Our Programmes

Associate Degree & Higher Diploma



Top 5 Reasons to Choose CIE


  1. Qualification Awarded by HKBU

    • The Associate Degree Programme (AD) is governed by the HKBU quality assurance policies and practices.
    • Upon completion of the AD Programme, students will be awarded an Associate of Arts or an Associate of Science by HKBU.
  2. Quality Assurance

    In the latest Report of a Quality Audit of Sub-degree Operations of Hong Kong Baptist University released by the Quality Assurance Council of the University Grants Committee, HKBU AD Programme is commended in the areas of:

    • student-centred approach in teaching and learning, as well as student development;
    • staff’s caring attitude towards students;
    • high standard of teaching and learning support facilities.
  3. Ample Articulation Opportunities and High Articulation Rate

    • In 2023, the articulation rate reached 90.7%. Among these graduates, 81.2% were admitted to undergraduate programmes offered by the eight UGC-funded local universities.
    • The College places great emphasis on providing different articulation opportunities for students. Students can take the ”2+2” study mode and earn a Bachelor‘s Degree in 4 years.
    • CIE offers 25 AD Concentration Studies across the 5 major disciplines of Applied Science, Arts and Languages, Business, Communication, and Social Sciences. The wide range of choices in our curriculum and flexibility in choosing elective courses cater to different interests, talents and aspirations of our students.
    • CIE also offers 10 undergraduate programmes to allow AD graduates to earn an HKBU Honours Degree through seamless articulation.
  4. Collaboration with HKBU Departments

    The AD curriculum framework has adopted the HKBU UGC-funded Undergraduate Programme as a blueprint. Certain areas of Concentration Studies such as Music Studies and Visual Arts are offered in collaboration with different Faculties/Schools of HKBU and taught by university lecturers.

  5. Your Ideal Pathway to University

    • Since the establishment of the College, CIE has nurtured over ten thousand AD graduates who were successfully articulated to local and overseas undergraduate programmes.
    • In the past 3 years, there were around 1,700 AD graduates who undertook undergraduate studies in the eight UGC-funded local universities.



Programme Structure

The four-year HKBU Undergraduate Programme normally requires students to complete a total of 128 units. The HKBU Associate Degree (AD) and Higher Diploma (HD) Programmes require two years of full-time studies. The curriculum is equivalent to the first two years of an undergraduate programme

Upon completing the AD and HD Programmes, students are eligible to follow the "2+2" study path, allowing them to articulate to the last two years of a UG Programme. Currently, there are 10 UG Honours Degree Programmes available. Under the same quality assurance mechanism, HKBU AD and HD graduates can articulate to a UG Programme seamlessly with minimal pre-requisites.


HKBU Associate Degree 62 units HKBU Associate Degree Programme + 66 units HKBU Self-funded Undergraduate Programme = 128 units HKBU Honours Degree 62 units HKBU Associate Degree Programme + 66 units HKBU Self-funded Undergraduate Programme = 128 units HKBU Honours Degree
HKBU Higher Diploma in Art Tech Design 62 units HKBU Associate Degree Programme + 66 units HKBU Self-funded Undergraduate Programme = 128 units HKBU Honours Degree 62 units HKBU Associate Degree Programme + 66 units HKBU Self-funded Undergraduate Programme = 128 units HKBU Honours Degree

A Wide Range of Programme Choices

CIE offers Associate Degree Programme with multiple Concentration Studies and Higher Diploma Programmes across major disciplines such as Applied Science, Arts and Languages, Business, Communication, and Social Sciences. The wide range of choices in our curriculum caters to different interests, talents and aspirations of our students. Small class teaching, continuous assessments, English language proficiency training, experiential learning opportunities, together with a learner-centered environment all help to provide students with an intellectually stimulating experience.

Choices of Concentration Studies / Programmes:

Division of Business
Division of Communication
    Associate Degree
  • Creative Communication
  • Creative Digital Media Design
  • Film, Television and Digital Media Studies
  • Media Communication
  • Higher Diploma
  • Art Tech Design