Postgraduate Diploma in Education (Teaching Chinese as a Second Language) (self-funded)

Admissions Requirements

A candidate shall satisfy both the University Admissions Requirements and the Programme Specific Requirements as listed below:

1. comply with the General Regulations and the Regulations for Taught Postgraduate Curricula;

2. hold a Bachelor’s degree of this University or a qualification of equivalent standard from this University or another comparable institution accepted for the purpose; preferably with a major in Teaching Chinese as a Foreign/Second Language, Chinese Language, Chinese Literature, Psychology, Special Education or a relevant major;

3. a candidate who is seeking admission on the basis of a qualification from a university or comparable institution outside Hong Kong where the language of teaching and/or examination is not English, shall satisfy the University English language requirement as prescribed under General Regulation G2(b) having:

a) a score of 550 or above (paper-based test), or 80 or above (internet-based test) in the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) #; or

b) a minimum overall band of 6 with no sub-test lower than 5.5 in the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) #; or

c) grade C or above in either the Overseas General Certificate of Education, the International General Certificate of Secondary Education, or the Cambridge Test of Proficiency in English Language.

4. satisfying the examiners in a qualifying examination, if required.

Applications for exemption from the above requirements shall be considered on a case-by-case basis.

# For admission, only TOEFL/IELTS scores recorded in the two years before the date of application will be considered. TOEFL Home Edition or IELTS Online are not accepted.

Notes for non-local students

For the purpose of admissions of non-local students, "non-local students" are students holding (a) a student visa/entry permit; (b) a visa/entry permit under the Immigration Arrangements for Non-local Graduates (IANG); or (c) a dependent visa/entry permit who were 18 years old or above when they were issued with such visa/entry permit by the Director of Immigration. For details, please visit the HKSAR Immigration Department website.

Non-local students are required to obtain a student visa to study in the HKSAR with a local sponsor. All student visa applicants should request the HKU Admissions Office of the Registry to be their visa sponsor. Details on student visa application procedures can be viewed at https://www.studentvisa.hku.hk/. Please note that approximately 10 weeks should be allowed for visa processing. It is the responsibility of non-local students to make appropriate visa arrangement before they come to Hong Kong.

Application

Online application for September 2025 intake opens from 12 noon, November 1, 2024 (Friday). 

Application deadline for September 2025 intake: 12 noon (GMT +8), January 3, 2025 (Friday).

Your application including a fee of HK$300, which is non-refundable and non-transferable, should be submitted online at https://admissions.hku.hk/tpg/programme/postgraduate-diploma-education-teaching-chinese-second-language. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis so early submission is highly encouraged.

Submission of Supporting Documents

After submission of an online application, you are required to upload the supporting documents by logging on to the online application system by the application deadline or within four weeks from the date of creation of your account, whichever is earlier. Please refer to the “Instructions for Submitting Supporting Documents” for details. Posting of documents is NOT required at the application stage. Should an applicant be considered for admission, he/she will receive an email notification from the Programme Office to submit the required documents. Please note that our request to submit documents does not necessarily mean that you will receive an offer of admission.

Concurrent Registration

University Regulation G6 prohibits concurrent registration by a student for another post-secondary qualification either at this University or at another institution, unless approval of the Senate has been obtained in advance. A breach of this regulation may result in discontinuation of studies at this University. Students may be required to withdraw from or defer the other programme of study after acceptance of an Offer of Admission to the PGDE (TCSL) programme.

Interview

Applicants who are shortlisted may be invited to attend interviews or tests and will be informed by email (at least one day before the interview). Applicants are advised to check their email regularly for confirmed arrangements.

Admission Decisions

Successful applicants will be informed of their PGDE (TCSL) admission results by email, and will receive an official Offer of Admission letter, enclosing a Notice of Admission statement.

Applicants are required to complete and return the Notice of Admission statement and pay the deposit to secure their place on the PGDE (TCSL) programme. The offer will automatically be withdrawn if the Notice of Admission statement and the deposit are not received by the deadline as stipulated in the Offer of Admission letter.

Applicants who do not hear from the Faculty of Education by June 30, 2025 may assume their application has been unsuccessful. No individual notifications will be sent to unsuccessful applicants.