In order to meet the needs of sixth form graduates for further studies, many affiliated institutions of local universities in Hong Kong offer self-funded associate degree courses, so that students with 5 subjects and 2 grades in DSE can continue their studies. Eric, Director of Foreign Affairs of the Affiliated College of the University of Hong Kong, said that the biggest difference between associate degree courses and higher diploma courses is that the former covers more general education subjects, that is, language, information technology and general education account for at least 60% of the courses, while the latter pays more attention to the infusion of professional knowledge. Therefore, when students choose between two courses, they should consider the future development direction.

"For example, if students are interested in interior design, advanced diploma courses will be a good choice, which can help enhance their competitiveness through professional training, in line with the professional trend of the local job market; If students are still not clear about their interests and employment direction, they can apply for an associate degree. Because the course covers a wide range, students can explore their personal interests and expertise through two-year courses. 」

Respond to society

As for associate degree courses, there are many kinds of contents covering different majors, and some courses are even close to social development. For example, the International College of Hong Kong Baptist University has added an associate degree course in media communication in the new academic year to meet the social demand for new media talents. Dr Liu Xinxin, Dean of the School of International Relations at Hong Kong Baptist University, said, "Social media is very popular and its development trend is worth exploring. The course content enables students to understand the nature, development and operation of social media, including mass communication, communication theory and practice, multimedia video communication, communication writing and editing, so as to cultivate a generalist in media communication. Students can master the media production process from the experience of data collection, planning and even implementing concepts with words and images to cope with the ever-changing media ecology. 」

Pay attention to cohesion

For most students, enrolling in associate degree courses is to pave the way for further studies, so we should pay attention to the convergence problem when choosing courses. Basically, students who have completed associate degree courses can enroll in publicly funded advanced degree courses, self-financing bridging degree courses or bridging degree courses provided by overseas universities as long as their grades are qualified. If students take associate degree courses as a springboard to university, they should pay attention to the proportion and distribution of funded degrees, self-funded degrees and overseas study in the graduation rate announced by colleges and universities, and analyze the requirements for the convergence of different courses. Taking HKBU International College as an example, the general subject credits of associate degree courses have been recognized by HKBU headquarters, and graduates can seamlessly connect with HKBU's self-funded bachelor degree.