The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) established the Department of Extramural Studies in 1965. In January 1994, the Department was renamed as the School of Continuing Studies and in January 2006, the School of Continuing and Professional Studies (CUSCS). Bearing the mission of providing quality continuing professional education programmes and services to meet the changing needs of society, the School offers a diverse range of courses and programmes at different levels. In 2023-24, 73 award-bearing programmes and a wide variety of general courses, distance learning courses and corporate training courses were offered.
What CUSCS offers can broadly be categorised into general courses and award-bearing programmes. General courses, normally lasting for two to four months, have no specific admission requirement, and are generally for self-enrichment. Since 1979, CUSCS has been offering award-bearing programmes at professional diploma, professional certificate, advanced diploma, diploma, and certificate levels. These programmes have specific admission requirements and are designed in accordance with the guidelines and standards set by CUHK. They will lead to academic awards or professional qualifications for learners who wish to enhance their skills and knowledge in their particular fields of study.
CUSCS courses and programmes cover a wide range of disciplines including Art and Design, Humanities, Creative Media, Music, Business and Management, Accounting and Finance, Social Sciences, Career Development, Applied Sciences, Languages, Health Care, Information Technology and Technology Management as well as Nature and the Environment.
The School has been offering a variety of Higher Diploma Programmes since 2002. Starting from 2012-13, the Higher Diploma Programmes are offered in a two-year, full-time format for students holding the HKDSE or equivalent qualifications. In addition, three one-year full-time Diploma Programmes, namely Diploma Programme in Foundation Studies since 2014-15, Diploma Programme in Community Care Since 2023-24, and the new Diploma Programme in Children Play and Expressive Arts from 2024-25 are offered to enable DSE graduates to have additional pathways towards tertiary education or develop their career in a profession.
CUSCS also offers tailored corporate training courses to private companies, government departments and non-government organisations, schools and universities in Hong Kong, Macau, mainland China, and overseas. Commendations have been received on both the course design and academic standard of these courses.
CUSCS continues to diversify its portfolio in collaboration with professional organisations, as well as academic institutions in mainland China and overseas to offer award-bearing programmes and lifelong education courses and to provide exchange and articulation opportunities for Higher Diploma students. The School’s collaborative partners include:
| ○ Beijing Language and Culture University, China | ○ Communication University of China |
| ○ Kyoto Notre Dame University, Japan | ○ Musashino University, Japan |
| ○ Nagasaki University of Foreign Studies, Japan | ○ Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University, Japan |
| ○ The International University of Kagoshima, Japan | ○ University of Miyazaki, Japan |
| ○ Kyung Hee University, Korea | ○ National Career Development Association (NCDA), USA |
| ○ The University of Queensland, Australia | ○ The University of British Columbia, Canada |
| ○ University of Toronto, Canada | ○ University of Portsmouth, UK |
| ○ University of York, UK |
Collaborations with academic units of CUHK include:
- Faculty of Arts: Department of Chinese Language and Literature, Department of English, Department of Fine Arts, Department of History, Department of Japanese Studies, Department of Linguistics and Modern Languages, Department of Music, Department of Translation, Centre for Sign Linguistics and Deaf Studies, Centre for Studies of Daoist Culture, and Centre for the Study of Humanistic Buddhism
- Faculty of Business Administration: Department of Decisions, Operations and Technology, School of Hotel and Tourism Management, and Department of Management
- Faculty of Education: Department of Educational Psychology, and Department of Sports Science and Physical Education
- Faculty of Engineering: Department of Computer Science and Engineering
- Faculty of Medicine: School of Chinese Medicine, The Nethersole School of Nursing, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Department of Psychiatry, Department of Surgery, and Jockey Club Centre for Positive Ageing
- Faculty of Science: School of Life Sciences
- Faculty of Social Science: School of Journalism and Communication, Department of Social Work
- Office of University General Education
CUSCS is a self-financing unit of CUHK. Its academic development and policies are regulated by the Senate Committee on Sub-degree, Professional and Continuing Education Programmes, the Senate Academic Planning Committee and the Senate of CUHK.
Head Office and Learning Centres
Head Office
6/F, Railway Plaza, 39 Chatham Road South, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon
Central Learning Centre
Bank of America Tower, 12 Harcourt Road, Central
Tsim Sha Tsui East Ocean Learning Centre
East Ocean Centre, 98 Granville Road, Tsim Sha Tsui
Tsim Sha Tsui Oriental Learning Centre
Oriental Centre, 67 Chatham Road South, Tsim Sha Tsui
Tseung Kwan O Learning Centre
Tsui Lam Estate, Tseung Kwan O
Emblem
The emblem of the University is the mythical Chinese bird "feng" (鳳), which has been regarded as the Bird of the South since the Han dynasty. It is a symbol of nobility, beauty, loyalty and majesty. The University colours are purple and gold, representing devotion and loyalty (purple), and perseverance and resolution (gold), respectively.
The new logo of the School of Continuing and Professional Studies of The Chinese University of Hong Kong marks the School's milestone 45th Anniversary. The crown of the "feng" is easily associated with the University’s rich heritage.
The final initials of the new logo, "SCS", signify Success, Commitment to our community and Sincerity. The stylised final "S" is composed of two arcs representing the two poles of the Earth. The joint marks the interaction between the two poles, which reinforces the relationship between CUSCS and society, and underlines the importance of whole-person education. The link between the "C" and "S" further strengthens the core concept of continuing and lifelong education.
