CityU Department of Social and Behavioural Sciences

What CityU Department of Social and Behavioural Sciences does

The Department of Social and Behavioural Sciences (SS) is an academic unit within the City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK), a publicly funded university operating under Hong Kong's University Grants Committee (UGC) system. The department delivers undergraduate, taught postgraduate, and research degree programmes across three disciplinary areas: Crime Science, Psychology, and Social Work and Counselling. It is positioned as Hong Kong's first and only provider of a UGC-funded undergraduate degree in Crime Science, with a portfolio that also includes the MA in Applied Social Sciences (MAASS, with streams in Sociology, Criminology, and Clinical Mental Health Practice), the Master of Social Sciences in Counselling (MSSC), the Master of Social Sciences in Psychology (MSSPSY), the Master of Social Work (MSW), and MPhil/PhD research degrees. The department's underlying research infrastructure spans psychology laboratories, neuroimaging facilities (fMRI, EEG), and crime science research environments, supported by access to a broad slate of competitive Hong Kong and Mainland China research grants.

The department's revenue mechanics are characteristic of a publicly funded academic unit rather than a commercial enterprise. Funding flows primarily through UGC allocations channelled via CityUHK, competitive research grants (GRF, ECS, CRF, PPR, BDF, HMRF, NSFC, among others), government-subsidized tuition, and the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme. Student recruitment is conducted through Hong Kong's JUPAS admissions system for domestic undergraduates, direct non-JUPAS and international applications for postgraduates, and dedicated information seminars and events. The go-to-market is event-driven and institutionally mediated: programme promotion, faculty recruitment, and research positioning rely on CityUHK's communications channels, academic conferences (e.g., BCUR 2025), and cross-institutional collaborations including a Children and Youth Mental Health partnership with the University of Calgary.

The department serves a clearly defined set of customers: undergraduate students seeking social science credentials, professional master's candidates pursuing clinical, counselling, and applied social science training, and doctoral researchers supported in part by the HKPFS. It does not sell commercial products, software, or services; its outputs are degrees, trained professionals, and scholarly research. Recent strategic activity has centered on programme expansion (BSocSc Crime Science and the Clinical Mental Health Practice stream launched in 2025), senior leadership renewal (recruitment of Professor Matthew Manning from Australian National University as Head of Department), and a series of faculty research and teaching awards, including three professors named among Stanford University's World's Top 2% Scientists 2025.

Name

CityU Department of Social and Behavioural Sciences

Legal name

City University of Hong Kong - Department of Social and Behavioural Sciences

Website

https://ssweb.cityu.edu.hk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

CityU's Department of Social and Behavioural Sciences is a publicly funded academic unit offering undergraduate, master's, and PhD programmes in Crime Science, Psychology, and Social Work and Counselling, serving students primarily in Hong Kong with selective international engagement.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Research-Intensive HBCUs (R1/R2 or Doctoral) (EDAHAMAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Student Wellness & Prevention Programs (Substance Use, Sexual Health, Bullying) (EDAJAIAG), Campus Law Enforcement & Investigations (EDALAEAC), Safety Compliance, Audits & Risk Assessments (Security Assessments, CPTED) (EDAEACAN)

Keywords

• Higher education programmes
• Social sciences research
• Undergraduate degrees
• Postgraduate programmes
• Doctoral research training

Headquarters

HQ city

Hong Kong

HQ country

China

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Government Research Grants: Department receives substantial funding through Hong Kong government research grant schemes including General Research Fund (GRF), Early Career Scheme (ECS), Collaborative Research Fund (CRF), Public Policy Research (PPR), Beat Drugs Fund (BDF), Environment and Conservation Fund (ECF), Health and Medical Research Fund (HMRF), Health Care and Promotion Scheme (HCPS), and National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC).
2. Academic Tuition and Degree Programs: Revenue from undergraduate programs (BSocSc Crime Science, BSSSW), Master's programs (MAASS with streams in Sociology, Criminology, Clinical Mental Health Practice; MSSC in Counselling; MSSPSY in Psychology; MSW in Social Work), and research degree programs (MPhil/PhD).
3. Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme: Department attracts PhD students through the prestigious HKPFS, which provides fellowship funding to support doctoral research across disciplines.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

The Department of Social and Behavioural Sciences delivers undergraduate, master's, and doctoral academic programmes in Crime Science, Psychology, and Social Work and Counselling at City University of Hong Kong. It offers Hong Kong's first and only UGC-funded BSocSc Crime Science degree and conducts applied research addressing societal issues such as mental health, crime prevention, and aging population challenges. Teaching and research are supported by dedicated psychology laboratories, neuroimaging facilities, and government-funded research grant schemes.

Product overview

The Department of Social and Behavioural Sciences at City University of Hong Kong offers a comprehensive academic portfolio of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. The department operates as a single academic unit with three core disciplinary areas: Crime Science (offering Hong Kong's first and only UGC-funded BSocSc degree), Psychology, and Social Work and Counselling. The product portfolio consists primarily of educational programmes at undergraduate, master's, and doctoral levels, along with ongoing research activities and public engagement events. The department does not offer commercial products or SaaS offerings; its 'products' are academic degree programmes designed to train professionals and researchers in social and behavioural sciences.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Crime Science: Hong Kong's first and only UGC-funded degree in Crime Science covering crime prevention, security practices, global policing, crime analytics, and cyber & future crimes
• Psychology
• Social Work and Counselling
• SALSA (Student-Athlete Learning Support and Admission)

Products and services

• BSocSc Crime Science Hong Kong's first and only UGC-funded undergraduate degree in Crime Science, providing practical solutions to current and emerging crime problems and training law enforcement and security professionals in crime prevention, security practices, global policing, crime analytics, and cyber and future crimes. Aimed at undergraduate students pursuing careers in law enforcement, security, and crime analytics.
• Master of Arts in Applied Social Sciences (MAASS) Master's programme with three streams — Sociology Stream, Criminology Stream, and Clinical Mental Health Practice Stream — designed to address pressing societal concerns in Hong Kong through advanced social sciences training. Targeted at postgraduate students and working professionals seeking advanced credentials.
• MAASS Clinical Mental Health Practice Stream Specialized stream within MAASS providing advanced-level training in clinical mental health practice to equip social work practitioners and helping professionals to support individuals and communities navigating mental health challenges. Aimed at professionals seeking specialized clinical mental health credentials.
• Master of Social Sciences in Counselling (MSSC) Master's programme focused on developing professional counselling skills and competencies for mental health and social service settings. Targeted at postgraduate students pursuing careers in counselling and mental health services.
• Master of Social Sciences in Psychology (MSSPSY) Master's programme designed to provide advanced training in psychology theory and research methods. Targeted at postgraduate students seeking advanced qualifications in psychology.
• Master of Social Work (MSW) Master's programme preparing students for professional social work practice with advanced training in social work methods and interventions. Targeted at postgraduate students pursuing professional social work careers.
• Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Doctoral research programme offering opportunities for advanced scholarly research across the department's disciplines including Crime Science, Psychology, and Social Work and Counselling. Many candidates are supported through the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme. Aimed at prospective researchers and academic-track candidates.

Quantifiable outcome

• Student success in international research conferences (BCUR 2025, UK)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• University of Calgary, Faculty of Social WorkcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 October 2023Collaboration on 'Children and Youth Mental Health Project' led by Professor Sylvia Kwok, Associate Head of the Department. The project includes a youth forum on mental health held on 14 October 2023, involving cross-institutional research cooperation in mental health for children and youth.
• Life Inhering Association for Family Heartfelt Reconnecting Co., Ltd.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organized training workshop 'Challenges Faced by Survivors of the Tai Po Fire and How to Provide Appropriate Psychological Support' successfully concluded in January with more than 80 participants. The workshop provided psychological support training to community helpers.
• World Table Tennis (WTT)minorOthersStudent-athletes from SALSA (Student-Athlete Learning Support and Admission) Scheme compete in international table tennis events including WTT Europe Smash 2025 in Sweden, WTT Feeder Vientiane 2025, and WTT Contender Zagreb.
• FISU World University GamesminorOthersStudent-athletes from SS Department participate in FISU World University Games, winning medals including bronze in table tennis mixed doubles at 2023 Games in Chengdu.
• British Conference of Undergraduate Research (BCUR)minorOthers15 senior students from the Department attended BCUR 2025 as oral and poster presenters in Newcastle, UK. Students also visited University College London and participated in cultural visits in London.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• HKBU Department of Social Work: Hong Kong Baptist University's Department of Social Work offers BSW and MSW programmes with a comparable applied social-work orientation, targeting the same Hong Kong social-services employment outcomes and competing for HKPFS-eligible PhD candidates.
• CUHK Department of Social Work: The Chinese University of Hong Kong's Department of Social Work offers overlapping BSS and MSW programmes serving the same Hong Kong applicant pool, competing for both students and social-work faculty talent with CityU's Social Work and Counselling stream.
• HKU Department of Sociology: The University of Hong Kong's Department of Sociology is a leading Hong Kong social-science department offering BA, BSocSc, and postgraduate sociology programmes that directly compete with CityU's MAASS Sociology stream for the same JUPAS and postgraduate applicants.
• HKU Department of Psychology: HKU's Department of Psychology runs comparable undergraduate and postgraduate psychology programmes and competes for the same doctoral applicants, journal editorial placements, and competitive RGC grants as CityU's Psychology discipline.
• Lingnan University Department of Sociology and Social Policy: Lingnan's Department of Sociology and Social Policy offers undergraduate and postgraduate sociology and social-policy programmes within Hong Kong's UGC-funded system, sharing the same applicant pool and competing for the same RGC funding as CityU's SS Department.

Regional players

• University of Calgary Faculty of Social Work: The University of Calgary's Faculty of Social Work is CityU's named strategic partner on the Children and Youth Mental Health Project led by Professor Sylvia Kwok; it operates a comparable social-work and mental-health research portfolio in a different geography but serves as an academic-model peer.
• Singapore Management University School of Social Sciences: SMU's School of Social Sciences is a regional peer offering undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in psychology, sociology, and criminology-related disciplines; it serves as a comparison point for international-recruitment competitiveness within Asia.

Broad incumbents

• PolyU Faculty of Health and Social Sciences: The Hong Kong Polytechnic University's Faculty of Health and Social Sciences is a larger, established social-sciences and health unit operating broadly in the same UGC-funded space, including nursing, applied social sciences, and rehabilitation sciences that overlap with CityU's social work and mental-health offerings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cityu-ss

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about CityU Department of Social and Behavioural Sciences