Undergraduate Curriculum
In the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, we subscribe to two important principles in regard to undergraduate education:
Depth and breadth
Good undergraduate education involves a balance of depth and breadth. By the end of a degree programme, graduates should know one area well: that is, be aware of its main ideas, of the possibilities and limitations of its methodology, and of its current questions and problems. The best graduates will also be able to devise problems and pose questions of their own in this area. Graduates should also have broad exposure to fields of knowledge beyond their specialisation.
Responsibility
As undergraduates are mature learners, they should be accorded the responsibility for determining much of their own programme of study: for instance, their area of specialisation, and the scope and nature of their study outside that area.
University Level Requirements
The course requirements of the undergraduate curriculum provide the structure to ensure broad-based learning combined with depth of specialisation. They are organised around three categories of requirements: University Level Requirements, Programme Requirements, and a set of Unrestricted Elective Courses.
Curriculum Revision
In line with changing global trends and student aspirations, the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS) embarked on a rethink to bring about this major curriculum revision. The revision aims to retain and enhance the strengths of the Faculty - the flexibility, breadth, and depth of the curriculum:
- Enhance writing, expression, and communication skills as enduring core competencies of our graduates.
- Create space for students to explore interests outside their major without delaying graduation.
- Restructure the major to make room for (1) and (2), without sacrificing depth and specialised training at the honours level.
Faculty Core
Each subject in the Faculty has an (introductory) exposure course. Students are expected to read three of these exposure courses with one from each of the three divisions in FASS, including the exposure course of their major. These exposure courses should preferably be read at the beginning of the students’ academic careers so students can explore different areas of knowledge before determining their eventual area of specialisation.
Writing, Expression and Communication (WEC) skills
Students are expected to read two courses in small group settings that facilitate the development of WEC skills. These skills are especially important given the inherently argumentative nature of all of the FASS disciplines. It is also seeks to develop the rhetorical knowledge, the composing practices, and the critical thinking skills that are necessary to understand and shape meaning for different audiences. Students gain a deeper appreciation for the roles of public writing and speaking among engaged citizens. Click here for details.