Admission FAQ

This is a full-time Master of Philosophy program of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou).

Red Bird MPhil Promgram is a 2-year program.

MPhil programs are research postgraduate programs (RPg) which involve intense research work and preparation of a thesis under the guidance of a supervisor.

Taught postgraduate programs (TPg) lead to DBA, EMBA, MBA, MA, MSc, MPM, MPP and PGD degrees. TPg programs place more emphasis on coursework and are generally more career-oriented than RPg programs.

Please refer to: https://fytgs.hkust-gz.edu.cn/postgraduate-programs/postgraduate-program-catalog

Please apply for the Master of Philosophy (General) in the system. Students are admitted centrally through University based admission to the Master of Philosophy (General) Program. By end of Fall Term, students will declare to enter one of the 16 Master of Philosophy programs offered by the Thrusts, based on their project features and research interests.

All full-time MPhil students should not take up any employment on top of their research studies.

Yes, students can submit internship applications based on their personal development needs, and intern after approval.

There is no age limit for applying to Red Bird MPhil Program.

1. This program has no restrictions on undergraduate majors.
2. This program focuses on "future medical and healthcare technology, sustainable living and intelligent Industrialization, low altitude economy, marine technology and economy" five directions, which involve disciplines and majors covering the four hubs of HKUST (GZ) and their 16 thrusts, including fields such as liberal arts, sciences, engineering, business, medicine, and others. Applicants can choose one of the directions according to their own interests, educational background and future career plans. After 6 months of academic exploration, students will determine their academic supervisor through mutual selection.
3. Applicants should select "Master of Philosophy (General)" when submit their application in Online Admission System（OAS）, and do not need to select a specific hub or thrust.

-Yes.
-Please first submit your latest transcript online for assessment.
-Programs may extend conditional offers to selected applicants before the required qualifications are obtained.
-If you receive a conditional offer, you are required to submit the official final transcripts and degree certificates for verification when available.

1. Applicants should obtain a bachelor’s degree from a recognized institution, or an approved equivalent qualification.
2. Applicants have to fulfill English Language requirements (See below for details).
3. Applicants are not required to contact the professors in advance. Personal statements, research proposals, and recommendation letters are encouraged but not required. In addition, the program does not require applicants to have scientific research experience or to publish papers.

1. Applicants have to fulfill English Language requirements with one of the following proficiency attainments:
   •TOEFL-iBT: 80*
   •TOEFL-pBT: 550
   •TOEFL-Revised paper-delivered test: 60 (total scores for Reading, Listening and Writing sections)
   •IELTS (Academic Module): Overall score: 6.5 and All sub-score: 5.5
   *Refers to the total score in one single attempt
2. Applicants are not required to have TOEFL or IELTS score when submit their application in Online Admission System（OAS）, they need to state the scheduled test dates in OAS and update the test record and upload the score report once the result is available.
3. Applicants are not required to present TOEFL or IELTS score if
   •Their first language is English, or
   •They obtained the bachelor's degree (or equivalent) from an institution where the medium of instruction was English.
4. For more information please click below link:
   https://fytgs.hkust-gz.edu.cn/admissions/before-submitting-an-application/admission-requirements。

Apply Online：https://pgoas.hkust-gz.edu.cn/welcome

1. Create an account at the Online Admission System
2. Submit your Online Application before the Application Deadlines
3. Pay Application Fee
4. Attend any interviews and tests you may have
5. Check for the email communications from us
   For guideline of Red Bird MPhil Program, please refer to https://static.hkust-gz.edu.cn/PGOAS/Guideline-for-Application-of-2026-27-Fall-Red-Bird-MPhil-Program.pdf

For detailed instructions, please refer to the latest application guidelines on the Online Application System (OAS) page.

Applicants should select "Master of Philosophy (General)" when submit their application in Online Admission System（OAS）, and do not need to select a specific hub or thrust.
For guideline of Red Bird MPhil Program, please refer to here

For detailed instructions, please refer to the latest application guidelines on the Online Application System (OAS) page.

Uploaded supporting documents include but are not limited to the following:
[Required Documents]

1. University transcripts from Year-1 to date
2. Stamped documents of undergraduate ranking in your major

[Supporting Documents]

1. Literary works in English or Chinese (for Liberal Arts graduates)
2. Portfolio of your design (for Design major graduates)
3. Reference letter about your internship performance
4. Certificates of awards of major international/national competitions
5. Certificates of awards of entrepreneur competitions
6. Supporting materials of your community services
7. Supporting materials of your student club services
8. Curriculum Vitae (CV)
9. Any other materials that you consider to be supportive to your application
   For guideline of Red Bird MPhil Program, please refer to https://static.hkust-gz.edu.cn/PGOAS/Guideline-for-Application-of-2026-27-Fall-Red-Bird-MPhil-Program.pdf

For detailed instructions, please refer to the latest application guidelines on the Online Application System (OAS) page.

If your university is unable to provide a certification of your undergraduate ranking in major, please submit an official document from your university confirming this.

This program adopts a broad-based admission approach. After being admitted, students will engage in a 6-month independent project exploration phase. During this time, they will select their academic supervisor and thrust through a mutual selection process. Therefore, during the application stage, the program focuses on five major areas that represent potential future challenges to human society: "Future Medical and Healthcare Technology, Sustainable Living, Intelligent Industrialization, Low Altitude Economy, and Marine Technology and Economy." These areas are designed to guide applicants in thinking and planning for their future academic and professional paths. This will be incorporated as an open-ended question during the interview stage, where applicants are required to provide thoughtful responses. Applicants can choose one of the five areas based on their interests, educational background, and future career plans.

Applicants are not required to contact the professors in advance. Personal statements, research proposals, and recommendation letters are encouraged but not required. In addition, the program does not require applicants to have scientific research experience or to publish papers.
For guideline of Red Bird MPhil Program, please refer to here.

For detailed instructions, please refer to the latest application guidelines on the Online Application System (OAS) page.

For the application of Red Bird MPhil Program “References”is optional. Applicant May key in “NA" in all section, except “Email Address” section where please key in “123@qq.com”
For guideline of Red Bird MPhil Program, please refer to here

For detailed instructions, please refer to the latest application guidelines on the Online Application System (OAS) page.

Applicants are not required to contact the professors in advance.
For guideline of Red Bird MPhil Program, please refer to here

For detailed instructions, please refer to the latest application guidelines on the Online Application System (OAS) page.

Applicants are not required to have TOEFL or IELTS score when submit their application in Online Admission System（OAS）, they need to state the scheduled test dates in OAS and update the test record and upload the score report once the result is available.

-State your scheduled test dates in the online application.
-Update the test record and upload the score report once the result is available.
-The test score is an essential factor in assessing your application. You are highly recommended to take relevant test and upload score report as soon as possible.

Applicants are not required to present TOEFL or IELTS score if
• Their first language is English, or
• They obtained the bachelor's degree (or equivalent) from an institution where the medium of instruction was English, or

You are not required to take the English Proficiency Test if you obtained a master’s degree (or above) from an institution where the medium of instruction was English.

Please upload the relevant certificate from central unit to the online admission system, to prove the medium of instruction was English.

*Final approval is subject to the school's discretion.

-Application procedures and admission requirements are the same for all applicants of HKUST(GZ).
-International students are required to apply for China Student Visa issued by the local embassy/consulate of China. Apply for the Student Visa (X visa) upon receiving the paper admission notice and JW 202/201 Form. All international students are required to obtain a student visa from the local Chinese embassy or consulate to enter China. Learn more:https://fytgs.hkust-gz.edu.cn/admissions/after-getting-an-offer/applying-for-student-visa-x-visa-before-you-leave-home
-Tip: Students from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan must hold a valid Mainland Travel Permit.
Please contact us at pgadmitgz@hkust-gz.edu.cn if you are in doubt.

The overseas applicants with foreign nationality can choose to attend an online interview, which will then be reviewed and processed by the committee.

International students can apply for the Guangdong Provincial Government Scholarship for International Students in Guangdong Province. The scholarship is fully paid in one lump sum, with the amount of 20,000 RMB per application for master's degree students. One application can be made per year. Please refer to：https://www.gd.gov.cn/zwgk/gongbao/2013/28/content/post_3364046.html

International students are required to apply for China Student Visa issued by the local embassy/consulate of China. Apply for the Student Visa (X visa) upon receiving the paper admission notice and JW 202/201 Form. All international students are required to obtain a student visa from the local Chinese embassy or consulate to enter China. Learn more: https://fytgs.hkust-gz.edu.cn/admissions/after-getting-an-offer/applying-for-student-visa-x-visa-before-you-leave-home
-Tip: Students from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan must hold a valid Mainland Travel Permit.
Please contact us at pgadmitgz@hkust-gz.edu.cn if you are in doubt.

The school could issue an invitation letter to the immediate family members of an international student who has received an offer, and the spouse can apply for a family visit visa on their own if needed. The visa duration is generally the same as the duration of their spouse's study visa.

Application procedures and admission requirements are the same for all applicants of HKUST(GZ).

1. Applicants have to fulfill English Language requirements with one of the following proficiency attainments:
   •TOEFL-iBT: 80*
   •TOEFL-pBT: 550
   •TOEFL-Revised paper-delivered test: 60 (total scores for Reading, Listening and Writing sections)
   •IELTS (Academic Module): Overall score: 6.5 and All sub-score: 5.5
   *Refers to the total score in one single attempt
2. Applicants are not required to have TOEFL or IELTS score when submit their application in Online Admission System（OAS）, they need to state the scheduled test dates in OAS and update the test record and upload the score report once the result is available.
3. Applicants are not required to present TOEFL or IELTS score if
   •Their first language is English, or
   •They obtained the bachelor's degree (or equivalent) from an institution where the medium of instruction was English.
4. For more information please click below link:
   https://fytgs.hkust-gz.edu.cn/admissions/before-submitting-an-application/admission-requirements

After submissions, only the following changes are allowed:
-Change personal contact details,
-Input final GPA/average mark after program completion,
-Add new scores of IELTS/TOEFL or other public examinations which are not available earlier,
-Upload supporting documents, and
-Invite referees.

*Information changes submitted after the selection deadline will not be considered.

Click “Forgot password/username” on the login page and follow the procedures.
Be sure to add "pgadmitgz@hkust-gz.edu.cn" in your email address book so that you will not miss our email notification.

Use another internet browser and disable any pop-up blocker.

Supporting documents cannot be deleted after your application is submitted.
You may upload the new version of your documents with clear indication in the file name.

The admission is conducted on a rolling basis. Shortlisted applicants will be notified for interview. Detailed interview arrangement will be informed to whom are shortlisted in due course.

Applicants who do not pass the preliminary screening, selection, or interview will be notified of the results accordingly.

Due to significant restrictions on visas and international travel etc. for overseas applicants (excluding Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan regions) with Chinese nationality, the RBM specifically allows these applicants to choose to participate in an online pre-interview. Based on the feedback from the evaluators, they can then decide whether to attend the offline interview. The pre-interview results will not be used as a basis for the committee's final decision on admission. The overseas applicants with foreign nationality can choose to attend an online interview, which will then be reviewed and processed by the committee.

The invitation for the interview will be sent to the applicant's email (the one reserved in OAS) in the form of an official RBM admission email. Please check it promptly and confirm your attendance.

If you are unable to attend the interview on time due to force majeure, you may request a postponement when confirming the interview and provide the relevant official documentation. Those whose postponement requests are approved will be rescheduled for the next round of interviews. If the postponement request is not approved or if the applicant fails to attend the interview on time without an approved postponement, the interview qualification will be forfeited.

Please refer to the interview schedule details in the interview invitation email.

In order to ensure the smooth conduct of the interview, applicants attending the in-person interview are required, unless there are special circumstances, to check in to the campus and move into the dormitory one day in advance as per the university's requirements (the dormitory fee is to be borne by the applicant). They may also apply for one additional night of accommodation within the specified time.

All expenses related to transportation, accommodation, visas, and other costs for attending the offline interview are to be borne by the interviewees.

Since conventional exams and online interviews cannot fully evaluate an applicant's true abilities, the RBM has pioneered a unique offline interview process, including group activities and individual interviews, to comprehensively assess applicants' group and individual performances. Please refer to:
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/F7E8fNyMitmcSbGzqdWwww

After each round of interviews, the admission results will be notified uniformly via the official RBM admission email, following the review by the Admissions Committee. Generally, applicants will receive the interview results about 1-2 weeks after the interview.

This program adopts rolling-base admission without setting a specific admission time, and the admission results will be notified depends on the specific arrangement of the actual application batch.

Successful applicants will receive an email notification. Please log in to the online system to keep track of your application status.
Individual program offices will issue offers according to their own schedules.
Unsuccessful applicants will normally be notified of the outcome towards the end of the admission cycle. For instance, unsuccessful applicants who seek admission in Fall term will normally be notified in the summer before program commencement.

Applicants who do not pass the preliminary selection or review are not eligible to appeal. For more details, please refer to: https://vptlo.hkust-gz.edu.cn/rbm/#/news?currentId=3&newsId=16.

To ensure the legality of the admission process, any applicant who has participated in the "Application-Review Mechanism" offline interview activities and has any doubts or objections regarding the fairness or legality of the admission can submit a formal written appeal with strong evidence through RBM official email. The Admission Appeal Committee will strictly handle appeals according to university regulations and make the corresponding final decisions.

1. Scholarship: CNY120,000 per year, up to 24 months for full-time MPhil students.
   All full-time MPhil students are automatically considered for the Postgraduate Studentship. No separate application is required.
2. Tuition Fees: CNY40,000 per year for MPhil studies with Postgraduate Studentship at HKUST(GZ).

All full-time MPhil/PhD students are automatically considered for the Postgraduate Studentship. No separate application is required.

Yes, but the studentship should well cover your tuition fee.

CNY150 per MPhil/PhD program. Please settle the application fee online by
Alipay (China) / WeChat Pay (China)
UnionPay
VISA / Mastercard / JCB / Diners Club

If you wish to handle the transfer of your archive, please contact armd@hkust-gz.edu.cn. For the transfer of Party organization relations, please contact ocpcc@hkust-gz.edu.cn. And for the transfer of Youth league organization relations, please contact cylc2024@hkust-gz.edu.cn.

Starting with this admission exercise (2025-26 Fall), applicants shall confirm their acceptance of admission offers by making the first payment of tuition fee (CNY20,000)

Upon request, 90% of the paid first payment of tuition fee can be refunded if an applicant declines the offer after acceptance.

Applicants shall decide on requesting the first payment refund before the program commencement;
Click "Decline" in the online application system;
You will receive a system-generated email with instructions on submitting your application materials;
Refund applications will be processed in the middle of each month, and the internal processing will take approximately four weeks;
In accordance with local government regulations, we will refund 90% of the prepaid tuition fees.
For details please refer to “Others” section on the FAQ page https://fytgs.hkust-gz.edu.cn/admissions/faq.

Copies officially imprinted, signed and certified by the issuing authority concerned. Please refer to: https://fytgs.hkust-gz.edu.cn/admissions/faq

Eligible for those who have accepted an offer and made the first payment. Please submits a deferred admission application and submit PG103 form (https://fytgs.hkust-gz.edu.cn/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/PG0103_Request-for-Deferral-of-Postgraduate-Admission.pdf) to the HKUST Fok Ying Tung Graduate School (FYTGS) for review. The prerequisite for applying for a deferred admission to the RBM is meeting the admission requirements (i.e., obtaining a bachelor’s degree or graduation certificate and meeting the English language proficiency standards). The deadline for submitting a deferred admission application each year is the registration date for admission. Deferral applications of RBM admission, except those due to force majeure, will not be considered. Deferral applications due to force majeure must be supported by sufficient documentation.

Please send us the notarized English or Chinese translation. We understand that the notary/ governmental authority may not provide the direct delivery service to the third party, you can mail the documents to us.
Please refer to: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/OIPwcgABsIAPlnGlS3QkFA

Yes, we prefer official electronic transcripts shared directly by issuing authorities whenever possible.
Please request your home institution to send electronic transcripts quoting your application number and applied program to pgdocgz@hkust-gz.edu.cn.
However, please note that electronic transcripts are acceptable only if they are retrievable from designated secure websites. Email attachments will not be accepted.
Please refer to: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/OIPwcgABsIAPlnGlS3QkFA

TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language)
DI Code: D315
IELTS (International English Language Testing System)
Name of institution: The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou)
Name of department: Other departments (E results required Duxue Road Nansha District)
Please refer to: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/OIPwcgABsIAPlnGlS3QkFA

Provided that both the mailing method and address are correct, the document verification process may last long (around 10 working days) due to the excessive workload.
Please refer to: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/OIPwcgABsIAPlnGlS3QkFA

The Red Bird Challenge Camp (RBCC) is one of the channels for admission to the RBM. It aims to identify talents with unique potential through an innovative evaluation process. The camp provides growth opportunities for a diverse range of talents, including "particular or eccentric talents, prodigies", embodying the recruitment philosophy of "It doesn't matter where a hero comes from". Based on the principles of transparency, fairness, and justice, the equivalent admission criteria used for the "Application-Review Mechanism" are applied. Applicants who have submitted application but were not selected or interviewed via the "Application-Review Mechanism" can also apply for the Red Bird Challenge Camp concurrently.

Applicants who have submitted application but were not selected or interviewed via the "Application-Review Mechanism" can also apply for the Red Bird Challenge Camp concurrently. Applicants of the Red Bird Challenge Camp who pass the selection and review by the interview committee, with a final evaluation result of "Recommended," will be admitted by the RBM Admissions Committee. Applicants with an evaluation result of "Borderline" may apply for the application-review process for admission in the same cohort. Applicants with an evaluation result of "Not Recommended" will not be allowed to apply for the "Application-Review Process" for admission in the same cohort.

"The Red Bird Challenge Camp" (RBCC) is an innovative teaching through practice activity, aims to cultivate the comprehensive ability of college students. One of the main objectives of the event is to select potential Red Bird MPhil program students who share the innovative concept of HKUST (GZ) through online and offline project-guided learning. Not participating in the Red Bird Challenge Camp will not affect the application for the 2026/27 Fall.

1. The graduation requirements for MPhil students in this program are consistent with the current graduation requirements for the MPhil at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.
2. The Master's degree certificate of Hong Kong University of Science and Technology will be awarded.

If you wish to handle the transfer of your archive, please contact armd@hkust-gz.edu.cn. For the transfer of Party organization relations, please contact ocpcc@hkust-gz.edu.cn. And for the transfer of Youth league organization relations, please contact cylc2024@hkust-gz.edu.cn.

Those who have applied for the previous intake of the Red Bird MPhil Program can also submit an application for the current intake.

If an application has already been submitted, a second application for the same intake cannot be submitted.

Applicants who have received a rejection letter cannot submit another application for admission to the same intake, including the Red Bird Challenge Camp.

Yes. HKUST(GZ)'s recent graduates who wish to apply to work in Hong Kong may be granted 24 months’ stay on time limitation only without other conditions of stay provided that normal immigration requirements are met.
For more details, please refer to the official policy on the Hong Kong Immigration Department's website: https://www.immd.gov.hk/hks/services/visas/IANG.html

The University currently provides on-campus accommodation for enrolled students, but the accommodation arrangements for the next intake of new students will await an official notice from the relevant university departments.

You may liaise with our Student Quarter Working Team (GZ) at studentquarter@hkust-gz.edu.cn on your special request regarding the housing.