Documents to Support an Application

Please read the following carefully and you are strongly advised to submit the required documents to the Graduate School on or before the application deadline. The reviewer(s) will consider your application based on the information and documents submitted and it is your responsibility to provide accurate and sufficient information. Documents/information submitted/uploaded after the deadline may not be considered. For applicants who wish to apply for admission to the Hong Kong Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences, please note that part of the supporting documents should be submitted to the Institute directly. Please click here for details.

The University views any act of plagiarism as of the utmost seriousness and it is a form of academic misdemeanour that the University will not tolerate. The University, when appropriate, will conduct a plagiarism check on the research proposal (for all applicants), proposed research plan and vision statement (for HKPF applicants) submitted. The result of the plagiarism check will be taken into consideration when the Department, Faculty and Graduate School review the application. The application may be deemed unsuccessful if plagiarised materials are identified in the application.

To ensure successful uploading of the supporting documents onto the system, the files should be in PDF or JPEG format. The uploading function is best operated with Internet Explorer 6.0. A maximum total file size of 50MB is allowed for each application and each file should not exceed 1.5 MB in size. In order to support the University's environmental friendly initiatives, documents uploaded to the system should NOT be delivered to the Graduate School by post in duplicate. If it is required that official copy of the documents should be sent to the Graduate School direct (e.g. the official score reports of English language proficiency tests, GMAT/GRE etc.), please make the request to the organization concerned as soon as possible.

1. Certificates and complete transcripts of undergraduate and postgraduate studies
   
   Please upload official certificates and complete official transcripts of your undergraduate and postgraduate studies. The back side of the transcript(s) should also be provided if it contains information on the grading system. Documents which are not in English should be accompanied by a formally translated version in English. If it is the policy of your institution that the transcript should remain confidential, please request your institution to send it directly to the HKU Graduate School.
   
   For current undergraduate or postgraduate students: it is to your advantage to let us have a photocopy of the interim transcript showing the results of courses you have so far completed.
   
   For qualifications obtained from HKU (except HKU SPACE): Certified certificates and official transcripts are not required. If you are a graduate, you are requested to upload a photocopy of the transcript; if you are a current student, you are requested to upload a photocopy of the printout of your examination results from the Student Information System (SIS) or your examination result slips.
   
   If you need to do the calculation of the GPA / Average Mark / Average Grade by using the template provided in the Online Application System, please convert the file(s) to PDF format and upload the file(s) as supporting document for verification. Your application may not be considered if you failed to do so.
2. Statement of research interest or research proposal
   
   Please upload a statement of research interest or a research proposal in PDF format according to the requirements of the Faculty and programme for which you will apply. Please click here for details. In general, a statement of research interest should include your reasons for undertaking graduate work at HKU while a research proposal should include the background, the objectives and the methodology/approach you propose to take in studying the subject matter.
3. Two academic referee's reports
   
   Please invite two academics who are familiar with your academic achievements to complete the academic referee's report form and send it directly to the Graduate School by post. Alternatively, you may request the referees to return the referee's report to you in a signed and sealed envelope, and send the unopened envelopes to the HKU Graduate School.
   
   The Research Grants Council (RGC) requires that HKPF applicants must use the designated referee report forms for the Scheme. Please download the right version of referee report forms here:
   
   
   Applicants for HKPF - RGC designated referee report form: (doc format)
   
   Other Applicants - HKU referee report form (pdf format / doc format)
4. Official score report of one of the following English language proficiency tests
   (for applicants from institutions outside HK where the language of instruction and examination is not entirely in English).
   
   The English language proficiency requirements of different faculties are detailed as follows:
   
   

   • Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) (taken within a two-year period) (Institution code: 9671; Department code: 99)

     Paper-based test	- An overall score of 550 or above - Additional requirement for applicants to the Faculty of Arts except the School of Chinese and the Centre of Buddhist Studies: 4 or above in the Test of Written English (TWE)
     Internet-based test	- An overall score of 80 or above - Additional requirement for applicants to the Faculty of Arts except the School of Chinese and the Centre of Buddhist Studies: 25 or above in the Writing section

   (Note: Applicants who took the TOEFL should request the Educational Testing Service (ETS) to send an official score report to the University direct. Original or certified copy of the Examinee's score record will not be accepted.)

   • International English Language Testing System (IELTS) (taken within a two-year period)
     Faculty of Arts except the Centre of Buddhist Studies : Band 7 with no subtest lower than 5.5
     Other Faculties: Band 6 with no subtest lower than 5.5
   • TOEFL/IELTS score report cannot be substituted by CET-6/TEM-8
   • Overseas General Certificate of Education (GCE)
   • International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE)
   • Cambridge Test of Proficiency in English Language (CPE)
     All Faculties: Grade C or above
5. Official score report of the GMAT or GRE (taken within a five-year period)
   (ONLY for applicants to the Faculty of Business & Economics) (Institution codes: GMAT - FS2-WL-48; GRE - 2482)
   
   
6. Official score report of the GRE Subject Test in Psychology (taken within a five-year period) with a minimum score of 550
   (ONLY for applicants to the Department of Psychology if they do not have a first degree in Psychology) (Institution code: GRE - 2482)
   
   
7. Other documents
   
   Other documents which the applicants would like to bring to the attention of the University, e.g. list of publications, documentary evidence of academic awards received and professional qualifications, and summary of relevant experience.