committee (UBPC) for Minors in Business, Department Board (DB) and
Executive Committee in Arts for Minors in Arts disciplines under the Arts Departments,
Programme and Curriculum Committee for BSc in Data Science for Minor in Data
Science. In case a Minor programme consists of courses outside the hosting unit, the
endorsement of the relevant Department Board(s) (the Head(s) of Department may give
endorsement on its/their behalf) needs to be sought.
2.2 The endorsed proposal should be submitted to the Academic Quality Assurance
Committee for Undergraduate Programmes (AQAC) for consideration and endorsement.
The proposal will then be forwarded to the Senate for approval on the recommendation
of the AQAC.
3. Format of a Minor Programme Proposal
A proposal for launching a Minor programme should include the following:
(i) Programme title (in both English and Chinese)
(ii) Hosting/Coordinating unit and contributing unit(s)
(iii) Introduction and justification (e.g. features of the proposed programme, market
demand, community needs, and/or views from stakeholders)
(iv) Aims and learning outcomes
(v) Eligible students (e.g. Students whose Major is in any programme other than
[Major programme title] may qualify for a [Minor programme title] after
successful completion of 15 credits of courses as specified below.)
*
Apart from academic departments, a Minor programme can be offered by units such as Centre for English and
Additional Languages (CEAL), Science Unit, Wong Bing Lai Music and Performing Arts Unit (WBLMP), etc.
A proposal should be considered and endorsed by the relevant centre/unit board, and then by the Executive
Committee in Arts for a Minor offered by a unit in the Faculty of Arts.
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(vi) Structure and requirements
- Total number of credits (15 credits or above)
- Number and list of required courses
- Number and list of elective courses
- Pre-requisite/Exemption, if any
According to the Academic Regulations for Undergraduate Programmes, at most two
cluster courses can be double counted to fulfill both the requirement of the Core
Curriculum and the requirement of any Minor programme.
(vii) Effective date of implementation (Term/Academic Year/Intake)
(viii) Resources implication, if any
(ix) Brief course description for each course listed
(x) Course syllabus and rubrics for each new course (if any) with Teaching and
Learning Centre’s written comments on outcome-based elements incorporated,
as appropriate
4. Time Frame
It is desirable that a new Minor programme be approved by the Senate on the
recommendation of the AQAC in January/February preceding the academic year in
which the new Minor programme is proposed to be launched following the time frame
below:
• Endorsement by the programme/unit/Faculty level September-November
board/committee
• Endorsement by the AQAC December/January
• Approval by the Senate January/February