The GE Programme is one of the key elements of the University 4-in-1 education model.  It was introduced in the academic year 2011/2012 and has come to the end of its first cycle in the academic year 2014/2015.

A comprehensive review of GE Programme was conducted in 2014 and the review report was completed in early 2015.  Based on the report, a revised GE Programme was developed with the following major changes:

  1. The areas will be reduced from 13 to 4 and they are:
    • Global Awareness
    • Literature and Humanities
    • Science and Technology
    • Society and Behaviour
  2. There is a compulsory GE course in each GE area and each area will have around 20 GE courses.
    • Global Awareness – Macao and Chinese Civilization
    • Literature and Humanities – Chinese Language and Culture
    • Science and Technology – Quantitative Reasoning
    • Society and Behaviour – Ethics, Values, Law and Society
  3. The credits for GE will be reduced from 36 to 24-27 and these credits cannot be counted towards other course types.  Each Faculty/Programme will design its own distribution of GE courses among the four areas.
  4. In additional to the four compulsory GE courses, students are required to complete the remaining GE credits from the four areas according to the distribution requirement as decided by individual Faculty/Programme.

Courses offered in this area enhance students’ understanding of human societies from a global perspective and prepare them to be knowledgeable and productive global citizens who are open to the increasingly changing and interconnected world. Courses are designed to equip students with the knowledge necessary to engage with global issues from diverse and multidisciplinary perspectives including history, politics, economy, health, justice, media, migration and education. Students will be able to identify the complexity of global affairs and critically evaluate the major issues and topics surrounding globalization.

Courses offered in this area enable students to develop skills in various fields in the humanities, including the study of languages, cultures, past and present civilizations, and creative expressions of various kinds. Students explore what it means to be human with reference to a global range of texts and modalities, often from a cross-cultural or inter-cultural perspective. They participate in discussions and activities in aesthetics, arts, literature, history, religion, spirituality, philosophy, ethics, cultural memory and related subjects.

In this area, students will be introduced to basic concepts and principles of various fields in natural science and modern technology, including the study of life science, physical science, environmental science, mathematics, economics and business, multimedia technology and related subjects. Courses offered in this area aim to highlight on how the dynamic fields of science and technology affects human daily life, and promote students’ interest in learning science and related disciplines. Courses offered in this area will not only broaden the scope of students’ understanding of the world from science and technology perspectives, but also increase overall awareness and appreciation of the important and multifaceted roles that science and technology play in everyday life.

Courses offered in the area equip students with the intellectual abilities to analyze issues and values of modern society focusing on social, historical, economic, political, cultural and legal aspects. Students draw on the tools of the social and behavioural sciences to critically engage with everyday social life, and understand the way in which society operates shapes and is shaped by the behaviour of individuals, both past, present and future. Courses prepare students to make informed judgements, perform critical reasoning, and ultimately to be responsible citizens.