Information Sheet
2024-2025
GENERAL INFORMATION
University Website

http://www.hku.hk

Website for Exchange
Information

http://intlaffairs.hku.hk/

Mailing Address(For courier delivery as
well)International Affairs Office
9/F Knowles Building
The University of Hong Kong
Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong
Incoming Programmes:
exchange@hku.hk

Contact Information
Outgoing Programmes:
goabroad@hku.hk

STUDENT EXCHANGE APPLICATION INFORMATION
Duration of Exchange

Nomination &Application Timeline

Updated as of June 2024•

One semester or one academic year

Semester Period

Fall(Semester 1 /Full year Intake)
Sep – Dec

Nomination Starts

1 Mar 2024

1 Aug 2024

Nomination Closes

31 Mar 2024

31 Aug 2024

Application Starts

1 Apr 2024

1 Sep 2024

Application Closes

30 Apr 2024

30 Sep 2024

Application Result Release

Late May – Jun

Oct – Nov

Spring(Semester 2 Intake)Jan – May

1STUDENT EXCHANGE APPLICATION INFORMATION•Home institution has an exchange partnership with HKU.

•

Students have undertaken a minimum of one year of university-level study
by the time they start at HKU.

•

Both native and non-native English speakers must provide valid andacceptable English Proficiency Proof.

•

Students are expected to be in good academic standing at their homeinstitution. They should meet higher entry requirements if applying for the
below faculties:
Faculty of Law

Entry Requirements

Academic
Results

The minimum standard foradmission of exchange andvisiting students is a grade
point average of 3.33
(which converts to theletter grade of B+) on a 4.3
scale.

Faculty of Business andEconomics

B average / CGPA 3.0 /Satisfactory level

Applications with a slightly
lower GPA will beconsidered only ifjustifications are provided.
EnglishLanguage
Proficiency

Nomination Procedures
by Home Institution

TOEFL (iBT) 97 or
IELTS 7.0 with no subtest
below 6.5•

Home institutions that have student exchange partnerships with HKU may
submit online nomination through HKU Incoming Exchange Application
System.

•Please refer to Nomination Procedures and HKU Exchange Partner User
Manual for the step-by-step online nomination guide.

•

The following supporting documents should be uploaded by the homeinstitution during nomination. If any of these are not available duringnomination, nominees should upload them during application.
Supporting
Documents

Official Academic
Transcript

English Proficiency
Proof
Updated as of June 2024

Minimum English Proficiency
Proof Requirement

Document Requirements(Uploaded by home institution)••••

Academic transcript must be official and in English
Online/Unofficial academic results will NOT be
accepted
Include English translation if transcript is in otherlanguages
Native & non-native English speakers must bothprovide valid and acceptable English Proficiency
Proof
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STUDENT EXCHANGE APPLICATION INFORMATION•

Students will be invited for online exchange application via email (login
credentials & application instructions will be included).

•Students are advised to complete their application no later than theapplication deadline. Late submission will not be considered.

•Students may refer to the step-by-step application procedures.

•

Proposed Study Plan at HKU is required in the application. This is only apreliminary course plan for faculties to review students’ application, they are
NOT enrolled to these courses. Course options can be found in Academic
Information > Available Courses Offered by Faculties.
The approval of courses is on a case-by-case basis / subject to the Faculty's
approval. Actual enrolment is subject to class availability, courses offered in
the first semester, quota and class schedule. [This information is subject to

Exchange Application
Procedureschange without prior notice]•

Personal Statement Requirements: Students may wish to explain why they
are interested in HKU and its exchange programme. There is no word limit for
the Personal Statement.

•

The following supporting documents must be uploaded by students:
Document Requirements(Uploaded by students)

Supporting Documents

Copy of Passport

Curriculum Vitae (CV)••Copy of Passport Personal information page must
be clearly visible (including machine readable
lines)•

Passport validity date must be able to cover theend of your proposed exchange period with 6
extra months•

Only applicable to applicants of the Faculty of
Law

Students must complete online visa application by the visa application
deadline and send hard copies of application documents to the designatedvisa office after receiving instructions. [Please do not mail the visa application to
International Affairs Office]Visa Application
Procedures

Updated as of June 2024•

Please note that it will take at least 10 weeks to process student’s visa
application and the visa application fee is non-refundable.

•

For more information on visa application procedures, please visit
https://www.studentvisa.hku.hk/.

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STUDENT EXCHANGE APPLICATION INFORMATION

Accommodation
Application•

Students should make online application through CEDARS Accommodation
Office Accommodation Application Link.

•

Housing resources are limited, students are strongly advised to apply as soon
as possible.

•

After the application deadline, student’s exchange application will undergo
review by the proposed faculty. The processing of application will take up to
1.5 months.

•

Results Announcement / Notice of Admission will be released by email.
Students must complete the below steps to accept their offer:
Step 1: Sign and submit Notice of Admission- Login to the online application account to accept/decline the offer andupload the signed Notice of Admission.
- Send a copy of the signed Notice of Admission to the host faculty by
email.

Acceptance
Procedures

Step 2: Secure Visa Application- Upload a copy of the signed Notice of Admission to your online visa
application.
➢ Mainland students: https://studentvisa-mainland.hku.hk➢ International/Macao/Taiwan students: https://studentvisaoverseas.hku.hk/
Step 3: Secure Accommodation Application- Send a copy of the signed Notice of Admission to CEDARS
Accommodation Office at accommodation@cedars.hku.hk for theirfurther processing of hall application.

ACADEMIC INFORMATION
Courses Available for
Exchange Students

Please refer to Academic Information for details.

Programmes or courses offered by the following Faculties are NOT opened to
exchange students:
Restricted
Programmes/Courses
for Exchange Students

Updated as of June 2024

•
•
•
•

Faculty of Dentistry
Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine
BSc (Exercise and Health) Programme
Most final year project courses provided by all faculties

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ACADEMIC INFORMATION

Course Load•

6 credits per course in general.

•

Students are required to take 24 to 30 credits in each semester subject toapproval of Dean/Head of Department.

•

50% of the course load must be chosen from ONE faculty with the remaining
credits from other faculties.

•

Detailed information can be found in Academic Information > Available
Courses offered by Faculties.

Language of Instruction

All courses are taught in English, except for courses offered by the Department ofChinese (course codes start with CHIN, e.g. CHIN2013).

Academic Calendar &Semester Dates••

Academic Advising and Scholarships Office: Important Academic Dates
International Affairs Office: Academic Information > Key Semester Dates

University Number (UID) UID and Portal account details will be sent to students by email around 1 to 2
& Portal Accountweeks before semester starts.

Online Master
Registration

Student Registration
Procedures

Course Enrolment•

After obtaining HKU Portal account details, students should complete Online
Master Registration via HKU Portal immediately.

•

Students may refer to Arrival Advice > Preparation before Arriving HKU >Online Master Registration.

•

Students may refer to Arrival Advice > Preparation before Arriving HKU >Student Registration Procedures.

•

Students are not enrolled to courses stated in the Notice of Admission, they
are only eligible to take those courses.

•

All students MUST enrol for courses during Course Selection (only available
in Semester One) or Add/Drop Period (available in Semester One andSemester Two).

•

Course enrolment is completed online via HKU Portal. Students will only beallowed to enrol into courses during the schedule of Course Selection or
Add/Drop Period. For detailed instructions, they may refer to Quick Guideon Course Selection and Enrolment
The approval of courses is on a case-by-case basis and subject to the Faculty's
approval. Actual enrolment is subject to class availability, courses offered in
the first semester, quota and class schedule. Students are recommended tocheck the course pre-requisites before selecting courses.
[This information is subject to change without prior notice]

Updated as of June 2024

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ACADEMIC INFORMATION

Academic Transcript
Arrangement•

No hard copy of official transcript will be mailed to student’s homeinstitutions.

•

If the home institution does not accept electronic copy of exam results,
students may apply for an official transcript through Academic Support andExamination Section after exam results are announced. Official transcripts
are only available in hard copy.

•

The above arrangement is applicable to all university-level incoming
exchange students.

•

If students are nominated through faculty/departmental level exchange
agreements, please consult with corresponding faculty office on transcript
arrangement.

HKU Summer InstituteHKU Summer Institute (HKUSI) offers a wide range of programmes delivered by different faculties, providing
quality learning and invaluable study abroad opportunity for students. The programmes are open to all
undergraduates and are best suited for students who are looking to expand their academic and cultural
horizons during summer in one of the most vibrant cities in Asia.
HKUSI offers more than 30 credit-bearing and non-credit-bearing programmes in the fields of Arts andHumanities, Social Sciences, Business and Economics and Science. These programmes are delivered in theform of lectures by acclaimed HKU professors and prestigious scholars, and also in the form of workshops, site
visits, field trips and case discussion. Alongside, students are provided with the opportunities to participate incultural and social activities, which enable students to have some personal experience of the local culture andacquire a deeper understanding of the local community.
For list of courses and application procedures, please visit https://summerinstitute.hku.hk/.
HKU Summer Institute: ugsummer@hku.hk

ARRIVAL GUIDE & STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES
Students may refer to our Arrival Advice for preparation guide and
A Glimpse of Student Life @HKU prepared by CEDARS to non-local students,
which includes the below practical information:

Practical HKU Guide

Updated as of June 2024

•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Accommodation Information
Cost of Living
Medical Care Information
Campus Facilities
Financial Matters
Student Life at HKU
Crisis and Emergency etc.

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ARRIVAL GUIDE & STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES

Arrival Plan toHong Kong

Orientation Series•

All students are expected to arrive in Hong Kong around 1 week before thestart of the semester to complete student registration procedures.

•

Students are advised to book their return tickets after they have received a
confirmed examination timetable, which will not be released until 1–2
months before the assessment period.

Orientation for Non-local students will be held on the week before the semester
starts. Our office and CEDARS have also arranged a series of Orientation Activities,
please refer to Arrival Advice > Orientation.
CEDARS CoPE offers counselling and psychological services for free on issues likestudying and learning challenges, adjustment issues, interpersonal relationships,
personal development, emotional distress and mental health concerns.

Counselling &Psychological Services

Students will benefit from talking to counsellors, who will guide you to discover
your personal attributes and strengths.
For more information and appointment making, please visit CEDARS CoPE.
CEDARS SEN Support is the service unit for students with physical and sensory
disabilities, learning and developmental disabilities.

Special Educational
Needs (SEN)

They provide comprehensive service and support to facilitate student’s university
adjustment and learning.
More information can be found on SEN Support. If students wish to receive
additional support, please contact cedars-SEN@hku.hk.

ACCOMMODATION INFORMATION
Application

Students should make online application through CEDARS Accommodation Office.
Click here for accommodation information.

Accommodation
Information

For accommodation enquiries, please contact CEDARS Accommodation ataccommodation@cedars.hku.hk.

Fees & Charges

Fee for Students Residing in Residential Colleges & Non-hall housing

Room Types

Most of the rooms are double rooms. Only St. John’s College, Ricci Hall and HKU
Residential Colleges provide very limited single rooms.

Meal Information

Some halls have compulsory meal plans, others do not (click here for details). For
those residents whose halls do not provide compulsory meal plans, they can havemeals on campus.

Updated as of June 2024

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ADDITIONAL VISA INFORMATION
Students need to apply for a separate tourist visa to Mainland China.

Travel to Mainland
China

Working in Hong Kong

Students can apply through local Chinese Embassy before arriving Hong Kong, orvisit China Travel Service (H.K.) Limited (enquiry@ctshk.com) after arriving Hong
Kong.
Exchange students are NOT allowed to work in Hong Kong under student visa
conditions.

HEALTH/INSURANCE INFORMATION
University Health Service (UHS)•UHS provides free primary health care to full-time registered students.
Certain medications, preventive services and other items are charged atcost. Dental service is also available at a notional charge.

•

Please visit medical benefits for incoming students from overseas fordetails.

Public Clinics and Hospitals in Hong Kong•

When specialist care and hospitalisation are required, students can consider
using the services provided at public clinics and general wards ofgovernment hospitals.

•

Non-local students who will be spending less than 180 days in Hong Kong
must present their valid passport / travel documents and student visa inorder to enjoy subsidised services and hospitalisation in government
clinics/hospitals.

•

Non-local students who will be spending more than 180 days in Hong Kong
must present their HKID card in order to be eligible for subsidised services
and hospitalisation in government clinics/hospitals.

Medical Care in
Hong Kong

For details of the fees charged by government
visit www.ha.org.hk (Services Guides Fees and Charges).

Health and Travel
Insurance Plan

Updated as of June 2024

hospitals,

please•Health and travel insurance is optional but highly recommended.

•

Students may arrange insurance at their own cost in order to meet theirneeds for the duration of their studies in Hong Kong.

•

The coverage should include provisions for emergency evacuation, rescuer's
expenses and repatriation. If you plan to travel outside Hong Kong, please
make sure that your insurance policy covers those destinations as well.

•

Registered students are entitled to HKU Group Travel Insurance (Portal
login required to read the details) for travelling overseas on activities which
are officially arranged by the University.

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