The University of Hong Kong, Faculty of Arts

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Fall: 2, Spring: 2

Fall Semester: Early September - Late December
Spring Semester: Mid-January - Late May

We recommend going in the Spring semester, since university housing is more readily available then.

All courses are in English, except for those offered in the Department of Chinese.

There can be differences per faculty, but in general the first digit of a course code will indicate the level. I.e. 1xxx is an elementary course, whereas 6xxx and up is a course for graduate students. For an overview of the courses available to exchange students, see here. 

A full course load of one semester at HKU is normally worth 30 credits, which equals the 30 ECTS you’d have to take at UC. 

For most up to date information on the conversion, please see the credit conversion table

The grade system is the same as UCU's.

Student residences and housing are called "halls" in HKU. There are at present thirteen halls, which vary considerably in size and character. The halls are principally for undergraduate students, who’ll get a furnished single room and share bathroom facilities. More information here.

One semester in a residence hall costs between HK$ 9000- 25000 (€1000 to 2300). An (often compulsory, but depending on your residence) meal plan will cost between €400-700.

Estimated living costs can be found here

At the beginning of every semester, a day-long orientation for exchange students is organized. It will usually be held on the last Friday before school starts and includes cultural adjustment sessions, a library tour and a city tour.

More information about Orientation activities.

HKU has about 30,000 students, of which almost a third are international. It is located on Hong Kong Island, close to central Hong Kong. It has extensive campus facilities including sports facilities such as a pool, as well as counseling and health facilities. 

There are over 100 student clubs on the campus that engage in a wide range of social, cultural, academic and sports activities. Read more about them here. 

Hong Kong is primarily a modern city located on a number of islands off the coast of China. It has 7.5 million inhabitants and is one of the most densely populated places in the world. Hong Kong has a subtropical climate. It has warm and humid summers with frequent thunder storms, but temperatures can reach 10 degrees Celsius in winter. It also experiences typhoons between May and November. 

You can find general tourist information here. 

When you go to Hong Kong University, you’ll be free to choose any course at the Arts Faculty and other faculties that you like, although some courses are very popular and might very soon be full. Usually, exchange students will be placed to live in international halls. You might have to share a room and be prepared for rules that are a bit stricter than what you’re used to. (Guests are usually not allowed overnight, etc.). On-campus housing is, however, to be preferred over living off-campus, as this is very expensive. For the rest, the costs for your stay will be relatively low as most teachers don’t ask you to buy books and the on-campus rent is quite low. Students are enthusiastic about the city of Hong Kong and the surrounding area, and mention that it is an ideal location from which to travel to other places in Asia.

Click here to read more about student experiences.

Selection was necessary in the past few years.

You are advised not to place this exchange destination as a second or third choice.