Undergraduate and Postgraduate Programmes

For the 2025–26 academic year, the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) offers around 40 undergraduate majors and well over a hundred research postgraduate and taught postgraduate programmes, spread across the four Schools of Science, Engineering, Business and Management, and Humanities and Social Science, plus the Academy of Interdisciplinary Studies. This article lists the programmes school by school, then unpacks the admissions tracks and JUPAS codes, the flagship interdisciplinary programmes that were the first of their kind in Hong Kong, the new Extended Majors and the Division of Arts and Machine Creativity launched in 2025, and finally tuition fees and enrolment figures. Sources are the University's programme catalogue (prog-crs.hkust.edu.hk)^※ and the official pages of the respective schools.

For the origins of the school system and the four-year curriculum, see Overview of the Schools^※ and Academic System and Curriculum: The Four-Year Reform, Common Core and Grading^※; for the elevation of the Academy of Interdisciplinary Studies (AIS) and its incubation structure, see The Academy of Interdisciplinary Studies (AIS) and the Division of Public Policy^※.

---

# 1. Undergraduate Programmes

Undergraduate teaching at HKUST is run by the four Schools plus the Academy of Interdisciplinary Studies, with about forty majors in total. The list below is organised by School, with degree types and programme codes included for cross-referencing against the official catalogue; inter-school joint programmes (such as RMBI and Mathematics and Economics) are listed under the School that hosts them. For the size, faculty and research strengths of the four Schools, see Overview of the Schools^※.

# 1.1 School of Science

The School of Science is built around four departments — Chemistry, Mathematics, Physics and Ocean Science — plus the Division of Life Science. Its undergraduate majors run from the traditional basic sciences into cross-disciplinary areas such as biomedical sciences, ocean technology and data and artificial intelligence, and it co-offers a number of inter-school programmes with the School of Business and Management, the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, and the Department of Economics. For the School's orientation and research strengths in depth, see In Depth: School of Science^※.

Joint programmes offered by the School:

---

# 1.2 School of Engineering

The School of Engineering is the largest teaching unit at HKUST. Its majors span six departments — chemical, civil, computer, electronic, industrial and mechanical and aerospace engineering — and in 2025 it added a new undergraduate major in artificial intelligence (BEng in AI), while rolling out Extended Majors in AI, sustainability and other areas across most engineering programmes. For the differences in admissions tracks and research emphasis across the departments, see In Depth: School of Engineering^※.

---

# 1.3 School of Business and Management

The Business School admits through one broad "Business and Management" admissions category; students then channel into accounting, economics, finance, information systems, management, marketing, operations and related directions. It also offers a number of BSc programmes of a more quantitative or cross-disciplinary bent, such as Economics and Finance, Quantitative Finance, and Sustainable and Green Finance. For the School's international accreditations, rankings and graduate employment performance, see In Depth: School of Business and Management^※.

---

# 1.4 School of Humanities and Social Science

The School of Humanities and Social Science keeps its undergraduate side deliberately small and specialist. Its two flagship majors — Global China Studies (GCS) and Quantitative Social Analysis (QSA) — are both built on the idea of "studying real-world problems with social-science methods", and the latter pushes data-analysis training down into the undergraduate years. For the School's academic lineage and representative faculty, see In Depth: School of Humanities and Social Science^※.

---

# 1.5 Academy of Interdisciplinary Studies (AIS)

The Academy of Interdisciplinary Studies (AIS) houses the cross-disciplinary programmes that "belong to no single School" — the experience-based ISD/IDT, the five-year Technology and Management double degree, a self-designed personalised interdisciplinary major, and the sustainability-oriented Environmental Management and Technology programme. AIS was elevated from an office into a school-level unit in 2023; for how that happened, see The Academy of Interdisciplinary Studies (AIS) and the Division of Public Policy^※.

---

# 2. Admissions Tracks and JUPAS Codes

The short answer: HKUST undergraduates are admitted mainly through JUPAS, the joint admissions system for HKDSE students, and every admissions unit carries a "JS" code. The granularity of division differs by School — the School of Science and the Business School mostly use "School / broad-category admission with later major declaration", the School of Engineering moved in 2025 to a dual track of "school-based entry plus department-based entry", while interdisciplinary programmes carry their own codes and usually require an interview.

HKUST continues its tradition of "School-based admission with no major declaration in Year 1"^※: most students enter through a broad category, spend Year 1 on the Common Core and foundational courses, and only then choose a major. On a JUPAS application form, this shows up as a mix of broad-category codes and specialised codes.

School of Science and School of Humanities and Social Science (broad categories running alongside specialised codes). The Science School's main entry points are the two broad categories "Science (Group A)" JS5102 and "Science (Group B)" JS5103^※, plus the "Science (Group A) with Extended Major in AI" JS5181; some programmes such as Biomedical and Health Sciences (JS5118) are listed separately. The inter-school joint programmes each have their own code: Mathematics and Economics JS5813, Risk Management and Business Intelligence JS5814, Biotechnology and Business JS5811, and Sustainable and Green Finance JS5822. In the Humanities and Social Science School, Global China Studies is JS5411 and Quantitative Social Analysis is JS5412.

School of Business and Management (one broad category, mostly). The Business School admits through the single broad category "Business and Management" JS5300^※, with students choosing among accounting, economics, finance, information systems, management, marketing, operations management, global business and the like after enrolment; the more quantitative BSc streams — Economics and Finance (JS5331), Quantitative Finance (JS5332) — carry separate codes. This "enter first, choose later" design matches the Business School's emphasis on cross-functional perspectives; for a closer look, see In Depth: School of Business and Management^※.

School of Engineering (dual track from 2025). Engineering previously admitted through a single broad "School of Engineering" category. From the 2025–26 academic year it switched to a dual track of "School track plus Department track"^※: the broad school category remains, but students can now apply directly to one of six departments — Chemical and Biological Engineering JS5220, Civil and Environmental Engineering JS5230, Computer Science and Engineering JS5240, Electronic and Computer Engineering JS5250, Industrial Engineering and Decision Analytics JS5260, and Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering JS5270 — with Computer Engineering JS5212 and "Engineering with Extended Major in AI" JS5282 listed separately. Students who want to lock in a department early take the department track; those who want room to explore take the school track. For how the Engineering departments differ in orientation, see In Depth: School of Engineering^※.

Interdisciplinary programmes and double degrees (own codes plus interviews). Innovation, Design and Technology is JS5711, Environmental Management and Technology is JS5812, and the Technology and Management Dual Degree (T&M-DDP) is JS5901. The last of these, capped at 35 students per cohort with a compulsory interview^※, is one of the most competitive undergraduate exits on campus. Non-JUPAS routes (international baccalaureate, A-Levels, mainland gaokao results, associate degree articulation, etc.) run on separate admissions tracks and do not occupy JUPAS codes.

---

# 3. Flagship Programmes in Detail

# 3.1 Risk Management and Business Intelligence (RMBI)

The BSc in Risk Management and Business Intelligence (RMBI) was launched in 2009 as Hong Kong's first undergraduate degree combining risk management with business intelligence^※, and is jointly supported by the School of Business and Management, the School of Engineering and the School of Science.

The curriculum is built around four blocks: integrated risk management and business intelligence; financial investment and accounting; risk assessment and modelling; and business intelligence tools and technologies^※. There is also an academic option in financial technology ("FinTech") for students who want to deepen their expertise in that area.

A "4+1" double-degree articulation pathway (BSc RMBI + MSc FinTech)^※ lets high-performing RMBI students complete both the bachelor's degree and the Master of Science in FinTech within five years, saving up to 40% of the master's tuition.

---

# 3.2 Innovation, Design and Technology (IDT) / Integrated System and Design (ISD)

The BSc in Innovation, Design and Technology (IDT) is run by the Division of Integrated System and Design (ISD), established in 2017 under the Academy of Interdisciplinary Studies (AIS)^※. Features of the programme:

• Teaching approach: fully team-based and project-based learning^※, with students working on real engineering and design projects from Year 1
• Interdisciplinary blend: engineering, design thinking, systems analysis and entrepreneurship
• Application areas: robotics, medical and biological applications, sustainable energy, smart materials and urban systems
• Hong Kong's first undergraduate programme built primarily around experiential learning^※

---

# 3.3 Technology and Management Dual Degree (T&M-DDP)

The BEng/BSc & BBA Dual Degree Program in Technology and Management (T&M-DDP) was Hong Kong's first dual-degree undergraduate programme^※, JUPAS code JS5901. It runs for five years and on completion awards both a Bachelor of Engineering/Bachelor of Science (in an engineering or science major) and a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA).

Engineering majors available: aerospace engineering, bioengineering, chemical engineering, civil engineering, computer engineering, computer science, decision analytics, electronic engineering, industrial engineering and engineering management, mechanical engineering; science majors available: biotechnology, and integrated system and design.

Only 35 students are admitted per year, and an interview is compulsory for applicants^※ — one of the most competitive undergraduate programmes at HKUST.

---

# 3.4 Ocean Science and Technology (OST)

The BSc in Ocean Science and Technology (OST) is offered by the Department of Ocean Science and was Hong Kong's first undergraduate degree in ocean science and technology^※. Its core areas are marine ecology, oceanography and ocean technology. Students may add the Extended Major in AI. HKUST is the only university in Hong Kong with on-campus marine research facilities (the Ocean Cannopus Research Facility, OCRF)^※, and OST students can use the water-based research platforms in nearby Clear Water Bay for fieldwork.

---

# 3.5 Extended Majors (Major + X): Embedding AI, Creativity and Sustainability into the Undergraduate Degree

The short answer: An Extended Major is not a standalone degree but a "Major + X" arrangement — on top of their existing engineering, business or science major, students complete a coherent cross-disciplinary module, and the degree certificate lists both the "major and the extended major". HKUST rolled this framework out from the 2025–26 academic year.

According to the School of Engineering, an Extended Major (also known as "Major + X") embeds emerging fields into traditional curricula, letting students apply innovative technologies within their own discipline rather than taking a separate degree^※. Three are currently available:

• Extended Major in Artificial Intelligence (Major + AI): permanent from 2025–26, covering most engineering majors plus science and business entry points (corresponding to codes such as JS5181 and JS5282);
• Extended Major in Digital Media and Creative Arts (Major + DMCA): driven by the Division of Emerging Interdisciplinary Areas, weaving creative arts and digital media into the major^※;
• Extended Major in Sustainability (Major + SUST): permanent from 2025–26, responding to demand for talent in the green transition.

Mechanically, Extended Majors allow multiple entry and exit paths — students can select one on admission, add one after declaring their major, or drop it any time before the first semester of their final year^※. The difference from a double major: a double major requires completing the full credit load of two complete majors, whereas an Extended Major is a lighter, more focused add-on module whose purpose is to broaden rather than to run in parallel. It is in the same spirit as the "broad foundation, cross-disciplinary" aim of HKUST's Common Core curriculum^※.

---

# 3.6 Division of Arts and Machine Creativity (AMC): Hong Kong's First "Arts × Technology" Academic Unit

HKUST has long been known for science, engineering and business — so its 2024 move into the humanities raised eyebrows. According to the University, the Division of Arts and Machine Creativity (AMC) was established in July 2024 as the first academic unit of its kind in Hong Kong^※, with four research threads: machine creativity, machine-assisted art practice, arts management, and critical studies of arts and machine creativity.

AMC's first cohort arrived in September 2025. In 2025–26 the Division launched four postgraduate programmes: taught MA and MFA degrees, plus research MPhil and PhD^※. At undergraduate level, AMC provides the core and elective courses in arts and machine creativity that underpin the Digital Media and Creative Arts Extended Major (Major + DMCA) discussed above. This new "arts plus technology" thread echoes the incubation logic of the Academy of Interdisciplinary Studies — background in The Academy of Interdisciplinary Studies (AIS) and the Division of Public Policy^※.

---

# 3.7 Newer Undergraduate Programmes: Green Finance, Biomedical Sciences and Data Science

HKUST's undergraduate landscape is not static. In recent years a cluster of new majors responding to the three big trends of "sustainability, health and data" have landed, several of them also waving the "Hong Kong first" flag.

Sustainable and Green Finance (BSc, JS5822). According to HKUST, this was Hong Kong's first sustainable and green finance undergraduate programme, first admitting students in Autumn 2022^※, jointly run by the School of Business and Management and the Division of Environment and Sustainability. The programme fuses finance with sustainability, covering ESG investing, green finance governance, sustainable supply chains, risk management and the circular economy^※, and targets the emerging talent gap in the global green transition. It is one of the newer members of HKUST's "inter-school joint programme" family, sharing the "two schools, its own code" design with RMBI and Mathematics and Economics.

Biomedical and Health Sciences (BSc, BMH, JS5118). BMH emphasises connecting foundational research knowledge with hands-on training in pre-clinical contexts, giving students exposure to omics technologies, computational analysis pipelines and disease-model construction, with an eye to accelerating drug and therapy discovery^※. One of its headline features is the articulation pathway: BMH graduates are prepared for postgraduate training in clinical medicine, genetic counselling and biomedical research, and it is an ideal undergraduate starting point for those intending to apply to HKUST's planned graduate-entry medical programme^※. This undergraduate-to-medicine pathway lines up directly with HKUST's medical school under preparation^※. Students can apply directly via JUPAS, or transfer in after a year in Science (Group B).

Data Science and Artificial Intelligence. The Data Analytics and AI (DASC) stream, Data Science and Technology (DSCT, jointly with the Department of Computer Science and Engineering) and others respond to the demand from data-intensive industries for interdisciplinary talent. Together with the new BEng in AI launched by the Engineering School in 2025 and the Extended Majors appearing across the curriculum, they make up HKUST's "AI woven through everything" undergraduate strategy. For admissions tracks and graduate destinations, cross-reference Undergraduate Admissions via JUPAS^※ and Graduate Outcomes and Employment^※.

---

# 4. Postgraduate Programmes

# 4.1 Research Postgraduate Programmes (MPhil / PhD)

Research postgraduate education is governed at the centre by the Fok Ying Tung Graduate School^※, which sets academic standards and handles admissions and degree conferral, while individual Schools and Divisions run the specific research and taught programmes. Research degrees (MPhil/PhD) sit at the heart of research training: students undertake original research under a supervisor and write a thesis. This is also the institutional fulcrum behind HKUST's identity as a research university with a relatively high postgraduate share. The main research programmes by School/Division are listed below. Note: MPhil places are normally filled only through the integrated MPhil-PhD track.

---

# 4.2 Taught Postgraduate Programmes (TPg)

Taught master's programmes are course-based, usually lasting one to two years, and serve two kinds of demand: working professionals seeking further study, and fresh graduates extending their education. They have been the main driver of growth in HKUST's postgraduate numbers over the past decade. The programmes concentrate in high-demand applied fields — artificial intelligence, big data, business analytics, fintech, information security — are mostly run directly by the Schools, and are priced at market rates, on a different funding logic from research degrees. The table below lists the main offerings by School; the complete catalogue is on the official site.

School of Science:

School of Engineering:

School of Business and Management (selected):

School of Humanities and Social Science:

Division of Public Policy:

---

# 4.3 MBA, EMBA and DBA Programmes

The Business School's executive and professional degrees are a pillar of its international reputation. The Kellogg-HKUST EMBA^※ has long ranked at or near the top of the Financial Times global EMBA ranking — it has taken the number-one spot multiple times — and is one of the School's brightest flagships. The full-time and part-time MBAs, the Digital MBA, the bilingual EMBA and the DBA then cover the progression from early-career professionals to senior executives, with the formats set out below.

---

# 5. Minor Programmes

HKUST undergraduates can add a number of minors alongside their major, offered by the Schools of Science, Engineering, Business and Management, and Humanities and Social Science, some of which are open to students from other Schools. A minor normally requires a set number of credits (on the order of six courses); upon completion it is recorded on the transcript. Minors are the lightest way to pick up a second interest outside the major without taking on the full credit load of a double major.

Minors offered by the School of Science^※ include: actuarial mathematics, astrophysics and cosmology, biotechnology, chemistry, environmental science, mathematics and physics.

Minors from the School of Engineering (available to non-engineering students) include: aeronautical engineering, big data technology, bioengineering, information technology, robotics and smart city.

The School of Business and Management and the School of Humanities and Social Science also offer minors in economics, finance, general business, social science and humanities for students from other Schools; an engineering student minoring in finance, or a business student picking up data-related courses, is a common combination on campus. Minors, Extended Majors and double majors form a three-step ladder from light to heavy "add-ons", letting students assemble their knowledge profile according to how much they want to commit. For the full minor catalogue by department, see Departments and Programme Distribution^※.

---

# 6. Tuition Fees and Scholarships

The short answer: for 2025–26, the undergraduate tuition for local students (UGC-funded places) is HK$44,500 per year, frozen for years; for non-local students it is HK$185,000 per year and rises cohort by cohort — to HK$215,000 in 2026–27.

According to the Academic Registry, undergraduate tuition for local students in 2025–26 is HK$44,500 per year, and HK$185,000 for non-local students; for the previous cohort (2024–25 entrants) the non-local rate was HK$170,000^※. Local tuition tracks the uniform level for UGC-funded places and has stayed unchanged for years; non-local tuition is banded by year of entry and rises with each successive cohort. HKUST's official admissions page adds that for 2026–27 the local rate will be adjusted to HK$47,000 per year, and the non-local rate to about HK$215,000 (roughly US$28,000)^※ — the upward march of non-local fees, band by band, is clear.

On accommodation, the official range for 2026–27 is HK$15,012–25,576 per residential year for local students and HK$19,162–33,462 for non-local students^※, depending on room type and hall. On scholarships, HKUST runs an admissions scholarship system for non-local and international talent (schemes such as the Beyond Academic Admissions Scholarship and the Global Learners Scholarship, among others); some can cover all or most of the tuition and even living costs. Specific amounts are assessed case-by-case on the applicant's record and background, and the official page lists plan names without publishing fixed sums. For the full picture of admissions rules and financial support, see the treatment of admissions tracks in Academic System and Curriculum^※.

---

# 7. Programme-scale Reference Figures

As of December 2025 (HKUST Facts & Figures)^※, the University had 11,765 undergraduates and 8,710 postgraduate students, for a total enrolled population of 20,475; in 2024–25, 6,902 students completed degree programmes^※ — comprising 2,587 undergraduates, 682 taught postgraduates and 3,633 research postgraduates. That enrolment base of roughly 20,000 underpins the teaching load of the forty-odd undergraduate majors and over a hundred postgraduate programmes listed above; and the roughly 60/40 split between undergraduate and postgraduate numbers reinforces HKUST's positioning as a research university with a comparatively large postgraduate share. For a side-by-side comparison of the Schools' sizes and faculty numbers, see Overview of the Schools^※.

---

# Further Reading

• Overview of the Schools^※ — size, rankings and character of the four Schools and the interdisciplinary units
• Academic System and Curriculum: The Four-Year Reform, Common Core and Grading^※ — the institutional underpinnings of admissions tracks, credits and grading
• The Academy of Interdisciplinary Studies (AIS) and the Division of Public Policy^※ — the incubation platform for ISD, EMIA and T&M
• Departments and Programme Distribution^※ — majors, minors and course details by department
• In Depth: School of Engineering^※ · In Depth: School of Business and Management^※ — how the two most popular Schools differ in orientation

---