How to Apply to Fine Arts at the Chinese University of Hong Kong: Art History and Studio Practice With Three Streams From Year 3, a Portfolio or Personal Statement and an Interview, With Requirements and Timelines for Chinese, Canadian High School and Transfer Students

At the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), undergraduate art is taught by the Department of Fine Arts in the Faculty of Arts through Fine Arts (programme code FAASN, JUPAS code JS4044), a four-year programme (two years for senior-year entry). The programme page says it is open to JUPAS, non-JUPAS Year 1, non-JUPAS senior-year, Mainland Gaokao and international applicants. The department gives equal weight to Chinese and Western art, and to art history and studio practice. This guide is based on CUHK's official pages for 2027 entry and is written for students at high schools in China (Gaokao and international curricula), students at Canadian high schools (including BC and Vancouver) and transfer students.

1. The programme: three streams from Year 3

• Three streams: Art History (with a special emphasis on China), Studio Art (artistic practice), and Art History and Studio Art (equal emphasis on both). Students declare a stream at the start of Year 3.
• Units: the department page says students admitted in 2025-26 complete at least 65 major units; 2027 entrants follow that year's study scheme.
• Courses: the department's course list includes studio courses in Chinese painting (in the expressive literati manner), drawing, printmaking, sculpture, three-dimensional forming and digital imaging, and art history courses on Chinese painting, the history of calligraphy, ceramics, Buddhist art, Asian art, Western art, contemporary art and media art history.
• Graduation: in the final year students submit a thesis or studio works for exhibition.
• Careers: the department says the programme prepares students to be artists, art historians, museum curators and other art professionals, with professional training courses and internships.

2. Portfolio and interview (non-HKDSE qualifications, including international applicants)

• First choice: the department says applicants with qualifications other than the HKDSE (such as A-Level, IB, Associate Degree or Higher Diploma) must put Fine Arts as their first choice and meet the general entrance requirements to be considered for interview.
• Portfolio: after applying through the university's online system, upload a portfolio of creative works to the department's application materials platform; if you have no creative works, submit a personal statement instead. Both are PDFs of no more than 10 pages and 5 MB. Upload instructions are emailed after you apply.
• Interview: usually in March; interviewees bring a hard copy of the portfolio. You may bring up to five representative, easy-to-carry original works, and sketchbooks or visual diaries are welcome.
• Format: an individual interview of about 10 to 15 minutes, in Putonghua, English and Cantonese.
• Selection: portfolio and interview scores are combined with academic results to draw up offers; besides grades, the department assesses artistic merit, how well you articulate artistic ideas and your dedication to the subject.

3. Students at high schools in China: the national early-admission batch

• No direct application: CUHK admits Gaokao students through the national unified admission system in the early-admission batch; after results, list CUHK (institution code 81002) in your province's early batch.
• Category: in the 2026 Mainland programme list, Fine Arts is in the humanities category, Faculty of Arts; in traditional Gaokao provinces both arts and science streams can apply; in "3+1+2" provinces both the history and physics groups can apply with no subject requirement; in "3+3" provinces there is no subject requirement.
• Admission interview: the list notes that Fine Arts can be chosen as a major in Year 1, and students may need to pass a departmental selection interview on entry.
• Scores: at or above the first-tier, undergraduate or special-type control line; under the 2026 plan, at least 120 in English (out of 150). Check CUHK's 2027 list when it is published.
• Scholarships (2026 rules): only for candidates who list CUHK as their first-choice institution, based on Gaokao and English scores, at full, full-tuition and half-tuition levels.
• Mainland students sitting the 2027 Gaokao must use the national system; those in international programmes who are not sitting the Gaokao apply through the international scheme below.

4. International curricula (A-Level, IB, AP)

• University minimums: passes in three A-Levels, or two A-Levels plus two AS; the IB Diploma with 30 points; for US curricula, a high school diploma, SAT 1190 or ACT 24, and two AP exams at 3.
• IB preferred subjects (2027 entry): Fine Arts prefers Visual Arts, preferably at HL. CUHK says preferences are a reference, not a hard requirement.
• A-Level and AP subject preferences and Fine Arts' own admission scores are not published.
• Other materials: the university application asks for a personal statement of up to 6,000 characters and one reference; Fine Arts also asks for the portfolio or personal statement above.

5. Students at Canadian high schools

• BC: the graduation diploma with an 80% average in five Grade 12 courses or BC provincial exam subjects; Ontario needs six Grade 12 U/M courses averaging 80% (university minimums).
• English: 70% in Grade 12 English meets the university English requirement.
• Fine Arts' subject requirements for Canadian curricula are not published; email finearts@cuhk.edu.hk.

6. Timeline (2027 entry, international scheme)

• Applications open 2 October 2026; the advance offer round closes 12 November 2026 and unsuccessful applicants move automatically to the regular round, which closes 7 January 2027.
• Fine Arts portfolios are uploaded after applying, following the emailed instructions; interviews are usually in March.
• One application only; the online application fee is HKD 500, non-refundable.

7. English requirements

• IELTS (Academic) 6.0; TOEFL iBT 80 for tests before 21 January 2026, or 4.5 (out of 6) on the new scale after.
• Interviews use Putonghua, English and Cantonese.

8. Transfer students

• CUHK's FAQ says international applicants are always admitted to Year 1; previous university courses can be considered for credit exemption after registration, case by case.
• Two-year senior-year entry to Fine Arts is listed under non-JUPAS senior-year admission and does not apply to the international scheme.

9. Fees and scholarships

• International tuition: HKD 230,000 a year for 2027-28, with annual increases for the 2027 cohort capped at 3%. The department page currently shows HKD 214,000 for non-local students in 2026-27.
• Scholarships: admitted full-time undergraduates are considered for entrance scholarships automatically; international students cannot apply for financial aid.

Checklist

Students at high schools in China:

• Gaokao: after results, list CUHK (81002) in the early batch, humanities category; 120 in English; a departmental selection interview may be required on entry
• International curriculum: put Fine Arts first; take IB Visual Arts at HL if possible; upload a portfolio of up to 10 pages or a personal statement after applying, and prepare for a March interview

Students at Canadian high schools (including BC and Vancouver):

• BC: an 80% average in five Grade 12 courses is the minimum; 70% in Grade 12 English meets the English requirement
• Apply by 12 November 2026 or 7 January 2027, with Fine Arts as your first choice

Transfer students:

• International applicants enter Year 1 and apply for credit exemption after registration

Sources: The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Fine Arts (FAASN) programme page; Department of Fine Arts: BA programme (curriculum, admission, fees, FAQ); IB preferred subjects (2027 entry); International admission requirements; Important dates; FAQ; Mainland admission plan (Chinese); Mainland programme list (Chinese); Mainland scholarships (Chinese). Information is for 2027 entry. Check CUHK for the latest details.