Broaden Your Perspective: Enrich Your Major with a TSM!
HKBU is committed to providing our students with a transdisciplinary education, which has become the focus of worldwide education reform. This is in response to the growing complexity of global challenges that cannot be simply addressed by knowledge and skills of a single discipline. For example, the recent proliferation of AI is transforming the creativity industry, calling for effective governance frameworks among different countries. In addition, climate change poses new challenges to diverse sectors of society, ranging from healthcare, agriculture, aviation and etc.
Why considering Transdisciplinary Second Majors (TSMs)?
It is important for future-shaping talent to be able to innovate for solutions for real-world complex problems via transdisciplinary collaboration.
The Transdisciplinary Second Major (TSM) provides this learning opportunity. HKBU students can now mix and match their first major (FM) with another TSM to develop transdisciplinary problem-solving skills, which are considered instrumental by employers of diverse industries and different stakeholders in society.
How does TSM fit into my studies?
Starting from AY2024/25, students enrolled in designated single-discipline majors can apply to convert their existing 60-unit single-discipline major to a combination of a 48-unit first major (FM) and a 42-unit second major (SM). The second major can be either transdisciplinary or disciplinary. Students pursuing a TSM or SM will be required to complete a total of 134 units for graduation, which is 6 more units than the regular graduation requirement.
What are the TSMs and SMs to be offered?
With reference to the need of future workforce in Hong Kong projected by the government, seven TSMs are designed and offered, including:
Each TSM is jointly offered by at least three faculties with an emphasis on experiential learning experience. All TSM students will be required to take a common core course on Transdisciplinary Inquiries and Methodologies, where they will have the opportunity to meet and collaborate with each other to experience transdisciplinary problem solving.
In addition to the seven TSMs, the two additional Second Major (SMs) are
Who is eligible to take TSMs or SMs?
First year first degree students admitted in AY2024/25 and onwards are eligible to apply for TSMs or SMs. Each TSM or SM may have their specific admission criteria.
TSMs and SMs are not available to students admitted to senior years, nor to those in transdisciplinary programmes, dual/double/combined degree programmes, or other programmes which may not be able to accommodate the option of a TSM or SM for their students.
What will be printed on the diploma?
The graduation diploma will explicitly indicate if a student has taken a TSM or SM, distinguishing between a regular major and a 48-unit FM combined with a 42-unit TSM or SM.
When to declare a TSM/SM?
Students are expected to indicate their interests in TSMs and SMs in the second semester of their first year of studies. They should then formally declare a TSM or SM by the end of the first semester of their second year of studies. Late declarations will not be accepted. Academic advising will be provided in the first year. Students can consider taking some courses in their second year for tasting, as suggested by the corresponding TSM or SM.
More detailed guidelines, procedures and timeline will be made available at the Academic Registry website in due course.