Programme Structure

The Associate Degree and Higher Diploma programmes offered by HPSHCC are under stringent quality assurance process and recognised under the Hong Kong Qualifications Framework (HKQF) Level 4. Successful completion of a programme offered by the College leads to an award within The University of Hong Kong (HKU) system through HKU SPACE, or an award by HPSHCC. The programmes offered by the College cover a range of areas to cater for the diverse interests of young people.

The Associate Degree (AD) Programmes are designed to provide broad-based education for secondary school graduates. The curricula fall under three main categories: Generic Skills, General Education and Specialism. General Education covers a wide range of courses in the domains of Arts and Humanities, Culture and Media, Philosophy, Social Sciences, Science and Technology while Specialism courses focus on building a foundation of knowledge relating to the theme of the individual Associate Degree curriculum.

The Higher Diploma (HD) Programmes are designed to provide secondary school graduates with a solid foundation in a specialised area as well as a wide range of compulsory Generic Skills subjects, which will give students an all-round capability as well as the specialised knowledge and skills that they need for career development and further studies.

Programme Structure

	Diploma in Foundation Studies	Associate Degree	Higher Diploma
Objectives	Broad-based education and generic skills	Broad-based education and generic skills	Specialised knowledge and skills
Length of Study	1 year	2 years	2 years
Curricula	100% Generic Skills & Experiential Learning	40% Generic Skills & Experiential Learning 20% Core Curriculum 40% Specialism	35% Generic Skills & Experiential Learning 65% Specialism
Awards	Diploma in Foundation Studies (DFS)	Associate Degree Students who complete the first year and then leave the College will be awarded an Advanced Certificate in General Studies (ACGS).	Higher Diploma Students who complete the first year and then leave the College will be awarded an Advanced Certificate.♦
Opportunities for studying locally	Associate Degree / Higher Diploma programmes	Local UGC-funded / self-financed degree programmes and top-up degree programmes offered by overseas universities
Opportunities for studying abroad	Graduates can progress to the first year of bachelor’s degree programmes offered by North American and Scottish universities	Graduates can progress to the third year of bachelor's degree programmes in North American and Scottish universities or the second year of bachelor's degree programmes in the United Kingdom and Australia

♦ Not applicable to individual programme