(a) Certificates and complete transcripts of undergraduate and postgraduate studies
Please upload official certificates and complete official transcripts with your final GPA/average score (or latest transcript for current studies) of your undergraduate and postgraduate studies. The back side of the transcript(s) should also be provided if it contains information on the grading system. Documents which are not in English should be accompanied by a formally translated version in English.
For qualifications obtained from universities in Mainland China, the Online Verification Report of Higher Education Degree Certificate (中國高等教育學位在線驗證報告) issued by the CHSI (學信網) is required.
The submission of the following documents is optional at the application stage. However, the applicants may be required to provide the following documents if the application is successful:
- the Online Verification Report of Higher Education Qualification Certificate (教育部學歷證書電子註冊備案表) and Verification Report of China Higher Education Student’s Academic Transcript (中國高等學校學生成績驗證報告) issued by the CHSI (學信網) for qualifications obtained from universities in Mainland China;
- the Overseas Credentials Evaluation Report (國外學歷學位認證書) issued by the Chinese Service Center for Scholarly Exchange (教育部留學服務中心) for Mainland applicants with qualifications obtained from non-Mainland universities.
For HKU current students, you may upload a photocopy of the printout of your examination results from the Student Information System (SIS) or your examination result slips in lieu of the official transcript.
You will be required to input your cumulative grade point average (CGPA) or average mark in the online application. If such information is not available in the transcript(s), please use the template provided in the Online Application System to calculate and upload the PDF version of the file(s) as supporting document to the system for verification. Your application may not be considered if you fail to do so.
(b) Research proposal or statement of research interest
Please upload a research proposal or a statement of research interest in PDF format according to the requirements of the Faculty and programme for which you will apply. In general, a statement of research interest should include your reasons for undertaking graduate work at HKU while a research proposal should include the background, the objectives and the methodology or approach you propose to take in studying the subject matter.
(c) Two academic referees’ reports
You are required to invite two academics, who are familiar with your academic achievements and research ability, to complete an online academic referee's report to support your application. You should seek their consent before the nomination. Persons from non-academic background are not considered as appropriate academic referees.
The system will send an email to the nominated referees inviting them to complete an online referee's report within 14 days once your application is submitted. The submission status of the referees’ reports can be checked from the Online Application System. Under exceptional circumstances, you may nominate up to two new referees to replace the nominated referee(s) who does not submit a referee’s report by the submission deadline via the Online Application System.
The Graduate School may conduct authentication check upon admission. Submission of forged reports will lead to disqualification of application and withdrawal of offer of admission.
(d) Official score report of English language proficiency tests
For applicants from institutions outside HK where the language of instruction and examination is not entirely in English, please submit one of the following official score report:
- Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) (taken in one single attempt within 2 years); or
- International English Language Testing System (IELTS) (Academic module) (taken in one single attempt within 2 years); or
- Overseas General Certificate of Education (GCE); International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE); or
- Cambridge Test of Proficiency in English Language (CPE)
Notes:
- Applicants who have taken TOEFL should request the Educational Testing Service (ETS) to send an official score report to the University direct (Institution code: 9671; Department code: 99). Original or certified copy of the Examinee's score record will not be accepted.
- TOEFL and IELTS scores are valid for two years from the test date. Please take note of the validity period of your TOEFL or IELTS scores and request for your official score report to be sent to the University direct before score expiration. Otherwise, you will need to re-take the test or take another English language proficiency test to fulfil the requirement.
- TOEFL iBT Home Edition and IELTS One Skill Retake will not be accepted.
(e) Official score report of the GMAT or GRE
For applicants applying to the Faculty of Business and Economics and Department of Psychology (who are non-psychology graduate)
- Faculty of Business and Economics applicants are required to submit GMAT or GRE results (taken within five years)
- Department of Psychology applicants whose first degree is not in Psychology are required to submit GRE Subject Test (Psychology) (taken within five years)
HKU’s institution code in GRE: 2482
HKU’s institution code for GMAT: FS2-WL-48
(f) Other documents
Other documents which the applicants would like to bring to the attention of the University, e.g. list of publications, documentary evidence of academic awards received and professional qualifications, and summary of relevant experience.
For applicants applying for the research postgraduate programmes of the Hong Kong Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences, please provide the following documents:
(i) Writing samples (in PDF format):
- For MPhil applicants: The abstract of Bachelor’s thesis of 10 pages OR a sample research paper of 15 pages or less, written in English.
- For PhD applicants: The abstract of Master’s thesis AND a sample research paper of 15 pages or less, written in English.
(ii) Documentary proof of proficiency in the language(s) necessary for research OR a written statement outlining current language abilities (including years of formal study), and future course of study (optional).
Important Notes:
- Applicants should upload all supporting documents to the Online Application System on or before the application deadline. The reviewer(s) will consider your application based on the information and documents submitted and it is your responsibility to provide accurate and sufficient information. Submission of information after application deadline may not be considered.
- The University views any act of plagiarism as of the utmost seriousness and it is a form of academic misdemeanour that the University will not tolerate. The University, when appropriate, will conduct a plagiarism check on the research proposal (for all applicants), proposed research plan and past research experience and vision statement (for HKPF applicants) submitted. The result of the plagiarism check will be taken into consideration when the Department, Faculty and Graduate School review the application. The application may be deemed unsuccessful if plagiarised materials are identified in the application.
- To ensure successful uploading of the supporting documents onto the Online Application System, the files should be in PDF format. A maximum total file size of 50MB is allowed for each application and each file should not exceed 1.5 MB in size. Documents uploaded to the system should NOT be delivered to the Graduate School by post in duplicate, except for the official score reports of English language proficiency tests and GMAT/GRE.