One-Year Master's in Hong Kong: Deadlines, Tuition, English Tests, and IANG

At five Hong Kong universities (The University of Hong Kong, HKU; The Chinese University of Hong Kong, CUHK; The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, HKUST; The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, PolyU; and City University of Hong Kong, CityU), most full-time taught master's programs take one year. Applications for September 2027 entry open as early as July 2026, and most deadlines fall between December 2026 and March 2027. Programs review applications as they come in, so applying early helps. The tuition we found this time ranges from about HK$200,000 to HK$500,000, with business schools the most expensive. Graduates of universities in Taiwan usually need to submit TOEFL or IELTS scores. Within 6 months of graduating, you can apply for IANG without first having a job, and if approved you can stay in Hong Kong for 24 months.

Key points

• Applications open early: PolyU starts accepting applications for September 2027 entry on July 2, 2026, and the HKUST Business School Priority Round runs from July 2 to August 15, 2026.

• Deadlines come in rounds: CUHK's MSc Computer Science closes on January 31, 2027, and HKUST's MSc IT has two rounds, December 1, 2026 and March 1, 2027.

• Tuition varies widely: CUHK's MA Anthropology is HK$198,000 a year, while HKU Business School's proposed fees for 2027-entry master's programs are HK$438,000 to 508,000.

• English requirements: TOEFL is mostly 79 or 80 (about 4.5 out of 6 on the new scale used since January 21, 2026), IELTS 6.0 to 6.5, and individual programs may set higher bars.

• IANG: apply within 6 months of graduating without needing a job first, and get a 24-month limit of stay; Taiwan residents are also eligible.

Application timeline: opens in July, main deadlines December to March

Hong Kong has no single master's application deadline. Each program sets its own, and many state that they review on a rolling basis until places are filled. The table below shows 2027/28 deadlines that several programs have posted on their official sites: business schools open earliest, while science and engineering programs mostly close in December and from January to March the following year.

A few practical tips:

• Programs can fill up before the deadline. Several CUHK programs state that applications close early once places are filled, so applying in the last round is riskier.

• One application per program. HKU requires a separate application for each program, while PolyU lets you submit several from one account. Application fees are also charged per application, for example HK$780 at HKU Business School, HK$500 for most CUHK programs, HK$600 at PolyU (HK$800 for the MBA), and HK$600 for HKUST's MSc IT.

• When results come out. HKU Business School says it notifies applicants about one month after each round's deadline, and applications not admitted are automatically carried into the next round for review.

Hong Kong universities have many English names, faculties, and programs. When choosing schools, you can start with the OfferLand school pages for HKU, CUHK, and HKUST.

Tuition: varies a lot by program

Most taught master's programs in Hong Kong are self-financed, and each program sets its own tuition. The table below lists examples from each university's official site, with the academic year shown in the table; business schools are the most expensive. Some 2027/28 fees haven't been published yet; amounts marked "proposed" are ones the university says are still pending approval.

Three things to note when reading this table:

1. HKU's fees are the "non-local" rate. HKU's MSc Computer Science costs HK$240,000 for local students and HK$334,800 for non-local students. Students from Taiwan who enter on a student visa count as non-local.

2. You pay a deposit after admission. At HKU, the first installment of tuition is due when you accept the offer and is non-refundable; the deposit for HKU Business School is HK$146,000 to 169,000.

3. Living costs come on top of tuition. A CityU College of Business program page notes that two people sharing a small two-bedroom flat pay about HK$4,000 each per month in rent. This is an estimate from a single program page, and actual costs vary widely by area and type of housing.

English requirements: TOEFL has a new scale, so check the score conversion

Most universities in Taiwan teach in Chinese, so applicants to Hong Kong master's programs usually need to submit TOEFL or IELTS scores. Since January 21, 2026, TOEFL has used a new 1–6 scale, and the four universities below have published requirements on the new scale.

These are university-wide or single-program minimums. Individual programs may set higher bars, so check your target program's own page before applying. HKU Business School doesn't require the GMAT or GRE, but says strong scores are a plus and can help borderline cases.

Working in Hong Kong after graduation: the IANG visa

To work in Hong Kong after graduating, you apply to the Immigration Department under the Immigration Arrangements for Non-local Graduates (IANG). The rules on the Immigration Department's website are as follows:

The "6 months" count starts from the date on your graduation certificate, so if you plan to stay in Hong Kong, keep track of that date. Working while studying is also regulated: non-local students in full-time, locally accredited local programs at bachelor's level or above lasting at least one academic year are currently temporarily exempt from the usual employment restrictions, but they may only do the types of work stated on the No Objection Letter (NOL) issued by their university, and only within its validity period. Application and visa fees follow the Immigration Department's fee schedule; check the latest official announcements.

Taiwan residents coming to Hong Kong to study need to apply for an entry permit. The university that admitted you can act as your sponsor; after admission, prepare documents as the university instructs.

OfferLand data: only 7 Hong Kong results

OfferLand currently has only 7 Hong Kong master's application results, from HKU, CUHK, and HKUST, such as HKUST MSc Mechanical Engineering, HKU MSc Business Analytics, and CUHK MSSc in Advertising. The sample is too small to calculate admission rates. If you've applied to Hong Kong universities, please report your results on the site. For what applying to CUHK's School of Journalism and Communication was like, see this post on the site: CUHK journalism and communication master's: my experience.

How to prepare

• Have your documents ready between July and September. Business schools and some programs open early rounds in July, and for programs with rolling review, the later you apply, the fewer places are left. Get your transcripts, English test scores, and recommender information ready first.

• Order applications by deadline, not just by ranking. Deadlines for different programs at the same university can be two or three months apart, so submit the earliest ones first.

• Plan your budget around when the deposit is due. On top of tuition and rent, the deposit is due when you accept the offer, and it's non-refundable.

• Check whether your English score is on the old or new scale. TOEFL tests taken after January 21, 2026 use the 1–6 scale, and the requirement is usually 4.5. If you're aiming for programs with higher bars, such as HKU's Faculty of Arts, prepare straight for IELTS 7.

• If you want to work in Hong Kong, plan around the 6-month IANG window. If you apply within 6 months of graduating, you don't need a job offer; after that, you need to find a job first.

• To compare admissions in the same field in other countries, use the admission results search, or read the 2026 admissions report.

FAQ

How long is a master's degree in Hong Kong?

Most full-time taught master's programs take one year. For example, the standard length of CUHK's MSc Computer Science and HKUST's MSc Business Analytics is one year. Check each program's page for its length.

How much does a master's in Hong Kong cost?

Based on the official information we found, about HK$200,000 to HK$500,000. CUHK's MA Anthropology is HK$198,000 a year, and HKU Business School's proposed fees for 2027 entry are HK$438,000 to 508,000.

Do I need TOEFL or IELTS for a Hong Kong master's?

Both are accepted. For applicants whose undergraduate studies weren't taught in English, most universities require TOEFL 79 to 80 (4.5 on the new scale) or IELTS 6.0 to 6.5, and some programs ask for more.

Can people from Taiwan stay and work in Hong Kong after a master's?

You can apply for IANG. If you apply within 6 months of graduating, you don't need a job offer, and once approved you can stay in Hong Kong for 24 months. To extend, you'll need a qualifying job.

When are Hong Kong master's application deadlines?

It varies by program. Applications for 2027 entry open in stages from July 2026, most deadlines fall between December 2026 and March 2027, and programs close early once they fill up.

About the data

• This is a guide. Tuition, timelines, English requirements, and visa rules all come from university and Hong Kong government websites, verified on 2026-10-18. Universities adjust these every year, so check the latest official announcements before applying. This article is not immigration or legal advice.

• External sources: HKU Taught Postgraduate Admissions (Admission Requirements, Programme Fee and Payment); HKU Business School Masters Programmes (Admissions, 2027 intake); HKU School of Computing and Data Science, "MSc in Computer Science – Application details" (2026/27); CUHK Graduate School (Requirements, Fees, Application Deadlines 2027/28, and program pages); HKUST Postgraduate Program Catalog 2027-28 (MSc BA, BDT, IT); PolyU Taught Postgraduate (General Information, Tuition Fees, Admission Requirements, FAQ); CityU College of Business, "MSc Business and Data Analytics (IAM stream)" Admission and Fees; Hong Kong Immigration Department, "Immigration Arrangements for Non-local Graduates (IANG)" and "Students" pages.

• CityU's main application timeline page couldn't be accessed this time, so its deadlines aren't listed; CityU's tuition comes from a program page that doesn't state the academic year.

• OfferLand data: 7 application results reported by OfferLand users for universities in Hong Kong (counting only accounts that haven't been deleted), as of 2026-10-18. The sample is too small to calculate admission rates. This is OfferLand's own sample, self-reported by users, not official university data.