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Launch of HKU Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) first accredited Chemistry programme for Science students in Hong Kong
Facilitates recognition of specialised Chemistry-major curriculum
21 Feb 2016
The 6901 Bachelor of Science Programme at the University of Hong Kong has been well known for its rigorous and yet flexible curriculum*. Among the sixteen Science Majors that 6901 BSc Programme offers, the Chemistry Major has been popular among students. While nearly all Chemistry-Major students opt to take more than the required 96 credits of Chemistry courses, there have always been some students who study a significantly greater number of credits in Chemistry to enhance their proficiency in the subject. In order to cater for students who follow the typical 96-credit curriculum and opt to broaden their education in other areas, as well as students who wish to specialize in chemistry, an intensive version of the Chemistry-Major programme (144 credits) which has been recently accredited by the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) is now offered alongside of the regular 96-credit Chemistry-Major programme.
Professor Guanhua Chen, Head of Department of Chemistry.
The Royal Society of Chemistry in the UK is one of the world’s leading chemistry communities and professional associations. The RSC accreditation is a rigorous evaluation process that is respected around the world. “The accreditation of our programme by RSC is a strong recognition of the excellent standards and high quality education that the Department of Chemistry offers to our students. We are delighted to be the first university in Hong Kong to receive the RSC accreditation for a BSc Chemistry Programme,” says Professor Guanhua Chen, Head of Department of Chemistry.
This RSC accredited Chemistry programme is built upon the regular Chemistry-Major curriculum. The comprehensive coverage of different branches of chemistry and solid training in practical and laboratory work in the accredited programme further enhance the chemistry proficiency of students. This programme is open for Chemistry-Major students who are admitted to year 1 studies in 2015-16 and thereafter (but within the period of accreditation validation). Students who have successfully completed the RSC accredited chemistry programme will be awarded a certificate by the Department of Chemistry, with authorization by RSC, to recognise their achievements. All students in the final year of this accredited programme are qualified to apply for membership to RSC. A graduate with RSC membership will have an advantage, not only when applying for jobs, but also when they are seeking professional qualifications, such as Chartered Chemist (CChem) status. The RSC accreditation will further improve the visibility and recognition of our Chemistry programme and also enhance our students’ chances to pursue higher education and obtain employment both locally and overseas.
*A typical 4-year BSc curriculum comprises 240 credits with the following components: 96 credits of courses for the major; 18 credits of courses for university language requirement; 36 credits of Common Core courses; and 90 credits of elective courses, or courses leading to a minor or a second major.
For further information about this new RSC accredited Chemistry programme and our 6901 BSc Programme, please visit
http://www.chemistry.hku.hk/download/RSCAccreditedChemistryProgramme_20151211.pdf and
http://www.scifac.hku.hk/ug/prospective-student respectively.
For press enquiry, please contact Ms Cindy Chan, Senior Communication Manager of Faculty of Science, at 3917-5286/ 6703-0212 or by email at cindycst@hku.hk
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http://www.scifac.hku.hk/news/media?page=1
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