Programmes / Majors Major Assignment (JOUR/PRA)

The School aims to assign as many students as possible to their most preferred Majors, as long as there are sufficient numbers of places and adequate resources to ensure quality teaching and learning. To that end, establishing a fair and transparent Major assignment scheme is essential. The School believes that a fair assignment scheme should provide equal opportunities for all students to enroll in a Major that matches their abilities and aspirations. The assignment should be made on the basis of a holistic assessment of students’ assignment criteria.

 

Guiding Principles of Assignment Scheme

1. The assignment criteria should be fair and transparent.
2. Students’ preferences will be met as far as possible in the assignment of programmes.
3. Diversity should be a relevant factor in the assignment process to ensure each programme has a flexible and balanced assignment of students.
4. Quantifiable measures should be used as the primary assignment criteria to ensure the objectivity of the assignment process.
5. The assignment process should ensure equal opportunities for all students to enroll in their preferred programmes.

 

Criteria of Major Assignment

In formulating the School’s Major Assignment Scheme, the Office of Admissions and Academic Advising has gathered Major assignment information from a wide variety of sources, including the office of JUPAS, other universities, faculties and schools, and consulted with faulty members. The scheme’s order of assignment will be determined by the following criteria:

 

Local and Mainland entrants:

	Criteria	Percentage
	HKDSE scores 4 cores + 2 Electives OR Joint Entrance Examination Results	40%
	Subject score of COMM1015 Studies in Communication, Journalism and Film	20%
	Students’ Choice preferences	30%
	School Allocation	10%
	Total	100%

 

Non-JUPAS entrants:

	Criteria	Percentage
	Subject score of COMM1015 Studies in Communication, Journalism and Film	30%
	Students’ Choice preference	50%
	School Allocation	20%
	Total	100%

 

COMM1015 Studies in Communication, Journalism and Film

• a. COMM1015 will be pre-assigned to Year One broad-based students.
• b. COMM1015 will not accept credit transfer or exempt from taking.
• c. If a student withdraws or has not completed this course, his/her score of COMM1015 (20%) in Major Assignment ranking score calculation will become ZERO.

 

Application for Admission to Major

The application period for Major Assignment, via BUniPort, will be in early November.

 

For 2022 intake, Year 1 students can rank the following programmes:

Journalism and Digital Media Major

Public Relations and Advertising Major

 

Assignment of Major

Based on the Major assignment criteria stated above, each student will be given two assignment ratings that correspond to their choice preferences. These ratings will determine their positions on the merit order lists of respective programmes. Each programme will admit students according to their ratings on its merit order list.

 

Tie breakers

When more than one student have the same ranking score, then tie breakers will be used to determine priority on the merit order list. The tie-breakers are listed below:

 

• 1. HKDSE English subject score
• 2. HKDSE Chinese subject score
• 3. HKDSE Sum of English and Chinese subject score
• 4. Alternative English Language score
• 5. Alternative Chinese Language score

 

Number of Intake

Students with various academic qualification i.e. HKDSE, JEE, International qualification, should have separate quota. The total number of intake for each Major is based on previous years’ actual intake number.

 

School Allocation

In order to balance the assignment of students among two majors in Year One, the School has the right to make the final decision.

 

Announcements of Offer Results

The offer results will be announced around late Dec via BUniPort. Students can lodge an appeal for re-consideration of the main round offer results.

 

Results of 2020 entry

92% students were assigned to their first choice, while 99% students were assigned to their first or second choice.

 

Important Dates

	Target Dates	Implementation
	Early Nov	Students Apply Major via BUniport
	Early Dec	Allocate Major upon receipt of COMM1015 grades
	Late Dec	Release of allocation result to students
	Late Dec	Appeal round result
	Early Jan	Students commence to study assigned Major

 

Appeal Procedure

Students may lodge an appeal over their Major assignment after the main round offers are announced.

 

An appeal may be made on that there had been a material administrative error or procedural irregularity in the assignment process.

 

The following procedures will be adopted in handling appeals:

1. A student who wants to lodge an appeal should send an email to commadmission@hkbu.edu.hk two days after the announcement of offer results. Late submission will not be processed.
2. A consultation meeting will be arranged. Appeal result will be sent to the applicant by email. The decision is final.