University of Hong Kong

University-wide Areas of Study:

Arts: Art History/Fine Art/Global Creative Studies/Media Studies, Communications, Comparative Literature, Development Studies (Social Administration), East Asian Studies, Economics (extremely limited), English, Geography, Global Creative Industries, History, Journalism, Linguistics, Media Studies, Music, Philosophy, Political Science & Public Administration, Psychology, Religious Studies (Buddhism), Sociology, and Urban Studies (under Geography)
Cultural Studies: African Studies, American Studies, Modern China Studies, European Studies, Hong Kong Studies, Japanese Studies, Korean Studies. 
Languages: Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, and Thai.

Science: Actuarial Science, Biochemistry, Biological science, Chemistry, Computer Science, Earth Science, Ecology, Food & Nutritional Science, Geology, Math, Marine Biology, Molecular Biology, Physics, Plant Science, and Statistics

Engineering: Biomedical, Civil, Computer, Electrical, Environmental, Industrial/Manufacturing systems, and Mechanical

Social Work and Law is also available. 

Haskayne students, please refer to the Haskayne page.

Course Information:

Courses can be between 3-6 HK credits and a full course load is 30 credits per semester, though students may take a minimum of 24 credits and a maximum of 36. For course information please scroll down to academic information and choose "available courses by Faculty". Please note that students must choose more than 50% of their classes from one faculty. 

All courses are taught in English with the exception of classes in the Department of Chinese (course codes CHIN).

Student Tips: "The classes at HKU were a lot more creative in comparison to UCalgary, many external resources were utilized in order to explain theories or concepts. This meant field trips, tutorial meetings and many, many prestigious guest speakers."

The academic year is divided into two terms.

• First Term runs from early September to late December
• Second Term runs from early January to late May.

The non-exchange summer program is four weeks long from mid-June to Mid July. Two weeks are in Hong Kong and two weeks are in Shanghai. 

There are currently 13 halls of residence at HKU. All halls have common rooms and recreational facilities as well as quiet places for study. Accommodation is not guaranteed, but students who are not placed in university accommodation are eligible for the "Outside Accommodation Bursary Scheme."

Student Tip: Make sure to pack a small blanket or sweater for winter months, as heating/cooling can make things a bit chillier than expected, even if the climate is relatively temperate. 

Law Student Tip: "I elected to rent an Airbnb for the first month and then by the first week of September a spot in residence had opened up for me. I would encourage future students who are waitlisted for residence to take a similar approach and not commit to any housing off-campus long term, this is because there is a good chance that a spot in residence will open up eventually. Additionally, not committing to long-term off-campus housing will give students the opportunity to find longer-term off-campus accommodation in person in Hong Kong which is much easier to do and more reliable than trying to find a place online. I would also recommend that future students try to arrive in Hong Kong about a week before to explore the city and get settled before school starts."

This exchange is open to regular, full-time students in any faculty at UCalgary, who have completed at least 1 full year (10 courses) at the post-secondary level, with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5. 

Economics & Business students must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 (B). 
Law students students must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.2 (A-). 

For applicants from the UCalgary Faculty of Law, an academic reference letter is required. Please click here to view the reference letter guidelines & submission instructions. It must be submitted at the time of your application to UCalgary.

Haskayne Students:

Haskayne students at UCalgary can ONLY apply for this partner through Haskayne, and must meet the Haskayne requirements for exchange.

What supports or services are available at HKU?

The University of Hong Kong offers one of the best options in Hong Kong for students with mobility challenges, with a wheelchair-friendly campus and the CEDARS' SEN support office, it has a strong mandate for supporting students with accessibility needs. 

Students seeking accommodations can receive support from CEDARS' SEN support office.

What's special about Hong Kong and the University?

As the leading university in Hong Kong, HKU is ranked #26 in the world according to QS World Rankings 2018. 
HKU also prides itself on its smoke-free campus, being the first university in the world to join the #HeForShe UN initiative (promising to triple the number of female deans within the next 2 years so that 1 in 5 deans at HKU will be women), and for its prestige - only 1 in 12 student applications are accepted each year (thankfully this doesn't apply to exchange students!). 

All university campuses in Hong Kong prohibit smoking on campuses in accordance with Hong Kong law. 

Hong Kong is one of the world's most recognizable global metropolitan areas and provides a contrast between East and Western culture that is reflected in its rich culinary scene. The city holds records for having the most skyscrapers in the world, the world's longest life expectancy (at 86.7 years on average), the tallest outdoor bronze Buddha, the world's only exclusively double-decker tram system, and the largest permanent light & sound show - "A Symphony of Lights", to name a few. It's also ranked as the #1 student city to live in, in the world!

What resources are available for new students?

Student Tips: "Many food vendors and student clubs were widely available, they were much better and much more diverse than the ones at UofC."

"HKU is a beautiful campus built into a mountain. It has two components, the main campus is a bit older and the centennial campus was built recently. The law school is located in the centennial campus and is an excellent facility. The law library and the Chui Wah Learning Commons are great study spaces. The school is easily accessed by public transit. During my semester, the university was overhauling the food establishments on campus. I anticipate that once these are completed there will be pretty good affordable food options on campus for students. The neighbourhoods of Kennedy Town and Sai Ying Pun are close by and offer lots of good food as well. Western food; however, is generally much more expensive than local cuisine. There are several recreation facilities near the school. The Flora Ho sports centre has the basics of what you would need for a good workout; however, it is a small space and can be really busy at peak times.
Hong Kong is a great place for an exchange. It is one of the most densely populated places in the world. This density produces an exciting and unique city that never sleeps but it can also be overwhelming at times. A great way to get some relief from this density is to explore the great hiking and beaches all around the city. Certain things in Hong Kong, especially housing can be very expensive. However, public transit is amazing and affordable with a student “Octopus Card”. Hong Kong is also a world class food city. While many places are expensive, you can find great local cuisine which is very affordable.
The fall semester is a great time to visit Hong Kong. Most days were very sunny and warm without being overly hot. The exception to this was the end of August/beginning of September which were really hot, humid and rainy. Hong Kong might experience typhoons during this time. The city manages these storms very well, so just be sure to pay attention to the news and listen to the directions of the school in the event of a typhoon. While we were there, Typhoon Mangkhut had hit the city. However, the city manages these storms well and you are safe so long as you remain indoors until the storm passes."