Program Overview

Introduction to the Bachelor of Social Sciences (Honours) in European Studies

The Bachelor of Social Sciences (Honours) in European Studies is a comprehensive program designed to provide students with a deep understanding of European civilization and its significance in the world. The program is led by Programme Director Mr. RAETZER, Fabian, and is structured to give students a firm knowledge of the basic features of the European world and the communicative skills necessary for a future professional or academic career in the fields of European-Asian relations.

Program Objectives

The objectives of the program are:

• To provide students with a general and up-to-date knowledge of contemporary Europe, firmly grounded in the social sciences, with an emphasis on the European Union and its member states.
• To enable students to grasp the significance of Europe to world history, politics, and economics and to train them to become skilled and knowledgeable communicators between Hong Kong/mainland China and Europe.
• To assist students in acquiring high, professionally relevant proficiency in one major European language (other than English).
• To provide orientation and intellectual stimulus for students to understand and appreciate their own and other cultures/societies in an increasingly multi-polar and multi-cultural world.
• To contribute to Hong Kong's role as a major international commercial and cultural crossroads.

Program Structure

The program consists of four years of study, with the first two years spent in Hong Kong, the third year in Europe, and the fourth year back in Hong Kong. The third year is an integral part of the program, involving academic study at a European university and possibly a placement with European companies/institutions. This structure is designed to provide students with the benefits of on-the-spot academic training, linguistic immersion, and first-hand experience of work in a European environment.

Combined Degree Programme

Students who meet the required qualifications in the first two years may opt for a combined degree pathway with either Sciences Po Lyon (SPL) or Sciences Po Bordeaux (SPB), two elite higher education institutions in France. Upon fulfilling the requirements, students will graduate with two degrees: the BSocSc (Hons) in European Studies from HKBU at the end of the fourth year and Sciences Po's master degree (Dipl¶me de Sciences Po) at the end of the fifth year.

Curriculum

The curriculum is structured as follows:

• Social Sciences Common Core: 4 units
  • Core Course: 1 unit (SOSC1006 Invitation to Social Sciences)
  • Experiential Learning in Action: 3 units (Either SOSC3005 Community and Civic Engagement or SOSC3006 Global Outreach)
• Major Required Courses: 66 units
  • Courses include:
    • EURO1205 French and German Societies through the World of Film
    • EURO1206 Europe: Unity and Diversity
    • EURO2007 The Political Economy of the European Union
    • EURO2015 Model European Union
    • EURO4005 Current Issues of European Integration
    • Either EURO4006 European Economic and Business Life: travailler en contexte international or EURO4007 European Economic and Business Life: Wirtschaft im Wandel/Deutsch-chinesische Wirtschaftsbeziehungen
    • Either EURO4205 European Foreign Relations and Diplomacy: Relations extķrieures et diplomatie franńaises or EURO4206 European Foreign Relations and Diplomacy: Deutschlands Aussenbeziehungen und Diplomatie
    • Either EURO4215 French-Speaking Countries and Communities: la francophonie or EURO4216 German-Speaking Countries and Communities
    • Either EURO4225 Contemporary European Societies: questions d'actualitķ or EURO4226 Contemporary European Societies: Struktur und Zukunft der Sozialen Marktwirtschaft
    • Either FREN1205 European Language in Context I (French) or GERM1205 European Language in Context I (German)
    • Either FREN2027 Summer School on European Language and Culture (French) or GERM2027 Summer School on European Language and Culture (German)
    • Either FREN2208 European Language in Context II (French) and FREN2209 European Language in Context II (French) or GERM2208 European Language in Context II (German) and GERM2209 European Language in Context II (German)
    • POLS2007 Introduction to Research Methods
    • Either POLS2205 European Politics and Society: French Political and Government System or POLS2206 European Politics and Society: German Political Systems and Society
• Honours Project: 6 units
  • EURO4898 Honours Project (European Studies)
  • EURO4899 Honours Project (European Studies)
• University Language Courses: 9 units
• General Education Courses: 22 units
• Free Electives: 21 units
  • Students taking EURO3008 European Academic/Internship Semester I and EURO3009 European Academic/Internship Semester II will fulfil the course requirement of Experiential Learning in Action under "Social Sciences Common Core" and are required to take a total of 24 units of Free Elective courses.

Total Units

The program requires a total of 128 units.