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 Area of Inquiry.

Please note that whatever the requirements for your programme, you are not allowed to take more than 24 credits of Common Core 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). In addition, Common Core courses cannot be taken as free electives.

The number of courses required and the year and semester in which they are taken vary from programme to programme. (Please refer to the below to find out the requirements for your programme.) You are advised to check the accuracy of the information with your home Faculty before choosing courses.

4-Year UG: Students Entering in:

2025-26 2024-25 2023-24 2022-23
2021-22 2020-21 2019-20 2018-19

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.]