Associate in English for Professional Communication

• Articulation rate nearly 93% in 2023
• Comprehensive coverage, encompassing professional English, language studies, cultural and communication studies, with a particular focus on creative and cultural industries studies
• Diverse training in specialised fields such as linguistic analysis and cultural studies with stimulating elements including media productions and communication to keep abreast of time
• Opportunities for overseas study trips to broaden horizons and enhance English proficiency

This interdisciplinary programme equips you with broad-based knowledge of languages, critical thinking and communication studies that help you build a solid foundation prior to acquiring discipline-specific knowledge of professional English, language studies, and cultural and communication studies, especially the communication skills in creative and cultural industries. Eventually, this programme prepares you for further studies or a career in specialised fields such as linguistics and language studies, communication and media studies, public relations or creative and cultural industries.

^{HKCC Associate Degree/ Higher Diploma programmes are listed on the Qualifications Register (QR) of The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR); the qualification is recognised under the Qualifications Framework (QF) and is commensurate with Level 4 of the Generic Level Descriptors. For details of the QR and QF, please click here.}

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Graduates of the Associate in English for Professional Communication programme can apply for admission to UGC-funded bachelor’s degree programmes in Language and Communication, Marketing and Public Relations and business.

Graduates can also apply for admission to the top-up self-financed Bilingual Communication programmes offered by SPEED under the CPCE “2+2” pathway.

Curriculum Structure⁺

You are required to take, in two years, 21-22 subjects in total, comprising 13-14 General Education Subjects and 8 Discipline-specific Subjects.

General Education Subjects

9 Compulsory Subjects

Language subjects

• Academic English (Humanities and Communication) I OR English for Academic Studies (Humanities and Communication) I
• Academic English (Humanities and Communication) II OR English for Academic Studies (Humanities and Communication) II
• Chinese Communication for College Students (Cantonese Version) ^C OR Chinese Communication for College Students (Putonghua Version) ^C OR Elementary Chinese ^{E & C ~}

Mathematics, IT and Critical Thinking subjects

• Creative and Critical Thinking ^{E & C}
• Elementary Statistics
• Information Technology for Language Studies

Discipline-relevant General Education subjects

• Introduction to Communication Studies
• Putonghua for Cultural and Communication Purposes ^C

Essential Components of General Education (Non-credit bearing)

• Two e-modules:

1. Academic Integrity
2. National Education 

^{~ Students who are non-Chinese speakers, or whose Chinese standards are at junior secondary level or below are required to take this subject.}

4-5 Elective Subjects^*# (from the following cluster areas)

• Chinese History and Culture
• Cultures, Organisations, Societies and Globalisation
• Human Nature, Relations and Development
• Language and Communication
• Science, Technology and Environment

For the full list of more than 70 General Education subjects, please click here.

<sup>*Students with Level 3 or above in any one HKDSE subject (other than English) only need to take four General Education elective subjects.

Medium of Instruction: Most subjects are taught in English, although due to their nature and objectives, some subjects are taught in Chinese. Language subjects are taught in the language in question.

E & C English and Chinese
C        Chinese</sup>

Discipline-specific Subjects

6 Compulsory Subjects

• Analysis of English Grammar
• English Communication in Creative and Cultural Industries
• Foundations of Linguistics
• Languages, Cultures and Communication
• Oral English for the Professions
• Professional English Writing

2 Elective Subjects^# (from the following subjects)

• Bilingual Communication ^{E & C}
• English for the Mass Media
• Intercultural Communication in Business
• Introduction to Literature in English
• Negotiation Skills
• Public Relations Writing
• Workplace Practicum ^{E & C}

<sup>+For students admitted from 2022/23
#Offering of individual elective subjects is subject to resources and quota availability.

Medium of Instruction: Most subjects are taught in English, although due to their nature and objectives, some subjects are taught in Chinese. Language subjects are taught in the language in question.</sup>

^{E & C English and Chinese
C        Chinese}

Intended Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this programme, graduates will be able to achieve its intended learning outcomes. For details, please click here.

Articulation Track Record of Graduates

More than 120 local and overseas bachelor's degree programmes have admitted graduates from HKCC's Associate Degree Scheme in Humanities and Communication. For the articulation track record of graduates, please click here.

Career Prospects

• Education
• Language and Communication
• Business and Marketing
• Editing and Publishing
• Journalism and Media Relations

^{Source: HKCC Graduate Survey 2022 (figures as of October 2022)}

Admission Score for this programme (2023/24 Cohort):

15(Mean); 18 (Highest)

Click here to view admission score (2023/24 Cohort) for all programmes.