Drexel in Hong Kong: Hong Kong University (HKU)
Established in 1911, the University of Hong Kong (HKU) is the territory's oldest institute of higher learning. For more than a century, the University has committed itself to creating knowledge, providing education, and serving society. Today, HKU is internationally renowned as a research-led comprehensive university, with frontier research endeavours and scholarly achievements that have won it worldwide acclaim. As a leading international institution of higher learning in Asia, HKU strives to attract and nurture outstanding scholars from around the world through its excellence and innovation in teaching and learning, research and knowledge exchange, and its contributions to the advancement of society and the development of leaders through global presence, regional significance and engagement with the rest of China.
The Hong Kong University (HKU) exchange program is open to all majors. Drexel's exchange program with HKU allows Drexel students to study at one of the top universities in Hong Kong, becoming fully immersed in the education, culture and daily life of both Hong Kong and HKU. It a fantastic opportunity to make new friends and explore your academic interests from a different perspective.
For more information about this program, please visit HKU's Exchange Student website.
Please note: The Exchange program with Hong Kong University is is very popular and space is limited. Students applying to this program are strongly encouraged to have an alternate program as a second choice.
- 3.25 minimum GPA
- Open to all majors
- No language requirement
Course Availability
Use the
Course Catalog to search for coursework offered at Hong Kong University. Please refer to more information about the exchange student course selection process
here.
Although all coursework is offered in English at HKU, Drexel students are encouraged to take CHIN 101 in order to get a sense of Chinese culture as well as Mandarin, the official language of mainland China.
Course Equivalencies
This
spreadsheet is a historical list of pre-approved courses Drexel students have taken at HKU before. Students can choose to take courses from this list, but there is no guarantee that these courses will be offered in the future.
Students will need to get courses approved by the appropriate department for each course they plan to take at HKU if the course is not on the course equivalency spreadsheet (linked above). For example, if you want to take a sociology course at HKU for Drexel credit, its equivalent must be pre-approved by the Sociology Department at Drexel.
Grading
Students are taught and graded by Hong Kong faculty at HKU. Grades are noted as "CR/NCR" on their transcript and will NOT affect their GPA. In order to receive CR, students must earn a "C" or above at the host institution. Students must be a full-time student at the host institution while also taking the equivalent of a full-time load at Drexel.
HKU operates on a semester system. Click here for the
academic calendar.
Fall Term Dates and Itinerary
| Program Start Date |
Early September |
| Program End Date |
Mid December |
This is a fall only program. Students will need to leave before the end of the summer term in order to arrive in time for orientation. Students will need to be on spring/summer co-op, and must leave their co-op a few weeks early. Due to the need for cycle adjustments, students should begin planning 12-18 months in advance.
HKU has a number of halls of residence. Each hall reserves a small number of places for non-local students. However competition is keen. Admission to the University does not provide guarantee of accommodation, which remains the responsibility of each student. It is important that students apply to housing early and remain flexible during the process.
All students are required to obtain a student visa for entry into Hong Kong. The most efficient way to apply to the Hong Kong Immigration Department for a visa is via HKU. HKU will send a visa application form to each student with the admission package. After receiving the completed application form from the student, HKU will process the application on the student's behalf. Students will be given instructions about visas after acceptance to the program.
Program Costs
This is a Drexel sponsored program, thus all of your Drexel tuition and financial aid remain the same during your term abroad. For additional program costs, such as housing, visa, and other expenses, please consult the budget sheet.
Scholarships
If you receive Federal Work Study, consider applying for the Study Abroad Online Journalist work study position. The application is available to students after acceptance into the program.
To seek additional funding, review the Scholarship & Funding Opportunities. Remember that scholarship deadlines may be much earlier than study abroad deadlines, so plan accordingly. Students may also want to submit a revised budget to the Financial Aid Office to see if additional funding may be available.
- Students who receive Federal Pell Grant should apply for the Gilman Scholarship. Awards up to $3,000 for U.S. citizen undergraduate students that receive the Federal Pell Grant.
- Students going on this program are eligible to apply for the PaCIE and The Asia Institute’s joint scholarship. Awards up to $1,000 to support students seeking to participate in global learning experiences in Asia.
- Students going on this program are eligible to apply for the Freeman-Asia scholarships. Awards up to $5,000 for U.S. undergraduate students with demonstrated financial need to study abroad in East or Southeast Asia.
