A three-way liaison committee - comprising the Education Bureau, the Council for Accreditation of Academic & Vocational Qualifications and Joint Quality Assurance Committee - announced today the updated Common Descriptors for associate degree programmes and the new common descriptors for higher diploma programmes.

The common descriptors have been established after wide consultation with sub-degree providers and stakeholders.

Providers can admit students falling short of the minimum entrance requirements based on special consideration. The quota for special admission is set at 5% on a programme basis and 3% on an institutional basis. The quota requirement will take effect from the 2009-10 academic year.

The associate degree programmes put more emphasis on equipping students with generic skills and knowledge, while the higher diploma programmes put more focus on industry- and professional-specific skills and knowledge.

To allow sufficient time for providers to redesign their programmes, the liaison committee encourages providers to start labelling the programmes and modules as generic or specific in nature from 2009-10 if possible.

From the 2010-11 academic year, at least 60% of the curriculum of associate degree programmes should consist of generic content, and at least 60% of the curriculum of higher diploma programmes should consist of specialised content.