Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) Admission Guide for International Students

PolyU and the international (non-JUPAS) route

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) is a publicly funded, English-medium university known for applied and professional programmes spanning engineering, business, design, construction and environment, health sciences, hotel and tourism management, applied sciences and more. International and other non-local undergraduates apply directly to PolyU, not through the local JUPAS system.

Applications go through PolyU's own online admissions platform. You submit academic records, English results and any programme-specific materials, then pay the application fee. Because programme lists, fees and dates change each cycle, confirm every current detail on the official PolyU admissions website.

Broad-discipline versus specific-programme entry

PolyU offers two broad ways to enter. Some applicants apply to a specific named degree (for example a particular engineering or business programme). Others apply to a broad-discipline or scheme-based route that admits you into a discipline group first, after which you confirm your major following a common foundation stage.

Choosing between them depends on how sure you are of your major and which route your target field uses. Read each programme's entry structure carefully on the official site, and note that available broad-discipline schemes and their majors are set each year.

Accepted qualifications and English requirements

PolyU accepts a range of international school-leaving qualifications, with each programme setting its own required subjects and grade profile. Applicants from non-English-medium systems must also show English proficiency.

• IB Diploma, GCE A-Levels, recognised Indian board results, US high-school qualifications with SAT/ACT, and other recognised qualifications
• English evidence commonly via IELTS (Academic) or TOEFL; some English-medium qualifications may meet the requirement directly
• Required subjects, grades and English scores vary by programme and change between cycles
• Verify the exact accepted qualifications and scores for your PolyU programme on the official admissions site

Portfolio, interview and audition-based programmes

Some PolyU programmes assess more than grades. Design programmes at PolyU's School of Design, and certain other creative or professional programmes, may require a portfolio, written work, an interview or an on-site or online assessment as part of selection.

If you are targeting one of these, check the specific submission format, deadlines and any separate assessment stage well ahead of time. Requirements and formats are published each cycle, so confirm them on the official programme pages rather than relying on a previous year's process.

Fees, scholarships, timeline and next steps

PolyU publishes non-local tuition, accommodation costs and entrance-scholarship details on its official pages; some awards are automatic on merit and others need a separate application, with amounts and criteria set each year. Application windows and deadlines — including any early rounds — are announced annually.

No agent or preparation service can promise you admission or a scholarship; only PolyU makes those decisions, so treat any guarantee as a red flag. If admitted, PolyU will explain acceptance steps, and the Hong Kong student-visa process is handled separately by the Immigration Department (general information only, not immigration advice — verify on the official government source).