English Bridging Courses

English Bridging Course (EBC) Series — Your Pathway to PgDip Success

HKU SPACE English Bridging Course (EBC) Series offers you a comprehensive pre-sessional training designed to equip students with the linguistic competence required for admission to HKU SPACE Postgraduate Diploma (PgDip) programmes and the language demands for academic success.

WHY EBC?

All HKU SPACE PgDip programmes have their minimum entry requirements. If you have met all other qualifications except the English proficiency requirement, you should consider taking EBC as an alternative pathway.

EBC provides a pathway for applicants to upgrade their English proficiency to a level comparable to the existing Minimum Entry Requirements (MER) for admission to HKU SPACE PgDip programmes.

WHO IS EBC FOR?

Applicants who do not meet the English requirements may consider joining one of the EBC courses depending on individual English backgrounds.

• EBC I:       400 hours* (20 weeks x 20 hours/week)
  Minimum Entry Requirement: an overall band of 5.0 with no subtests lower than 4.5 in the IELTS or a score of 61 in the internet-based TOEFL or equivalent qualifications.

• EBC II:      200 hours* (10 weeks x 20 hours/week)
  Minimum Entry Requirement: an overall band of 5.5 with no subtests lower than 5.0 in the IELTS or a score of 72 in the internet-based TOEFL or equivalent qualifications.

• EBC III:    100 hours* (5 weeks x 20 hours/week)
  Minimum Entry Requirement: an overall band of 6.0 with no subtests lower than 5.0 in the IELTS or a score of 79 in the internet-based TOEFL or equivalent qualifications.

* Successful completion of the English Bridging Courses will be an equivalent qualification for the purposes of satisfying the Minimum Entry Requirement in English proficiency for admission to HKU SPACE PgDip programmes.

The EBC curriculum follows a model widely adopted by top institutions around the world, including Oxford University, Cambridge University, Imperial College London, the University of Sydney, and the University of British Columbia, etc.

Which is the Right Choice? EBC I, II OR III?
 

Students start with a level best suited to their English proficiency standard (Download your EBC Flyer here.)
HKU SPACE PgDip Programme Leaders will place applicants into EBC I, II or III basing on their:
-    English Test Score (IELTS, TOEFL, or equivalent); and
-    Performance at the PgDip admission interview.

How Long does it take?

Duration 

EBC I : 400 hours* (20 weeks x 20 hours/week; progress from CEFR B1 TO B2+)
EBC II : 200 hours* (10 weeks x 20 hours/week; progress from CEFR B2- TO B2+)
EBC III: 100 hours* (5 weeks x 20 hours/week; progress from CEFR B2 TO B2+)

Weekly Schedule

The following presents the weekly online schedule for EBC students:

What do i learn?

See course framework below. A detailed syllabus will be given to students on course commencement.

IMPORTANT NOTES TO APPLICANTS :
1. Promotion from one block to another is not automatic. 
2. Successful completion of each block means the fulfilment of 80% attendance requirement and an overall 60% of the ongoing assessments.
3. Students who successfully complete the English Bridging Course will be given a Statement of Achievement.
4. With the Statement of Achievement, students will have an equivalent qualification that satisfies the English proficiency requirements for admission to the respective PgDip programme offered by HKU SPACE. Those students who have already received an offer of admission conditional on satisfying these English proficiency requirements should then proceed with their visa application for formal PgDip registration.