Article 1 The procedure has been developed to institutionalize the processes of declaring and changing a home major for undergraduates enrolled in 2024, ensuring fairness and effectively guiding students through the process. These procedures are formulated in accordance with the Regulations of the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China on the Administration of Students in Regular Institutions of Higher Learning (Decree No. 41 of the Ministry of Education), the City University of Hong Kong Academic Regulations for Undergraduate Degrees (Trial), and the specific requirements of majors, taking into consideration the policies of the University.

Article 2 This procedure applies to all normative 4-year bachelor’s degree students who are admitted through the national college entrance examination in 2024 without a declared major.

Article 3 In this procedure, the “University” refers to City University of Hong Kong (Gongguan), and “System” refers to the Student Information System of the University.

Article 4 Normative 4-year bachelor’s degree students enrolled in the 2024/25 academic year declare their home major in accordance with the specified time and procedures prescribed by the University.

Article 5 After the student revision period of Semester B in the first year of study, the University will activate the major declaration module in the System, allowing students to declare their home major. Once the application is submitted, it cannot be changed. After the declaration deadline, the major declaration function within the module will close and no further submissions will be accepted.

Article 6 When a student applies for a home major, the University does not assess or review their courses and grades. Approval is granted provided the student’s physical condition meets the program’s requirements, fully reflecting the principle of respecting the student’s interests.

Article 7 The physical conditions required by the University for the major are based on the Notice of the Ministry of Education on the Issuance of the Guidance Opinions on the Work of the Physical Examination of Ordinary Colleges and Universities (Teaching [2003] No. 3).

Article 8 Students should accurately complete the health declaration and related documents in the system. If  they are unable to complete their major studies or graduate due to providing false information or making dishonest declarations, they will be held responsible for the consequences.

Article 9 The application results will be announced within one month after submission and will take effect from Semester A of the second year of study.

Article 10 All students are required to declare their home major. Students who fail to declare their major by the deadline without a valid force majeure reason will be considered to have automatically forfeited their choice and will be assigned a home major. They will bear the consequences of the delay, which can affect course registration, graduation progress, duration of study, and more.

Article 11 After choosing a home major, any subsequent changes must be submitted for approval in accordance with the University’s procedures.

Article 12 The University provides two opportunities to change the home major: after the release of final examination results in Semester A and Semester B of the second academic year. Students must submit their applications for a home major change through the System.

Article 13 If students wish to change their home major, they should carefully review the expected major’s requirements issued by each academic unit and ensure that they can still meet the graduation requirements within the designated study period after the change.

Article 14 When changing the home major, the academic unit offering the major reserves the right to select applicants based on its criteria, which may include courses taken, GPA, and interview performance.

Article 15 For approved requests to change home majors, all courses and grades from the previous major will be included in the GPA calculation for the student’s new degree and major.

Article 16 After changing majors, students must still adhere to the maximum period of study stipulated in the City University of Hong Kong Academic Regulations for Undergraduate Degrees (Trial), which includes periods of leave of absence, suspension of studies, etc. The maximum study period is 6 years for a standard 4-year bachelor’s degree.

Article 17 If completing the requested major requires exceeding the stipulated maximum credit limit of 168, students should, via the System, (i) specify the additional credit units required to complete the requested major, and (ii) provide justifications for the request. The request will be forwarded to the major-offering academic unit for consideration, and final approval rests with the Vice-President (Academic).

Article 18 If approved, the home major change will take effect from the following semester.

Article 19 The Academic Regulations and Records Office of the University is responsible for formulating, revising, and interpreting these procedures.

Article 20 This procedure was deliberated and approved at the 23th Working Group Meeting of the City University of Hong Kong (Dongguan) on July 12, 2024. This procedure shall be published on the University website (https://www.cityu-dg.edu.cn/) from July 24 to July 31, 2024, and officially promulgated and implemented from August 2024.

Article 21 Both the Chinese and English versions of these procedures are provided.