Academic Policies

Academic Policies

Students offered admission to the Joint Bachelor’s Degree Program will have their first two years of study at City University of Hong Kong automatically validated, and will receive up to the maximum 60 allowable transfer credits toward the 124 credit minimum required for the Columbia undergraduate degree upon enrollment.  Courses with grades of C or higher at CityU are considered eligible for transfer toward fulfillment of the Columbia Core Curriculum. Students who have additional college or university-level coursework will also receive an Entrance Credit Report (ECR), which will be shared with them before their arrival in New York. Please review the School of General Studies website for additional details and policies related to non-CityU transfer credits.

Pre-professional courses

The School of General Studies allows students to transfer up to 6 credits of professional studies coursework toward their GS degrees. Professional studies include both pre-professional and professional courses in law, business, or journalism, as well as any other course that is clearly professional in its orientation. Any professional courses that correspond to an undergraduate course with a Columbia Arts & Sciences department (such as those offered within the Business Management Concentration) are excluded from the 6-credit limit.  

Credit towards the Columbia BA degree

Credits from City University of Hong Kong do not automatically transfer toward the Columbia major, although they may satisfy Core requirements or be counted as electives. Transfer credits toward the major are accepted at the discretion of the individual academic department and are not guaranteed by the block transfer credit process. The Director of Undergraduate Studies in each department is authorized to accept up to 12 GS-approved transfer credits toward the major. Some departments accept fewer than 12 credits; students must check individual departmental policies concerning transfer credits and are advised to consult with their GS academic advisor for more information.

Credit towards the CityU BA degree

Credits from Columbia University serve to fulfill major requirements at CityU, and transcripts must be submitted to the student’s College at CityU at the end of each semester for transfer evaluation.  Prior to their arrival in New York, Joint Bachelor’s Degree Program students are given course maps that detail the courses at Columbia University that can be used to fulfill major requirements at CityU.  While course maps can be used as a guideline in preparing for registration each semester, students are advised to confirm with their academic advisors to confirm that courses taken at Columbia University will fulfill CityU major requirements.

Credit towards the major

CityU

Students at CityU must be studying within one of the following majors in order to be eligible to apply for admission to the Joint Bachelor’s Degree Program:

  • Asian and International Studies
  • Business Analysis 
  • Business Economics
  • Computational Finance and Financial Technology (Computational Finance Stream only)
  • Computer Science
  • Computing Mathematics
  • Criminology and Sociology (Applied Sociology Stream only)
  • Global Business
  • Linguistics and Language Applications
  • Physics
  • Psychology
  • Public Policy and Politics (Political Science and Governance Stream only)

Columbia

At Columbia University, students within the program will follow the major that matches their CityU major:

  • Computer Science
  • East Asian Languages and Cultures
  • Economics
  • Linguistics
  • Mathematics
  • Physics
  • Political Science
  • Psychology 
  • Sociology 

The GS core requirements provide the foundation for a traditional liberal arts education, assuring that students develop critical skills in writing and quantitative reasoning while exposing them to a range of knowledge and disciplines. Joint Program students will consult with their GS academic advisors to determine how transfer credits will be used to fulfill Columbia Core Curriculum requirements. Any Core requirements not fulfilled by CityU coursework must be completed on the Columbia University campus. Courses with grades of C or higher are typically considered eligible for transfer toward fulfillment of the Columbia Core Curriculum. 

  • Art Humanities: All Joint Bachelor’s Degree Program students must complete this course at Columbia.
  • Contemporary Civilization/Social Sciences (two courses): Many courses within Area 2 of the CityU Gateway Education requirements may be applied toward this requirement. For example, the following CityU course may count toward the requirement:
    • GE2258 - Introduction to Economics
    • GE1205 - Green Economics
    • GE1209 - Identity and Citizenship in a Globalized World
  • Global Core (two courses): Courses taken at CityU that focus on non-western civilizations may be applied toward this requirement. For example, the following CityU course has previously counted toward the requirement:
    • GE1501 Chinese Civilization – History and Philosophy
  • Foreign Language (four courses or the equivalent): This requirement is typically fulfilled through previously acquired language fluency, any language other than English. The language can be demonstrated or achieved at CityU for consideration.
  • Literature/Humanities (six points of coursework — the literature component must be taken at Columbia): Many courses within Area 1 of the CityU Gateway Education requirements may be applied toward this requirement.
  • Music Humanities: All Joint Bachelor’s Degree Program students must complete this course at Columbia.
  • Quantitative Reasoning (one course or the equivalent): Many courses within Area 3 of the CityU Gateway Education requirements may be applied toward this requirement. For example, the following CityU courses have previously counted toward the requirement:
    • MA1006 Calculus and Linear Algebra for Business
    • MA1200 Calculus and Basic Linear Algebra I
      • Many MA courses above MA1200 are also eligible to be considered toward this requirement
    • CB2200 Business Statistics
    • CS1102 Introduction to Computer Studies
  • Science (three courses or the equivalent): Many courses within Area 3 of the CityU Gateway Education may be applied toward this requirement. For example, the following CityU courses have previously counted toward the requirement:
    • AP1201 General Physics I (re-coded to PHY1201 General Physics I starting from Semester A 2018-19)
      • Many AP courses above 1201 (or PHY courses above 1201 starting from Semester A 2018-19) are also eligible to be considered toward this requirement
    • BCH1100 Chemistry
    • GE1301 Climate Change and Extreme Weather
    • GE2305 Astronomy – the Sky and Us
  • University Writing: All Joint Bachelor’s Degree Program students must complete this course at Columbia. 

CityU

Academic advising at City University of Hong Kong is provided by both faculty advisors and departmental coordinators who help students to plan their academic paths. Students interested in applying to the Joint Bachelor’s Degree Program should consult with their individual departments for more information on planning their academic transition from CityU to Columbia University.

Columbia

Upon accepting the offer of admission to the Joint Bachelor’s Degree Program, students will be assigned a General Studies academic advisor who will serve as their primary administrative link to GS throughout their time in the program.  Academic advisors provide guidance on university as well as GS-specific policies and procedures. 

Upon declaring a major at Columbia, students will be advised by their academic departments on courses and requirements for the major. Major departments also provide advising to students completing concentrations in that discipline or program. Each academic department and program at Columbia has a designated Director of Undergraduate Studies (DUS), who is available for consultation about majors, concentrations, and their requirements.