Normative study period is the normal period of study for a student to complete a programme according to the prescribed study scheme. Under normal circumstances, most students will graduate by the end of the normative study period. 

Maximum study period is the longest period of study for students to complete their programmes.  If students cannot complete their programmes within the maximum study period, they will be required to discontinue studies.  Approval to continue to study beyond the maximum study end date will only be given by the Graduate Council under very special circumstances. 

Different programmes may have different normative and maximum study periods.  For details, please refer to Study Options.

The academic year of the University for postgraduate programmes starts in August and runs to July of the following year.

A student shall not be registered concurrently for another course of study or research leading to the award of a degree, diploma or certificate at this University or at any other tertiary institution unless an application has been submitted in advance to the Graduate Division concerned, endorsed by the Faculty concerned and approved by the Graduate Council. A student in breach of this regulation shall be required to discontinue studies at the University.

A student registered for a full‑time programme of studies shall not take up any full‑time employment, paid or unpaid, during term time except with prior permission of the Graduate Council. 

Recipient of a Postgraduate Studentship (PGS) shall not take up full-time or part-time employment, except with prior permission of the Graduate Council.

Visit the website of the Postgraduate Halls for details. You may also contact the Postgraduate Halls at enquiry@pgh.cuhk.edu.hk.

The application procedure and admission requirements are the same for both local and non-local applicants. However, non-local applicants need to obtain a valid visa/entry permit from the Immigration Department of HKSAR in order to study in Hong Kong.

For all Taught Doctoral degree and some PhD degree programmes, applicants should have a Master's degree. Some Graduate Divisions offer an MPhil–PhD Programme with an MPhil Stream and a PhD Stream. Bachelor's degree holders with honours not lower than Second Class may apply for the PhD stream under the MPhil-PhD Programme. For more information, visit Study Options and Requirements.

Yes. You may apply to join postgraduate programmes by submitting your up-to-date official transcript first.  The Admissions Panel of the programme concerned will review your qualifications in detail. If you are being admitted, you will be required to submit an official final transcript and a copy of your undergraduate degree certificate before the admission date.

Yes. You may refer to Requirements for details. Some programmes may have higher English Language Requirements for Admission. You are recommended to visit individual programme pages for details.

Yes, we accept IELTS for UKVI (Academic) to fulfil the English Language requirements.

No, “MyBest Score” is not accepted. We accept the test result of each single attempt only.

No. CET6 score is no longer accepted for fulfilling the English Language Requirements for Admission to postgraduate programmes of the University.

Applicants are required to submit the supporting documents listed in Documents Required. After you have submitted your application, you should upload the supporting documents to the Online Application System for Postgraduate Programmes and arrange those supporting documents to reach each programme applied for by the application deadline.

In response to the University's call for cultivating a sustainability culture on campus, no hardcopy of application form is available. Applicants are required to submit their applications online via the Online Application System for Postgraduate Programmes.

You can apply for more than one programme. Since the selection panels for the programmes are different, you are required to submit separate applications and supporting documents, and pay the application fees for each programme that you apply for. The application fee, once paid, is non-refundable and non-transferable.

However, if you were admitted by more than one programme at the same time, you would be allowed to enroll in one programme only.

Research and taught programmes accept applications from September onwards. Individual programmes may have different application deadlines. Applications for the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme (HKPFS) are only possible by 1 December 2023 at 11:59pm (Hong Kong Time). Please refer to the Application Deadlines or relevant programme pages for details.

The application fee for each programme is HK$300 (except for MBA, MBA in Finance, and M.Sc. in Finance).  The application fee, once paid, is non-refundable and non-transferable. The application fee should be paid online by credit card when you submit your application.

You may log in to the Online Application System for Postgraduate Programmes to check your application status and pay the application fee by credit card. Please also note that the application fee, once paid, is non-refundable and non-transferable.

Students who are admitted to full-time research postgraduate programmes will be offered Postgraduate Studentships (PGS). The Graduate Division of your programme will consider you for the award of the studentship together with your application for admission. No separate application is required.

Starting from the academic year 2018-19, local full-time students who are admitted to UGC-funded RPg programmes are eligible for the Government’s Tuition Waiver Scheme for Local Research Postgraduate (RPg) Students. The Scheme will provide a non-mean-tested tuition waiver to all current and newly admitted eligible local students enrolled in UGC-funded RPg programmes during their normative study period.

Our full-time RPg programmes are all UGC-funded programmes. Part-time RPg programmes are not UGC-funded programmes. Full-time RPg students who are admitted to the University without PGS are considered as self-financed RPg students. 

Part-time and self-financed local full-time RPg students are not eligible for the Tuition Waiver Scheme for Local Research Postgraduate (RPg) Students.

Students staying in Hong Kong holding any type of Hong Kong visas (including but not limited to student, dependent and IANG visa) or entry permit are not eligible for this Scheme.

Under the Scheme, the tuition of all eligible full-time local students enrolled in UGC-funded RPg programmes is waived. If the tuition fee of an RPg student has been fully waived, s/he will no longer be eligible for this Scheme. However, if the tuition fee has been partially waived, s/he is still entitled for the Scheme to cover the remaining part of the tuition fee.

Local recipients of the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme or awardees of any other scholarship are still eligible for the Scheme to cover their tuition fees provided that the scholarships, awards or stipends do not cover tuition fees.

No. Local recipients of the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme will be granted a tuition waiver for their normative study period by the Tuition Waiver Scheme for Local Research Postgraduate (RPg) Students. Non-local recipients of the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme will receive the CUHK Vice-Chancellor HKPFS Scholarship to cover the tuition fee of their first year of study.

Admission offers are normally made in the period from November to May of the following year. Applicants can check their application status via the Online Application System for Postgraduate Programmes.

Applicants may log in to the Online Application System for Postgraduate Programmes to check their application results and download the Admission Notification.

You should follow the steps in How to Register? to register provisionally. In such a situation, your student status is not yet confirmed and you will NOT be allowed to commence study until you have fulfilled all the condition(s) by the deadline stipulated on the Admission Notification.

Yes. You are still required to apply for a final official transcript after completion of your Bachelor’s programme (after announcement of your classification of honours if it is an honours programme) and upload it to the Online Application System for Postgraduate Programmes to fulfil your admission condition(s).  Please also arrange to send the original document to Graduate School directly from your university.

If you cannot provide document(s) to fulfil the admission condition(s) stipulated on the Admission Notification, your admission offer will become null and void. You may seek advice/assistance from the Graduate Division/Programme concerned, if necessary.

You may contact your Graduate Division/Programme first to see if you could defer your admission date. If it is permissible, after you have accepted the admission offer online and settled the deposit payment, you can download the "Application Form for Deferred Admission” from the Online Application System for Postgraduate Programmes and complete and return the form to the Division/Programme concerned. The admission can be deferred for up to one year from the original date of admission.

The payment due date for deposit payment is specified on your admission notification. You may refer to the payment advice at the Online Application System for Postgraduate Programmes for various payment methods as well as other relevant details.

You may contact your Graduate Division/Programme first to see if your deferral request could be accepted. If it is accepted, you may download the "Application Form for Deferred Acceptance of Admission Offer" from the Online Application System for Postgraduate Programmes.  Please complete and return the form to the Division/Programme concerned. 

Please note that the acceptance of an admission offer cannot be deferred beyond the admission date.

The tuition fee is normally settled on term basis. Students will receive a fee note via email about two weeks prior to the tuition fee payment due date. For details, please refer to Notes on Payment of Student Fees.

If you have already settled the deposit payment and performed online registration, please update your contact information at MyCUHK.

For local students, if you have completed the online registration and fulfilled all admission condition(s), you may collect your CU Link from the CU Link Card Centre, on or after your admission date.

Non-local students need to complete online document verification before collecting your CU Link (Learn more). Please contact CU Link Card Centre 7 – 10 working days after the completion of online document verification to see if your CU Link is ready and check the arrangement for collection.

Non-local students who do not have a right of abode or right to land in Hong Kong MUST obtain a valid visa/entry permit to study at CUHK. Part-time students who are in possession of another valid visa/entry permit are advised to consult the Immigration Department of HKSAR on whether or not they are required to apply for a student visa/entry permit to study at CUHK. 

Non-local students who are unable to present a valid visa/entry permit at the time of registration will NOT be allowed to register.

Since the situation may vary from student to student, please seek advice from the Immigration Department of HKSAR on which option you should go for. (Telephone: (852) 2824-6111; E-mail: enquiry@immd.gov.hk).

If an extension is applicable, you will be asked to submit a certifying letter from CUHK to support your student visa extension application. You may submit an application for a certifying letter for extension of student visa via the Graduate School homepage.

Students are responsible for applying for their visa/entry permit in time. The visa application process normally takes around 6-8 weeks. The Immigration Department of HKSAR will take longer time during the summer peak season. Students are advised to submit visa application with all documents required within 3 weeks from the issuance date of the Admission Notification.

If you are admitted to one of our postgraduate programmes, the Graduate School will assist you to apply for a student visa/entry permit from the Immigration Department of HKSAR. A visa handling fee (HK$450) is required. Settle the payment by credit card at the Online Application System for Postgraduate Programmes. Please visit Visa and Related Matters for Non-local Students for details.

It normally takes 6-8 weeks for the Immigration Department of HKSAR to process visa applications upon receipt of the duly completed application forms, supporting documents and the payment.

Students from the Mainland should allow for at least 2 additional weeks to apply for the Exit-entry Permit for Traveling to and from Hong Kong and Macao (EEP) 《來往港澳通行證》 and Relevant Exit Endorsement 《相關赴港簽注》 from the Public Security Bureau Office 《戶口所在地公安機關出入境管理部門》 where your household registration is kept, before departure to Hong Kong. Visit the website of the Immigration Department of HKSAR for more information.

You may download the list of supporting documents here.

Students of full-time research postgraduate programmes who have been awarded a Postgraduate Studentship (PGS) can use the Letter of Award of the studentship as financial proof for applying for a student visa. Please make a copy of the Letter of Award as a supporting document.

For students of taught postgraduate programmes, the amount on your financial proof should be enough to support your living and study in Hong Kong.

For students of research postgraduate programmes, you may send the student visa application materials to the Graduate School directly.

For students of taught postgraduate programmes, you may send the student visa application materials to the Graduate Division concerned. Please visit the relevant individual programme pages for contact details.

You may check your student visa application status at the Online Application System for Postgraduate Programmes.

You should present your visa/entry permit label at the Immigration Counter when you arrive Hong Kong. You will be issued a landing slip which bears your English name, travel document number, arrival date, conditions and limit of stay in Hong Kong. Please present this landing slip together with your visa label and travel document when registering at CUHK.