What are the differences between research postgraduate programs & taught postgraduate programs?

• MPhil and PhD programs are research postgraduate programs (RPg) which involve intense research work and preparation of a thesis under the guidance of a supervisor.
• Taught postgraduate programs (TPg) lead to DBA, EMBA, MBA, MA, MSc, MPM, MPP and PGD degrees. TPg programs place more emphasis on coursework and are generally more career-oriented than RPg programs.

Can I work and study at the same time as a full-time research postgraduate student?

• All full-time MPhil and PhD students should not take up any employment or internship on top of their research studies.

Will I be provided with University housing?

• The University will provide accommodation on campus to all full time research students in HKUST(GZ) during their normative period of study.
• You may liaise with our Student Quarter Working Team (GZ) at studentquarter@hkust-gz.edu.cn on your special request regarding the on-campus housing.

I am currently a final year undergraduate student, can I apply now?

• Yes. Please first submit your latest transcript online for assessment.
• Programs may extend conditional offers to selected applicants before the required qualifications are obtained.
• If you receive a conditional offer, you are required to submit the official final transcripts and degree certificates for verification when available.

What should I do if my IELTS/TOEFL (or another public examination) result is not yet available?

• State your scheduled test dates in the online application.
• Update the test record and upload the score report once the result is available.
• The test score is an essential factor in assessing your application. You are highly recommended to take relevant test and upload score report as soon as possible.

Can I apply for more than one postgraduate program?

• Yes. Applicants may submit more than one application. However, we see the advantage of staying focused and getting prepared accordingly.
• You need to submit an application, pay application fee, upload supporting documents and invite referees for each program you apply.

Is there any difference if I apply to programs of HKUST(GZ) as an international applicant?

• Application procedures and admission requirements are the same for all applicants of HKUST(GZ).
• International students are required to apply for China Student Visa issued by the local embassy/consulate of China. Apply for the Student Visa (X visa) upon receiving the paper admission notice and JW 202/201 Form. All international students are required to obtain a student visa from the local Chinese embassy or consulate to enter China. Learn more here.
• Tip: Students from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan must hold a valid Mainland Travel Permit.
• Please contact us at pgadmitgz@hkust-gz.edu.cn if you are in doubt.

How can I identify a supervisor or co-advisor(s) before submitting the application for the research postgraduate studies?

• You are advised to look into our faculty/advisor list under each Thrust at https://hkust-gz.edu.cn/academics/four-hubs and explore if there is a match with your research interest.

Can I make changes to my application after submission?

• After submissions, only the following changes are allowed:
  • Change personal contact details,
  • Input final GPA/average mark after program completion,
  • Add new scores of IELTS/TOEFL or other public examinations which are not available earlier,
  • Upload supporting documents, and
  • Invite referees.

What if I forget my login password in the Admission System?

• Click “Forgot password/username” on the login page and follow the procedures.
• Be sure to add "pgadmitgz@hkust-gz.edu.cn" in your email address book so that you will not miss our email notification.

I cannot upload the supporting documents. What should I do?

• Use another internet browser and disable any pop-up blocker.

Can I update/ delete supporting documents after submitting the application?

• Supporting documents cannot be deleted after your application is submitted.
• You may upload the new version of your documents with clear indication in the file name.

I have submitted my application already. Can I still change my program choice?

• Changing program choice is not allowed after submission.
• You will need to submit and pay for another online application for the right program choice.

Will the University accept reference report or letter submitted by hard copy or mail?

• We only consider reference report/letters received via the online system. Please let us know in case your referee needs assistance in online submission.

Why my referees cannot receive the invitation from the University?

• Check if the referee’s email address is input correctly.
• Ask your referee to check his/her junk/spam mail folder.
• Make use of the "Resend" button to send another invitation to your referee.

How can I know if the University has received the reference report?

• If the referee's report has been received, the status will display "Reference report received" under the “References” page in the Online Admission System.

I have provided a wrong email address of the referee. What should I do?

• Please “add a referee” in the system, invite the same referee but use the correct email address.
• If your referee has already submitted the online reference report for you with the correct email address, please ignore any related system-generated email reminder.

When should my referees submit the reference report?

• We expect referees to send us the referee report online within 14 days of the invitation.

When will I be notified of an admission offer?

• Successful applicants will receive an email notification. Please log in to the online system to keep track of your application status.
• Individual program offices will issue offers according to their own schedules.
• Unsuccessful applicants will normally be notified of the outcome towards the end of the admission cycle. For instance, unsuccessful applicants who seek admission in Fall term will normally be notified in the summer before program commencement.

How can applicants obtain information regarding the applications results?

• All information regarding the progress of the application will be reflected in the application system, and please also pay attention to prompt Emails. Applicants do not need to enquire about the application results to pgadmitgz@hkust-gz.edu.cn.

How much is the application fee for MPhil/PhD program? How can I settle the payment?

• CNY150 per MPhil/PhD program. Please settle the application fee online by
  • Alipay (China) / WeChat Pay (China)
  • UnionPay
  • VISA / Mastercard / JCB / Diners Club

How can I apply for the Postgraduate Studentship?

• All full-time MPhil/PhD students are automatically considered for the Postgraduate Studentship. No separate application is required.

Do I still need to pay the tuition fee if I receive the Postgraduate Studentship?

• Yes, but the studentship should well cover your tuition fee.

If I fail to receive an offer or change my mind, will the University refund the application fee to me?

• Once you submit the application, the application fee is not refundable and cannot be transferred to another program application.

How much is the living cost in Guangzhou?

• The cost of living varies with each student, depending on the lifestyle choices. HKUST(GZ) provides affordable on-campus accommodation to all full-time students.

What steps should I take if I want to process the transfer of my archive (档案) and the transfer of my Party or Youth league organizational affiliations?

• If you wish to handle the transfer of your archive, please contact armd@hkust-gz.edu.cn. For the transfer of Party organization relations, please contact ocpcc@hkust-gz.edu.cn. And for the transfer of Youth league organization relations, please contact cylc2024@hkust-gz.edu.cn.

I have received an admission offer online. What should I do next?

• Accept the offer online by the offer acceptance deadline.
• Pay the deposit to confirm your acceptance.
• Follow through with other important actions as stated in the offer letter.
• If you are a current/ previous student at the University, make sure you have settled all outstanding payment from your studies in order to proceed to new program registration.

How should I notify the University that I have met the offer conditions?

• Submit relevant documents as proof as early as possible and no later than mid-July for Fall admission, or end December for Spring admission.

How can I pay the deposit for accepting the offer?

• Deposit payment instructions will be available after you click “Accept Offer and Pay” in the Online Admission System.
• Please upload the payment proof by the deadline.

I have accepted the offer. What supporting documents should I submit and how?

• Check the Document Checklist which will appear after you have accepted the offer online.
• Refer to Document Requirements for Submitting Official Documents.
• Arrange official documents to be sent before the deadline stipulated in the offer letter/ Document Checklist.
• Check the document receipt status in the Document Checklist.

What do you mean by official certified true copies?

• Copies officially imprinted, signed and certified by the issuing authority concerned.

My official supporting document is not in English. What should I do?

• Please send us the notarized English or Chinese translation. We understand that the notary/ governmental authority may not provide the direct delivery service to the third party, you can mail the documents to us.

What are the University Codes for TOEFL and IELTS?

The codes below apply to all PG programs:

TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language)

• Score Recipient Code: 0170
• Dept Code: any code other than 00, e.g. 01 = Educational Administration

IELTS (International English Language Testing System)

• Please arrange electronic score reports as far as possible
• Name of department : Other departments (E results required)
• Name of institution : The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

For applicants applying for 2024-25 Spring, 2025-26 Fall and beyond, please refer to:

TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language)

• DI Code: D315

IELTS (International English Language Testing System)

• Please arrange electronic score reports as far as possible
• Name of department : PG Admissions
• Name of institution : The Hong Kong Univeristy of Science and Technology (Guangzhou)

Address :

Mailing Address in English:

Postgraduate Outreach and Admissions
HKUST Fok Ying Tung Graduate School (Guangzhou)
The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou)
No. 1 Duxue Road, Nansha District, Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province, P. R. China P.C.: 511453
Tel.: +86-020-88331234
Application Number: 6XXXXXXXXXX
Program: PhD in XXXX

Mailing Address in Chinese:

收件人：研究生招生录取办公室
地址：广东省广州市南沙区东涌镇笃学路1号香港科技大学（广州）6A栋118铺菜鸟驿站

电话号码: +86-020-88331234

Application Number: 6XXXXXXXXXX
Program: PhD in XXXX

Can I arrange electronic transcript for qualification verification?

• Yes, we prefer official electronic transcripts shared directly by issuing authorities whenever possible.
• Please request your home institution to send electronic transcripts quoting your application number and applied program to pgdocgz@hkust-gz.edu.cn.
• However, please note that electronic transcripts are acceptable only if they are retrievable from designated secure websites. Email attachments will not be accepted.

Where should I send the supporting documents to?

• Please send your hard copy documents to the University with your application number and program at:

Mailing Address in English:

Postgraduate Outreach and Admissions
HKUST Fok Ying Tung Graduate School (Guangzhou)
The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou)
No. 1 Duxue Road, Nansha District, Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province, P. R. China
P.C.: 511453
Tel.: +86-020-88331234

Application Number: 6XXXXXXXXXX
Program: PhD in XXXX

Mailing Address in Chinese:

收件人：研究生招生录取办公室
地址：广东省广州市南沙区东涌镇笃学路1号香港科技大学（广州）6A栋118铺菜鸟驿站

电话号码: +86-020-88331234

Application Number: 6XXXXXXXXXX
Program: PhD in XXXX

• For electronic transcripts, please request your home institution to send to pgdocgz@hkust-gz.edu.cn.

I have submitted my supporting documents, what’s next?

• Check the delivery status with the issuing authority or courier service provider; ensure that the documents have been sent to the right mailing address as listed in Submitting Official Documents.
• Login to the Online Application System to check the document receipt status.

How long will the verification work take?

• The document verification process may last long (around 10 working days) due to the excessive workload.

Do I need a student visa/ entry permit?

• International students are required to obtain the China Student Visa from the local embassy/consulate and enter China with the student visa;
• Students from the Hong Kong, Macao, or Taiwan regions of China should present their Mainland Entry permit.
• Please visit here for details.