Area studies typically examine the development of a particular population or region. While other, similar interdisciplinary studies, such as gender, disability, and ethnic, may have some part in course discussions, these are not considered area studies.

Hong Kong is one of the two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China, the other being Macau.

A Master of Science or MSc is a postgraduate degree typically in the fields of sciences and social sciences. MSc may be course-based, research-based, or a mixture of the two.