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Mandatory Common Core Programme (MCCP)

Research postgraduate students are required to complete the Mandatory Common Core Programme (MCCP) before confirmation of candidature (for MPhil and 3-year PhD students) or qualifying exam (for 4-year PhD students). The Programme aims to equip students with the necessary skills and knowledge to better prepare themselves for their academic career at HKBU and beyond. 

 

MCCP Course Description and Timetable

FAQ

  1. What is Mandatory Common Core Programme (MCCP)?
  2. When should I complete MCCP?
  3. How is MCCP structured?
  4. Is course registration required?
  5. How can I access the MCCP Timetable?
  6. Can I change the section (or class) assigned?
  7. When are course results released?
  8. Can I drop a MCCP course?
  9. Can I apply for exemption?
  10. What is MCCP6150 Responsible Conduct of Research?

 

 

MCCP, which weighs 3 units, is an integral part of coursework requirement for all of the above programmes. It aims to equip students with the necessary skills and knowledge to build the foundation for their research study, and to facilitate the development of their academic career. Research postgraduate (RPg) students are required to complete a minimum number of units of coursework as follows:

(Please check with your Faculty/School for additional coursework requirement) 

Programmes Minimum no. of units
MPhil

12

4-year PhD

Referring to students admitted to the School of Business from 2018/19, and to other Faculties starting from AY2019/20

22

 

Programmes Completion Time of MCCP

MPhil  

Before confirmation of candidature

4-year PhD

Before the qualifying examination (13th to 18th month after commencement of studies)

RPg students who fail to complete MCCP before the above timeframe will be barred from

(a) confirmation of candidature (for MPhil students)/ attending the qualifying examination (for 4-year PhD students); and

(b) access to academic transcript/testimonial (official copy and student copy)

 

 

 

(a) It constitutes:

(i)  2 credit-bearing courses:

  •  MCCP6010 Teaching University Students (1 unit); and
  •  MCCP6020 Advanced English for Academic Purposes (2 units); and

(ii) A range of non-credit bearing mandatory courses of 1 to 2 hours each

(b)  The table below gives you an overview of the courses:

Skill/Knowledge Area

Course Name

No. of Unit/Hours

Offering Unit

Teaching

Teaching University Students (MCCP6010)

1 unit

CHTL

Advanced English

Advanced English for Academic Purposes (MCCP6020)

2 units

LC

SCI/SCM

Laboratory Safety (MCCP6110)

2 hours

EO

Research Support Skills

Effective Literature Searching (MCCP6120)

2 hours

Library

Introduction to Scholarly Communication and Publishing (MCCP6130)

(online plus 1 optional face to face workshop)

4 hours

(online delivery)

Entrepreneurship

Berkeley Method of Entrepreneurship in Hong Kong (MCCP 6140) (Also known as ENTR1001) (online)

2 hours

(online delivery)

KTO

Research Ethics

Responsible Conduct of Research (MCCP6150) 

4-5 hours

(online delivery)

REC

 

*Abbreviations:

CHTL

Centre for Holistic Teaching and Learning

LC

Language Centre

EO

Estates Office

LIB

Library

KTO

Knowledge Transfer Office

REC

Research Ethics Committee

 

 (c) Details of the MCCP courses can be found here.

 

  • MCCP6010, MCCP6020 & MCCP6120: Students will be pre-registered for the courses.
  • MCCP6110, MCCP6130 and MCCP6140: No pre-registration will take place. Instead, students will be registered and given grades in one-go upon course completion.
  • MCCP6150: Please refer to Q10.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5.1 Find out the status of  the MCCP courses from the BUniPort - “Progress for Mandatory Common Core Programme”, and note the following:

  •            You can find out the progress following the guideline.
  •            Course Status: On the “Result” column, it shows one of the following:
Result Code for MCCP Meaning

Pending

Course registered for the Semester pending for completion or release of result 

Not Satisfied

Course not yet registered
Satisfied Course completed satisfactorily

5.2. Check the timetable from the website of the Graduate School – it shows the duration, time and venue of each “section (or class)".

5.3. Section (or Class):  Some MCCP courses offer more than 1 section each semester. The assignment of sections is primarily based on disciplines and quota of a section.

 

You are advised not to change sections as there is quota limitation to each section. If you have any request to change sections, please write to the Graduate School and provide justifications.

 

Courses Approximate time for release of results

MCCP6010

Teaching University Students

Same time as other regular courses 

(i.e. January for 1st semester, and June for 2nd semester)

MCCP6020

Advanced English for Academic Purposes

Same time as other regular courses 

(i.e. January for 1st semester, and June for 2nd semester)

MCCP6110

Laboratory Safety

The next month upon completion

MCCP6120

Effective Literature Searching

The next month upon completion

MCCP6130

Introduction to Scholarly Communication and Publishing

The next month upon completion

MCCP6140

Berkeley Method of Entrepreneurship in Hong Kong

The next month upon completion

After completion of the course, you are required to complete the Training Module Evaluation Form and Declaration of Training Module Completion in Section 6 and forward both emails of Berkeley Innovation Index (Your Personal Innovation Mindset Evaluation Results) that you did in Section 2 and Section 6 to best-hkbu@hkbu.edu.hk

MCCP6150

Responsible Conduct of Research

 

The next month upon completion

 

 

If you wish to drop an MCCP course, please follow the University Add/Drop course period and procedures. It is important to note the following:

Withdrawal after the Add/Drop period

The status of “withdrawal” (i.e. W) will be shown on the transcript. You will need to register again when the next course is available.
Absence from class without applying for “withdrawal" An "unsatisfactory" grade (i.e. U) may be assigned and shown on the transcript.

 

Exemption for MCCP courses is not encouraged as they are carefully designed to benefit the research studies of the RPg students. However, exemption for the following courses will still be considered based on relevant prior studies and experience:

  • MCCP6010 Teaching University Students
  • MCCP6020  Advanced English for Academic Purposes

In the event that you wish to apply for exemption, you should first indicate your intention to the course leader/coordinator and submit the relevant documents. The course leader/coordinator will then assess your eligibility for the application and make a recommendation. For initial consultation on exemption matters, you may contact Dr Lisa Law (lisalaw@hkbu.edu.hk) of CHTL for MCCP6010 or Dr LAW Ellie (ellielaw@hkbu.edu.hk) of LC for MCCP6020.

Please make sure you obtain appropriate approval/endorsement from all parties and submit the completed exemption form to the Graduate School.

There is no provision of exemption for the rest of the non-credit bearing courses/workshops. Please check the exemption form for details.

 

MCCP6150 Responsible Conduct of Research is an online course that familiarises research postgraduate students and researchers with the core values and principles of responsible conduct of research. It aims to raise researchers’ awareness of the importance of research integrity and to enhance the quality of research ethics training of the University.

 

For more details, you may refer to the FAQ and Registration Guide as follows:

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