As a university with the longest established tradition among institutions of higher education in Hong Kong, the history of Lingnan University can be traced back to 1888 when the Christian College was founded in Guangzhou. In 1967, Lingnan University (Lingnan College then) was re-established in Hong Kong. Lingnan University is funded by UGC, and well-known for its small-but-excellent liberal art education that offers undergraduate, taught and research postgraduate programmes in the fields of humanities, business, and social sciences, as well as comprehensive curriculum covering diverse general education and interdisciplinary courses, to provide students with firm knowledge foundation across different areas.

Overview:

The Bachelor of Social Sciences (Hons) programme is an integral part of Lingnan’s liberal arts mission. It emphasizes interdisciplinary training in social sciences while offering students the choice to major in Economics, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology or in the interdisciplinary Social and Public Policy Studies stream.

Each major has a distinct set of high-level courses to ensure sufficient breadth and depth of study. 

Economics

The Discipline Major in Economics opens students’ eyes to the economist’s way of thinking. It helps them gain insights into how the economy works and how members of society can make better choices, collectively or as individuals.

Political Science

The Discipline Major in Political Science is mainly concerned with the nature and governance of the modern state, focusing on party politics, electoral systems, and the distribution of power. It also covers areas such as public policy and international politics, developments in Hong Kong, changes in Northeast and Southeast Asia, environment and society, international law, and the politics of sport.  

Psychology

Courses for the Discipline Major in Psychology have an applied focus to give students the background knowledge and methodologies to understand human adjustments in relation to occupational health psychology, social psychology and human-computer interaction. Students can take courses making up a Counselling Psychology Concentration. 

Sociology

In turn, the Discipline Major in Sociology enhances understanding of fundamental principles of social life. It involves the systematic study of social institutions and transformations so that students have the tools to understand the world in a way that goes beyond commonsense notions of everyday life. 

Social and Public Policy Studies Stream

The Social and Public Policy Studies Stream is particularly concerned with policies as they relate to ongoing changes in the local, regional and global environment. The stream provides interdisciplinary perspectives that enhance the ability to analyze social and public policy issues and debates.

For Senior Year Admission (applicable to students admitted to Year 3 from 2019-20)
In addition to the above three Discipline Majors (Economics, Political Science and Sociology) and the Social and Public Policy Studies Stream, the following are also available for selection by Bachelor of Social Sciences (Hons) students admitted to Year 3 from 2019-20 onwards:

Discipline Major in Psychology with Counselling Psychology Concentration 

As mentioned above, Psychology students admitted to Year 3 from 2019-20 are required to pursue the Counselling Psychology Concentration.

Counseling Psychology is a growing mental-health service specialty within the field of applied psychology. It is concerned with the psycho-social, vocational and developmental aspects of people’s lives. It seeks to enhance the quality of life and effectiveness of people’s functioning through handling mental health issues and facilitating human development and adjustment, both at individual and organizational levels. The new Counselling Psychology Concentration is designed to prepare graduates for future postgraduate training in counseling-related professions and for entry-level positions in human service agencies (e.g. social work, school psychology, healthcare, human resources) where counseling skills are necessary. This Concentration requires the completion of the five counseling-related courses offered by the Department of Applied Psychology, namely Human Development and Psychology of Adulthood, Abnormal Psychology, Psychological Testing and Assessment, Stress and Coping: Theory and Practices, and Counselling Psychology.

Health and Social Services Management Stream

The Health and Social Services Management Stream aims to train students in practical and theoretical skills and knowledge in leading and managing social care initiatives and institutions.  Students are trained to develop the skills to initiate and assist in implementing health promotion and disease prevention strategies in the provision of social care services. The stream focuses on five key areas:

1. Aging and vulnerability issues,
2. Efficient social care delivery,
3. Cultural awareness and competence,
4. Leadership and management skills, and
5. Community engagement.

International Economy and Politics Stream

The International Economy and Politics Stream recognize the growing intersections of international economics and politics in the shaping of world affairs. It offers students rigorous training in both fields to enable them to understand important international developments that affect the world community. By developing dual competence in international economics and politics, the stream also prepares students for different careers in international business and international relations. 

Academic Year

The University academic year starts at the beginning of September and ends at the end of August in the following calendar year. The academic year consists of two terms, each covering approximately 15 weeks of academic activities, and where appropriate there may be an intensive summer term usually of a shorter duration.

Duration of Study

4-year undergraduate programmes leading to honours degrees normally require 4 years (i.e. 120 credits) to complete, if taken on a full-time basis.

Students who are granted a transfer of 54 credits or more will be admitted to Year 3 of the 4-year undergraduate programmes which normally require 2 years to complete if taken on a full-time basis.

Non-local Student Scholarships

Lingnan University offers various scholarships to support high-caliber non-local students to pursue full-time undergraduate studies at the University.  Successful applicants will be awarded one of the following scholarships:

•       Full Scholarship (covering tuition, hostel and partial academic and living expenses)
•       Half Scholarship
•       Full-tuition Scholarship
•       Half-tuition Scholarship

Each Scholarship is offered on an annual renewable basis and is tenable for a period of up to the normative duration of the study, subject to continued outstanding academic performance.

The Scholarship will be awarded subject to availability, successful applicants in Early Round will normally be notified from December 2019.  As such, applicants are encouraged to make their applications as early as possible.

Selection Criteria

The Scholarship will be awarded to a student who has good academic standing and a good track record in community services. For candidates of comparable academic merits, preference will be given to the candidate with better-proven records of community services.

Tuition Fees

For non-local students, the tuition fee for the 2020-21 academic year is HK$140,000.  

Tuition fees are normally payable in two equal installments before the start of the first and second terms of an academic year.

Non-local students are holders of:

• Student visa / Entry permit
• Visa / Entry permit under the Immigration Arrangements for Non-local Graduates (IANG)
• Dependant visa / Entry permit who were 18 years old or above when they were issued with such visa / entry permit by the Director of Immigration of the HKSAR (This definition has been reviewed and redefined by the Education Bureau (EDB) in November 2018.)

Hostel Fee

The hostel fee for students of UGC-funded undergraduate programmes in 2019-20 academic year excluding the summer term ranges from HK$9,660 to HK$13,080 per year.  For students of self-financed undergraduate programmes, it ranges from HK$14,480 to HK$19,630.  Fee for 2020-21 academic year is under review. 

Other Fees (Fees for 2020-21 academic year are under review)

Graduation Deposit
A deposit of HK$600 is payable by all students on the first registration.       

Students’ Union Membership Fees^
      - Entry Fee (payable by new members):  HK$97      
      - Annual Subscription Fee:  HK$133

Key Dates and Deadlines

• 24 September 2019 - Application Opens
• 9 December 2019 - Early Round application deadline
• October 2019 onwards - Shortlisting and invitation for interviews (if any); Notification to successful applicants
  (Overseas applicants shall assume their applications unsuccessful if they do not receive our notification by 31 July 2020.); Student visa application
• 15 April 2020 - Main Round application deadline
• 20 July 2020 - Late Round application deadline (Subject to the discretion of relevant departments and availability of places)
• Late August 2020 - Registration, hostel check-in, and orientation
• 1 September 2020 (tentative) - Commencement of the 2020-21 academic year