Hong Kong Baptist University
Hong Kong Baptist University
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JS2025
Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Religion, Philosophy and Ethics 宗教、哲學及倫理文學士(榮譽)
BA(RPE)
Short DescriptionUpdated
This interdisciplinary Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Religion, Philosophy and Ethics Programme provides an excellent opportunity to study major world religions, philosophical traditions, and ethical schools of thought in a systematic and critical way. Students will develop a capability in correlating religious ideas and values, as well as philosophical and ethical thought with both the personal quest for meaning in life and the reflection of contemporary socio-cultural issues, such as life and death, gender equality and social justice. They can understand more about the human person itself and human culture through a comparative and interdisciplinary study of different religious and philosophical traditions, showing the vast range of human response to various life problems, such as life and death, meaning of life, and social justice from ancient times to the contemporary world.
Unique Features
First Religion, Philosophy and Ethics Programme in Hong Kong
The programme, specialising in three different but closely related disciplines of religion, philosophy, and ethics, is the first-of-its-kind in Hong Kong. Religion, Philosophy and Ethics (RPE) is a multidisciplinary programme and in fact one of the flourishing programmes in the international trend in recent decades. Examples include the RPE programme at King’s College London and University of Nottingham in the UK.
Four Study Areas
Foundational courses covering key areas of religion, philosophy and ethics are covered in the first and second years. In their third to fourth years, students can choose major electives among the four study areas, namely Philosophical Studies, Christian Studies and Comparative Religion, the Interdisciplinary Study of Religion, as well as Ethics and Society. The multiple foci of the programme would be able to cater for the diverse interests of students. Students can choose to declare or not a concentration in one of the four study areas at the end of their second year of study.
Critical Thinking
We emphasise nurturing students' abilities in critical thinking, formulating cogent arguments and critically evaluating claims, all of which helps to enhance their reasoning and analytical skills. These are transferable skills which are essential to many professions.
Value Analysis
We emphasise the analysis of underlying moral values, social values, political values and cultural values in current issues, which are diverse, complex and often in conflict with one another. Students are trained to make up their own minds after navigating through a complicated web of ideas.
Excellence in Liberal Arts Education
Our programme provides a channel for achieving the higher goals of liberal arts education, namely, (a) the cultivation of the ability to analyse complex human problems with intellectual rigor, and (b) the cultivation of practical wisdom for moral reasoning and impartial value analysis.
Student Learning Experiences
Summer Internship Programme
The Department organises Summer Internship Programme for our students since 2002 to work in NGOs (Non-governmental Organisations), social enterprises, offices of Legislative Councilors, and institutions from public and private sectors. Students can widen their exposure through working, relate real life to their studies, gain valuable working experience and acquire the ability to identify their career paths after graduation.
Overseas Exchange Programme
Our students have opportunities to study abroad in partner institutions by joining the University's Overseas Exchange Programme. We have established a unique study abroad programme with the Faraday Institute for Science and Religion that students can stay at a college of the Cambridge University for a short-term study.
Career Opportunities
Graduates can choose a career not only in teaching Ethics and Religious Studies (after obtaining PGDE/DipEd from a qualified tertiary institution), but also in cultural affairs, publication business, religion-related social service agencies, administration of the civil service and the business sector.
Admissions Scholarship
To award outstanding HKDSE students admitted to the Programme, the Faculty of Arts offers a scholarship starting from the 2024 intake:
| Sum of HKDSE Score (Best 5 subjects) | Amount of Scholarship |
| 26 or above | $42,100 (one-off, 100% of the first-year tuition) |
| 25 | $21,050 (one-off, 50% of the first-year tuition) |
Please refer to the website for more details.
Remarks:
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Programme Website
Requirements
- Programme Entrance Requirements
- General Entrance Requirements
Notes for elective subjects:
1) One of the electives must be any Category A subjects (excluding Extended Part of Mathematics (Module 1 or Module 2));
2) The other elective can be any of the following subjects:
a) Category A subjects (including Extended Part of Mathematics (Module 1 or Module 2));
b) Specified Category B (Applied Learning) subjects (with "Attained with Distinction (I)" or above) listed in the following website: https://artsbu.hkbu.edu.hk/study/prospective/undergraduate/hybrid-admission/admission-requirements;
b) Category C (Other Language) subjects at Grade C or above.
| Core Subjects | Minimum Level |
|---|---|
| CHINESE LANGUAGENote1 | 3 |
| CITIZENSHIP AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT | Attained |
| ENGLISH LANGUAGENote2 | 3 |
| MATHEMATICS COMPULSORY PART | 2 |
| Elective Subject(s) | Minimum Level |
|---|---|
| ANY 2 SUBJECTSNote3 | 3 |
Note 1: For Non-Chinese Speaking (NCS) students, alternative Chinese Language qualifications deemed acceptable by the University (except for the programmes offered by the School of Chinese Medicine) are listed in the website: https://admissions.hkbu.edu.hk/ug/jupas_chineserequirement
Note 2: Equivalences to Level 3 in HKDSE English Language are listed in the website:
https://admissions.hkbu.edu.hk/ug/jupas_eng_requirement
Note 3:
- One of the elective subjects must be Category A subjects (excluding Extended Part of Mathematics (Module 1 or Module 2)).
- Extended Part of Mathematics (Module 1 or Module 2) and Category C subjects (Other Languages) at Grade C or above can be recognised for fulfilment of the second elective requirement.
- Individual programmes may consider Category B subjects (Applied Learning) with “Attained with Distinction (I)” or above for fulfilment of the second elective requirement (excluding the subjects under the study area of “Applied Learning Chinese” which are recognised as an alternative Chinese language qualification for non-Chinese speaking students).
- In general, the scores for Category A subjects are converted as follows:
5**=7, 5*=6, 5=5, 4=4, 3=3, 2=2, 1=1 - The scores for Category B subjects are converted as follows:
Attained with Distinction (II) =4, Attained with Distinction (I) =3 - The scores for Category C subjects are converted as follows:
A=7, B=5.5, C=4, D=2.5, E=1
Remarks on admissions score: Individual programme would adopt different score formulae for calculating applicants’ admissions scores. Please refer to the following link for the updated score calculation and subject weights of our programmes for 2024 entry: https://admissions.hkbu.edu.hk/ug/jupas_weighting.
Calculation of scores for applicants with more than 1 sitting in HKDSE Examination
For 2024 entry, HKBU accepts combined results and will count the best results for meeting the entrance requirements and for the calculation of admissions scores.
First Year Tuition Fee
HK$ 42,100
Contacts
Statistics
Application Statistics (after Modification of Programme Choices)
| Year | Band A | Band B | Band C | Band D | Band E | Total |
| 2023 | 159 | 187 | 302 | 349 | 326 | 1323 |
| 2022 | 105 | 149 | 229 | 340 | 280 | 1103 |
| 2021 | 108 | 137 | 209 | 285 | 246 | 985 |
| 2020 | 102 | 130 | 231 | 260 | 229 | 952 |
Offer Statistics (as at the Announcement of the Main Round Offer Results)
| Year | Band A | Band B | Band C | Band D | Band E | Total |
| 2023 | 13 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 |
| 2022 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 |
| 2021 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 2020 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 8 |