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FAQs

Category:

Study Load Academic Advising Course Registration
Transcript Testimonial LU Card for Students
Visa/Non-local Students Suspension  Examinations and Assessments
Review of Grades and Reassessment Academic Honours English Language Graduation Requirement (ELGR)
Graduation Requirement Graduation Certificates  

Study Load
 

The normal study load of a full-time first-year student should be 15 credits in a term and the maximum study load should be 30 credits in an academic year.

The normal study load of a second-year or above full-time student in a term should be in the range of 15 to 18 credits and the maximum study load in an academic year should be 33 credits. The maximum study load for a second-year or above full-time student approved to take double Majors is 36 credits in an academic year.

A student can take optional courses in the summer term, and the maximum study load in a summer term is two courses or six credits. Credits of courses taken in summer term(s), if any, are counted in the maximum study load for the current academic year or in the following academic year as appropriate.

You may refer to section 8 of the Academic Regulations for Undergraduate Programmes.

For Year 1 students, the Programme Director/Head of Department concerned can grant instant approval to a student to exceed the maximum study limit by 1 credit. Moreover, a first-year student who has failed course(s) may take extra credits to make up the number of credits of the failed course(s) in the summer term in the first year with special approval from the Programme Director/Head of Department concerned. The extra credits shall be limited to six and will not be counted in the maximum study load of the following year.

For Year 2 or above students, the Programme Director/Head of Department concerned can grant instant approval to students to exceed the maximum study limit by 1 credit. In exceptional circumstances, approval can be granted by the Programme Director/Head of Department concerned for a student to take an extra course of 3 credits in excess of the maximum study load in an academic year upon recommendation of the academic adviser concerned.

A final year student who is not on academic probation may take a maximum study load of 39 credits in the academic year concerned, 18 credits in the first term and 21 credits in the second term, subject to the approval by the Programme Director/Head of Department concerned upon recommendation of the academic adviser concerned. Exceptions to the maximum study load in the first term can, however, be granted by the Programme Director/Head of Department concerned on a case-by-case basis with a view to facilitating the student concerned to graduate not beyond the normal study period.


Academic Advising
 

It ensures that you can strategically enroll in courses that work toward fulfilling your graduation requirements.

In case of failure to complete an Advising, you will be blocked from adding/dropping courses on Registration Day and Add/Drop period.

Your curriculum is made up of the following components:

  1. Common Core
  2. Cluster (i.e. courses with prefix CLA, CLB, CLC, CLD and CLE, e.g. CLA9001)
  3. Chinese Language/Putonghua (i.e. courses with a prefix LCC, e.g. LCC1010)
  4. English Language (For details, please click HERE)
  5. Major Discipline (For details, please refer to your Programme Structure)
  6. Free Electives

You should take courses in accordance with your Programme Structure. To learn about your Programme Structure, you may click HERE.

CCC courses and Cluster courses aim to provide students with a broad and balanced foundation for tertiary learning through exposure to a wide range of cross-disciplinary subjects.

For the list of CCC courses and Cluster courses, please click HERE.

For details about the Core Curriculum, please contact the Office of Core Curriculum (OCC) (https://www.ln.edu.hk/occ).

You may add/drop courses during the Registration Day and the Add/Drop period through Online Registration System. For dates of the Registration Day and the Add/Drop period, you may click HERE.

The Online Registration System is available both on- and off-campus.

To learn more about adding/dropping courses, you may go through the following items:

You may visit https://www.ln.edu.hk/reg/undergraduate-programmes/course-registration (under Programme and Course Information) to find out the meeting date/time of all courses offered in each term.

For the details of the courses, you may visit https://www.ln.edu.hk/reg/undergraduate-programmes/course-description.

You may find the prerequisite requirements in the course description (https://www.ln.edu.hk/reg/undergraduate-programmes/course-description).

If there is a prerequisite for a course, a student must meet it before taking the course concerned. If there is a co-requisite for a course, a student must take both courses in the same term.

A student must take his/her own responsibility in ensuring that he/she meets the requirements unless such are waived at the discretion of the Programme Director/Head of the Academic Unit concerned under exceptional circumstances. The student alone will be responsible for any consequences if he/she chooses to take a course contravening the requirements without special approval.


Course Registration
 

Before registration, you have to complete the academic advising exercise first. If you have not yet completed it, you are urged to consult your Academic Adviser as soon as possible. Otherwise, your access to the registration system will be denied during the online registration or add/drop periods.

The user guidelines of Degree Works are available HERE.

If you have any difficulties in conducting academic advising with your Academic Adviser, please contact your Programme Office/Department for help.

For registration procedures, you are advised to read carefully the registration related materials in the Registry homepage before registration.

If you have not completed the academic advising on or before the designated deadline, no course would be pre-registered.

You may register course(s) during the add/drop periods.

BANNER is the computer database system of Lingnan to handle course enrolment and student records. A student may access Banner for real-time information about his/her personal records including academic history of courses studied/ enrolled and grades, etc.

Yes, only authorised users are allowed to access BANNER system. All newly-enrolled students will be notified of their user accounts at the time of enrolment.

Access to BANNER is channelled via Internet. Please visit the University website to log in the myLingnan Portal, click “Academic Matters” and then “Banner Self-Services for Academics” where an item on “Registration” is available.

CRN stands for Course Reference Number. Each CRN represents a course delivery/identity.

For example, a course ECO2101 (of 3 credits: a 2-hour lecture and a 1-hour tutorial) has one lecture section (CRN 91), and eight alternative tutorials (CRN 333, 334, 335, 336, 337, 338, 339 and 341). A student may select one lecture and one of the eight tutorial sections. For such courses of lecture + tutorial mode, students are required to register BOTH lecture and tutorial at the same time to complete registration of this course, i.e. with two CRNs. However, for ‘sectional’ approach courses which only have lectures (usually a 3 credits course has two 1.5-hour lectures in two weekdays) and no tutorial alternatives, the student is required to register only one CRN for that course.

For lecture + tutorial courses, you have to register both lecture and tutorial at the same time, otherwise, enrolment in that course is not complete and the warning message “link error” will appear.

Here are some warning messages you may come across during registration –

Messages appear in the Status Column Descriptions
Closed Session or Reserved Closed The course has been fully enrolled.
Time Conflict with XXX The course has a time clash with a registered course. XXX is the CRN of that course.
Level Restriction The course is open for non-UG students only.
Major Restriction The course is only offered to the major stream students.
Link Error For “Lecture-cum-Tutorial” mode courses, students have to add/drop both the lecture and tutorial at the same time.
Repeat Count Exceeds The course has already been registered in the same or other term.
Maximum Hours Exceeds Maximum credit limit is reached.

“C” means section “Closed” to indicate that all places in that section are all filled. There is no quota available unless a student already enrolled in the course subsequently withdraws. You may choose another course/section.

No, the system will not allow you to take courses with the same or overlapping class time. A warning message “Time Conflict with XXX” will appear.

The normal study load of a full-time first-year student should be 15 credits in a term and the maximum study load should be 30 credits in an academic year.

The normal study load of a second-year or above full-time student in a term should be within the range of 15-18 credits and the maximum study load in an academic year should be 33 credits.

If you try to enrol beyond that credit limit, the warning message will appear and you are not allowed to register further courses unless you drop one of your enrolled courses.

A final year student who is not on academic probation may take a maximum study load of 39 credits in the academic year concerned, 18 credits in the first term and 21 credits in the second term, subject to the approval by the Programme Director/Head of Department concerned upon recommendation of the academic adviser concerned. Exceptions to the 6 maximum study load in the first term can, however, be granted by the Programme Director/Head of Department concerned on a case-by-case basis with a view to facilitating the student concerned to graduate not beyond the normal study period.

You may adjust your enrolments during the add/drop period if there are vacancies. Please note that the add/drop period will begin 4 days before start of classes.

If the study places of a course are already fully occupied and you have an urgent need to enrol in that course during the add/drop period, you may contact the course offering department and subject teacher to see if a special approval could be sought by using the paper add/drop form. In such special cases, the approved changes shall be processed by the Registry (not via BANNER).

Students are required to take all four courses in the Common Core and five cluster courses with one from each of the five clusters. The four Common Core courses are required to be taken in the first two year of a 4-year programme.

For details about the Core Curriculum, please visit the website of OCC (https://www.ln.edu.hk/occ).


Transcript
 

An official copy of transcript is NOT issued to a student as a personal copy or to any private individual. It will be sent sealed direct to the institution requesting the transcript (for the purpose of admission to another institution / prospective employment). If students wish to have a personal copy, they may apply for a student’s copy of transcript, it contains the same information as an official copy of transcript.

Please refer to the section of Transcript.

To apply for a transcript, please submit an application via one of the following means:

Upon receipt of complete information and payment, it normally takes 7 working days (excluding the application day) for processing a transcript application.

Please refer to the section of Transcript.

You may access the web transcript through the myLingnan Portal (Academic Matters > Banner Self-Services for Academics > Student Records & Examinations > Academic Transcript > Select “Undergraduate” under “Transcript Level” and “Web Transcript” under “Transcript Type”).

You are reminded that the display in web transcript is for reference only and it may be different from the actual transcript. If you wish to have a student's copy of transcript, please refer to the application procedures for transcript.


Testimonial
 

You may apply for a testimonial to certify the medium of instruction. Pleas specify to include the medium of instruction in your application.

For application procedures and collection method, please refer to the section of Testimonial.

Upon receipt of complete information, it normally takes 7 working days (excluding the application day) for processing a testimonial application. You should take note of the available date for collection of the testimonial.


LU Card for Students
 

You should apply to the Registry for renewal of your LU card two weeks before expiry by submitting the completed application form for Replacement Copy of LU Card for Students, which is obtainable at https://www.ln.edu.hk/reg/forms-for-registry-services. Upon receipt of your application, it normally takes 5 working days (excluding the application day) for processing your new card.

A student whose LU card is lost/damaged may apply for a replacement card. For replacement of a lost or damaged card, a fee of HKD $100 is required to be paid at the Finance Office (FO).

If you wish to apply for a replacement card, you may submit the completed application form, which is obtainable at https://www.ln.edu.hk/reg/forms-for-registry-services, to the Registry in person or by email, together with the proof of the payment.

For enquiries on payment, please contact FO (foadmin@ln.edu.hk) directly.


Visa/Non-local Students
 

As stated in the letter issued to you by the Hong Kong Immigration Department, every person of or over the age of 11 years who is permitted to stay in Hong Kong for more than 180 days is required to register for a Hong Kong identity (HKID) card within 30 days of arrival or upon acquiring such permission to stay.

To apply for an HKID card, you must apply in person at the Registration of Persons Office at the Hong Kong Immigration Department. You may make the appointment in advance at https://www.gov.hk/en/residents/immigration/idcard/hkic/bookregidcard.htm.

Upon receipt of the HKID card, you are required to submit a request for updating HKID card number together with a copy of your HKID card through the myLingnan Portal (https://myportal.ln.edu.hk > Academics Matters > Banner Self-Services for Academics > Update of Personal Particulars (for UG and RPg students)) as soon as possible.

To extend your student visa, you are required to submit a request for extension of stay and submit the application to the Immigration Department by yourself within 4 weeks before the limit of stay expires.

To apply for an extension of your visa:

  • It is only available to the students holding a valid visa.
  • Students should confirm their intention in writing to the Registry. Upon receiving their request, the Registry may consider issuing a supporting letter for their application for extension.
  • Students are required to contact the Hong Kong Immigration Department (enquiry@immd.gov.hk) and submit the application themselves, together with the supporting letter issued by the Registry.

For details, please consult the Hong Kong Immigration Department (https://www.immd.gov.hk/eng/faq/imm-policy-study.html).


Suspension
 

According to the Academic Regulations, a student who, because of health or financial problems or other valid reasons, may apply to the Registrar for suspending his/her studies until the end of the term for which the student is enrolled or the end of the following term.

The student, if so wish to apply for suspension of studies, has to fill in the prescribed application form (and provide with supporting documents) and seek relevant approval by the prescribed form. The form is obtainable at the Registry, which is also available for download at https://www.ln.edu.hk/reg/forms-for-registry-services. Student concerned has to seek recommendation from the Head of Department of his/her major programme by the prescribed form (Part A2 in the application form refers).

Based on the application documents submitted and the relevant recommendation of the Programme/Department, the Registrar will decide whether or not to approve the application, and the student concerned will be informed of the application result in writing (by email and by post). 

Please note that non-local students must comply with the HKSAR Immigration Policy concerning their maximum allowable period of stay in Hong Kong. Students concerned shall be responsible for any consequences that their approved suspension of study (if any) may lead to. Non-local students are not allowed to take up any internship/placement unless prior approval from the Immigration Department of the HKSAR has been obtained.

The period of suspension should normally not exceed two terms. If a student fails to return to the University to resume studies at the end of the permitted period of suspension, the student concerned will be considered as having unofficially withdrawn from the University effective from the first day after the end of the suspension period.

For further details, please refer to the instructions stipulated on the application form. Students are also advised to consult their academic adviser for any academic matters arising from their intended suspension of studies.

You are required to notify the Registry in writing of your confirmation no later than the specified deadline in the results of your application for suspension for making the necessary arrangement with you (advice on student visa issue, tuition payment and course registration, etc.) for your resumption of studies. Otherwise, you will be considered as having unofficially withdrawn from the University.

Please be reminded that during your approved period of suspension of studies, you are still required to pay attention to the emails and notices issued by the University regarding students' study related matters, and to take necessary actions, if appropriate so as not to miss any of the important arrangements that would take place during your suspension period but are crucial to your future studies after resumption.


Examinatons and Assessments
 

Please refer to the academic calendar for the examination periods.

The date of the release of the examination timetable for each term is published on the Registry web site: www.ln.edu.hk/reg/undergraduate-programmes/important-dates.

A student who is unable to sit for an examination but has medical or other compelling reasons acceptable to the Academic Unit responsible for the course concerned may apply in writing with documentary evidence to the Academic Unit concerned for a supplementary assessment. The application should be made at the earliest possible moment and no later than one week after the examination concerned was held.  For more information, please see "Regulations Governing Undergraduate Studies" and "Regulations Governing University Examinations and Course Work" available at https://www.ln.edu.hk/reg/undergraduate-programmes/regulations-and-guidelines.

Students with special needs should register with the Office of Student Affairs at the beginning of the academic year and as early as possible if students require support and services such as academic adjustments and special hostel arrangements (see https://www.ln.edu.hk/osa/sen ). Such requests should be supported by documentary evidence such as medical reports.

To allow sufficient processing time for making special examination arrangements, students should submit their applications at least six weeks prior to the start of the examination period. Late applications may not be entertained. Subject teachers concerned will discuss with the students before deciding on whether and what academic adjustments and special examination arrangements should be made, taking into consideration the students’ circumstances and the specific nature of the assessment tasks of their courses.

The dates of the release of the assessment results are published on the Registry web site: https://www.ln.edu.hk/reg/undergraduate-programmes/important-dates.

All course grades are assigned according to criterion referencing. A student unsure of how a course grade has been arrived at is encouraged to seek an explanation from the course instructor. It is the course instructor’s obligation to provide this information, which may include an explanation of the criteria used in marking individual assessment tasks and/or a confirmation of the scores and weightings on which the course grade is based. In case a face-to-face meeting is impossible, the instructor and the student can communicate by other means, such as email or telephone.

The University does not have a ranking of its students/graduates. The University uses letter grades (for each course taken) and grade point averages (GPAs) to indicate the academic performance of a student. Please refer to the “Grading System” in the Regulations Governing Undergraduate Studies for more details.


Review of Grades and Reassessment
 

Applications for review of grades/reassessment may be submitted online via the University portal during the application period. No late application is accepted. The application period for each term are published at https://ln.edu.hk/reg/undergraduate-programmes/important-dates.

Applications for review of grades/reassessment submitted may not be cancelled.


Academic Honours
 

A student who obtains 24 credits or more in an academic year (with 12 credits or more in any one term in the academic year), scores a Year G.P.A. of 3.30 - 3.69, and has no F (Failure), Fail, U (Unsatisfactory) or I (Incomplete) grades in any courses enrolled in for the academic year concerned will be placed on the Dean's List.

A student who obtains 24 credits or more in an academic year (with 12 credits or more in any one term in the academic year), scores a Year G.P.A. of 3.70 or above, and has no F (Failure), Fail, U (Unsatisfactory) or I (Incomplete) grades in any courses enrolled in for the academic year concerned will be placed on the President's List.

The year G.P.A and academic honours of each academic year are processed after the Summer Term. Students whose transfer of credits from exchange programmes is still pending or who have pending grades will not be evaluated for academic honours until all their academic results in the academic year concerned are confirmed.

The Certificate of Academic Honours is normally distributed in February (i.e. February 2023 for the academic year 2021-22). Recipients are informed of the details by email in due course.

Digital/scanned copies of certificates of academic honours will not be issued for the protection of the integrity of official documents. You may authorise a representative to collect your certificate on your behalf at the Registry during office hours by presenting a duly completed and signed authorisation letter and a copy of your HKID Card.


English Language Graduation Requirement (ELGR)
 

According to the regulations, students of relevant cohorts have to attain the requisite minimum overall band score in the International English Language Testing System (Academic) applicable to his/her Major.  You may refer to the web page on English Language Graduation Requirements for details: https://www.ln.edu.hk/reg/undergraduate-programmes/graduation-requirements.

Students may use equivalent qualifications for fulfilling the ELGR. For enquiry, please contact CEAL at cealdiag@ln.edu.hk.


Graduation Requirement
 

You may refer to the Important Dates for the cut-off date specified for each term.  If you have not fulfilled all academic, English language and/or co-curricular requirements, or if you have pending grades (I grades), or if the credits from your student exchange programme(s) have not been transferred to your undergraduate programme for fulfilment of your graduation requirement at Lingnan University by the cut-off date, your graduation will be evaluated at the end of the subsequent term in which you have fulfilled all requirements.

Note: For English language graduation requirement, only IELTS results submitted for graduation evaluation/exemption granted by CEAL by the cut-off date will be used for degree auditing for the term concerned.

You may log into myLingnan Portal and check Degree Works regarding your status of fulfilment of the English language graduation requirement.

For requirements of your Major programme(s), please refer to the Programme Structures: https://www.ln.edu.hk/reg/undergraduate-programmes/programme-structure

For enquiries on co-curricular graduation requirements, please contact the respective offices below:

Integrated Learning Programme (ILP) - Office of Student Affairs

Service-Learning - Office of Service-Learning

Information Technology Fluency (ITF) Test - Teaching and Learning Centre


Graduation Certificates
 

If you fulfil all academic, English language and co-curricular requirements by the cut-off day specified for each term, you will be considered by the Board of Examiners of the programme concerned for graduation. The graduation recommendations from Board of Examiners will be considered by the Undergraduate Examinations Board for approval.  Graduation information will be released on the specified date for each term as listed on the web page on Important Dates.  For the collection of graduation certificate, please refer to this link.

The University normally does not send the graduation certificates by post/courier to avoid the possibility of mail loss or misdirection.

For graduates of research postgraduate programmes and undergraduate programmes, you may authorise a representative to collect the graduation certificate on your behalf by presenting a duly signed and completed authorisation letter and a copy of your HKID Card.  To download the authorisation letter template, please click here.

For graduates of taught postgraduate programmes, you should contact your programme office.