Undergraduate Programmes

Students who have successfully completed the four-year Programme and fulfilled all graduation requirements will be awarded the Bachelor of Education (Honours) in Early Childhood Education by the Hong Kong Baptist University.

Graduates of the Programme are recognised by the Education Bureau (EDB) for the Certificate in Early Childhood Education [C(ECE)] qualification, and as meeting one of the requirements for registration as kindergarten principals. In addition, they are recognised by the Social Welfare Department (SWD) for registration as Child Care Workers (CCW) and Child Care Supervisors (CCS). Graduates who have successfully completed the stipulated specialized courses will be recognised by the Social Welfare Department as having covered the training areas of the One Year In-service Course in Special Child Care Work (SCCW) for special child care workers.

The School of Continuing Education (SCE) has a vision for the development of professional training courses for local practitioners in basic education. The Early Childhood and Elementary Education Division (ECEED) is the academic arm of the School to foster the continuing professional development of quality teacher education programmes. The School is the first higher education institute to offer early childhood education programme at the degree level and was commissioned by the government to offer the Bachelor of Education (Honours) Programme to practicing primary teachers in 1994. In view of the expanding need for quality training services in early childhood education, the ECEED made a firm commitment to uplift the professionalism of early childhood educare practitioners.

The ECEED offers a range of academic programmes on a full-time or part-time basis to provide pre-service and in-service training in basic education studies with qualifications awarded from certificate to postgraduate levels. All programmes are offered with a core emphasis on the advancement of academic qualifications as well as teaching skills for local early childhood and elementary education practitioners. With the continuous development of basic education programmes and the increasing number of government-commissioned courses operated in recent years, the ECEED has further affirmed its leading role and expertise in the provision and enhancement of early childhood and elementary education training in the community.

This programme is structured according to the HKBU overall structure of the four-year curriculum. It consists of 128 units.

Remarks: The School reserves the right to make changes as required.

Major Required Courses (58 units)
(Students are required to take all the following courses.)

Elective Courses (33 units)
(Students are required to take 11 courses from the following courses.)

Specialized Courses (6 units)
(Students are required to take two courses of ONE of the following streams.)

University Core (13 units)
(Students are required to take all the following courses.)

General Education Programme (18 units)

Level 1 Foundational Courses

(Students are required to take all the following courses.)

Level 2 Interdisciplinary Thematic Courses

(Students are required to take two courses from the following courses.)

Level 3 GE Capstone

(Students are required to take the following course.)

Remarks: The School reserves the right to make changes as required.

Face-to-face mode will mainly be adopted to cater for the needs of the students and to encourage interaction between lecturers and students. The process of re-thinking teaching beliefs and behaviour will further be facilitated through peer interaction as well as stimuli afforded by the classroom environment, including pedagogical materials and teaching strategies such as scaffolding and guided questions that provoke critical thinking and intellectual discussions in various kindergarten classroom contexts.

In addition, practical sessions will be provided for students to apply the theoretical concepts acquired.

The medium of instruction for formal classroom teaching is English, except for those courses that are granted exemption.

All practicum courses will be conducted in Cantonese in order to prepare students to work in local early childhood education settings.

• Libraries
• Recreation facilities
• Online course management system (Moodle)
• Medical and dental services
• Counselling support

Scholarships to recognise students' outstanding achievements are bestowed on the selected recipients on the basis of academic merits or other criteria as set out by the School or donors.

• Entrance Scholarships
• Other Scholarships

Students can apply for Financial Assistance Scheme for Post-secondary students (FASP) and Non-means Tested Loan Scheme for Post-secondary Students (NLSPS) from the Student Finance Office (SFO) of the Working Family and Student Financial Assistance Agency.

1. Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE):
   (i) Level 3 or above in both Chinese Language and English Language; 
   (ii) Level 2 or above in Mathematics (compulsory part); 
   (iii) Attained in Citizenship and Social Development; and

   (iv) Level 3 or above in two elective subjects*.

   * One of the elective subjects must be a Category A subject (excluding Extended Part of Mathematics (Module 1 or Module 2)). Extended Part of Mathematics (Module 1 or Module2) and Category C subjects (Other Languages) at Grade C or above can be recognised for fulfilment of the second elective requirement.

   Category B subjects (Applied Learning) with “Attained with Distinction (I) or above” can be recognised for fulfilment of the second elective requirement (excluding the subjects under the study area of “Applied Learning Chinese” which are recognized as the alternative Chinese language qualifications for non-Chinese speaking students.)

   OR

2. Other qualifications deemed acceptable by the School as equivalent to the General University Admission Requirements

      Applicants with a recognised Higher Diploma in Early Childhood Education may apply for admission to Year 3 of the Programme.

Method 1:

2024 HKDSE candidates can apply for admission through E-APP. 

Method 2:

Online application 

Method 3

Walk-in Application

• 17 & 18 July 2024

Venue: 4/F, David C.Lam Building, Shaw Campus, Hong Kong Baptist University

Applicants will be required to submit/upload the following documents:

• Result Notice/Certificate of HKDSE (if applicable);
• School reports (Senior Secondary 1 to 3 (F.4 to F.6))
• Other academic certificates, e.g. transcript and graduation diploma of your highest academic qualification, etc. (if any)

Remarks: Applicants should present originals of the above documents for verification during the admission interview/registration.

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to attend an interview between June to July 2024.

Remarks:
If Typhoon Cyclone Warning Signal No. 8 or above is hoisted or Black Rainstorm Signal is in force at or after 11:00 am on the day of information seminar, the scheduled seminar will be cancelled.
The School reserves the right to make changes as required.

1. How long will I need to complete the programme?
   It will take 4 years to complete the Bachelor of Education (Honours) in Early Childhood Education programme.
2. What is the study mode?
   Full-time face-to-face mode is adopted for the programme. Students will also have attachment and block placement in local kindergartens to acquire necessary pedagogical skills as a competent teacher. Classes are normally held from Monday to Saturday between 8:30 am and 6:30 pm.
3. When will classes start?
   Classes start in early September.
4. How can I apply for the programme?
   Students can apply through E-APP. We also accept online application. 
5. Will the University acknowledge receipt of my application?
   • For online application through E-APP, applicants will receive an e-mail acknowledgement from E-APP and the School;
   • For online application at the School's programme webpages, applicants will receive an e-mail acknowledgement from the School.
6. How can I send application fee to the University if I apply through E-APP?

   E-APP applicants will receive an email inviting them to pay the application fee by means of online payment.

7. Can the subject 'English Language' be replaced by other examinations such as GCE, GCSE, IGCSE and TOEFL?
   Yes. The following public examination results are recognized by the University as equivalent to Level 3 of HKDSE English:
   • Minimum score of 60 (Paper-delivered Test) or 79 (Internet-based Test/iBT Home Edition/iBT Paper Edition) in TOEFL (TOEFL MyBest^TM Score is not accepted); or
   • Minimum score of 6.0 in International English Language Testing System (IELTS), Academic Level; or
   • Grade C/ Grade 4 or above in GCE O-Level/GCSE English/ English Language or English Literature;  or
   • Grade C/ Grade 4 or above in IGCSE First Language English; or
   • Grade B/ Grade 5 or above in IGCSE English as a Second Language; or
   • Grade E or above in GCE AS Level or AL Level English; or
   • Grade C or above in Cambridge English C1 Advanced and C2 Proficiency; or
   • Grade E or above in HKALE Use of English (AS Use of English).
8. Am I eligible to apply for admission to HKBU if I do not have HKDSE Chinese Language qualification?
   • For Non-Chinese Speaking (NCS) students fulfilling one of the specified conditions in Note 1, HKBU will accept the following alternative Chinese language qualifications as equivalent to Level 3 of HKDSE Chinese Language:
     1. Grade E or above in GCE A/AS Level Chinese; or
     2. Grade C/ Grade 4 or above in GCSE/IGCSE/GCE O-Level Chinese/ Chinese Language; or
     3. "Attained" in Applied Learning Chinese (ApL(C)).
   • HKDSE Category C subjects (Other Languages) normally cannot be used for meeting the entrance requirement on Chinese Language. 

     Note 1:
     The specified conditions are:

     1. The student has learned Chinese Language for less than six years while receiving primary and secondary education. This caters specifically to students who have a late start in the learning of Chinese Language (e.g. due to their settlement in Hong Kong well past the entry level) or who have been educated in Hong Kong sporadically; or
     2. The student has learned Chinese Language for six years or more in schools, but has been taught an adapted and simpler Chinese Language curriculum not normally applicable to the majority of students in our local schools.
9. Do I need to attend any interviews?
   Yes. Interviews will be arranged between June and July.
10. How will I be notified if I am selected for interview?
    Applicants will be invited to attend an interview through e-mail/phone.
11. When will the University make the admission offer?
    Admission offers are normally made in July.
12. Once I start studying in the programme, can I quit and switch to study in Bachelor of Education (Honours) in Early Childhood Education (Part-time)?
    Since the two programmes have different entrance requirements, switching from the full-time to the part-time programme may not be successful in normal cases.