Program
No, you will be asked to state your preferred option only after the program commences.
Each class runs for 3.5 hours. A two-credit course comprises eight classes. As there is usually one class per week for each course, it generally takes 8 weeks (including an examination in the final week) to complete a two-credit course.
Full-time MBA
We have one intake each year. The program orientation for all incoming students starts in August. Non-credit-bearing online accelerators start in July.
Candidates should start their applications in September for the following year’s intake.
Part-time MBA
We have one intake for the Part-time MBA Program (Weekly Mode) and one intake for the Part-time MBA Program (Bi-Weekly Mode) each year.
The program orientation for all incoming students starts in August. Non-credit-bearing online accelerators start in July.
Candidates should start their applications in September for the following year’s intake.
Digital MBA for Global Leaders (DiMBA)
We have one intake for the Digital MBA for Global Leaders program (DiMBA), which normally commences in February.
Classes are mainly held on HKUST Clearwater Bay campus except weekday evenings which are usually held in downtown (Central or Admiralty). Class schedule, venue and delivery mode are subject to change and actual situations.
Full-time MBA
Core courses are held weekly on weekday mornings or afternoons. Electives are mainly scheduled on a weekly basis on weekday evenings or weekends and may be shared among Full-time, Part-time and exchange students.
Part-time MBA
Part-time MBA Program (Weekly Mode) core courses are mainly held weekly on Saturday mornings and afternoons. Electives are mainly scheduled on a weekly basis on weekday evenings or weekends and may be shared among Full-time, Part-time and exchange students.
Part-Time MBA Program (Bi-Weekly Mode) core courses and electives are mainly held in the daytime on alternate weekends (both Saturday and Sunday). Some electives may be held in the evenings on Friday, Saturday or weekdays.
Typical hours of each class session are as follows:
- Weekday daytime: 09:30-13:00; 14:00-17:30
- Saturday daytime: 09:00-12:30; 14:00-17:30 (weekly pattern) 09:30-13:00; 14:00-18:00 (bi-weekly pattern)
- Sunday daytime: 09:00-12:30; 14:00-17:30
- Weekday and Saturday evening:19:00-22:30
Digital MBA for Global Leaders (DiMBA)
Core courses are normally held on Saturdays from 9:00 am to 1:30 pm. Electives are arranged on weekday evenings after 7:00 pm or on weekends during the day.
Yes, but credits for exempted courses have to be replaced by electives. Some courses can be exempted for students who have obtained certain qualifications and can provide proof such as professional certificates, transcripts and syllabuses of courses taken. The content and level of previous courses should be equivalent to those of the exempted courses and satisfactory grades must have been achieved.
We do not encourage students to extend the length of their study. However, we do offer study extensions for students who cannot complete the program within the defined timeframe because of other life or work commitments. All students must complete the whole program within 5 years.
Campus Life
There is no accommodation available on campus. Many students find it convenient to rent an apartment in neighboring areas such as Tseung Kwan O and Hang Hau, around 10–15 minutes ride from the Clear Water Bay main campus. Living in the city gives students the chance to interact with the local community and gain first-hand experience of the local culture.
For more information on finding accommodation in Hong Kong, please visit HKUST OFF-CAMPUS HOUSING.
Our campuses can be easily accessed in Hong Kong. Our Clear Water Bay main campus is just a 10-minute ride from the Hang Hau MTR station.
We also have a downtown campus in the Hong Kong Club Building located next to the Central MTR station exit.
Learn more about transportation to our main campus HERE.
No parking spaces are available for students on the Clear Water Bay main campus. We recommended that you travel to the campus via public transportation or share a taxi with your classmates.
Yes, we can provide students with the contact details of real estate agents that have helped students to locate off-campus accommodation in the past.
We strongly recommend that students have their own laptops. There are, however, several computer barns on campus equipped with more than 100 computers. Students can join the laptop scheme on campus to purchase a laptop at a discounted price (subject to vendor's availability), although there will be a delay before the product can be collected.
In general, no accommodation is included for Part-time MBA (Weekly and Bi-Weekly modes) students.
For Bi-Weekly mode students, on-campus accommodation for the alternate weekend is available for booking at the students’ own expense (subject to actual availability). Complimentary transportation between selected border locations and HKUST Campus will be provided to Bi-Weekly program students.
Our campuses can be easily accessed by working professionals in Hong Kong. The Clear Water Bay main campus is just a 10-minute ride from the Hang Hau MTR station. We also have a downtown campus in the Hong Kong Club Building, located next to the Central MTR station exit. Weekday evening classes and career/networking activities are conducted there to allow part-time students to attend conveniently after work.
Careers
The career support provided for Part-time MBA students focuses on strengthening the business and management skills required to accelerate career progression. Part-time MBA students can attend professional workshops and consultations with external career coaches.
The importance of Chinese language ability varies between jobs, depending on the scope of responsibilities. Regional roles that require frequent interaction with overseas markets do not necessarily require Chinese language skills. However, positions that are mainland China-related or have a strong focus on the local market often require fluency in Cantonese or Putonghua. The ability to speak Chinese in addition to English is a definite advantage for many MBA-suitable jobs and roles in Hong Kong.
Please click HERE for more information on career services.
Exchange Program
The opportunity to undertake an exchange program is open to all in-person MBA students. All exchange program offerings and arrangements, including but not limited to the number of exchange seats, format, and duration, are subject to change and availability year by year. Student applications for exchange will be assessed in terms of their academic and personal qualities.
Students continue to pay HKUST tuition fees for the credits they take at exchange schools. Other expenses incurred during the exchange, such as flights, accommodation, and living expenses, are borne by students.
Admissions
A satisfactory GMAT score is generally required for admission to our MBA programs. This score helps us assess applicants' academic suitability for an international MBA program in a standardized manner, considering their diverse educational backgrounds and work experiences. Extensive research also shows that the GMAT score consistently predicts how well an applicant will handle MBA studies.
Part-time MBA applicants (Weekly, Bi-Weekly and Digital MBAs) with more than 7 years of full-time work experience are eligible to apply for a GMAT waiver, which is subject to approval.
If you have already completed your GRE exam and have a valid score from the past 5 years, you are welcome to submit the report.
For DiMBA applicants, please email us at dimba@ust.hk.
For your reference, the majority of our applicants submit GMAT scores, which is an indication of their focus on business school programs.
We do not have a minimum score requirement on GMAT / GRE. As a point of reference, the average GMAT and GRE scores of students in our different programs are as follows:
- Full-time MBA Program: GMAT – 660; GRE – 322
- Part-time MBA Program (Weekly Mode): GMAT – 625; GRE – 320
- Part-time MBA Program (Bi-Weekly Mode): GMAT – 600; GRE – 320
- Digital MBA for Global Leaders Program: GMAT – 610; GRE – 320
A TOEFL/IELTS/Duolingo English Test (DET) score is required if your first language is not English or English was not the medium of instruction in your undergraduate or postgraduate studies.
For requirements on TOEFL/IELTS, please refer to the English Language Requirements session on HKUST Fok Ying Tung Graduate School website.
For DET, the minimum required score is 125.
We take into account any full-time work experience up to July 1 of the year in which the student’s MBA will commence.
No. Our aim is to bring together a group of qualified participants with diverse backgrounds. We do not favor any particular academic training or work experience.
Your GMAT result is valid for 5 years prior to the commencement of study.
All shortlisted candidates are required to attend an interview, which is usually conducted online. In-person interviews can be arranged upon request. Phone interviews will not be accommodated. Normally, each candidate participates in one panel interview.
You are required to complete the application form and upload your supporting documents by the application deadline. This process should take about 30 – 40 minutes.
During the application stage, only scanned copies of the supporting documents are needed. Please ensure each scanned document is under 1 MB. If you pass the admissions interview, you will need to provide original official documents and/or true copies certified by the issuing authorities with an official imprint and signature.
If your GMAT/GRE and/or English test scores (if applicable) are not yet available when you are making your application, simply indicate when your test scores will be available to proceed to submit your application. You can leave out those documents for now and upload them as soon as they are available.
Access our online application portal HERE.
Applicants who are shortlisted for interview will typically be notified within 1-2 weeks of deadline. Admissions decision are communicated to applicants typically no later than 4 weeks after the application deadline and earlier if you submit in advance of the deadline.
After submitting your application form, our admission committee will review your application. You will be invited to attend an admission interview if you are being shortlisted.
You can submit your application first and indicate your scheduled test date in the application form. You should take your GMAT and/or English test within a month of the application.
An unofficial GMAT score report is made available immediately after the test and should be emailed to our office for reference.
Work references can be written by people for or with whom you have previously worked to give the Admissions Committee insights into your work experience and your personal and professional qualities and attributes, such as communication skills, teamwork, leadership, and confidence. A referee should know you well enough to attest to your work performance and personal and professional qualities. A sample reference form (in PDF format) is provided for your reference.
All reference forms should be submitted online. Paper reference forms/letters will not be accepted. You will be asked to provide the names and contact details of your referees in your online application, after which the application system will automatically send an email to each of your referees and ask them to fill out an online reference form. You can check the status of your references in the application system once you have completed the application form and submitted the application fee.
If you completed your degree in Europe, you may be required to provide a diploma supplement issued by your university. A diploma supplement is an official document accompanying a higher education diploma that provides details of the nature and content of the qualification and the results obtained. Please refer to https://europa.eu/europass/en/diploma-supplement for details.
Your curriculum vitae (CV) serves as the first impression, highlighting your expertise, qualifications, and motivation to pursue an MBA. It sets you apart from other applicants and is crucial for your MBA application.
Financial Aid
The total program fee for the 2025 intake is HK$600,000 (approx. US$76,930).
Successful applicants who accept an offer are required to pay a non-refundable deposit of HK$65,000 (approx. US$8,300), which will be offset against their outstanding program fee. The remainder of the fee is then paid in two installments. The first installment is due in September when the program commences and the second is due the following February. The exact payment schedule will be provided upon admission.
Part-time MBA Program (Weekly Mode): HK$490,000
Part-time MBA Program (Bi-Weekly Mode): HK$490,000
- Accommodation for the alternate weekend will be at the students’ own expense.
- Complimentary transportation between selected border locations and HKUST Campus will be provided to Bi-Weekly program students.
This covers tuition, textbooks and course materials for core courses (excluding course materials for electives), as well as certain enrichment activities.
Successful applicants who accept an offer are required to pay a non-refundable deposit of HK$65,000, which will be offset against their outstanding program fee.
The remainder of the program fee is paid in two installments. The first installment is due in September when the program commences and the second is due in the following September. The exact payment schedule will be provided upon admission.
The program fee for DiMBA Intake 2025 is HK$490,000.
A successful applicant who accepts an offer to the program is required to pay a non-refundable deposit of HK$65,000, which will be offset against their outstanding program fee.
The remainder of the program fee is paid in two installments (the exact payment schedule will be announced upon admission).
Please click HERE for more information on Scholarships and Financial Aid.
Local students can apply to the government’s non-means tested loan and Continuing Education Fund. The latter scheme offers a reimbursement of up to HK$25,000 to eligible candidates.
Students from Company Nomination Scheme (CNS) participating companies and organizations can apply for an allowance. Reach out to us at mba@ust.hk to check if your company participates in the Company Nomination Scheme. To obtain the allowance, eligible candidates must fill in the online application form and provide a recommendation letter (sample) from their company’s human resource department or equivalent. For successful candidates, the allowance will be deducted from the tuition fee and generally in your second instalment. Please note the CNS allowance policy is subject to change every year.
Students from Company Nomination Scheme (CNS) participating companies and organizations can apply for an allowance. Reach out to us at mba@ust.hk to check if your company participates in the Company Nomination Scheme. To obtain the allowance, eligible candidates must fill in the online application form and provide a recommendation letter (sample) from their company’s human resource department or equivalent. For successful candidates, the allowance will be deducted from the tuition fee and generally in your second instalment. Please note the CNS allowance policy is subject to change every year.
