Choices of Major Programme

• Chinese Language and Literature
• Creative and Professional Writing
• English Language and Literature
• Humanities
• Religion, Philosophy and Ethics
• Translation

For details of Major Programme assignment, please visit Faculty website at  http://buarts.hkbu.edu.hk/arts334/en/content.php?page_id=22&menu_id=3

Programme Description

The Faculty of Arts implements a broad-based admissions system, giving students more flexibility in choosing their Majors.  Under the broad-based admissions system, students will spend their first year of study exploring different Arts disciplines.  Then, towards the end of their first year, they will choose the Major they would like to study.  The broad-based admissions system consists of six Major Programmes: (1) Chinese Language and Literature, (2) Creative and Professional Writing, (3) English Language and Literature, (4) Humanities, (5) Religion, Philosophy and Ethics, and (6) Translation.

(1) Chinese Language and Literature

The Programme is committed to providing students with a thorough training in Chinese language, literature, and culture. The acquisition of knowledge and skills of basic research and training in critical thinking enable students to achieve their academic goals, personal growth, and their commitment to lifelong learning and preparation for future careers. This serves the University’s common goal of “Whole Person Education”, and empowers students to contribute to both the local and international communities.

(2) Creative and Professional Writing

The Creative and Professional Writing Programme of HKBU is the first UGC-funded undergraduate programme among Hong Kong tertiary institutions dedicated to creative and professional writing in both Chinese and English.

The Programme emphasizes the following general aims:
- To provide students with a vigorous curriculum to develop creative and professional writing skills in Chinese and English;
- To develop students’ abilities when writing professionally in different genres and contexts to enhance students’ career opportunities;
- To cultivate students to produce original works of fiction, poetry, or nonfiction;
- To enhance students’ cultural literacy which would act as a solid basis for their creative and professional writing;
- To build up their knowledge for self-directed and life-long learning in the world of professional writing and publishing.

(3) English Language and Literature

BA (Hons) in English Language and Literature offers excellent opportunities for students to develop their disciplinary knowledge in English language and literature with a cross-cultural perspective; written and verbal communication skills; critical thinking skills and appreciation of creative writing; leadership skills and teamwork techniques; awareness or international values, including overseas study and/or work experience.

(4) Humanities

Founded as the first and unique undergraduate programme in Hong Kong to offering a broad liberal arts education, HUM dedicated itself to training students to think critically and creatively, to write logically and speak confidently, to sympathize with humanity, and to appreciate life.

Our teaching staff profile includes renowned scholars and emerging young ones. Our programme continues to be distinguished by the three pillars of interdisciplinarity, bilingual teaching and learning, and cross-culturalism. Based on these unique strengths, our programme is marked by three Cs:

- “Creative”: Student of Humanities will develop and defend the freedom of mind
- “Cultural”: They will learn both classical and contemporary cultures
- “Critical”: They will appreciate diverse perspectives

(5) Religion, Philosophy and Ethics

This innovative Programme provides an excellent opportunity to study major religious traditions of the world and major schools of philosophy and ethical thought in an objective and critical way. Students will develop the capability in correlating religious ideas and values, philosophical traditions, and schools of ethical thought to contemporary socio-cultural problems. They can understand more about the human person itself and human culture through a comparative and interdisciplinary study of different religious and philosophical traditions, showing the vast range of human response to various life problems, such as life and death, meaning of life, social justice from ancient times to the contemporary world.

(6) Translation

The Translation Programme offers a BA (Hons) in Translation with the aim to “educate bilingual and bicultural communicators for professional translation and language careers”. Teachers of the Programme share with students their expertise in academic research, their experience of frontline fieldwork in interlingual and intercultural communication, and their pedagogic vision. Students are thus prepared to meet the cultural, socio-political and economic needs of the local community, as well as those of a rapidly developing China.

The BA in Translation provides a strong mix of both academic intellectual training and professionally-oriented practice. It offers a range of specialist options such as Computer-Aided Translation, Spanish-Chinese Translation, Literary Translation, Media Translation, Legal Translation, Scientific-Technological Translation, and different forms of Interpreting. In their final year, all students undertake a one-year Honours Project. This involves an extended translation of 10,000 words, plus critical commentary, or alternatively a research project of similar length. The BA also incorporates a one-semester project-based internship.

Unique Features

Only Faculty of Arts offers Double Major Programmes in Hong Kong Baptist University. Student may choose to take a Double Major Programme which consists of two Majors in one Bachelor’s degree. The Double Major Programmes provide training in two fields. Student can choose any two Majors from (1) Chinese Language and Literature, (2) English Language and Literature and (3) Religion, Philosophy and Ethics. In addition, Double Major Programmes in Translation and English will be implemented in AY2018/19 (applicable to students admitted the Bachelor of Arts Programmes (Broad-based Admission) from AY2018/19 intake onwards).

Student Learning Experiences

Student can join the internship programmes and exchange programmes organized by the University.

Apart from University’s programmes, some of our Departments offer Major-orientated Internship to their students, such as Creative and Professional Writing Programme offers writing internship to their Major’s students, and Religion, Philosophy and Ethics Programme offers summer internship in NGOs.

In addition to the internship and exchange programmes, some of our Departments will organize study tours to broaden students’ horizons. For example, Religion, Philosophy and Ethics Programme organized study tours to Europe and Dunhuang- Xinjiang, and Humanities Programme has organized summer study tours to Germany and Taiwan, etc.

Career Opportunities

Administration, education, publishing, media, public relations, marketing, social service, culture and the arts, etc.

Remarks

1)# As the 2019/20 Academic Year is the start of the 2019-2022 triennium for which UGC-funded programmes are still subject to the Government's and the Legislative Council's approval, the number of student intake places shown in this web page is indicative only and subject to change or confirmation at a later date.

2) Students may have the option of taking an integrated programme by extending their undergraduate study by one year, leading to the award of a bachelor's degree in that Major plus a Diploma in Education.

3) ^Subject to annual review and University's approval.