The British Council provides you with general advice and up-to-date information on the non-local courses relevant to your needs.

The Non-local Courses Registry, Education Bureau will be able to advise you on the status of registration of all non-local courses operating in Hong Kong.  You can access basic information on all non-local courses registered in Hong Kong at the NCR.  The address is Room 3601, Hopewell Centre, 183 Queen's Road East, Wanchai, Hong Kong. Telephone +852 2520 0255.

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The university awarding the degree gives official recognition status or accredits that degree.

The HKSAR government assesses non-local degrees on a case-by-case basis for individual applicants for jobs.  There is no general assessment or recognition of non-local education qualifications on the basis of individual institutions for purposes of employment in Hong Kong.

Individual employers usually assess job applicants on an individual basis.

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Under the Non-local Higher and Professional Education (Regulation) Ordinance, all courses conducted in Hong Kong leading to the award of non-local higher academic or professional qualifications are required to register or apply for exemption from registration with the Non-local Courses Registry.  All these courses have a registration number.

The exceptions are purely distance learning courses which do not have any regulated course activity, including lectures and examinations, in Hong Kong.

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In the UK, there is no official ranking of universities. The Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) in the UK oversees the quality of programmes and the academic standards of higher education institutions. All institutions are subject to a range of quality assurance checks in the same way as their UK-based course provision, so you can be sure your qualification will be respected and your studies effective.

The Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) provides ratings on research quality across all disciplines by institution or by subject. Institutions conducting the best research receive a larger portion of grant from the higher education funding bodies in the UK.

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Most institutions require students to be competent in English with either Grade C or higher in English language in the Hong Kong Certificate of Education (HKCEE) or an International English Language Testing Systems IELTS score of 6.0 to 6.5. If you have a first degree from an institution where English is the medium of instruction, you are not normally required to show proof of your language ability. However, you are advised to check the course prospectus.

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You may request information from the local Hong Kong partner / operator of the course.

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For postgraduate courses, most will require students to have at least two years' work experience.  In some instances, work experience may count as Recognised Prior Learning, allowing this to be considered as a prerequisite to entry in place of academic achievements or qualifications.

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This varies with the level of study and your capabilities. Generally, you should set aside between 10-15 hours a week. Effective time management is necessary as a distance learning student receives study materials in fairly substantial amounts at any one time.

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Each course is specific and you are advised to read the course information carefully, talk to course advisors or contact the university directly.  Where course exemptions are possible, you may be required to provide your transcript and/or detailed syllabus of the subject/course studied.

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The financial costs generally vary from GBP 5,000 to GBP 25,000 depending on the level of study and the mode of delivery. You can opt to pay the fees by instalments although there is usually a slight premium for administrative costs if you choose to pay by instalment.  Fees for some courses may be fixed for your period of study, or they may be reviewed annually. Some courses require you to pay for examination fees in addition to the tuition fees. Some courses provide all essential study materials, others require you to purchase your own. You are advised to read the course prospectus carefully.

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Examine your own needs and/or career aspirations, financial commitments, family and other time commitments.

Research the range and level of courses available locally in Hong Kong that meet your subject interest:

• Find out more about the course provider:
• the University or institution offering the course
• research and teaching assessment, if available
• Find out more about the course:
• course content
• duration
• comparable course in Hong Kong and the programme is accredited by the institution
• mode of delivery - where teaching and tutorials form an integral part of the course, they should be conducted by appropriately qualified and selected staff
• course assessments - assignment-based, examinations, a combination of both
• there should be clear guidelines and description of the programme: its aims and objectives, workload and commitments, timetables, assessment & examination arrangements, admissions criteria
• cost
• Check out:
• who operates the course in Hong Kong
• library and other learning resources
• other students on the programme
• registration status in Hong Kong
• admission requirements
• fee instalment terms

Match your needs, aspirations and capability with courses available.

A good education programme is one which meets your needs.

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