Master's Degrees in Hong Kong (SAR)

Study in Hong Kong (SAR)

Over the years, universities in Hong Kong have been focusing on promoting quality higher education by welcoming talents, upholding academic freedom, respecting institutional autonomy, supporting collaboration, and promoting academic exchanges. Hong Kong aspires to further develop itself as a regional education hub with world-class universities and quality institutions, through diversification and internationalisation. Universities focus on offering bilingual students a broad knowledge base, a global outlook, as well as the ability to think critically and creatively, and the ability to work independently and collaboratively.
Over 3 700 overseas companies have based their Asia-Pacific operations, employing over 200 000 people.

Higher education institutions

Of the 17 local degree-awarding institutions in Hong Kong, three are ranked in the world’s top 50 and Asia’s top 10 by the Quacquarelli Symonds University Rankings 2013-14. Nine are publicly funded and eight are self-financing institutions. In 2013, the Times Higher Education survey ranked two universities in Hong Kong in the top 100 of the world, and three in the “100 under 50”rankings (top 100 universities less than 50 years of history).
According to Financial Times surveys in 2013, Hong Kong universities also host some of the world’s best business administration and executive business management programmes.
Many institutions collaborate with prestigious universities worldwide to offer joint academic programmes – especially MBAs.

Admission Requirement

Institutions in Hong Kong enjoy a high degree of autonomy in admission of students, and admission requirements may vary between different institutions. Some institutions will invite applicants to attend interviews. You are advised to read the course information provided by institutions carefully and contact the institution(s) you intend to apply for if you need further advice and clarification.
Generally, the main documents students should provide include the following:
  • A secondary school graduation certificate;
  • Proof of satisfactory results in your country's Leaving or Aptitude exams;
  • If English is not your mother tongue, you will need to take the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language), IELTS (International English Language Testing System), or equivalent exams.
Of course, you should contact the admission office of institutions for more detailed information. For more information regarding the higher education admission process visit: http://studyinhongkong.edu.hk/en/apply-to-study/admission-requirement.php

Academic degrees

The Government strives to provide multiple study pathways for secondary school leavers, with multiple entry and exit points. Some of them will study bachelor's degree programmes. Some will choose to study sub-degree programmes. Upon graduation, they can pursue study in top-up degree programmes and obtain their undergraduate qualifications.
Apart from undergraduate programmes offered, students can also choose a wide diversity of sub-degree programmes, various continuing and vocational programmes that best suit their interests and ability.
There is also a wide array of taught and research postgraduate programmes for students who have graduated from their undergraduate studies to choose from.

Research Opportunities

Higher education institutions in Hong Kong also provide quality research. They emphasize inter-disciplinary and inter-institutional collaboration in research activities.
The Hong Kong Government established the Research Endowment Fund in 2008, which provides a stable source of funding for research conducted by the higher education sector in Hong Kong.
To attract both outstanding local and non-local students to pursue PhD studies in Hong Kong, The Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme was launched in 2009. The scheme provides a monthly stipend and a conference and research-related travel allowance per year will be provided for a period up to three years. Additional support is possible for students who need more than three years to complete their PhD degree.

Study language

Hong Kong is an international city where both English and Chinese are official languages and English is used as teaching medium in most university courses. Students are able to learn authentic Chinese at the higher education institution they are enrolled in.
To find and compare English language courses visit: www.languagelearningportal.com

Curriculum

Higher education institutions in Hong Kong adopt international standards in curriculum design and quality assurance, and their qualifications awarded are internationally recognized. Academic freedom and a highly internationalized campus broaden student’s gained knowledge and expose them to different learning perspectives.

Study Visa

Once accepted by a higher education institution, students must get a student visa or entry permit in order to be able to study in Hong Kong. All non-local students need one, whether they come for an exchange programme or full-time studies. In general, non-local students will need local sponsors, which can be arranged through their institutions, with the necessary supporting documents. Normally, the Immigration Department requires the following documents, although they may ask for others depending on the actual circumstances:
  • ID995A form, completed and signed
  • ID995B form completed by university representative
  • Photocopy of identity card and/or travel documents
  • Recent photo
  • Photocopy of letter of admission to an education institution in Hong Kong
  • Evidence of your financial standing (bank statements, passbooks, proof of scholarship funds)
  • Evidence of your accommodation arrangement in Hong Kong
Please contact your institution for visa information upon admission. Individual institutions will help non-local students apply for their visas or entry permits, or even complete the process for them.

Living in Hong Kong (SAR)

  • Tuition Fee (for non-local students) vary between US$11,500 – US$34,000 per year.
  • Accommodation in a hostel costs between US$1,900 – US$5,800 per year.
  • A one-bedroom rented flat may cost anywhere between US$12,600 and US$23,000, depending on the location.
  • Additional living expenses are usually not higher than US$6,400 per year, although this amount may be lower.
  • Save money and dive into local culture - eat in a Cha Chaan Teng, the Chinese answer to a café. Service is basic, but the food is delicious, and you can't beat the prices. Besides, you can have your meals at the campus student canteens, and the price is low. Having meals there can save much.
  • Although credit cards issued overseas are mostly accepted in Hong Kong, overseas card issuers may charge foreign transaction fees, making credit card payment more costly.
  • Having inherited ancient Chinese heritage and experienced a period of Western, colonial influence, Hong Kong is a multifaceted city where English and Cantonese, Feng Shui and football, towering skyscrapers and historical sites exist side by side.
  • You can relax at a sidewalk café, take up Tai Chi, or go hiking in one of our stunning country parks.
  • Hong Kong is also known as a shopper's paradise.
  • State-of-the-art telecommunications and internet system enable you to contact your friends and family, order a meal, and get high speed downloads.
  • Hong Kong is the perfect entry point to the exciting Chinese mainland.
  • To the north, the rural New Territories are home to vast country parks, ancient villages, tranquil wetlands, and diverse wildlife.
  • Over 200 outlying islands have largely retained their natural character, accessible to the adventurous yet removed from the rigors of modern life.

About Hong Kong (SAR)

Hong Kong is a small but dynamic city located to the southeast of the Mainland China, adjoining the province of Guangdong. It forms a triangle with Macau to the west and Guangzhou to the Northwest in the Pearl River Delta.
Hong Kong spreads over 1,104 square kilometers. Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon peninsula are at the core of the city, surrounding famed Victoria Harbour, one of the world’s most renowned deep-water harbours. This is where you can see Hong Kong's celebrated skyline and experience urban dynamism at its utmost.
Currently, the city’s population is over 7 million. People of Chinese descent comprise the vast majority of the population. The Chinese majority forms the core of the local culture. Yet Hong Kong is a cosmopolitan city with a significant foreign population. There are about 500 ,000 people from different parts of the world living here for education, employment, business, etc. Indonesian, Filipinos, British, American, Thai, Indian, Japanese, Australian, Pakistani and Nepalese form the majority foreign population here.
There is evidence of human settlement in Hong Kong from Neolithic times. Several thousand years ago, people here were hunting, fishing and making exquisite rock carvings.
The city was a British colony from 1842 to 1997. China assumed sovereignty of Hong Kong in 1997, since then the city was formally renamed as "Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China".
Hong Kong's economy is characterized by free trade, low taxation and minimum government intervention. Hong Kong is one of the largest trading economies in the world. Hong Kong is also a major service economy, with particularly strong links to the Mainland China and the rest of the Asia-Pacific region.
Hong Kong's climate is sub-tropical, with temperatures dropping below 10 degrees Celsius in winter and exceeding 31 degrees Celsius in summer. It is warm, sunny and dry in autumn, cool and dry in winter, and hot, humid and rainy from spring to summer.