Programmes Overview
The Department of Geography offers two undergraduate programmes and one minor programme:
provides students with knowledge and skills in the academic discipline of Geography and a recognized teaching qualification for teaching of the Personal, Social and Humanities Education (PSHE) Key Learning Area in local schools.
Students seeking to pursue the study of a minor programme would need to fulfil 15 units of courses specified by the offering department/programme, and note that no registration priority will be given to enrolment in minor courses. Upon completion of the 15 units required for the minor programme, students should apply to the Academic Registry for approval.
U-life
Academic Advising
The Student Advising Team (SAT) and Academic Advisors in the Department provide academic advising to students.
Academic Advising
The Student Advising Team (SAT) and Academic Advisors in the Department provide academic advising to students. The major tasks of the SAT include:
- To assist students with adapting to U-life smoothly
- To give students advice on choosing their suitable Majors
- To guide students to set up attainable academic & personal goals.
Student Advising Team (SAT)
| Members | Tel. | Office | Office Hour | |
| Dr. Daphne Mah | daphnemah@hkbu.edu.hk | 3411-5941 | AAB1231 | By appointment |
| Dr. Hao Pu | ppuhao@hkbu.edu.hk | 3411-7166 | AAB1233 | By appointment |
| Dr. Song Jun | junsong@hkbu.edu.hk | 3411-7189 | AAB1228 | By appointment |
| Miss Joanne Leung | joanneleung@hkbu.edu.hk | 3411-7709 | General Office AAB1220 | Mon – Fri: 9 am – 5:50 pm |
Senior Year Place Student Advisor
| Members | Tel. | Office | Office Hour | |
| Dr. Daphne Mah | daphnemah@hkbu.edu.hk | 3411-5941 | AAB1231 | By appointment |
Student Counselor (Exchange & Scholarships) and Internship Coordinator
| Members | Tel. | Office | Office Hour | |
| Dr. Guo Meiyu | meiyuguo@hkbu.edu.hk | 3411-6542 | AAB1223 | By appointment |
Honours Project
The Department trains students’ independent study skills through the mandatory Honours Project requirement. The Honors Project enables students to complete a piece of significant, independent study on a geographic topic of their choice under the supervision of a faculty member in the Department. Many previous projects have been close to publishable standards, and some have subsequently been jointly published with their supervisors in journals or book chapters.
Honours Project
4-year curriculum:
Under the 4-year curriculum, the Honours Project carries 6 credit units for the Geography Major, double degrees of GEOG-LST and GEOG-PSHET and the China Studies – Geography Concentration programmes. Topic selection for the project will take place towards the end of the third year of study (forth year for double degrees of GEOG-LST and GEOG-PSHET), under the guidance of the Chief Adviser. The project should be based on the analysis of a problem through fieldwork or through the analysis of secondary data. The project should demonstrate that students have developed geographical field, practical and analytical skills within the context of the chosen research topic. For Geography Major and double-degree students, the project is to be written in English, except under special circumstances. For China Studies students, the project must be on an aspect of China. It can be written in either English or Chinese, which is to be determined by the student in consultation with the Chief Adviser.
Field Camp
It is vital for geographic education to train students’ observational power and hands-on skills. Hence, classroom teachings are often supplemented with fieldwork and lab/practical sessions. To many students, fieldwork and project-based studies are the most welcoming aspects of geographic education.
Field Camp
The Department has made the Annual Field Camp mandatory. Every student, including those in both the Major and the China Studies programmes, must fulfill the Field Camp requirement before they can graduate. The Field Camp is conducted during the second semester of the third year. This 6-9 day excursion has a variety of taken students to locations outside Hong Kong and offers an invaluable learning experience. In addition to the field camp, local and regional field trips are organized for many subjects offered by the Department. Experiences have shown that field camps and subject-related fieldwork activities encourage close interactions and friendly relationships between students and staff in a non-classroom setting. Apart from the pedagogical importance of fieldwork, it helps to strengthen student-staff relationships and interactions.
Scholarships
Students in this Department are able to compete for University-wide scholarships awarded on the basis of academic merit and other criteria.
Scholarships
Every year a substantial number of scholarships are credited to students of the Geography Department to honour their outstanding academic achievements and notable service contributions. Several scholarships are specially bestowed to geography students, including the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) Hong Kong Dissertation Scholarship, Mrs. Leung Tong Pom-Sum Memorial Scholarship, Luk Yin Memorial Fund, Hong Kong Baptist University Geography Alumni Scholarship, Paul C K Wong Memorial Fund, Wong May Wai Esther Scholarship for Outstanding Geography Students and the Hongkong Electric Scholarships for Energy and Environmental Studies.
The Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) Hong Kong Dissertation Scholarship
The Royal Geographic Society (Hong Kong Branch) has supported an Honours Project Scholarship for HK$10,000 since 1999. This competitive award is intended to assist students with their project fieldwork, and targets an individual student who has proposed to carry out innovative research, either within or outside Hong Kong.
Mrs. Leung Tong Pom-Sum Memorial Scholarship
The Scholarship is set up in commemoration of the Department’s former Head, Mrs. Leung Tong Pom-sum, for her more than three decades of dedicated service to the Department and the University. The Department is most thankful for the generous contributions made by Mrs. Leung’s family and by alumni to the setting up of the Scholarship. Two scholarships of $5,000 each donated by the Department are available to Geography students on the basis of academic merit.
Luk Yin Memorial Fund
The Luk Yin Memorial Fund is a scholarship awarded to outstanding students studying in Geography major.
Hong Kong Baptist University Geography Alumni Scholarship
Merit-based scholarships donated by Geography alumni are available to undergraduate students in the Department of Geography (including students in China Studies).
Paul C K Wong Memorial Fund
The Department of Geography is honoured to introduce the captioned fund, with a prize amount of up to HK$5,000 for each recipient. The fund was established in memory of Mr. Paul Wong Chun Keung, the late brother of Mr. Wong Chun Chuen, Mr. Sam Wong Chun Kai and Mr. Leo Wong Chun Fai. It is offered first to a full-time Geography student(s) with a physical disability and good academic attainment. In the absence of the above-mentioned student(s), other student(s) with outstanding academic attainment or an excellent record of extra-curricular service to the community will also be eligible to receive this fund.
Wong May Wai Esther Scholarship for Outstanding Geography Students
This scholarship was donated by Ms Wong May Wai Esther with the aim of helping outstanding Geography students with financial difficulties while pursuing their studies.
HK Electric Scholarship
The scholarship is supported by the Hongkong Electric Co. Ltd. to provide recognition and financial assistance to outstanding local undergraduate students pursuing Energy/Environmental studies. A scholarship of $10,000 is available to full-time year-three local undergraduate students pursuing energy/environmental studies in the Department of Geography of HKBU.
“The scholarships shall be awarded to geography students, subject to availability of funds.”
General Education (GE) courses offered by the Department
The General Education (GE) Programme at HKBU provides the foundation of a well-rounded university education. The goal of the programme is to promote Whole Person Education through exposure to a range of transferable skills, guiding principles, and attitudes that all students will need in their future professional and personal lives.
Career Prospects
Career prospects in Geography
The geography curriculum equips students with a wide range of transferable skills and a capacity to keep on learning, especially through fieldwork and the honours project.
Such skills are keenly sought by prospective employers and make our graduates highly employable.
Alumni’s sharing
,%20Hong%20Kong%20Post.jpg "Alumni Sharing - Ms. Helen Chan, Director (Operations), Hong Kong Post")
Geography major provided me with not only academic knowledge but also logical thinking, analytic power & strong leadership.
Ms. Helen Chan, Director (Operations), Hong Kong Post
Geography training enabled me to deal with nature conservation. I would like to inspire more people to care about nature through conservation education.
Ms. Kami Hui, Conservation Manager, Arborist
,%20Walmart%20China.jpg "Alunmi Sharing - Mr. Eddie Chan, Senior Director (E-Commerce), Walmart China")
Geography enabled me to look into spatial variation between various spaces & the environment. This also offered me a unique opportunity to learn things by adopting a holistic approach.
Mr. Eddie Chan, Senior Director (E-Commerce), Walmart China
Geography trained my critical thinking and inspired me to address issues from a global and innovative perspective. Always be kind, curious and well-prepared for new challenges!
Mr. Kevin Lee, Manager (School Programme), Hong Kong Jockey Club Disaster Preparedness and Response Institute
,%20Hong%20Kong%20Jockey%20Club%20Disaster%20Preparedness%20and%20Response%20Institute.jpg "Alumni Sharing - Mr. Kevin Lee, Manager (School Programme), Hong Kong Jockey Club Disaster Preparedness and Response Institute")