Professional Development
The PMSA Specified Courses are courses provided for the three-year transitional arrangements after the commencement of the licensing regime under the Property Management Services Ordinance (Cap. 626) (PMSO). Property management practitioners (PMPs) who do not meet the licensing criteria for academic and/or professional qualifications but possess the specified work experience may apply for provisional PMP licence, and upon completion of a PMSA Specified Course within the validity of the provisional licence he/she may apply for a formal PMP licence without fulfilling the academic and/or professional qualifications.
Provisional PMP licence holders are the target participants of the PMSA Specified Courses. They will be given priority in the enrolment for the PMSA Specified Courses by the appointed course providers.
A person who applies for a provisional licence must possess work experience in assuming a managerial or supervisory role in the provision of property management services for properties located in Hong Kong. Please read the relevant webpage on Provisional Property Management Practitioner Licence.
Specified work experience refers to work experience in property management for properties in Hong Kong involving two or more categories of the seven prescribed property management services. Appointed course providers would provide two types of specified course according to the above two licences: PMSA Specified Course (Tier 1) and PMSA Specified Course (Tier 2).
PMSA Specified Courses would be provided by four self-financing post-secondary institutions, course details will be announced in due course.
Practitioners can select the course providers according to nature of their work and their own preference over academic background, teaching expertise, course design, class location and course fee offered by these appointed course providers.
The appointed course providers are required to quote PMSA assigned course registration number and “This is a Property Management Services Authority Specified Course (Tier 1) / (Tier 2)” statement in all publicity materials for easy identification.
PMSA allows the appointed course providers to offer exemption arrangement in study hours for the PMSA Specified Course not exceeding 15% of the total recommended study hours, if have previously attended courses in similar subjects. The exemption criteria include obtaining a relevant property management training certificate issued by a local education institution or obtaining a certificate relating to the “Recognition of Prior Learning” in the property management industry. Students may check the exemption application directly with the appointed course provider. However, exemption is not applicable to Module One – Property Management Laws and Regulations which emphases on legislation knowledge and conduct.
The PMSA Specified Courses would be provided by four appointed course providers in the market for senior practitioners’ selection and enrollment. PMSA considered the proposed tuition fees during the vetting processes of course proposals. Under the principles of fair competition, the appointed course providers would definitely weight different factors in determining the tuition fees level. To relieve financial burden on practitioners, the course fees for the PMSA Specified Course (Tier 1) and (Tier 2) would be capped at HKD$20,000 and HKD$12,800 respectively.
Four appointed course providers are now considering submitting the applications for the registration of PMSA Specified Course under the Qualifications Register and CEF Reimbursable Course List. To obtain CEF subsidies, practitioners may enroll in the course after the appointed course providers have completed the above registration procedures.
The total face-to-face study hours of the PMSA Specified Course (Tier 1) shall be at least 120 hours; and the total face-to-face study hours of the PMSA Specified Course (Tier 2) shall be at least 80 hours.
Appointed course providers would deliver the course with 30 to 40 lessons which will be completed within half a year. The course is designed to cater for the working pattern of the property management industry and the essential knowledge and skills required. Classes would be arranged in a mixed-mode, including weekday part-time or weekend full-day classes to achieve the flexibility.
Assessment methods of the PMSA Specified Course are based on class attendance rate and assessment activities. Students must fulfil the minimum attendance rate of 80% in each module of the PMSA Specified Course; and complete all assessments in each module and attain an overall passing mark of 50% in all the assessments in the PMSA Specified Course.
The types of assessment activities suggested by the PMSA include written tests, assignments, short essays, case studies and group projects, etc. To maintain the quality and recognition of the PMSA Specified Course, the weighting of written test should be set in the range of 15% – 25% of the total assessment activities. PMSA allows flexibility for the appointed course providers to recommend the most suitable types of assessment based on their course design.
A certificate of completion would be issued by an appointed course provider upon successful completion of the PMSA Specified Course. Holders of provisional PMP licences must complete the PMSA Specified Course before the expiry of the provisional licence and submit such a certificate to the PMSA when applying for a formal PMP licence.
If a holder of provisional PMP licence fails to complete the PMSA Specified Course within the validity of his/her licence, he/she will not be eligible to apply for a formal licence without fulfilling the licensing criteria for academic and/or professional qualifications. Therefore, he/she has to apply for formal PMP licence following the normal route.