课程

The programme provides academic training for students without a BA in Religious Studies, the Programme targetstwo major groups of students. The first group, e.g. secondary school teachers of Religious Education and Ethics, aims to acquire some general understanding of different religions. Another group is research-orientated and may apply for MPhil / PhD programmes in Religious Studies upon graduation.

The Programme features an interdisciplinary approach to examine the intricate interactions between religion and culture, religion and ethics, religion and education, religion and literature and so forth, with a view to broadening students’ horizons, heightening their awareness of the relationships between religion and other social phenomena and academic disciplines, and deepening their understanding of the role of religion in the socio-political reality of international relations and affairs. With the smooth and successful running of the Programme over the past 16 years, we have trained more than 500 graduates.

In response to enthusiastic social demand, a specialized area of study “Religion, Life and Wisdom” has been incorporated into our curriculum in 2012 in a bid to draw from the well of profound wisdom of the world religions to stimulate students’ reflection of the practical issues of life and death, health and cultivation, as well as mindfulness and spirituality. Well-received by our students, this training is instrumental for their personal growth, both intellectually and spiritually, which has a positive influence on their career development, thus contributing to the overall social construction of Hong Kong.

The Programme adopts a proactive approach to enhancing students’ academic performance. A Seminar on Writing Academic Papers is organized in the first semester every year to help students grasp the essentials and methodologies of writing an up-to-standard academic paper in Religious Studies. The Programme also offers the Best Essay Award to encourage students to write high-quality academic papers and recognize their achievement. The introduction of the course “Research Paper in Religious Studies” in 2010-2011 enables our students to acquire some essential skills and methodologies of doing critical research and writing a dissertation, which makes them better-equipped for an application for a research degree.

We anticipate that all our graduates will have attained the following learning outcomes at the Programme level:

Knowledge:

(1)   The understanding of religion both in their historical settings and contemporary contexts, locally and globally;

(2)   Understand the establishment of knowledge of Religious Studies and research ethics;

(3)   Understand the basic theories of Religious Studies in classical themes;

(4)   Learn the major issues in the field of Religious Studies in contemporary scholarship

Skills:

(1)   Communication and presentation (oral and written) skills;

(2)   Critical and analytical skills;

(3)   Skills in cross-cultural understanding and intercultural literacy;

(4)   Research skills.

Attitude:

(1)   A heightened sensitivity to the religious dimension of human life, society and culture;

(2)   An analytical capability of the plurality and complexity of religious phenomena;

(3)   A critical yet sympathetic understanding and appreciation of different religious traditions, especially those to which one does not belong.

All the courses stipulate their own learning outcomes in the course outlines which are clearly explained to the students in the first lecture. The course learning outcomes are aligned with, and contribute to, the overallProgramme learning outcomes.

Students recognize and affirm the Programme’s main objective of heightening their cultural and religious sensitivity, as well as critical and analytical skills, which are part and parcel for their life-long learning.

Applicable to students admitted in 2013-14

1. Coursework Requirement

Areas of Study

Area 1: Religion, Heritage and Context
Area 2: Religion, Society and Culture
Area 3: Religion, Life and Wisdom
Area 4: Special Topics in Religious Studies

Besides a required course (RELS5005 Theories of Religious Studies), students must take any seven courses with at least one course each from Areas of Study 1,2 and 3 prescribed in the course list.The degree would require a total of 8 courses, i.e., 24 units to be completed within one year for full-time students and two years for part-time students.

2. Other Requirements

(a) Students must take at least one course per term throughout the normative study period stipulated in the “General Regulations Governing Postgraduate Studies”.
(b) A student who obtains a cumulative grade point average (GPA) below 2.0 in the preceding term or receives a failure grade in thesis monitoring courses (for Research Postgraduate Programmes) will be put on academic probation. For details, please refer to Clause 14.0 “Unsatisfactory Performance and Discountinuation of Studies” of the General Regulations Governing Postgraduate Studies which can be accessed from the Graduate School Homepage:http://www.cuhk.edu.hk/gss.