The Certificate in Advanced Business English programme helps working professionals communicate accurately and effectively in spoken and written English in various business contexts. The programme is designed to enable students to become more fluent and articulate when communicating in English, so as to produce well-written texts that characterise professionalism and effectiveness in modern business communication, and demonstrate competent oral communication skills in various business contexts.

On completion of the programme, students should be able to:

1. write well-structured business documents for internal and external communication; 
2. speak fluently and clearly at presentations, business meetings and conferences, online and in person; 
3. edit and revise correspondence for effective workplace communication via different channels; and 
4. present ideas coherently for persuasive and impactful communication. 

Students learn to present information through activities in writing emails, letters, memos and minutes with logicality and correctness in tone and appropriateness. They enhance fluency through participating in simulated meetings and presentations.

Module 1: Advanced Business Writing

By taking this module, students will strengthen their ability to:
1.  apply effective business writing principles in workplace contexts via different channels;
2.  practise internal company correspondence types such as emails, memos, minutes and reports;
3.  compose external business transactional correspondence such as replies to enquiries and complaints; and
4.  write business correspondence with varieties of language use.

The module covers a comprehensive range of writing topics that are highly practical for business communication:​
-   Business writing principles
-   Effective written communication : Style, tone, image and impact
-   Types of internal and external communication
-   Formal means of communication for individuals and business organisations
    -   Letters
    -   Emails
    -   Memos
    -   Reports
    -   Meeting documentation: Agenda and Minutes
-   Correspondence types: enquiries/requests, complaints, announcements, job applications, reminders, etc.
-   The writing process: proofreading, editing and finetuning
-   Text analysis: critique and be critiqued

Commencement	Day/Time	Venue
7  July 2025	Mondays, 6:45 - 9:45 pm	HKU SPACE Po Leung Kuk Stanley Ho Community College

 

Module 2: Advanced Business Speaking

This module prepares students to:
1.  use professional business vocabulary and appropriate expressions when communicating in workplace contexts;
2.  present online or in person effectively at business meetings and conferences;
3.  deliver presentations with clarity and impact; and
4.  speak with appropriate degrees of formality and varieties of language use.

The module covers the use of English speaking in the following contexts and scenarios:
-   Networking
-   Telephoning
-   Making phone calls 
-   Making and handling complaint
-   Holding meetings
-   Running a teleconference
-   Presentations and conferences
-   Job interviews

E-learning Activities

Students spend 6 contact hours and an estimated 9 study hours per module on completing E-learning activities that are commensurate with the language level and contents of the programme.

E-learning activities cover:
- Business Vocabulary Exercises
   Reading business-related texts and responding to comprehension and vocabulary questions from selected websites
- Business Grammar Exercises
   Participating in online Business English/grammar quizzes
- Business Listening and Business Writing Tasks
   Listening to online broadcasts from selected websites, answering questions and writing responses or viewpoints.

Assessment

Course participants' progress are measured through a number of assessment components including:

Speaking
-   Class participation
-   Presentation
-   Roleplay
-   Mock interview

Writing
-   Class participation
-   In-class assignments 
-   Mid-term and final test
-   Individual writing portfolio

Award

Students who successfully pass* the Programme are eligible to attain the Certificate in Advanced Business English awarded within the HKU system through HKU SPACE.

*By passing the Programme, students have to meet the following:
-   Attendance requirement: 70% of the total lecture hours; and
-   Performance requirement: 50% in all assessment components.

Graduates of the programme with a merit or above award can apply for admission to Diploma in Professional Communication, which leads to further studies at the advanced diploma and associate levels.

Commencement	Day/Time	Venue
17 February 2025	Mondays, 6:45 - 9:45 pm	HKU SPACE Po Leung Kuk Stanley Ho Community College

Teaching Staff

Instructor(s) of the Programme are drawn from our panel of qualified and experienced English language team. Some of them are native speakers; others are local teachers with native speaker competence.

Notes to Applicants

• Applications will be accepted on a first come, first served basis.
• Unless changes are made to the advertised details, we do not usually issue joining instructions. If your application has been accepted, you should go to the first session of the class at the time and place shown.
• No refunds or transfers to a different class will be approved.

Application Code	2270-EN024A	Apply Online Now
Apply Online Now

Days / Time

• Monday, 6:45pm - 9:45pm

Duration

• 45 hours per module x 2 modules = 90 hours

Venue

• HKU SPACE Po Leung Kuk Stanley Ho Community College (HPSHCC) Campus

The lists of lessons are tentative, please contact us for the latest lesson schedules.

Lesson	Module 2 : Advanced Business Speaking	Module 1 : Advanced Business Writing
1	17 February 2025 (Mon)	7 July 2024 (Mon)
2	24 February 2025 (Mon)	14 July 2024 (Mon)
3	3 March 2025 (Mon)	21 July 2024 (Mon)
4	10 March 2025 (Mon)	28 July 2025 (Mon)
5	17 March 2025 (Mon)	18 August 2025 (Mon)
6	24 March 2025 (Mon)	25 August 2025 (Mon)
7	31 March 2025 (Mon)	1 September 2025 (Mon)
8	7 April 2025 (Mon)	8 September 2025 (Mon)
9	14 April 2025 (Mon)	15 September 2025 (Mon)
10	28 April 2025 (Mon)	22  September 2025 (Mon)
11	12 May 2025 (Mon)	29 September 2025 (Mon)
12	19 May 2025 (Mon)	13 October 2025 (Mon)
13	26 May 2025 (Mon)	20 October 2025 (Mon)
14	2 June 2025 (Mon)	27 October 2025 (Mon)
15	9 June 2025 (Mon)	3 November 2025 (Mon)

 

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Course Fee

• HK$9,900 for 2 modules, 45 hours each.

Applicants shall:

1.     hold a Foundation Certificate in Business English Usage, or Certificate in Business English Usage (Foundation), or Certificate in Business English Usage, or Certificate in General English (Intermediate) awarded within the HKU system through HKU SPACE;
          or
2.     have gained in the HKDSE Examination Level 3 in English Language;
         or
3.     have obtained in the HKCEE Grade D (Syllabus B) or Grade B (Syllabus A) in English Language prior to 2007 or Level 3 in English Language from 2007;
          or
4.     have obtained in the HKALE Grade E in AS Use of English. 

• Equivalent qualifications will be considered on individual merits.
• Applicants may be required to take a written test in English.

Applicants who do not meet the above requirements or are unable to produce documentary proof(s) need to take the SPACE Business English Entry Test.  There is a non-refundable charge of $200 for this 90-minute written test.  Based on the test results, applicants will be placed in a Business English programme most suited to their levels.

The test results will be released in good time to enable successful applicants to enrol for the module(s) of their choice. 

• The CEF Institution Code of HKU SPACE is 100

CEF Courses
Certificate in Advanced Business English
COURSE CODE 38C142345	FEES $9,900	ENQUIRY 2975-5880

	Continuing Education Fund This course has been included in the list of reimbursable courses under the Continuing Education Fund.
	Certificate in Advanced Business English This course is recognised under the Qualifications Framework (QF Level [3])

Online Application Apply Now

Application Form Download Application Form

Enrolment Method

By Post / In Person

Applicants are required to complete the Application for Enrolment Form SF26. Either take or post the completed form, along with the appropriate course fee and supporting documents, to any of the HKU SPACE enrolment centres.

Payment Method

1. Cash, EPS, WeChat Pay or Alipay

Course fees can be paid by cash, EPS, WeChat Pay or Alipay at any HKU SPACE Enrolment Centres.

2. Cheque Or Bank Draft

Course fees can also be paid by crossed cheque or bank draft made payable to “HKU SPACE”. Please specify the programme title(s) for application and applicant’s name. You may either:

• bring the completed form(s), together with the appropriate course or application fees in the form of a cheque, and any required supporting documents to any of the HKU SPACE enrolment centres;
• or mail the above documents to any of the HKU SPACE Enrolment Centres, specifying “Course Application” on the envelope. HKU SPACE will not be responsible for any loss of payment sent by mail.

3. VISA/Master Card

Applicants may also pay the course fee by VISA or MasterCard, including the “HKU SPACE MasterCard”, at any HKU SPACE enrolment centres. Holders of the HKU SPACE MasterCard can enjoy a 10-month interest-free instalment period for courses with a tuition fee worth a minimum of HK$2,000; however, the course applicant must also be the cardholder himself/herself. For enquiries, please contact our staff at any enrolment centres.

4. Online Payment

The course fees of all open admission courses (course enrolled on first come, first served basis) and selected award-bearing programmes can be settled by using PPS via the Internet. Applicants may also pay the relevant course fees by VISA or MasterCard online. Please refer to Enrolment Methods - Online Enrolment  for details.

Notes to Applicants

• For general and short courses, applicants may be required to pay the course fee in cash or by EPS, WeChat Pay, Visa or MasterCard if the course is to start shortly.
• Fees paid are not refundable except under very exceptional circumstances (e.g. course cancellation due to insufficient enrolment), subject to the School’s discretion.  In exceptional cases where a refund is approved, fees paid by cash, EPS, WeChat Pay, cheque or PPS (for online payment only) will normally be reimbursed by a cheque, and fees paid by credit card will normally be reimbursed to the payment cardholder’s credit card account.
• In addition to the published fees, there may be additional costs associated with individual programmes. Please refer to the relevant course brochures or direct any enquiries to the relevant programme team for details.
• Fees and places on courses cannot be transferred from one applicant to another. Once accepted onto a course, the student may not change to another course without approval from HKU SPACE. A processing fee of HK$120 will be levied on approved transfers.
• Receipts will be issued for fees paid but HKU SPACE will not be responsible for any loss of receipt sent by mail.
• For payment certification, please submit a completed form, a sufficiently stamped and self-addressed envelope, and a crossed cheque for HK$30 per copy made payable to “HKU SPACE” to any of our enrolment centres.

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2. The School (and its respective employees and subsidiaries) is not liable for any loss or damage in connection with any online payments made by you by reason of (i) any failure, delay, interruption, suspension or restriction of the transmission of any information or message from any payment gateways of the relevant banks and/or third party merchants for processing credit/debit/smart card or other payment facilitation mechanism; (ii) any negligence, mistake, error in or omission from any information or message transmitted from the said payment gateways; (iii) any breakdown, malfunction or failure of those gateways in effecting online payment service; or (iv) anything arisen out of or in connection with the said payment gateways, including but not limited to unauthorised access to or alternation of the transmission of data or any unlawful act not permitted by the law.