Writing Workshop

The writing workshops are designed to help students enhance their writing skills and produce high-quality academic work. The workshops provide a supportive environment where students learn and practice both macro and micro aspects of academic writing, such as developing arguments, presenting textual evidence, organising ideas, establishing cohesion and coherence, and using appropriate academic language. Through guided discussions and feedback, students gain a deeper understanding of academic writing conventions, facilitating them to produce clear, cogent, and persuasive writing that meets the rigorous standards of the academic community.

Recommended reading:

The Elements of Academic Style: Writing for the Humanities
Author: Eric Hayot

Summer Reading List

Download the suggested Summer Reading List for MALCS coursework and courses.

SUMMER READING LIST (pdf)

Student Handbook

Student Handbook: Cohort Adnmitted in 2024-25 (pdf)

Student Handbook: Cohort Adnmitted in 2023-24 (pdf)

Student Handbook: Cohort Adnmitted in 2022-23 (pdf)

Unsatisfactory Performance of Studies

[1] Late Submission

Students are required to submit their coursework assignments, dissertations or its equivalent, and any other works assigned by their course instructors on the due dates prescribed in the course syllabi that are distributed at the beginning of each semester. Due dates will be set to allow students with sufficient time to complete their work before the deadline.

Students can apply for a 2-day extension for one assignment in the same course during a semester. The student must notify the instructor one week before the assignment is due, and must keep to the new due date. (Work commitment is not a valid reason for exemption from the late assignment policy. A medical reason for late submission should be accompanied by a valid doctor's letter. Besides notifying the instructor, the doctor's letter shall be sent to the MALCS office c/o Programme Officer.)

Late submissions including those after the extended due date will be subjected to grade deduction.

[2] Re-submission and Re-assessment

Students who have failed in not more than two courses in an academic year may be permitted to re-submit their work for the failed course(s) for re-assessment within a specified period of time determined by the MA Board of Examiners. Students should note that they will not be allowed to retake or take another course to make up for the failed course. The failure in courses shall be recorded on the transcript, together with the new assessment result obtained from re-assessment.

Students who have presented a dissertation or its equivalent (Portfolio/Individual Project) which is unsatisfactory may be permitted to revise and re-submit their work within a specified period of time determined by the MA Board of Examiners.

Attendance and Absence

Students should attend all classes as prescribed for individual courses. An attendance rate of 85% or above is required to pass the course. Attendance and class participation will contribute to the overall assessment. Course instructors shall maintain attendance records for the course.

Weekday classes start at 6:30pm and end at 9:30pm. Regardless of the number of students presented, course instructor will begin class by 6:35pm at the latest for weekday class. (5 minutes allowance only.) Class Break (10 – 15 minutes) will be scheduled before 8:15pm. Occasionally, courses may be offered on weekday afternoons and Saturday mornings.

Students who find long absence necessary because of illness or other unavoidable cause shall inform the Programme Chair in writing at the earliest opportunity. An application for leave of absence due to illness should be supported by medical certificate signed by a registered medical practitioner. If otherwise due to non-medical circumstances, such reasons should be clearly stated, and any related documentary evidence should be provided to support their application.

All classes take enrolled students only. There will be no auditing for students or anyone who are not enrolled in the class.

Deferral, Withdrawal and Discontinuation of Studies

[1] Deferral of Study

Deferral of study is not normally granted, except for compassionate and compelling reasons that may impact a student's wellbeing and progress of studies. Students who wish to apply for deferral of study should contact the Programme Chairperson in the first instance, and provide reasons (and any necessary documents) to support their application. Deferral of study is subject to the approval by the Programme Chairperson and the Board of Arts Faculty.

The maximum period of registration for full-time and part-time students is 2 academic years and 3 academic years respectively, which is subject to the approval of the Board of the Faculty on recommendation of the MALCS Programme Chairperson.

[2] Discontinuation of Study

According to the HKU Regulations and Syllabuses for MA, students may be required by the School Senate to discontinue from the programme under the following circumstances: A candidate who (a) is not permitted to present himself/ herself for re examination in any paper or paper(s) in which he/ she has failed to satisfy the examiners or to revise and re present his/ her dissertation or its equivalent requirement; or (b) has failed to satisfy the examiners in a second attempt in any course(s) or examination or in his/ her dissertation or its equivalent requirement; or (c) has failed more than two courses in the first attempt in an academic year may be required to discontinue his/ her studies under the provisions of General Regulation G12.

Further specifications concerning discontinuation of study should be referred to G11 and G12 of the General Regulations: Please click HERE.

[3] Withdrawal of Study

Students who wish to withdraw from the programme at any time during the academic year should inform the Programme Chair and Arts Faculty office at the first instance. They should complete the Withdrawal of Study Form (pdf) and return the completed form to the Arts Faculty office together with the Student Registration Card.

Students should note that they are liable to pay the annual composition fee, and/or any outstanding financial payments even their withdrawal of studies occur during the course of an academic year.

Overseas students are advised that deferral, withdrawal and discontinuation of studies from the programme may affect their student visa.

Using Generative AI, Machine Learning, and Other Artificial Intelligence Tools such as ChatGPT (Open AI) and Google Translate (Google)

Guidelines as listed below:

1. Students may not use Generative AI (e.g. ChatGPT), Neural Machine Translation (e.g. Google Translate), and/or other artificial intelligence tools without permission from their course instructor. Permission to use Generative AI (e.g. ChatGPT), Neural Machine Translation (e.g. Google Translate), and other artificial intelligence tools must be granted on a course-by-course basis.


2. If the course instructor gives permission to use Generative AI (e.g. ChatGPT), Neural Machine Translation (e.g. Google Translate), and/or other artificial intelligence tools, students must follow the course instructor's instructions for how to use these tools appropriately.


3. If the course instructor gives permission to use Generative AI (e.g. ChatGPT), Neural Machine Translation (e.g. Google Translate), and/or other artificial intelligence tools, without offering instructions on how to use these tools appropriately, students must adhere to the following policy:


• Students must submit their own original work for all assignments.
• Students may not:
• use Generative AI (e.g. ChatGPT), Neural Machine Translation (e.g. Google Translate), and/or other artificial intelligence tools to write their assignments.
• present work for evaluation as their own that was generated in any way through the use Generative AI (e.g. ChatGPT), Neural Machine Translation (e.g. Google Translate), and/or other artificial intelligence tools;
• use Generative AI (e.g. ChatGPT) or other artificial intelligence tools as reference sources;
• use Generative AI (e.g. ChatGPT) or other artificial intelligence tools to generate references or citations.
• Students may:
• use Generative AI (e.g. ChatGPT), Neural Machine Translation (e.g. Google Translate), and/or other artificial intelligence tools to check their original work for mistakes
• use Generative AI (e.g. ChatGPT), Neural Machine Translation (e.g. Google Translate), and/or other artificial intelligence tools to gather information, learn material, and discover new sources of knowledge;
• use Generative AI (e.g. ChatGPT), Neural Machine Translation (e.g. Google Translate), and/or other artificial intelligence tools to ask questions and discuss ideas;
• o use Generative AI (e.g. ChatGPT), Neural Machine Translation (e.g. Google Translate), and/or other artificial intelligence tools to proofread their original work for correct grammar and clear phrasing;
• Students that complete an assignment using Generative AI (e.g. ChatGPT) and/or any other artificial intelligence tools in any way, including but not limited to those listed above, must attach an appendix to the assignment that includes an exact transcript with date and time of the conversation(s) with the tool(s) and a short (100 words or less) paragraph explaining how the student used the tool(s).

Plagiarism

Plagiarism is a serious academic and disciplinary offence. You are warned that the University does not allow or tolerate plagiarism in any form of work submitted for assessment, including but not limited to dissertations, projects, written assignments, and other forms of coursework. Any quotation and/or citation of other people's work or ideas without clear and proper acknowledgement and documentation would risk being charged of plagiarism. Any student who commits plagiarism is liable to disciplinary action which can result in serious consequences - including failure of the course where plagiarism is found, and even expulsion from the University. Consult the following websites for further information on plagiarism:

A booklet published by the University entitled "What is plagiarism?"
http://www.hku.hk/plagiarism/

There is a possibility that students' coursework will be submitted to the Turnitin software for originality checking against proper citation or potential plagiarism. Visit the following websites for more information about Turnitin:

Turnitin at HKU
https://libguides.lib.hku.hk/turnitin
Turnitin
http://www.turnitin.com/

Arrangements During Typhoon and Bad Weather

Under the situations as listed below:

1. Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal No. 8 (or above) is hoisted; or
2. Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal No. 8 will be issued within two hours as announced by the Hong Kong Observatory; or
3. “Extreme conditions” after super typhoons are in force (announced by the Government before the Hong Kong Observatory replaces Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal No. 8 with Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal No. 3); or
4. Black Rainstorm Signal is in force,

the following arrangements will apply:

For face-to-face classes not yet started: If any of the warnings or announcements is hoisted or in force at or after 3:00pm, all evening classes commencing from 6:00pm onward will be cancelled automatically;

For face-to-face classes already started: When Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal No. 8 or above is hoisted or the No. 8 Signal will be issued within two hours as announced by the Hong Kong Observatory, or “extreme conditions” are in force, all classes will be suspended immediately. In the case of a Black Rainstorm Warning Signal is hoisted, all classes, except those held outdoors, will continue.

For online classes: Unless otherwise advised by the course coordinator through the course syllabus and/or HKU Moodle, all online classes will continue as scheduled under all weather conditions (including situations (a) to (d) listed above).

When Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal No. 3 or below or Red or Amber Rainstorm Signal is in force, it should be assumed that all classes will be held as scheduled unless an announcement to the contrary has been made by the University.

Syllabi

Download MALCS Syllabi:

MALCS Syllabus 2024-25 (pdf)

MALCS SYllabus 2023-24 (pdf)