University of Hong Kong
| 24 | 34 | Arts & Humanities | 78 | Natural Sciences |
| 63 | Engineering & IT | 34 | Social Sciences | |
| World Rankings | 32 | Life Sciences & Biomedicine | ||
| 26 | 46 | Arts & Humanities | 103 | Natural Sciences |
| 69 | Engineering & IT | 34 | Social Sciences | |
| World Rankings | 39 | Life Sciences & Biomedicine | ||
| 18 | 44 | Arts & Humanities | 61 | Natural Sciences |
| 68 | Engineering & IT | 31 | Social Sciences | |
| World Rankings | 36 | Life Sciences & Biomedicine | ||
| 33= | ||||
| World Rankings | ||||
The University of Hong Kong is the territory's oldest university, and with a history that stretches back nearly 100 years, it has grown with and helped shape the city from which it takes its name.
Today, HKU, as it is fondly called, is a dynamic, comprehensive, university of world-class standing. With ten Faculties and numerous research centres, its reputation as a centre of intellectual excellence is recognised around the world. It continues to build on its strengths with innovative research and teaching, producing well-rounded graduates with outstanding leadership qualities.
Background
The University of Hong Kong (HKU) is Hong Kong's first and foremost tertiary institution. It served as an international university for South-East Asia in the early years of the last century, having almost as many Malayan students as Hong Kong students during some decades.
Today, the University has more than 20,500 students from 80 different countries around the world, and 2,250 academic staff.
World-Class Comprehensive Research University
HKU has won a proud reputation as a world-class comprehensive research university. It offers internationally recognized qualifications and it is renowned for its academic and research excellence worldwide. As an English-medium university in China, HKU also offers researchers unique opportunities to bridge cultures and continents, and to explore more on China-related studies. Both taught and research programmes are offered in a wide range of disciplines. There are ten faculties and around 35 independent units that engage in multi-disciplinary teaching and research.
HKU exhibits a friendly, multicultural environment and supports multiple learning opportunities to enrich students' learning experiences. The University recruits excellent academic staff locally and internationally, and about 45% of academic staff are drawn from overseas, mostly from leading universities in the United Kingdom, North America, Australia, and a number of Asian countries.
Fostering a whole-person approach to education, HKU believes that learning about life is just as important for students as academic learning. It particularly encourages contact with the outside world and other cultures through active participation in international exchange and collaborations. It arranges community service abroad and internships abroad, as well as exchanges or visiting student arrangements with leading universities, such as Oxford, Princeton and Berkeley. It has extensive links and collaborations with more than 400 counterparts in the Mainland and around the globe.
The University offers computing and network services 24-hours around-the-clock and its Libraries deploy a full range of modern library and latest digital technologies to make enormous library collections conveniently accessible online. The Language Centre offers courses in various languages for students to improve their language proficiency and the University Health Service provides generally free primary health care and preventive services as well as a subsidized dental service.
Comprehensive sports and recreational facilities are easily accessible, such as swimming pools, multi-purpose sports centre, track and field, and tennis courts. There are over 110 independent student clubs and societies available for students to mingle and develop their interests. HKU also offers accommodation on- and off-campus, with rooms and flats all being air-conditioned and fully furnished. Banks, bookstore and many facilities, like study room, computer room, music room, TV and games room, laundry room and prayer room can also be found on-campus. It has a Halal kitchen as one of its many student restaurants.
HKU attracts outstanding students from all over the world, with around 25% of its students from 80 countries outside Hong Kong. A recent report by an international panel of experts commended HKU for its "integration of local and international students", recognizing its "friendly and internationalized campus". It also recognized the "high student satisfaction with the HKU learning experience" and the "friendly and internationalized campus". Scholarships are available for many students, including all research postgraduates.
The chances of a scholarship when applying as an international undergraduate students are high, and costs,in any case, by international standards, are very low. There are numerous scholarship schemes.
HKU is consistently ranked as the top university in Hong Kong (QS 2009), China (Chinese Universities Survey 2010), as the top university in Asia (QS AUR 2009), and within the top 25 of the world (QS 2009). Competition for admission is intense, with, for example, over 10,000 specific applicants to HKU for undergraduate programmes each year from Mainland China alone, of whom less than 300 are admitted, so the academic standards required for successful admission tend to be high..
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is situated at the south-eastern tip of China and ideally positioned at the centre of rapidly developing East Asia. It is a modern, vibrant and dazzling cosmopolitan city that offers a stimulating lifestyle and an international outlook. Being a regional hub for business, transport, tourism, communications and education, and with world-class infrastructure and information network, Hong Kong has propelled itself as an Asia's world city. It has a distinctive blend of Eastern and Western cultures, and has long served as the world's gateway to China both for business and leisure. It has been ranked as one of the safest cities in the world, and has an excellent rule of law and order, leading to it being one of the great financial centres of the world.
Contrary to popular opinion, it is not a particularly crowded city (except in parts), having some of the most spectacular country parks and beaches within reasonably easy reach of the University.
Faculty
| Number of Faculty Staff | Headcount: 0 FTE: 2,336 | Total number of academic faculty staff who are responsible for planning, directing and undertaking teaching only, research only or both teaching and research. Please include: vice-chancellors, deputy vice-chancellors, principals, professors, heads of school, associate professors, principal lecturers, tutors or postdoctoral researchers. Please exclude research assistants*, PhD students who contribute to teaching, hospital residents and exchange scholars or visiting faculty staff who are members of another university. * The important distinction for us is that staff counted as 'research only' should be academically involved in that research and should be likely to publish research outputs. A research assistant, in our understanding, is any individual who is not doing own research and is therefore not likely to publish own research outputs. Said individual is (only) involved in research in terms of operation execution , such as lab technician or equipment operator. |
| Number of International Faculty Staff | Headcount: 0 FTE: 1,314 | Number of academic faculty staff who are of foreign nationality. The term 'international' is hereby determined by citizenship. For EU countries, this includes all foreign nationals, even if from another EU state. In Hong Kong, this includes professors from Mainland China. Inclusion and exclusion mirrors those for academic faculty staff. In case of dual citizenship, the 'deciding' criteria should be 'citizenship obtained through birth', basically first passport obtained. |
| Number of Staff with PhD | Headcount: 2,196 | Number of academic faculty staff employed by your institution that have studied a PhD |
Undergraduate Information
| Number of Undergraduate Students | Headcount: 0 FTE: 9,159 | Number of students pursuing a Bachelor’s level or equivalent degree. This excludes certificates/diplomas and associate’s degrees. |
| Number of International Undergraduate Students | Headcount: 0 FTE: 1,803 | Number of undergraduate students who are foreign nationals. The term 'international' is hereby determined by citizenship. For EU countries, this includes all foreign nationals, even nationals of other EU states. In Hong Kong, this includes students from Mainland China. In case of dual citizenship, the 'deciding' criteria should be 'citizenship obtained through birth', basically first passport obtained. Please exclude all exchange students. As for language students, if the language students take up a particular language course that is outlined as 'undergraduate degree program' they should be included under 'international undergraduate students' . Language students who take part in a course not contributing to a degree qualification should be counted under 'Total International Students'. |
| Number of Inbound Exchange Undergraduate Students | Headcount: 781 | Number of undergraduate students attending your university on international exchange programs for at least 1 semester in the last 12 months. |
| Number of Outbound Exchange Undergraduate Students | Headcount: 499 | Number of undergraduate students registered at your institution who have attended another institution abroad for at least 1 semester on an exchange program in the last 12 months. |
| Average International Undergraduate Fees | $ USD 12,900 | Average tuition fees per academic year (two semesters) that an international student would be expected to pay for an undergraduate program, with ‘program’ referring to the complete range of courses contributing to a degree. FAQ: How do I calculate average fees? |
| Average Domestic Undergraduate Fees | $ USD 6,708 | Average tuition fees per academic year (two semesters) that a domestic student would be expected to pay for an undergraduate program, with ‘program’ referring to the complete range of courses contributing to a degree. FAQ: How do I calculate average fees? |
Graduate / Postgraduate Information
| Number of Graduate / Postgraduate Students | Headcount: 0 FTE: 6,747 | Students pursuing a higher-level degree (Master and Doctorate), including both taught and research postgraduates (e.g. PhD students) |
| Number of International Graduate/Postgraduate Students | Headcount: 0 FTE: 2,357 | Number of graduate / postgraduate students who are foreign nationals. The term 'international' is hereby determined by citizenship. For EU countries, this includes all foreign nationals, even nationals of other EU states. In Hong Kong, this includes students from Mainland China. In case of dual citizenship, the 'deciding' criteria should be 'citizenship obtained through birth', basically first passport obtained. Please exclude all exchange students. As for language students, if they take up a particular language course that is outlined as 'postgraduate degree program', they should be included under 'international postgraduate students'. Language students who take part in a course not contributing to a degree qualification should be counted under 'Total International Students'. |
| Average International Graduate / Postgraduate Fees | $ USD 42,582 | Average tuition fees per academic year (two semesters) that an international student would be expected to pay for a graduate / postgraduate program, with ‘program’ referring to the complete range of courses contributing to a degree. FAQ: How do I calculate average fees? |
| Average Domestic Graduate / Postgraduate Fees | $ USD 38,847 | Average tuition fees per academic year (two semesters) that a domestic student would be expected to pay for a graduate / postgraduate program, with ‘program’ referring to the complete range of courses contributing to a degree. FAQ: How do I calculate average fees? |
Students
| Total Students | Headcount: 0 FTE: 15,906 | Total number of students. |
| Total International Students | Headcount: 0 FTE: 4,160 | Number of students who are foreign nationals. The term 'international' is hereby determined by citizenship. For EU countries, this includes all foreign nationals, even nationals of other EU states. In Hong Kong, this includes students from Mainland China. In case of dual citizenship, the 'deciding' criteria should be 'citizenship obtained through birth', basically first passport obtained. |
| Total Outbound Exchange Students | Headcount: 507 | Total number of students registered at your institution who have attended another institution on an exchange program for at least 1 semester in the last 12 months. |
| Total Inbound Exchange Students | Headcount: 799 | Total number of students attending your university on international exchange programs for at least 1 semester in the last 12 months. |
| Average International Student Fees | $ USD 29,717 | Average tuition fees per year that an international student would be expected to pay for any course |
| Average Domestic Student Fees | $ USD 18,720 | Average tuition fees per academic year (two semesters) that a domestic student would be expected to pay for any program, with ‘program’ referring to the complete range of courses contributing to a degree. FAQ: How do I calculate average fees? |
Graduate Output
| Proportion of Graduates Pursuing Further Study | Headcount: 18 % | Proportion of graduates from undergraduate programs pursuing further study at your own institution or any other within 6 months after graduation. |
| Proportion of Graduates Employed | Headcount: 98 % | Proportion of graduates (excluding those opting to pursue further study) in permanent employment within 6 months of graduation |
Careers Support
| Number of Full-Time Careers Advisors | Headcount: 6 | Total number of staff employed by your institution on a full-time basis who are exclusively responsible for career support for your students (undergraduate and/or postgraduate) |
Student Satisfaction
| Overall Student Satisfaction Rate | Headcount: 65 % | Percentage of all first year undergraduate students who are satisfied with the overall quality of their course |
| Teaching Student Satisfaction Rate | Headcount: 67 % | Percentage of all first year undergraduate students who are satisfied with the overall teaching on their course |
Internationalisation
| Number of University Collaborations or Partnership Agreements | Headcount: 202 | Number of universities your institution has collaborations or partnership agreements with. These partnership agreements may include student and teaching exchanges, as well as collaborative research projects, exchange of academic materials and other information, and jointly offered executive development programmes. This includes collaborations at either a university or faculty level. Please also state the names of these institutions in the Submission Notes box. Click here to see a list of universities in top 500 over last 3 years |
Main claims to international academic or non-academic excellence
One of the top 25 universities in the world and the top university in Asia by QS World and Asian University Rankings. A Six-Star (top level) university in China (Chinese Universities Survey).
Range of Fees
Regardless of discipline, international tuition fees are HK$120,000 per annum (usually three year degree programmes). Accommodation costs are low, making the overall costs much less than many leading universities in the US, UK or Australia.
Basic TOEFL/IELTS requirements
TOEFL: 550
IELTS : 6.5
Certain courses may have higher English requirements
Accommodation
Rooms in halls of residence and flats are fully furnished, air-conditioned and equipped with telephone and computer networking facilities. Accommodation in a HKU hall of residence is guaranteed in the first year for all international undergraduates, and financial assistance is given if students move out into rented accommodation in Years 2 and 3.
Accommodation Range
Rooms: USD205 � USD482 per person/ month
Flats: USD211 � USD321 per person/ month
Finance and Scholarships
Overall, the cost of education (tuition fees plus living costs) is very low in HKU, compared with top universities in the U.S., U.K. and Australia. However, by Asian standards, costs may be high.
Many scholarships are available for top-ranking international undergraduate students. Some are specific to individual countries (e.g. India), some for particular school systems (e.g. UWC) and some for particular examination systems (e.g. IB). Some at partner schools are available only after the Principal's nomination. For the very best students, a full scholarship will cover all tuition fees, accommodation and living expenses for all the year of study.
Undergraduates are allowed to work for a few hours per week in paid employment on campus during the semester, can work during the summer in Hong Kong companies, and are allowed to stay in Hong Kong after graduation to work. Current statistics show that about 40% of our graduates stay in Hong Kong to work, 13% stay for further studies, 33% go onto top universities abroad for higher degrees, and 10% take up jobs in countries other than Hong Kong or their home country.
Research postgraduates are provided with a stipend to cover costs of tuition fees and other living expenses.
Entry Requirements
Entry to HKU is highly competitive, and very good examination results are required, particularly for some degree programmes, such as Medicine, Actuarial Studies, International Business and Global Management. However, HKU also takes into account other achievements (for example in sports) and leadership and excellence in other areas.
Language Support
The Centre for Applied English Studies provides a wide range of enhancement and broadening courses to support students' development of their English language competency.
Non-English Language Requirements
A second language qualification (other than English) is required, but this does not have to be Chinese.
- Centre of Development and Resources for Students
- Department of Anaesthesiology
- Department of Anatomy
- Department of Architecture
- Department of Biochemistry
- Department of Civil Engineering
- Department of Clinical Oncology
- Department of Community Medicine
- Department of Comparative Literature
- Department of Computer Science
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology
- Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering
- Department of Fine Arts
- Department of Geography
- Department of History
- Department of Industrial and Manufactoring Systems Engineering
- Department of Linguistics
- Department of Mechanical Engineering
- Department of Medicine
- Department of Music
- Department of Nursing Studies
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology
- Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology
- Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine
- Department of Pathology
- Department of Pharmacology
- Department of Philosophy
- Department of Physiology
- Department of Psychiatry
- Department of Real Estate and Construction
- Department of Surgery
- Department of Urban Planning and Design
- Faculty of Architecture
- Faculty of Arts
- Faculty of Business and Economics
- Faculty of Dentistry
- Faculty of Education
- Faculty of Engineering
- Faculty of Law
- Institute for Human Performance
- Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine
- Registry
- School of Chinese
- School of English
- School of Humanities
- School of Modern Languages & Cultures
- Social Sciences Research Centre
- Vice-Chancellor's Office
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Architecture
- Architectural Studies - Full Time
- Architectural Studies - Full Time
- Surveying - Full Time
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Area Studies
- American Studies - Full Time
- European Studies - Full Time
- Japanese Studies - Full Time
- Modern China Studies - Full Time
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Biological Sciences
- Animal and Plant Biotechnology - Full Time
- Biochemistry - Full Time
- Bioinformatics - Full Time
- Biology - Full Time
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Business/Management
- Accounting and Finance - Full Time
- Actuarial Science - Full Time
- Business Administration - Full Time
- Business Administration (Information Systems) - Full Time
- Business Administration (International Business and Global Management) - Full Time
- Business Administration (Law) - Full Time
- Business Administration in Accounting and Finance - Full Time
- Chemistry with Management - Full Time
- Finance - Full Time
- Finance - Full Time
- Information Management - Full Time
- International Business and Global Management - Full Time
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Civil/Structural Engineering
- BEng(CivE-Law) - Full Time
- Civil Engineering - Full Time
- Civil Engineering (law) Programme - Full Time
- Civil Engineering Programme - Full Time
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Communications/Media
- Journalism - Full Time
- Language and Communication - Full Time
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Computing/Information Technology
- Computer Engineering - Full Time
- Computer Engineering - Full Time
- Computer Science - Full Time
- Computer Science - Full Time
- Computer Science and Information Systems - Full Time
- Information Engineering - Full Time
- Information Management - Full Time
- Information Systems - Full Time
- Software Engineering - Full Time
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Dentistry
- Dental Surgery - Full Time
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Earth Sciences
- Earth Sciences - Full Time
-
Economics
- Economics - Full Time
- Economics - Full Time
- Economics and Finance - Full Time
- Economics and Finance - Full Time
- Finance - Full Time
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Education/Training
- Language Education - Full Time
- Language Education - English - Full Time
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Electronic/Electrical Engineering
- Computer Engineering - Full Time
- Electrical Engineering - Full Time
- Electrical Engineering - Full Time
- Electronic and Communications Engineering - Full Time
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Environmental Studies
- Environmental Life Science - Full Time
- Housing Management - Full Time
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Finance/Accounting
- Quantitative Finance - Full Time
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General Engineering/Other Engineering
- Building Services Engineering - Full Time
- Environmental Engineering - Full Time
- Industrial Engineering and Technology Management - Full Time
- Industrial Engineering and Technology Management - Full Time
- Information Engineering - Full Time
- Information Engineering - Full Time
- Logistics Engineering and Supply Chain Management - Full Time
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Health/Para-medical Studies
- Exercise and Health Sciences - Full Time
- Food and Nutritional Science - Full Time
- Nursing - Full Time
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History/Archaeology
- Chinese History and Culture - Full Time
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International Relations/Studies/Affairs
- International Business and Global Management - Full Time
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Languages
- Chinese Language and Literature - Full Time
- Chinese Language and Literature - Full Time
- English Language - Full Time
- English Studies - Full Time
- Human Language Technology - Full Time
- Language Education - Full Time
- Language Education - English - Full Time
- Linguistics - Full Time
- Linguistics and Philosophy - Full Time
- Speech and Hearing Sciences - Full Time
- Translation - Full Time
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Law/Legal Studies
- BEng(CivE-Law) - Full Time
- BSocSc (Govt & Laws) - Full Time
- Business Administration (Law) - Full Time
- Government and Laws - Full Time
- Law - Full Time
- Laws - Full Time
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Literature
- Chinese Language and Literature - Full Time
- Chinese Language and Literature - Full Time
- Manufacturing/Production Engineering
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Mathematics
- Mathematics - Full Time
- Statistics - Full Time
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Mechanical Engineering
- Mechanical Engineering - Full Time
- Mechanical Engineering - Full Time
- Mechanical Engineering (Building Services Engineering) - Full Time
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Medicine/Medical Sciences
- Chinese Medicine - Full Time
- Dental Surgery - Full Time
- Medicine and Surgery - Full Time
- Pharmacy - Full Time
- Speech and Hearing Sciences - Full Time
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Pharmacy/Pharmaceutical Sciences
- Pharmacy - Full Time
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Philosophy
- Linguistics and Philosophy - Full Time
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Physical Sciences
- Chemistry - Full Time
- Chemistry with Management - Full Time
- Mathematics/Physics - Full Time
- Physics - Full Time
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Sociology/Social Studies
- Social Sciences - Full Time
- Social Work - Full Time
- Surveying - Full Time
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Sports/Leisure
- Exercise and Health Sciences - Full Time
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Urban Planning
- Global Studies Multi-disciplinary Major - Full Time
- Housing Management - Full Time
- Postgraduate Studentships . 2163 available @ USD 20,148
- Most full-time M.Phil. and Ph.D. students (of whom there were 2163 in 2008-09) who hold a first degree with second-class honours first division (or equivalent) or above are normally considered eligible to receive a Postgraduate Studentship during the normative study period. The student is provided with these funds in exchange for the completion of (max 100hrs per annum) tasks such as exam invigilations, research, class prep etc.
- Postgraduate University and Hong Kong Fellowships . 135 available @ USD 32,000
- There are both Hong Kong wide (135) and HKU Fellowships available for top research postgraduates, from Hong Kong and around the world. Additionally, HKU offers a large number of other postgraduate scholarships and awards, dependent on performance while at HKU.
- Undergraduate Entrance Scholarships . 200 available @ USD 13,000
- For top students. Some are specifically earmarked for international undergraduates who require a visa to study in Hong Kong. Some are for Mainland undergraduates. Some are for top local undergraduates. Not all scholarships will be at the full value of US$13,000 p.a. Scholarships may be renewable annually subject to good academic performance.
- Undergraduate Exchange Scholarships . 100 available @ USD 2,500
- Students going on exchange may be nominated to one of our scholarships provided by donors to help in the costs of an exchange abroad (e.g. Victor and William Fung Foundation, Friends of HKU, Endeavour Australia Cheung Kong, John Swire, UBC Alumni, Dr. Lee Shiu, Chiang Chen, Law Ting Pong, Rosita King Ho, and the Class of '78 Scholarship Funds and Schemes.
- Undergraduate HKU Scholarships and Awards . 1514 available @ USD 2,500
- These are scholarships and awards provided for current undergraduates, usually for their excellent performance at HKU. The value for these scholarships varies enormously. In 2008-09, 1514 scholarships were awarded to students.
- Undergraduate HKU Worldwide scholarship . 250 available @ USD 1,600
- These are available to all students with a good GPA going from HKU on an exchange year or semester, and cover travel expenses.
- Undergraduate International Entrance Scholarships . 100 available @ USD 13,000
- These are Entrance scholarships specifically for top students requiring a visa to study in Hong Kong ("non-local" or international students). Not all scholarships will be at the full value of US$13,000 p.a. Scholarships are renewable annually subject to good academic performance. Some are earmarked for partner schools around the world.