How to Apply to Engineering at The Chinese University of Hong Kong: Over a Dozen BEng Programmes, Broad-based Computer Science and Engineering Admission with a Major Chosen After Year 1, Gaokao Through the Early Batch, and Requirements for Local, Non-local (Including Mainland Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

Engineering undergraduate programmes at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) are offered by the Faculty of Engineering and The programme list on CUHK’s admissions site places the programmes under the Faculty; degree titles are on each programme page (Electronic Engineering’s page states a BEng honours degree). This article covers 2027 entry for Hong Kong local students, non-local students with international qualifications, mainland Chinese Gaokao students and transfer students. At CUHK, Computer Science sits within the Faculty’s Computer Science and Engineering intake and has its own article on this site, so it appears here only briefly.

1. Programmes and how admission works

• Faculty of Engineering programmes on CUHK’s programme list (JUPAS codes in brackets): Artificial Intelligence: Systems and Technologies (JS4468), Biomedical Engineering (JS4460), Computational Data Science (JS4416, cross-faculty), Computer Science and Engineering (JS4412), Electronic Engineering (JS4434), Energy and Environmental Engineering (JS4462), Financial Technology (JS4428), Information Engineering (JS4446), Materials Science and Engineering (JS4470), Mathematics and Information Engineering (JS4733), Mechanical and Automation Engineering (JS4408), Robotics (JS4472), Systems Engineering and Engineering Management (JS4458), and the Aerospace Science and Earth Informatics & X Double Major Programme (JS4750).
• Length: generally four years; Biomedical, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Electronic, Energy and Environmental, Financial Technology, Information, Mechanical and Automation, and Systems Engineering and Engineering Management programmes also offer a two-year Senior Year entry.
• Broad-based admission: since 2022 students interested in Computer Engineering or Computer Science can be admitted directly to the Department of Computer Science and Engineering through the Computer Science and Engineering (BCSEN) programme and declare their major at the end of Year 1; CUHK says students with outstanding HKDSE results and good first-year performance are guaranteed their first choice of major. For the other engineering programmes, the programme list shows which admission routes each is open to (JUPAS, Non-JUPAS Year 1, Senior Year, Mainland Gaokao, International). Gaokao students are admitted to the engineering category first and choose a major later (section 5).
• Senior Year entry: the programme list notes that for Faculty of Engineering (and some other faculties) senior-year applicants first select the Faculty and then indicate a preferred major.
• Accreditation: the programme pages state that the BEng honours degree in Electronic Engineering is accredited by the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers (HKIE), and that Computer Engineering (CENG) is accredited by HKIE. The other engineering programme pages do not mention accreditation; ask the departments. ABET is not mentioned.
• Internships and work: Electronic Engineering has a work-study scheme in which students work full-time for a year at selected electronics or IT companies; the Mechanical and Automation Engineering page mentions exchanges, internships, work-study programmes and research projects. CUHK does not state a faculty-wide compulsory internship.
• Double degrees and double majors: Mechanical and Automation Engineering can be combined with Integrated Business Administration as a double degree; Materials Science and Engineering students take it as the first major and may choose a second major at CUHK or CUHK (Shenzhen).

2. Prerequisites and standards (international qualifications)

• General minimum requirements (CUHK says these are for guidance only and meeting them does not guarantee admission): by 1 September of the entry year, one of the following: GCE A-level or International A-level with 3 A-level passes or 2 A-level plus 2 AS passes (programmes have different subject requirements); an IB Diploma with 30 of 45 points; a US high school diploma with an SAT of 1190 out of 1600 or an ACT composite of 24, plus grade 3 in each of two AP tests; a Canadian provincial diploma, for example British Columbia with an 80% average in five Grade 12 courses (Alberta and New Brunswick also ask for 80% in five courses, and Ontario for 80% in six Grade 12 U or M courses); or at least one year of undergraduate or associate degree / higher diploma study.
• Languages: IB Diploma applicants need grade 4 or above in an IB English language subject and in an IB Chinese language subject (the Chinese requirement may be waived at the discretion of the Faculty Dean).
• Subject preferences by programme: CUHK’s IB document says these are preferences, not requirements, and applications are reviewed holistically. For engineering: Mechanical and Automation Engineering, Robotics, and Energy and Environmental Engineering prefer any Mathematics subject (except Applications and Interpretation SL) plus one of Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science or Physics, at SL or HL; Electronic Engineering prefers any Mathematics subject plus Physics, with Mathematics preferably at HL; Biomedical Engineering prefers two of Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry and Physics, at least one preferably at HL; Information Engineering prefers Mathematics AA (SL / HL) or AI HL plus Computer Science or Physics; Systems Engineering and Engineering Management and Financial Technology prefer a Mathematics subject (except AI SL) plus one of Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Economics or Physics (Financial Technology also lists Business Management); Artificial Intelligence: Systems and Technologies and Computer Science and Engineering prefer any Mathematics subject plus one of Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science or Physics, at HL; Mathematics and Information Engineering prefers Mathematics AA HL or AI HL plus at least one of Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science or Physics; Materials Science and Engineering prefers two of Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry and Physics, preferably at HL. For A-level, CUHK’s requirements page says only that subject requirements differ by programme and does not collect them in one place.
• Admissions score reference: CUHK’s reference document gives the 25th to 75th percentile for all programmes combined, for 2025 entry: IB 37–43 (including TOK and EE bonus points) and A-level UCAS Tariff points of 144–168 for three subjects. It is not specific to engineering, and CUHK does not publish engineering cut-offs.
• English requirement (minimums for common tests): IELTS Academic overall 6.0 (One Skill Retake, IELTS Indicator and IELTS Online not accepted); TOEFL iBT 80 for tests before 21 January 2026 and 4.5 on the new scale for tests on or after that date (Home Edition and Best Scores not accepted); SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing 590; ACT English 23; IB 4; GCE AL / AS grade E; GCSE / IGCSE / O Level grade C or 4; Canadian Grade 12 English 70%.
• Advanced standing: applicants with qualifications such as A-level, IB or associate degree can ask for admission with advanced standing, which can reduce the units needed for graduation by up to 24 (up to one year shorter); you indicate this on the application form.

3. Rounds, application fee and documents (international qualifications, 2027 entry)

• Timeline: applications open on 2 October 2026; applying by 12 November 2026 puts you in the Advance Offer round (firm or conditional offers); the regular round closes on 7 January 2027. CUHK’s web page says advance offers are notified from December 2026 while the guide PDF says by mid-January 2027; regular-round results come from February 2027 (the PDF says February–June, with a clearing round in July); teaching starts in early September 2027. One application covers all rounds.
• Application fee: HK$500, non-refundable, by credit card (Mastercard, VISA, UnionPay) or Faster Payment System (Hong Kong bank accounts only).
• Documents: identity documents (for verification only); transcripts from secondary 1 / grade 7 onwards and graduation certificates; predicted and actual public exam results (CUHK’s code for SAT / AP is 5690, ACT 7050 and TOEFL 0812); English or Chinese test results (IELTS and TOEFL are valid for two years); a personal statement; an optional résumé; an academic referee’s confidential report through the recommendation system (up to three referees can be nominated); award and competition certificates as supporting material. CUHK recommends uploading supporting documents within 14 days of submitting, and non-English or non-Chinese transcripts need a certified English translation. CUHK does not mention an additional engineering essay.
• Offer holders must pay the first instalment of HK$10,000 and complete acceptance procedures by the stated date, otherwise the offer lapses.

4. Hong Kong local students: JUPAS

• University minimum: Level 3 in Chinese and English, Level 2 in Mathematics (Compulsory Part), “Attained” in Citizenship and Social Development, and Level 3 in two electives (or one elective plus Mathematics Extended Part M1 / M2 or an Other Language subject). A waiver of the Chinese requirement is possible only for JUPAS applicants in very special circumstances who did not take HKDSE Chinese but passed a Chinese or other language subject in another recognised public examination, at the faculty dean’s discretion and case by case.
• Programme-specific requirements and scoring are in CUHK’s score calculator. The page currently shows 2026-entry data, with the 2027 version due in March–April 2027, so the numbers are not listed on a static page and CUHK has not published 2027 engineering JUPAS scores; look up each programme in the calculator.
• Dates: JUPAS applications close on 2 December 2026, HKDSE results come out on 14 July 2027 (programme choices can be updated 14–16 July), some programmes interview between May and July, and the Main Round results are announced on 4 August 2027.

5. Mainland Chinese students: the Gaokao early batch

CUHK recruits Gaokao students differently from some other Hong Kong universities: CUHK states that it recruits through the national unified admissions plan, in the early admission batch, and Gaokao students do not apply to CUHK directly; after results are released you list CUHK in the early batch (CUHK’s national code is 81002). There is no interview, and admission is by Gaokao score without bonus points. The rules below come from CUHK’s current 2026 admissions regulations; a 2027 version is not yet on the page, so check CUHK and your provincial examinations authority for the latest.

• Eligibility: the unified exam score must reach the provincial control line for the regular undergraduate batch or special-type admissions, and the foreign language must be English, with at least 120 out of 150 (130 to apply for scholarships); ties go to the higher English score.
• Categories: the mainland plan has four categories (humanities, science, engineering and business) and the engineering category is the Faculty of Engineering. Arts-track (history-group) students can choose only humanities and business; science-track, physics-group and comprehensive students may choose engineering. Under the 3+1+2 reform, the engineering majors list the physics group and no further subject requirement.
• Choosing a major: students state a preferred major within their category on entry, study foundation courses in the first year and confirm a major in Year 1 or Year 2 depending on the department. For most engineering majors CUHK notes that the major can be chosen in Year 1 but an interview with the department may be required on entry; Computer Science and Engineering students choose Computer Engineering or Computer Science after Year 1 based on first-year results and department rules. The Aerospace Science and Earth Informatics & X Double Major Programme carries extra Gaokao English and subject notes, marked by footnote numbers in the programme list; check CUHK’s notes.
• Admission rules: CUHK admits only applicants who list it as the first institution choice (except in provinces using parallel choices), does not use supplementary rounds or reference-choice applicants, does not consider bonus points, and has no score gap between institutions or majors. Engineering quotas by province are on CUHK’s plan page and are not listed here.
• Length: normally four years, with at least 123 credits to graduate.
• Applicants who are not current Gaokao candidates: students holding A-level, IB, SAT and similar qualifications use the international route in section 3; current Gaokao candidates cannot use it. Gaokao students who hold Hong Kong local-student status apply through the Non-JUPAS Local Year One scheme and can use only one route.
• CUHK’s mainland pages do not separately describe Chinese high school transcripts or Huikao materials; CUHK states that Gaokao students do not apply to it directly but list it in the early batch.

6. Transfer and sub-degree students

• Transferring from another university: the general minimum for the international scheme includes at least one year of undergraduate study at a recognised university or one year of associate degree / higher diploma study. CUHK does not publish GPA or calculus / physics / chemistry requirements for engineering; it says only that after admission you may apply for course and unit exemption, considered case by case once you are a registered student.
• Hong Kong associate degree / higher diploma students: final-year students and graduates of local sub-degree programmes can apply for two-year senior-year entry; non-final-year and overseas sub-degree students can apply only for first-year entry. Senior-year places are not for inter-institutional transfers of UGC-funded undergraduates. Requirements are a completed recognised local AD / HD plus English and Chinese proficiency (for example HKDSE Level 3 or IELTS Academic 6.0 for English). Applications run from October 2026 to February 2027, the Advance Offer round deadline is 12 November 2026, the regular round closes on 18 February 2027, and offers are issued from December 2026. The engineering programmes with senior-year entry are listed in section 1.

7. Tuition, living costs and scholarships

• Tuition: for 2027–28, non-local students (including international and mainland applicants) pay HK$230,000 a year, with any 2027-cohort adjustment capped at 3% a year, plus a HK$450 caution fee on enrolment. CUHK does not describe a separate engineering surcharge. Note: the Gaokao 2026 admissions regulations give HK$214,000 a year; these are different academic years, so check CUHK for the year you apply.
• Living costs: about HK$17,000 a year for on-campus accommodation and about HK$45,000 a year in living expenses.
• Admission scholarships: local and non-local new students are considered automatically, with no application; values range from HK$5,000 to full tuition, some include an allowance of up to HK$66,000 a year, and many are renewable for the normal study period subject to progress. They include the HKSAR Government Scholarship (HK$80,000 a year for non-local students, nominated by CUHK), eight Vice-Chancellor’s Scholarships for Excellence of HK$50,000 each, exchange scholarships of HK$10,000–80,000, and one-off non-academic scholarships of HK$50,000–214,000 for non-local students. CUHK does not list a faculty-specific engineering admission scholarship.
• Gaokao scholarships (2026 rules): applicants need a Gaokao score (without bonus points) of at least 630 of 750 in the science track / physics group or a place in the top 0.5% of the province, plus at least 130 in English; the full scholarship (top 0.05%) covers four years of tuition plus HK$66,000 a year, the full-tuition scholarship goes to the top 0.1%, and half-tuition scholarships follow provincial quotas. A Diversified Excellence scholarship of HK$50,000 goes to admitted students with a national first prize or gold medal in a recognised national final. Renewal requires an annual GPA of 3.000.

Checklist

Hong Kong local students:

• Apply through JUPAS by 2 December 2026; Level 3 in Chinese and English, Level 2 in Mathematics and Level 3 in two electives; check the score calculator for each programme

Non-local students with international qualifications:

• IB 30 or more (admitted scores are higher) or 3 A-levels; IELTS 6.0 or the TOEFL equivalent; apply by 12 November 2026 for an advance offer or by 7 January 2027; HK$500 fee; transcripts, personal statement, academic referee

Mainland Gaokao students:

• List CUHK in the early batch and choose the engineering category; English of 120 of 150 or more; no interview; the specific major is confirmed in Year 1 or Year 2

Transfer and sub-degree students:

• At least one year of university study through the international route; Hong Kong sub-degree graduates can apply for two-year senior-year entry by 18 February 2027

Sources: The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Office of Admissions and Financial Aid, Programme list; Mechanical and Automation Engineering; Computer Science and Engineering; Electronic Engineering; Overseas / other qualifications: requirements; Important dates; Application guides; International Students Admissions Scheme guide (PDF); IB subject preferences (PDF); Mainland Gaokao admissions (Chinese); 2026 admissions regulations (Chinese); Programme list for Gaokao (Chinese); Gaokao scholarship regulations (Chinese); JUPAS minimum requirements; JUPAS dates; Sub-degree requirements; Fees; Admission scholarships. Dates and fees for international qualifications are for 2027 entry; the Gaokao regulations, programme list and scholarship rules on the website are still the 2026 versions. Check CUHK for the latest details.