- English Language public research university
- Established in 1991 by the British Hong Kong government
- Largely a campus university located in the northern part of the Clearwater Bay Peninsula – ‘countryside’ setting. Student dorms are built on the seafront so you can see the sunrise over the ocean in the morning. Campus is self-sufficient.
- Vision: to be a leading university with significant global impact and strong local commitment
- One of the fastest growing universities in the world
- Suits students who are proactive, self driven, who like to be challenged and can cope with academic pressure.
- Not a party school – HKUSP a.k.a. Hong Kong University of Stress and Pressure. Heavy and demanding workload. Elite competition.
- Around 16,195 total student population – about ⅓ are non local
- 80+ nationalities. No. 1 most international university in HK. Largest groups are from South Korea, India and Indonesia.
- 690+ faculty – 74% from outside HK. All active researchers.
- URO – Undergraduate Research Opportunities programmes allows students to join faculty research teams from their 1st year.
- 49+ majors and 24 minors. Not fully comprehensive.
- 4 year degrees
- 4 main academic schools – offering programmes in science, engineering, business and management, humanities and social science
- Engineering is the largest school with around 34% of undergrads
- Interdisciplinary Programmes Office – allows students to study in two or more academic fields
- NEW programme for 2022/23: bachelors in Sustainable and Green Finance
- Two types of entry pathway: school/broad based or program based. Students still have the flexibility to change majors even if they initially choose the program based route
- Extended Major programme – students take a traditional major and then combine it with an emerging interdisciplinary area. Eg. Economics with Artificial Intelligence. To enhance employability.
- Prestigious 4 year World Bachelor of Business with Bocconi, Milan and University of Southern California – students spend 1 year in all three countries and then choose their location for the final year.
- 250+ exchange programmes
- Partners include: UPenn, MIT, Harvard, U of Toronto, Imperial College, NUS Singapore, G8 universities in Australia, Russell Group UK, Tokyo University, etc.
- Applications: General Admission Requirements + Specific Requirements (certain subjects or interviews) + English Language Requirements
A Level: A*AA – 3A* / IB: 37-42 / US: High School Diploma + ACT/SAT + 3AP classes with a score of 3+ - International admit rates around 10%
- Most competitive programmes are Global Business and Quantitative Finance
- 2 application rounds. Round 1 closes mid-late Nov. Round 2 closes mid Jan.
- After these deadlines, students are admitted on a rolling basis depending on space.
- Non-local tuition – US $18,000 + around US $7,700 for dorm, food and daily expenses
- Automatic consideration for merit scholarships
- Student Athlete Admissions Scheme – with scholarship to attract talented students
- Beyond Academic Admissions Scholarship – one-off $50,000 for students with talents in non-academic areas such as: music, arts, multimedia, leadership, creativity, social engagement, and so on.
- 10 residential dorms – at least 2 years guaranteed on campus for international students. Much cheaper than private accommodation in HK.
- Can work on campus for up to 20 hours during term time and then take up any job over the summer vacation.
Living in Hong Kong
- Students can stay in HK for up to 1 year after graduation to find work. It takes 7 years to gain permanent residence – 4 year degree + 3 years post graduation.
- Hong Kong itself is a very small island – home to 7.4 million. 8% non-Chinese.
- Very safe – ranked 8th in the world on The Economist index.
- Religious freedom protected by the Basic Law.
- Known as a financial centre, but also has a long coastline, fishing villages, and hiking at weekends.
- World class public transport system – HKUST is about 1 hour on public transport from the airport.
- Foodie paradise – many affordable options from all over the world.
- Over 9,000 foreign companies have offices in HK – internship and post-graduation employment prospects.
Visit the HKUST website
