About
City University of Hong Kong (CityU) is one of the top public research universities in Hong Kong SAR. Centrally located in the heart of the city, CityU boasts an all-English, innovative curricula for cross-disciplinary research and professional education, world-class faculty, and an excellent network of student services.
CityU's culturally diverse campus welcomes 7,000+ non-local students from 80+ countries/regions, and the institution also maintains a portfolio of 400+ exchange partner institutions in 40+ countries/regions that allow for 1,200 exchange students to be welcomed annually.
Consult CityU on QS World Rankings to learn more about their current world ranking and academic reputation in different subject areas.
Location
Hong Kong is one of the most vibrant cosmopolitan cities in the world. It is a leading international financial centre and ranks number one in the world for economic freedom. With its safe and convenient living environment, Hong Kong is a great place for education and career development. The city is ideally located a 4-hour flight from the key financial markets in the Asian region, and 5 hours from half the world’s population.
Not only is Hong Kong famous for its endless skyscrapers, it is also a place of great natural beauty, where people can go hiking in the magnificent countryside, relax on pristine beaches, and visit any of the charming outlying islands. The city is fast-paced and exciting with over 7.5 million people. In this thriving East-meets-West metropolis, western life style mingles with ancient Chinese culture, and old traditions co-exist with the new.
Level of competitiveness
Competitive ** (anticipated)
The level of competitiveness (Less competitive * / Competitive ** / Very competitive ***) refers to one's chances of being allocated an exchange space at this partner. This is an approximation determined by the number of applications received for this destination during the last academic year versus the total number of exchange spaces available to Queen Mary students.
Academic Calendar
Note: Orientation takes place one week before the semester begins. Exact details per academic year can be found here.
| |
Fall Semester |
Spring Semester |
Summer Term |
| Teaching |
Early Sep – End Nov |
Mid-Jan – Late Apr |
Early Jun – Late Jul |
| Revision |
First week of Dec |
Late Apr – Early May |
Late Jul – Early Aug |
| Exam |
Early Dec – Mid-Dec |
Early May – Late May |
Early Aug – Mid-Aug |
Courses and restrictions
Important: Queen Mary students studying on exchange at CityU must take a minimum of 50% of their modules from one department.
Restrictions: this destination is not available to any Queen Mary student from the Faculty of Science and Engineering.
CityU provides over 130 programmes to students through its 28 academic departments, and 9 Colleges and Schools. Course offerings may change from semester to semester without prior notice.
Course codes starting with 1, 2, 3 or 4 (e.g., GE 1111, CS2114, AIS2012, MA4152) are undergraduate courses.
Please visit CityU's webpage for a detailed course list and the latest information.
Credits
Students need to register for four courses per semester (12-16 credits in total).
Queen Mary students who are made a Conditional offer of exchange for CityU will (as part of the partner's application/nomination process) be asked to make a selection of 10 courses.
Find out more about credit transfer and grade conversion.
Queen Mary student feedback
Blog posts on Queen Mary Global Bloggers
Instagram takeovers
Accommodation
Among the wide variety of housing options in Hong Kong, students have options to choose from to find one that suits their living style and needs. Students may choose to live on-campus which is conveniently walkable to the university, or to have a taste of the local life through living off-campus. Learn more about accommodation options for exchange students at CityU.
Important: on-campus housing cannot be guaranteed, therefore nominated Queen Mary exchange students should apply as soon as given the opportunity to maximise their chances of securing housing.
Cost of living
City University of Hong Kong provides information on the cost of living as a student here. You can find more general, up-to-date information about the cost of living in Hong Kong here.
Living expenses can vary depending on individual lifestyle, especially in Jong Kong where renting private accommodation can be as (if not more) expensive than renting privately in London. Please consult the estimated minimum and maximum cost of living figures for this destination country available in our “Estimated Costs of Living” document available on our Finance page.
Important: Students considering to live and study in Hong Kong must be realistic about financial matters, this being one of the most expensive cities in the world. In the decision-making process, Queen Mary students must calculate their forecasted budget with confirmed funding to which they will have access against the rising cost of living.
Support services
Please consult the Student Development Services' website for a comprehensive summary of available support. Additionally, please consult the below dedicated webpages:
As a current Queen Mary student you will be able to find a summary sheet for this partner university on our QMplus page, with an overview of the local student support services available on the following topics: specific learning differences, physical impairments, sensory impairments, long term medical conditions, autism spectrum conditions, mental health and wellbeing difficulties, special accommodation provision, non-emergency health care, emergency services, harassment and trauma and suicide prevention.
Student and campus life
CityU is home to over 7,000 non-local students from over 80 countries/regions. Conscious efforts have been made to enhance student integration and help exchange students gain the best out of their learning experience at CityU. At CityU, exchange students have access to:
- Pre-arrival support
- Student visa assistance
- Peer support and buddy programme for exchange students by the International Friends Club (IFC)
- Orientation programmes
- Academic advising
- Counselling services
- On-campus medical centre
- Cross-cultural integration activities like Cantonese class by Global Mixer(G-mixer)
- Activities organised by non-local student associations, sports clubs and student chapters
- Off-campus accommodation information and support
Learn more here about student life at CityU.
