Language of instruction
Founded in 1911, the University of Hong Kong is the oldest tertiary institution in Hong Kong. HKU is ranked as the best university in Hong Kong, 4th in Asia and 40th in the world. It attracts and nurtures global scholars through excellence in research, teaching and learning, and knowledge exchange.
Hong Kong lies on the coast of mainland China, and HKU’s campus is situated in the residential area of Pokfulam, on Hong Kong Island.
Semester dates
| UQ Semester | Host Semester | Dates |
| Semester 1 | Semester 2 (Spring) | January–May |
| Semester 2 | Semester 1 (Autumn) | August–December |
HKU is only available for a single semester exchange.
View the HKU academic calendar.
Guides and additional information
HKU has online resources to help get more from your exchange:
Campuses
HKU has 2 campus locations available to exchange students:
- Main campus
- Sassoon Road campus
Exchange deadlines
May 31 for Semester 1 of the following year.
October 31 for Semester 2 of the following year.
Student testimonials
- B. EngineeringSemester 1, 2018
I came out of this experience hardened, more independent and, strangely, more confident.
- B. Commerce / ArtsSemester 2, 2017
- B. ScienceSemester 2, 2015
Full-time study load
30 credits per semester at HKU is equivalent to 8 UQ units.
Minimum academic requirements
You will need a minimum cumulative GPA of 5.0 to study at HKU.
Law students will need a minimum cumulative GPA of 5.25 to study at HKU.
Find courses
Search the Credit Precedent Database to find courses offered by your host university that have been previously approved for credit at UQ. The database should be used as a general guide only.
Search the HKU course catalogue if courses do not appear in the database.
Study areas taught in English
Course restrictions
More than 50% of your course credits must be from 1 single faculty.
Law students can only select 1 course per semester from outside the Faculty of Law. All other courses must be from the Faculty of Law.
Only 1 exchange place is available for law students per semester. Law Students wishing to start their exchanges to HKU in either semester must apply to UQ Abroad by the October deadline.
Courses offered by the Faculty of Business and Economics are highly competitive. Students who are in their final year in particular should note that course enrolment is not guaranteed.
Final year project courses provided by all faculties are not open to exchange students.
All courses at HKU are taught in English, except courses offered by the School of Chinese, which are coded under CHIN.
Courses from the following programs are not available:
- Architecture
- Dentistry
- Exercise and Health Programs
- Medicine
- Clinical courses - including those offered by the Faculties of Dentistry, Education or Medicine.
Postgraduate level programs including MBA are not offered to exchange students.
Additional academic information
English taught Chinese language courses are available for exchange students, and results will be shown on the HKU official transcript. Chinese language courses offered from the Certificate in Chinese Language courses for foreign students are available at an additional cost.
HKU has online resources to help navigate their academic policies:
Exchange deadlines
May 31 for Semester 1 of the following year.
October 31 for Semester 2 of the following year.
Accommodation
HKU provides a range of accommodation options, including halls of residence, non-hall student housing and university-rented off-campus accommodation. All halls reserve a number of places for exchange students, but spaces cannot be guaranteed.
Cost of living
HKU provides an estimate of basic living costs for students in Hong Kong. Some additional costs you can expect to encounter include the Student Union fees and Caution money.
Financial support
A range of funding for student exchange including scholarships, grants and loans are available to UQ students.
Insurance
Students approved to participate in the Student Exchange Program are automatically covered by UQ’s Travel Insurance for the country of their host university only.
For more information, read the Student Travel Insurance Policy Summary on UQ’s Travel Insurance web page (login required).
If you plan to travel outside of your host country, you should purchase additional insurance.
It is strongly recommended you take out medical insurance for the duration of your exchange, however, it is not mandatory. Coverage should include provisions for emergency evacuation, rescuer's expenses and repatriation.
Exchange deadlines
May 31 for Semester 1 of the following year.
October 31 for Semester 2 of the following year.
Organise your visa
It is your responsibility to ensure you have the correct visa for the country where you will be studying. As UQ Abroad is not a visa-issuing authority we cannot provide visa advice.
HKU provides visa and immigration information for incoming exchange students.
Contact the Immigration Department of Hong Kong for more visa information.
Travel risk levels
The University of Queensland cannot and does not allow UQ Abroad students to travel to any country with a risk level of 3 (Reconsider your need to travel) or above, as assessed by the Australian Government.
If a country's risk level changes to 3 or above, UQ Abroad programs to that country are suspended until the risk level improves.
Find out the risk level and travel advice for your host country on the Smartraveller website.
Register your travel plans
We recommend that you register your travel plans on the Smartraveller website so that the Australian Government can contact you or your family in an emergency.
Non-Australian citizens should register with their closest consulate.
Exchange deadlines
May 31 for Semester 1 of the following year.
October 31 for Semester 2 of the following year.