Red X iconGreen tick iconYellow tick icon
Please do not contact this university directly.
For all enquiries please contact the Exchange Office at exchange@otago.ac.nz.
Last updated April 2023

Academic Information

Language of Instruction

English.

Putonghua and Cantonese courses at elementary and intermediate levels will be available. These courses include vocabulary building, pronunciation, grammar and oral skills training among others. Students will be able to conduct simple conversations in Putonghua or Cantonese, and will have an enhanced understanding of the Chinese culture by the end of the course.

All courses other than Chinese Language are offered in English.

Course Information

  • Courses available to exchange students
  • At least 3 courses (worth 18 credits) must be chosen from one single faculty per semester.
  • In general introductory courses are 1000-level courses, 2000-level courses or above are intermediate to advanced level courses.
  • Applicants to Faculty of Law must have at least upper second class honours (2:1) results, which converts to approximately a CGPA of 3.33 or above on a 4.2 scale.
  • Applicants to Faculty of Business and Economics must have a grade level of B average / CGPA 3.0 / Satisfactory level.
  • Courses offered by the BSc (Exercise and Health) Programme are not open to exchange students.

Semester Dates

  • Academic Year: September - May
  • First Semester: September - December
  • Second Semester: January - May

Semester Dates at HKU

Course Load and Minimum Unit Requirements

  • Minimun course load: 24 credits per semester
  • Maximum course load: 36 credits per semester
  • Undergraduate students will normally take 30 credits per semester.

Accommodation and the Cost of Living

Accommodation

There are 13 halls of residence at Hong Kong University. It is also possible for students to live in off-campus privately rented accommodation (flatting).

Housing

Estimated Cost of Living and Additional Information

Please budget for HKD 15,000 to 30,000 per semester.

Scholarships available for students going to Asia

Student Visa and Insurance

Exchange Experiences

The University, City and Region

The University

Founded in 1911, the University of Hong Kong (HKU) is Hong Kong's oldest and best university. As a well-established English language university in one of China's most vibrant cities, HKU offers a unique fusion of East and West and embodies the best of both Chinese and Western academic traditions.

The University of Hong Kong instructs courses entirely in English and English is widely spoken in Hong Kong. In response to the demand from exchange students for the provision of Chinese language training, all exchange students are eligible to apply for admission in Putonghua or Cantonese language courses offered by the Department of Chinese. HKU hopes that exchange students will take the opportunity to acquire some basic knowledge of the Chinese language so that they can learn to appreciate the Chinese culture and integrate better with the local community.

University of Hong Kong

The City of Hong Kong and Region

Hong Kong is divided into four main areas - Kowloon, Hong Kong Island, the New Territories and the Outlying Islands. Kowloon and the New Territories are on a peninsula of the Chinese mainland, on the northern side of Victoria Harbour; Hong Kong Island is on the southern side of the harbour facing Kowloon; the Outlying Islands simply refers to any of the other 234 islands. The New Territories have a 20km land border with China proper.

The city itself is centred around Victoria Harbour. The main business district is Central, on Hong Kong Island. East of Central lies the Admiralty commercial district; Wan Chai, known for restaurants and clubs, then Causeway Bay, a major shopping area. Towering above it all is the Peak, Hong Kong's premier scenic outlook and residential district, which happily has plenty of public green space. In Kowloon, Tsim Sha Tsui (on the southern tip), Jordan and Yau Ma Tei are busy hotel and shopping areas, while Mong Kok is a bustling residential and shopping area.

Despite its British colonial past, Hong Kong has always stuck to its roots, and the culture beneath the glitz is pure Chinese.

Hong Kong

Further Information

For further information about Otago Global Student Exchange please email exchange@otago.ac.nz

Back to top