Coordinator of PPA Major/Minor

Dr. David BIRKS

Why Politics and Public Administration?

An undergraduate education in politics and public administration (PPA) empowers students to acquire a broad understanding of public affairs in a wide array of domains that affect how human societies should be organised and governed.

These encompass war, diplomacy, party politics, voting behaviour, democratic participation, policymaking, public management, civil society, and social movements. HKU PPA's rich curriculum is designed to inspire students to become critical thinkers and informed citizens. It is a proven success in terms of developing students' abilities to understand in-depth arguments behind controversial issues of public concern, analyse intelligently complex political dilemmas, and articulate cogently their ideas in speech and in writing, all of which are essential for successful careers in any industry. For a hundred years HKU PPA has been a leading training ground for public servants of Hong Kong and elsewhere. The PPA Major offers training in skill sets that are highly valued by many careers today. HKU PPA graduates have found employment in multiple fields such as business and commerce, journalism and the media, teaching and research, non-governmental organisations and the voluntary sector, civil and public service, international organisations, and so on.

Capstone Project

The capstone experience is one of the graduation requirements that students have to complete during the 4^th year of study, except for BSS(GL)&LLB and BEd-BSocSc students who can complete it in the 4th or 5th year of study. There are two one-semester capstone courses (6 credits each) offered by the Department of Politics and Public Administration, and either one can be taken to fulfill the major requirement:

• POLI4092 Research internship in Politics and Public Administration (Faculty members’ own research project. Students will perform research under supervision.)
• POLI4109 Directed project in Politics and Public Administration (Research topic proposed by students under one of the 4 specialist streams. Students will do the research project under a teacher’s supervision.)

ENQUIRES

We are here to assist with your enquiries: ppaug@hku.hk

FAQs

Q: When can I enroll in the capstone course? Can I choose my supervisor?

A: Final-year students will be invited via email around July to indicate their preferences for capstone projects. Due to the large number of students taking capstone courses and the limited number of places, the PPA Department will try to accommodate your preferences regarding the semester and project/specialist stream. However, in some cases, this may not be possible. Please note that capstone allocation is managed by the Department, and students are not allowed to approach individual faculty members directly. Once the matching results (i.e., course code, sub-class, semester) are finalised, students are required to enroll in the course through the HKU Portal during the course selection or add-drop period.

Q: I’m a non-Social Sciences student from another Faculty.  Can I use advanced-level credits to fulfil the Social Innovation & Global Citizenship (SIGC) requirement?

A: For the 24 credits of Social Innovation and Global Citizenship (SIGC) under the PPA major, non-Social Sciences students can take any advanced-level free electives (whether social sciences or non-social sciences courses) to fulfil this requirement. However, these credits cannot be double-counted toward other major/minor requirements. Students should confirm with the course-offering Department/Faculty whether the courses are considered advanced level.