Information About Common Core Course Selection (For Regular Students)

Areas of Inquiry

The Common Core (CC) is divided into five Areas of Inquiry (AoIs):

Scientific and Technological Literacy (CCST)
Arts and Humanities (CCHU)
Global Issues (CCGL)
China: Culture, State & Society (CCCH)
Artificial Intelligence (CCAI)

The Artificial Intelligence AoI is applicable only to the 2025-26 cohort and thereafter.

UG5 Common Core Requirements

  • Unless otherwise prescribed in the curriculum regulations and syllabuses, students are required to successfully complete 36 credits in the Common Core Curriculum, comprising at least 6 credits and not more than 12 credits from each AoI.
  • Students are not allowed to take more than 24 credits of CC courses within an academic year (except for students who are required to make up for failed credits, as well as those who take courses offered in the summer semester which is optional).
  • CC courses cannot be taken as free electives. Students are not allowed to add or take additional CC courses beyond what is required by their programme.

Visit https://commoncore.hku.hk/requirements/ for more information.

For students of the 2024-25 cohort or earlier

FOUR Areas of Inquiry (AoIs):

  1. Scientific and Technological Literacy (CCST), 
  2. Arts and Humanities (CCHU), 
  3. Global Issues (CCGL), and
  4. China: Culture, State and Society (CCCH)
  1. CCST: one 6-credit CC course
  2. CCHU: one 6-credit CC course
  3. CCGL: one 6-credit CC course
  4. CCCH: one 6-credit CC course
  5. one 6-credit CC course from any AoI
  6. one 6-credit CC course from an AoI DIFFERENT from (5) / two 3-credit CC courses from any AoI(s) DIFFERENT from (5)
  1. CCST: one 6-credit CC course
  2. CCHU: one 6-credit CC course
  3. CCGL: one 6-credit CC course
  4. CCCH: one 6-credit CC course

    [One 6-credit CC course from ONE of the AoIs can be replaced by two 3-credit CC microcredential courses of that SAME AoI.]
  1. one 6-credit CC course from any AoI
  2. one 6-credit CC course from an AoI DIFFERENT from (1)

    [One 6-credit CC course from ONE of the AoIs can be replaced by two 3-credit CC microcredential courses of that SAME AoI.]

For students of the 2025-26 cohort and thereafter

FIVE Areas of Inquiry (AoIs):

  1. Scientific and Technological Literacy (CCST), 
  2. Arts and Humanities (CCHU), 
  3. Global Issues (CCGL), 
  4. China: Culture, State and Society (CCCH), and
  5. Artificial Intelligence (CCAI)
  1. CCST: one 6-credit CC course
  2. CCHU: one 6-credit CC course
  3. CCGL: one 6-credit CC course
  4. CCCH: one 6-credit CC course
  5. CCAI: one 6-credit CC course
  6. one 6-credit CC course from any AoI / two 3-credit CC courses from any AoI(s)
  • Select FOUR of the five AoIs and complete one 6-credit course in each of these selected AoIs.

    [One 6-credit CC course from ONE of the AoIs can be replaced by two 3-credit CC microcredential courses of that SAME AoI.]
  • Select TWO of the five AoIs and complete one 6-credit course in each of these selected AoIs.

    [One 6-credit CC course from ONE of the AoIs can be replaced by two 3-credit CC microcredential courses of that SAME AoI.]

Course Types on Offer

Course code CCXX90XX

  • Class activities and assessments of these courses are conducted face-to-face.

Course code CCXX50XX [Click here to learn more.]

  • All the class activities and assessments of these courses are conducted online, and thus students would be able to complete the entire courses online.
  • However, the class activities are scheduled at fixed times and students taking the courses should participate online at these scheduled times.
  • In fulfilling your CC requirements for graduation under UG5, you may take up to 2 CC courses in fully online format.

Course code CCXX60XX

  • CCMCs focus on undergraduate transdisciplinary learning and are conducted in a highly compressed format.
  • In fulfilling the UG5 Common Core requirements, you may take two CCMCs in place of one standard 6-credit Common Core course. [If you opt to take CCMCs, you must take TWO CCMCs.]
  • CCMCs of 2025-26 will be offered in the summer semester. Details will be available in Sem 2.

Clusters and Transdisciplinary Minors (Optional)

A cluster consists of 24 credits of Common Core courses, and a Transdisciplinary Minor consists of 36 credits, all drawn from the same thematic cluster.

  1. Sustaining Cities, Cultures, and the Earth (SCCE) (applicable to cohorts admitted in or after 2017-18)
  2. The Quest for a Meaningful Life (UQM) (applicable to cohorts admitted in or after 2020-21) / The Universe and the Question of Meaning (UQM) (applicable to cohorts admitted in 2017-18, 2018-19, and 2019-20)
  3. Creative Arts (CA) (applicable to cohorts admitted in or after 2021-22)
  4. The Human Life Span (HL) (applicable to cohorts admitted in or after 2021-22)
  5. Gender, Sexuality, and Diversity (GSD) (applicable to cohorts admitted in or after 2021-22)

Students who have declared a CC Transdisciplinary Minor will be given priority to enroll on the final two courses belonging to the same cluster needed to complete for the Minor!

Visit https://commoncore.hku.hk/cctms/ for details.

Course Selection Schedule

Course Selection periodCurrent Students: August 5, 2025 (Tue) (10:00 am) – August 11, 2025 (Mon) (4:00 pm)
Year 1 Students: August 19, 2025 (Tue) (10:00 am) – August 25, 2025 (Mon) (4:00 pm)
Sem 1 Add/Drop PeriodSeptember 1, 2025 (Mon) (10:00 am) – September 15, 2025 (Mon) (4:00 pm)
Sem 2 Add/Drop PeriodJanuary 19, 2026 (Mon) (10:00 am) – February 2, 2026 (Mon) (4:00 pm)

Visit https://aao.hku.hk/important-academic-dates/ for details.

Course Approval Method

  • First-come-first-served during course selection period in August
  • Auto-ballot during add/drop period

Visit https://commoncore.hku.hk/cccourseselection/ for details.

Checklist for Common Core Course Selection

  • Enrollments comply with CC and programme requirements
  • No more than 24 credits of CC courses in Sem 1 and Sem 2 of an academic year (unless you are required to make up for failed CC credits)
  • No enrollments on courses which are listed as non-permissible combinations
  • No time clashes
  • Enroll on sub-classes NOT marked by “X” only (“X” sub-classes are offered to exchange/visiting students)
  • Optional:
    • Cluster
      • 24 credits of CC courses from the same thematic cluster
    • Transdisciplinary Minor
      • 36 credits of CC courses from the same thematic cluster
    • Fully online courses
      • no more than two courses, i.e. 12 credits
    • 3-credit microcredentials
      • take two CC microcredential courses

Ensure that your Common Core course selection does not violate any requirement of the Common Core or of your programme!

Otherwise, the system will bar your enrollment, or your enrollment will be subsequently disapproved and dropped by the system.

Useful Information

You are strongly advised to refer to the following before performing your course selection.

If you encounter any technical difficulties, please contact ITS Service Desk at ithelp@hku.hk / 3917 0123 for assistance.