Frequently Asked Questions
No. We just need an unofficial transcript download from SIS during SHSS nomination process.
Guidelines: http://sis.ust.hk/
However, upon confirmation of nomination, you should apply one at once as it is needed for the application to exchange university. For issuing an official transcript, it takes 5 working days for ARRO to process. (Please see Q2)
You can apply online in the following link:
https://registry.hkust.edu.hk/transcript-grading#application
As long as it is an official certificate, SHSS will take it into consideration.
However, if there is further request by exchange university. You may wish to re-take one in order to fulfil their requirement once you are being nominated by SHSS to the exchange university.
For local students, you may submit your HKDSE results instead.
For non-local or International students, you may submit your IB results.
SHSS will follow the criteria of HKUST’s admission practice for evaluating the English Proficiency https://join.hkust.edu.hk/admissions/international-qualifications
By that, we suppose you should all meet the English Proficiency set by HKUST upon admission and will be able to provide us the certain document proof for SHSS’s nomination process.
For each exchange university, we will rank all the students who select that as their first choice from the higher to the bottom according to the CGA, personal statement and CV for making the nomination. Students not nominated for their first choices still have chance in their 2nd, 3rd or later choices.
There may be possibility that we ask whether you would like to be nominated for exchange university that are not your choices if you only put down one choice in the application form and are not nominated to that choice eventually. We will do so, if we still have quota left after all nomination made.
There is no extension for the online application and you are reminded to finish your application on time. If you fail to do so, there is nothing that we can do for you and you can only wait for next application cycle in the next semester.
We encourage students to participate in our exchange program, however, due to keen competition and limited quota, for those below CGA requirement are often not nominated eventually. Taking into consideration to respect the exchange university, SHSS will be hesitate to nominate students with really low CGA.
In such case, you may wish to re-consider if you should submit your application or not.
In order to keep the flexibility of nomination process, we will always keep the quota in private. Also, some exchange universities may increase the number of quota for really talented students. Thus, the quota may change occasionally.
In general, we will split it equally into two semesters. However, priority will be given to Fall semesters which often will have more application. Also, for some really talented students, we may re-arrange the quota to Fall semester in order to nominate them even the original quota split for Fall semester is used up.
Thus, we advise students to apply in Fall semester if they really wish to go to some exchange universities which are very prestige and with keen competition.
Please refer to our program page for detailed timeline.
Students are required to fill in exchange universities’ application form, some using online application, some using paper form. Completed application form with supporting document (original hardcopy) should reach Program and Advising Office on time for further process.
Some university will send an acceptance notice by email to students after their application deadline or within one week after they received your application. Students are advise to forward those email to exchange@ust.hk for future reference.
Normally, it will be around one month after you receive the acceptance notice by exchange university.
Students should take care of their own visa issue and apply for it in different consulates in Hong Kong. Details please refer to the consulates’ website which are also in our webpage.
OGL will organize a briefing session for exchange-out students for their student life after departure in Apr for Fall semester and in Nov for Spring semester.
SFAO will organize a briefing session for sponsorship and scholarship in Mar for Fall semester and in Oct for Spring semester.
The above schedule is subject to the availability each year and may have slight change about the time period.