Program Overview

Introduction to University Programs

The Faculty of Humanities offers a range of undergraduate and postgraduate programs.

Undergraduate Programmes

• BA Programmes
  • BA (Hons) in English and Applied Linguistics
  • BA (Hons) in English and Applied Linguistics (Non-JUPAS Local Senior Year)
  • Secondary Major in Artificial Intelligence and Data Analytics (AIDA)
• Minor Programmes
  • Minor in English Communication
  • Minor in European Studies
  • Minor in Spanish
• European Languages
• GUR Subjects offered by ENGL
• Academic Advising

Taught Postgraduate Programme

• MA in English Studies for the Professions (admitted in or before 2025/26)
• MA in English Studies for the Professions (admitted in or after 2026/27)

Research Postgraduate Programme

• Applying for Research Study
• Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme
• Full Subject List

Experience and Opportunities

• Work-Integrated Education
• Student Exchange Programme
• Generative AI
• Mentorship Programme
• Career Support
• Academic Support Programme (for MA students)
• Effective English for Postgraduate Research Students (EEPRS)
• The Stephen Evans Awards (for RPg students)

Research

Research Overview

• New and on-going research projects
• Language and Professional Communication
• Language Teaching and Learning
• English Language and (Applied) Linguistics
• Media and Communication
• Area Studies and Intercultural Communication

Research Centres

• Research Centre for Professional Communication in English (RCPCE)
• International Research Centre for the Advancement of Health Communication (IRCAHC)

Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in English and Applied Linguistics

Introduction

The Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in English and Applied Linguistics provides students with a solid foundation in the knowledge and skills required to communicate effectively in English for professional, academic, and business purposes.

Study Options

• Major / Minor option: with English as the Major and a Minor from another discipline (4 years, 120 credits + 3 WIE training credits)
• Secondary major: BAEAL and Secondary Major in AI and Data Analytics (4 years, 132 credits + 3 WIE training credits)
• Double majors: BAEAL and BA (Hons) in Linguistics and Translation (4 years, 159 credits + 3 WIE training credits)
• Single discipline major: BA (Hons) in English and Applied Linguistics (BAEAL) (4 years, 120 credits + 3 WIE training credits)

Curriculum

General University Requirements (GUR)

GUR consists of seven components, which are mandatory for all students.

• Artificial Intelligence and Data Analytics Requirement
• Innovation and Entrepreneurship Requirement
• Language and Communication Requirements
• Leadership Education and Development
• Cluster Areas Requirements
• Service-Learning
• Healthy Lifestyle (non-credit bearing)

Major Requirements

The BAEAL Major curriculum has the following components.

• Faculty Common First-Year Curriculum (FCFC) [18 credits]
• Major study subjects [30 credits]
• Major study elective subjects [30 credits]
• Work-Integrated Education [3 training credits]

Faculty Common First-Year Curriculum (FCFC)

• Language and Humanities Professionals in Society
• Faculty Compulsory: Introduction to Language, Science and Civilisation in Pre-modern China
• Faculty Electives: any 9 credits from a list of subjects, including Introduction to Translation, Introduction to Speech Therapy, and Introduction to Modern Chinese

Major Study Subjects

Focal Areas

• Language Sciences: Analysis of English Pronunciation, English Lexis and Semantics, Analysis of English Grammar, Research Methods for Language Studies
• Global Communicative Competence: English for Academic Communication, English for Advanced Academic Writing, English as a Global Lingua Franca
• English for the Professions: Language and Intercultural Communication for the Professions, Capstone Project for Language Studies, Integrated Capstone Project, Integrated Double Major Capstone Project

Major Study Elective Subjects

Focal Areas

• Language Sciences: Corpus-driven Language Learning, Literature in English: An Introduction, Solving Crime through Linguistics, Language Matters: Navigating Social Issues through Linguistic Inquiry
• Global Communicative Competence: Content Design for Social Media, Creative Writing in New Media, Intermediate Spanish I, Intermediate Spanish II
• English for the Professions: Fundamentals of Organizational Communication, Teaching English as a Service Learning Experience, The Language of Advertising, Discourse Analysis

Free Electives / Minor

Free elective subjects from any PolyU academic departments, or a Minor from a PolyU academic department [18 credits]

Minimum and Maximum Credit Requirements

• Minimum credit requirement for graduation: 120 credits + 3 WIE training credits
• Maximum total credits allowed without incurring a higher tuition rate: 150 credits + 3 WIE training credits