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?
- Students admitted in or after the 2024/25 academic year are eligible to declare a TSM / SM.
- Students admitted to senior years and to dual / double / combined / transdisciplinary degree programmes are not eligible.
- Students of the below major programmes are eligible to declare a TSM / SM.
- Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS)
- Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Chinese Language and Literature
- Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Creative and Professional Writing
- Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in English Language and Literature
- Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in History
- Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Humanities
- Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Physical Education and Recreation Management
- Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Religion, Philosophy and Ethics
- Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Translation
- Bachelor of Social Sciences (Honours) in European Studies
- Bachelor of Social Sciences (Honours) in Geography
- Bachelor of Social Sciences (Honours) in Global and China Studies
- Bachelor of Social Sciences (Honours) in Government and International Studies
- Bachelor of Social Sciences (Honours) in Sociology
- School of Business (BUS)
- Bachelor of Business Administration (Honours)
- School of Communication (COMM)
- Bachelor of Communication (Honours) in Journalism and Digital Media
- Bachelor of Communication (Honours) in Public Relations and Advertising
- Faculty of Science (SCI)
- Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Green Energy and Smart Technology
- Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Mathematics and Statistics
- Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS)
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?
The study of a TSM / SM should normally commence in the third year of the students’ studies. Eligible students who wish to graduate with a TSM / SM are required to make a declaration by the second semester of their second year of studies. Once declared, students are not allowed to change the choice of the TSM /SM. Subject to the decision of the TSM / SM, students will be assigned to a TSM / SM in the third year of their studies.
More information can be found on Academic Registry website.