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Health and Life Sciences

Full-time S6 or above Higher Diploma

Programme Code AS114206

Higher Diploma in Rehabilitation Services

Programme Edges

Unique and Professional

The only Higher Diploma programme in Hong Kong covering various professional medical knowledge, including occupational therapy and physiotherapy.

Promising Career Prospects

Graduates may be employed as therapist assistants or supporting personnel in the rehabilitation and healthcare industries.

Active Participation in Community Engagement

Contribute to society, put knowledge into practice, and boost soft skills and competitiveness.

Unique and Professional

The only Higher Diploma programme in Hong Kong covering various professional medical knowledge, including occupational therapy and physiotherapy.

Promising Career Prospects

Graduates may be employed as therapist assistants or supporting personnel in the rehabilitation and healthcare industries.

Active Participation in Community Engagement

Contribute to society, put knowledge into practice, and boost soft skills and competitiveness.

Basic Information

The programme aims to fulfill the VTC mission of providing a valued choice to school leavers to acquire values, professional knowledge and skills of rehabilitation services for lifelong learning as well as valued supports to industries for their manpower development.

The programme equips students with the technical and professional knowledge and skills, together with the necessary language, IT, interpersonal and other generic skills, initially at a paraprofessional level, via the blending of theoretical knowledge and practical application, to enable them to pursue a career in the healthcare and rehabilitation services sector. Graduates may be employed as rehabilitation therapy assistants in public and private hospitals, medical group practices, rehabilitation centers, community clinics and healthcare institutions; medical representatives in healthcare companies; health service education and promotion personnel and so on.

The programme is designed with an emphasis on generic and language training, whole-person development and workplace experience to better prepare students for further studies and employment after graduation.

The programme is linked to the “Earn and Learn” scheme. Upon completion of the full-time first year of this programme¹, the student may choose to study in the “Earn and Learn” scheme. Under the “Earn and Learn” scheme, students can enroll in the seventh semester of the “Earn and Learn” Part-Time (Day) mode. Students will be employed by the participating companies as registered apprentice for two years in the “Earn and Learn”. During the two-year training period, there will be salary, government allowance under the Earn & Learn Scheme, Industry Incentive Allowance and Training Allowance. For the two years of “Earn and Learn” scheme, the employer will sponsor the apprentice to study the Higher Diploma (HD) programme at IVE for one day per week².

For details, please refer to the "Earn and Learn” scheme website.

Mode of Study Full-time

Duration of Study 2 Years

Offering Campus(es) / Venue(s)

IVE (Kwai Chung)

Medium of Instruction

English

Medium of Instruction

The programme is also offered in other medium of instruction, including:
CantoneseHigher Diploma in Rehabilitation Services (Medium of Instruction: Chinese (Cantonese))

Professional Recognition

The programme is an approved "Combined Health Worker Training Course", eligible graduates may apply for registration as Health Worker with the Social Welfare Department.

Graduate may apply for the membership of Associate of the Hong Kong College of Health Service Executives (HKCHSE).

Remarks

The tuition fee for the full-time Higher Diploma is paid by the student.
Employers will sponsor the tuition fees for these two years.

Notes

The programme information is applicable to local applicants. For non-local applicants, please visit here.
Students may be required to attend classes on other VTC campuses. VTC reserves the right to cancel any programme, revise programme title, content or change the offering institute(s) / campus(es) / class venue(s) if circumstances so warrant.
Except for specific modules of specific content, the medium of instruction for Higher Diploma programmes is English and may be supplemented with Chinese.

Entrance Requirements

HKDSE

Chinese Language 2

English Language 2

Core/Elective Subject 2

VTC Diploma of Foundation Studies; OR
VTC Diploma of Vocational Education / VTC Diploma of Vocational Baccalaureate; OR
Diploma Yi Jin / Diploma of Applied Education; OR
Relevant and substantial work experience and/or prior qualification(s) obtained in or outside Hong Kong (e.g. assessed through recognition of prior learning and credit accumulation and transfer), with demonstrated ability to undertake sub-degree education; OR
Equivalent

Remarks

Applicants can use HKDSE Applied Learning (ApL) subjects (except ApL Chinese) for admission purpose. An "Attained", "Attained with Distinction (I)" and "Attained with Distinction (II)" in an ApL subject (Category B subjects) are regarded as equivalent to an HKDSE subject at "Level 2", "Level 3" and "Level 4" respectively for admission purpose.
One Other Language subject (Category C subjects) can be counted for admission purpose. For 2024 HKDSE and before, a "Grade D or E" and a "Grade C or above" in an HKDSE Other Languages subjects are regarded as equivalent to an HKDSE subject at "Level 2" and "Level 3" respectively. From 2025 HKDSE onwards, Language Proficiency Level A2 or above in French / German / Spanish, N3 or above in Japanese and TOPIK II: Grade 3 or above in Korean are recognised as one of the five HKDSE subjects in fulfilling the general entrance requirement. Starting from 2026 HKDSE, a Grade E or above in Urdu language will also be recognised for the same purpose. For details, please click here.
An "Attained" in HKDSE Citizenship and Social Development is regarded as equivalent to an HKDSE subject at "Level 2" for admission purpose.
If one of the five HKDSE subjects is Citizenship and Social Development, the general entrance requirement would become "Attained" for Citizenship and Social Development and Level 2 or above in four other HKDSE subjects including Chinese Language and English Language. Besides, Level 2 or above in Mathematics Extended Part (Module 1 or Module 2) is also recognised as one of the five HKDSE subjects in fulfilling the general entrance requirement. If applicants have taken both Module 1 and Module 2, either one of the modules (with a higher level) will be counted for admission purpose.
Applicable to holders of Diploma in Vocational Education / Diploma of Vocational Education (DVE) (students admitted to DVE in AY2017/18 or before are required to complete prescribed further studies modules).
Upon completion of the Diploma of Vocational Baccalaureate (DVB) programmes, students can progress to Higher Diploma programmes in VTC, subject to their BTEC and IGCSE results.
Applications with work experience and/or prior qualification(s) submitted will be assessed individually by the departments concerned.

Articulation / Employment

Articulation

For graduates who opt for further studies, they may articulate to the degree programmes offered by Technological and Higher Education Institute of Hong Kong (THEi):

BSc (Hons) in Nutrition and Healthcare Management^{^}
BSSc (Hons) in Sports and Recreation Management^{^}

^{^} Students may be required to take different additional core modules

Graduates may apply for admission to the following programmes:

BSc (Hons) in Physiotherapy offered by the Sheffield Hallam University, United Kingdom;
BSc (Hons) in Occupational Therapy offered by the Sheffield Hallam University, United Kingdom;
BSc (Hons) in Physiotherapy offered by the Brighton University, United Kingdom;
BHE (Hons) offered by the Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK);
BSc (Hons) in Applied Sciences (Health Studies) offered by the School of Professional Education and Executive Development, the Hong Kong Polytechnic University;
BA (Hons) in Business (Health Services Management) offered by the School of Professional Education and Executive Development, the Hong Kong Polytechnic University;
BSRM with Honours offered by the Hong Kong Metropolitan University (HKMU).

Full-time top-up degree programmes in collaboration with the School for Higher and Professional Education (SHAPE) of VTC is not applicable to Mainland Students. For admission arrangements of part-time programmes, please visit website of SHAPE.

Career Prospects

Graduates may be employed as healthcare personnel or supervisors in public and private hospitals, medical group practices, rehabilitation centers, community clinics and healthcare companies. Graduates may also work in health service, education and promotion.

Curriculum

Occupational Safety and First Aid Practice
Common Rehabilitation Conditions
Functional Movement Science
Principles and Practices of Occupational Therapy
Human Physiology and Functional Anatomy for Rehabilitation Services
Essential Workplace Communication: Effective Oral Interaction
Essential Workplace Communication: Digital Written Correspondence
Whole Person Development - MindShift: Achieving Personal Growth & Effectiveness
IT Essentials - Health and Life Sciences

Human Physiology and Functional Anatomy for Rehabilitation Services
Principles and Practices of Physiotherapy
Rehabilitation for Special Populations
Rehabilitation Exercise Techniques
Vocational Chinese Communication: Putonghua Conversation and Reports
Professional Workplace Communication: Storytelling and Job Search
Whole Person Development - Collaboration, Teamwork & Social Engagement
Enrichment Module B

Integrated Healthcare Professional in Rehabilitation Services
Introduction to Health Research Methods
Chinese Rehabilitation Therapy
Professional Workplace Communication: Proposal and Report Writing
Whole Person Development - Enhancing Competencies in the 21^st Century Workplace
Enrichment Module A

Principles and Practices of Prosthetics and Orthotics
Fitness and Nutrition for Health Management
Health Education in Community Rehabilitation
Health Counseling in Rehabilitation Services
Applied Nursing Practice
Project
Vocational Chinese Communication: Putonghua Presentations, Administrative and Technical Text Writing
Professional Workplace Communication: Pitching and Persuasive Presentation

Client Relationship Management in Health Services
Health Education in Community Rehabilitation
Professional Practices in Rehabilitation Services
Project
Industrial Attachment

Remarks

The medium of instruction of some modules is Chinese.

Tuition Fees

The tuition fees for AY2027/28 will be announced at a later stage. The tuition fees for the AY2026/27 is listed below for reference.

1st Year Tuition Fees (HK$)

$35,140

Remarks

The study duration of Higher Diploma programmes is normally 2 years. The tuition fee is payable in two instalments each year. Each instalment is HK$17,570.
In addition to tuition fees, students will be required to pay other fees, such as caution money and students’ union annual fees. Students of Higher Diploma programmes will be required to pay the study package fees for Chinese & Putonghua modules.
Some students may be required to study bridging modules or enhancement programmes to support their study; or to attend additional training, industrial attachments, public examinations for which separate fees will be charged.
Tuition fees are subject to annual review. The tuition fee levels for 2^nd Year will be reviewed subject to inflationary adjustments and other relevant factors.
Applicants shall refer to the Government's revised eligibility criteria for subvented study places and subsidies for AY2027/28 and beyond. Applicants not meeting the revised eligibility criteria are subject to self-finance fees. If you need any further enquiry on visa requirements, please contact the Immigration Department of the HKSAR.
The information listed above is only applicable to local students.

Programme Highlights

Students' Project Virtual Presentation

Students not only apply the knowledge they learned in class to conduct project research in real-world environments, but also present their findings through online reporting sessions to participants from local, mainland, and overseas, gaining valuable experience.

Award from Social Welfare Department

Due to the active involvement in various community services, this program has been awarded the prestigious three-star certificate from the Social Welfare Department's 'Caring for the Elderly Institution Recognition Scheme' for several consecutive years since 2014. This recognises the students' enthusiastic participation in volunteer work that benefits the community.