Implementation of GE

• Phase I – Experimental Phase (2006-2008), a small number of GE courses were introduced concurrently with OOD for selection by students starting from 2007/08;
• Phase II - Gearing Up Phase (2009-2012), the University rolls out a mini-version of the 4-year degree characterised by phasing out the OOD requirement, as well as offering a suite of GE courses totalling at least 21 credit units (including English and Chinese Civilisation – History and Philosophy).

By 2012, at least 100 GE courses will be offered in the four-year undergraduate degree. Detailed course information is available on the Programmes and Courses website. For a comprehensive GE course list, please go to GE Courses in Distributional Areas.

Starting from the 2008 intake, students admitted to the 3-year bachelor degree programmes must take 3 credit units from the GE courses in fulfilment of the 9 credit units of OOD requirement and this requirement is applied to Senior Year entrants from 2009/10. However, students taking a Minor to fulfil the OOD requirement are not required to take an addition of 3 credit units from the GE courses.

Students admitted into the "4 minus 1" and "4 minus 2" programmes from 2010/11 will be required to take the full-fledged GE programmes totalling at least 12 credit units.

For further details on the GE implementation, please refer the following documents:

1. Senate/57/A5R
   Arrangements for Introduction of Gateway Education Courses and Phasing Out of Out-of-Discipline Courses
2. Senate/51/A5R
   Progress Report to the UGC on Moving to the Four-Year Normative Degree Structure (please refer to paragraph 7.5 on 'Broadening Intellectual Outlook through Gateway Education' for the purpose, principles and guidelines for the offering of Gateway Education courses)