How to Apply to Mathematics at the University of Hong Kong: Mathematics Is a Major Within the BSc (6901), Chosen After Up to Two Years With No Quota per Major, and Requirements for Local, International (Including Mainland Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

The University of Hong Kong (HKU) has no separate “mathematics bachelor’s” admission code. Mathematics is a major within the four-year Bachelor of Science (BSc, code 6901) of the Faculty of Science: you apply to 6901 and choose mathematics after you arrive. The guide below follows HKU’s Admissions Office and Faculty of Science websites for September 2027 entry, with sections for Hong Kong local students (JUPAS), applicants with international or overseas qualifications (non-JUPAS), mainland Gaokao students and transfer students. Actuarial, statistics and quantitative finance programmes have their own codes and get only a short mention in section 3.

1. How mathematics is studied at HKU: a major within the 6901 BSc

• Degree and places: BSc, four years, 253 first-year places, plus 75 places for sub-degree graduates entering Year 3. The degree needs 240 credits (forty 6-credit courses).
• You do not choose a major when applying: HKU describes one application code with a choice of 10 majors and 7 Intensive Majors (another page says 11 regular majors, so the wording differs). You do not have to declare a major in Year 1; the latest is after two years, and changing majors is described as easy. There is no quota for any major, so students may choose any science major.
• Two ways to study mathematics: the Major in Mathematics (96 credits), which leaves room to design your own mix of courses, and the Major in Mathematics (Intensive) (144 credits), for students who want deeper and more comprehensive knowledge. HKU lists seven Intensive Majors, of which mathematics is one. Mathematics does not appear in the Faculty’s list of professionally accredited majors (chemistry, biological sciences, ecology and biodiversity, molecular biology and biotechnology, geology, environmental science).
• What the Mathematics Major covers: HKU says the core courses emphasise fundamental concepts and the electives cover both pure and applied mathematics, with experiential learning through guided studies, projects, seminars and summer internships. The programme page also mentions an internship placement plus a capstone project. Course titles are not given on the pages used for this guide; check the Faculty’s syllabus pages.
• Credit structure (regular 96-credit major): 96 credits for the major (including two Science Foundation Courses and a capstone requirement), 12 credits of language (two English courses and one Chinese course), 36 credits of Common Core (six courses), 6 credits of AI literacy (two courses) and 90 credits of electives, which can go to a minor or a second major. An Intensive Major takes 144 to 150 credits and leaves 36 to 42 credits of electives. A grade of 5 or above in HKDSE English exempts the first English course.
• If you had no background in the subject: HKU says you can still declare it, but you may have to take preparatory courses first; advanced courses can be taken in Year 1 with the offering department’s approval.
• Second majors and minors: you need a science primary major and can add a second major or a minor in science or non-science fields (arts, business, social sciences, engineering and more). HKU says about a quarter of BSc students take one major plus one minor and another quarter take two majors. You still receive one degree, the BSc. Popular courses in other faculties (business, for example) may be limited by quota, timetable clashes or requirements.
• Entrance tests and interviews: the pages do not mention a mathematics admission test (such as MAT, STEP or TMUA). On interviews, the Faculty’s FAQ says they may be arranged for principal nominees and for students with outstanding achievements outside the exams.

2. Prerequisites: how much high school mathematics

• In the university requirements used for 6901 JUPAS, Mathematics only needs Level 2, plus Level 3 in one of Biology, Chemistry or Physics. M1 / M2 (Mathematics Extended Part) counts as an elective and carries a weighting of 1.5 in scoring, but HKU does not make it compulsory.
• HKU does not state that the Mathematics Major requires a particular high school mathematics course or grade, and the conditions for declaring mathematics (for example Year 1 results or specified foundation courses) are not given on the pages used for this guide. Ask the Faculty of Science (3917 2683, sci.ug.admission@hku.hk).
• Subject requirements for international and non-JUPAS applicants (for example which A-level or IB mathematics courses and grades) sit in the admissions standards tool on HKU’s international qualifications page by qualification and programme; it was not used for this guide, so check it on the website.

3. Other mathematics-related programmes

• Science Master Class 6688 (BSc&MRes): 26 local (JUPAS plus non-JUPAS) places. JUPAS requires Level 3 in English and Chinese, Level 4 in Mathematics and Level 3 in either two science electives or M1 / M2 plus one science; the expected 2027 JUPAS score is 36.5. The 2026 lowest scores for non-JUPAS applicants were A-level 4A* and IB 42. Admitted students join the Young Scientist Scheme automatically. International-qualification interviews run from January to March 2027.
• BSc in Actuarial Science BSc(ActuarSc), 6729: offered by the School of Computing and Data Science, 50 first-year places. HKU states it is accredited by the UK Institute and Faculty of Actuaries and has Validation by Educational Experience approval and University-Earned Credit status from the Society of Actuaries. JUPAS requires Level 3 in English and Chinese, Level 4 in Mathematics and Level 4 or above in M1 / M2.
• Statistical Decision Sciences 6779: also in the School of Computing and Data Science, 30 first-year places, with three professional cores (Decision Analytics, Risk Management, Statistics) and a BStat degree; JUPAS requires Level 4 in Mathematics. HKU states it holds Accredited University status from the Royal Statistical Society.
• BSc in Quantitative Finance BSc(QFin), 6884: 25 first-year places, covering probability, statistics, calculus, linear algebra and programming. JUPAS requires Level 4 in English, Level 3 in Chinese and Mathematics, and Level 3 or above in M1 / M2. HKU states the programme is accredited by PRMIA and is a CFA Institute University Affiliation Programme. It is offered by the HKU Business School, so see section 8 on which tuition rate applies.

4. Hong Kong local students: JUPAS

• Requirements for 6901 BSc: Level 3 in English, Level 3 in Chinese, Level 2 in Mathematics, Citizenship and Social Development “Attained”, and Level 3 in two electives; the electives may be any Category A subject or M1 / M2, but one must be Biology, Chemistry or Physics (called a “Science elective”).
• Scoring: the best five subjects, which must include English, Mathematics and the best Science elective plus the best two of the remaining Category A subjects and M1 / M2; the Science elective, Mathematics and M1 / M2 each carry a weighting of 1.5. HKU’s JUPAS PDF writes the formula as English + 1.5 × Mathematics + 1.5 × best Science subject + best two further subjects (weighting group 6), which matches the Faculty of Science page.
• Score references: the Faculty of Science page gives an expected 2027 JUPAS score of 34; its FAQ gives 27.5–41 for the 2026 best-five HKDSE scores. HKU converts levels to scores as 1 → 1, 2 → 2, 3 → 3, 4 → 4, 5 → 5.5, 5* → 7 and 5** → 8.5.
• Band A: the FAQ says all students admitted in previous years placed Science programmes among their Band A choices, and that the higher you rank it, the better the chance; interviews may be arranged for principal nominees and for students with outstanding performance in activities, sports or leadership.
• Repeaters: the Faculty page says the best results of 2024 and 2025 are considered with no penalty, while its FAQ says 2026 and 2027; the years differ, probably because one page is out of date, so confirm with the Admissions Office.
• University entrance requirements: Level 3 in English, Level 3 in Chinese, Level 2 in Mathematics, Citizenship and Social Development at Level 2 / “Attained”, and Level 3 in two electives. Mathematics Extended Part (M1 or M2) counts as an elective, but one of the two electives must be a Senior Secondary (Category A) subject.
• Flexible arrangement: a candidate who falls short of Level 3 in English, Chinese or one of the two electives, but reaches at least Level 2 there, can still be considered if other grades are good. The total score under the programme’s formula is then reduced by 10%, and the candidate must list the programme in Band A, pass an interview and meet any extra programme requirements. HKU says this applies to all undergraduate programmes.
• Dates: JUPAS applications close on 2 December 2026; programme choices can be updated until 26 May 2027; HKDSE results are released on 14 July 2027 and Main Round offers on 4 August 2027. HKU interviews selected candidates before or after the results and gives preference to those who list the programme as a Band A choice.

5. International curricula and overseas qualifications: International / Non-JUPAS scheme

• Who it is for: HKU says this route is for non-local students with international or other national qualifications (other than the mainland Gaokao) and for local students with qualifications other than the HKDSE. Students currently in a full-time UGC-funded bachelor’s programme in Hong Kong also apply this way, although HKU notes that UGC guidelines discourage transfers between institutions. Applicants who turn 25 on or before 1 September of the entry year are deemed to meet the entrance requirements and must provide supporting evidence of academic or non-academic qualifications and work experience.
• Timeline: applications open on 23 September 2026. Applications received by noon (Hong Kong time) on 25 November 2026 go into the first-round evaluation, and shortlisted applicants may be interviewed between November and January. Later applications are reviewed on a rolling basis until noon on 25 August 2027. HKU suggests counsellors and referees submit their parts by 1 December 2026. First-round results come from December 2026; an applicant who receives an offer normally accepts within three to four weeks and pays a non-refundable deposit (the general information gives HK$5,000 for local and HK$20,000 for non-local students, subject to change). Non-local students should allow four to six weeks for assessment and eight to ten weeks for a visa after an offer; an applicant who has heard nothing by early September 2027 should treat the application as unsuccessful.
• Fee and choices: the application fee is HK$780 and non-refundable. You can list up to three programmes, and choices cannot be added or changed after submission.
• Documents: an identity document, high school transcript, public examination results and English proof (for example IELTS or TOEFL), one personal statement (uploaded after paying the fee, whatever the number of choices), a CV and certificates (optional) and reference letters (optional, supplied through the system by your counsellor or referees). Predicted and actual grades must be entered in the application system; uploading files alone is not enough, and HKU says the uploads are only for verification. Hard-copy originals are not needed at the application stage.
• Interviews: shortlisted applicants may be invited to an interview or test; not every programme or applicant has one, and an invitation does not indicate the chance of admission.
• English: IELTS Academic overall 6.5 with at least 6.0 in Writing and Speaking in the same sitting, taken within two years before 1 September of entry; IELTS Indicator and IELTS Online are not accepted. TOEFL iBT: for tests from 21 January 2026, overall 5.0 with at least 5.0 in Writing and Speaking; for earlier tests, 95 with at least 25 in Writing and Speaking; Home Edition and ITP are not accepted. HKU also lists IB (English A 5 or English B 6), GCSE / O Level English at B or 6, AS / A-level English Language or Literature at C (General Paper is not accepted), an SAT Reading and Writing section score of 610 or above, and at least one year of full-time bachelor’s study at a recognised university taught in English; for Canadian high schools, 80% in Grade 12 English.
• Agents and “internal recommendation”: HKU states that it authorises no intermediary to recruit students and has no mechanism for professors to recommend non-local students; applicants must apply to the University directly.
• Reference lines for 6901 BSc on this route: the Faculty of Science page lists the 2026 lowest admission scores as GCE A-level 1A* 2A and IB 34. It says non-JUPAS applicants are considered individually on the admissions standards and personal merit, and that there is a separate quota for mainland and international students whose size is not stated. The page does not give the specific high school subjects and grades required for 6901; the admissions standards tool on HKU’s international qualifications page lists subject requirements by qualification, which was not used for this guide, so check it there by qualification and programme.
• The Science section of HKU’s international-qualification interview schedule lists only 6688 Science Master Class and 6858 BSc&LLB, not 6901.

6. Mainland Chinese students: Mainland Undergraduate Admissions Scheme

• Independent admissions: HKU recruits in mainland China through its own application process, separate from the national unified admissions system, nationwide, with no quota per province and selection by merit. HKU says all its undergraduate programmes are open to mainland applicants (the Bachelor of Dental Surgery has a separate note), with no arts / science stream restriction, and students in reformed-Gaokao provinces face no subject-choice requirement.
• How to apply: complete the online form and pay the HK$780 application fee (by MasterCard, VISA or UnionPay credit card), then log in again after the Gaokao results are released to upload your scores. The system opened on 6 October 2026 and closes at noon on 28 June 2027; offers are released between late June and 7 July 2027. HKU notes that applying to HKU does not affect taking part in the mainland unified admissions, and applicants may also join mainland schemes such as the Strong Foundation Plan; but once you accept an HKU offer you no longer take part in mainland admissions.
• Selection: HKU looks at overall quality, giving priority to the Gaokao total and English score, interview performance (if invited) and overall academic and non-academic qualities. HKU does not publish a Gaokao cut-off for 6901 BSc. The mainland page adds that Diversified Excellence applicants can also take part in the Faculty of Science’s “undergraduate research cultivation scheme” selection (the page does not give an English name for it, so check the website).
• Diversified Excellence Admissions Scheme: after registering for the mainland scheme you can also apply, if you have strong results, competition awards or subject talent (for example olympiads, subject competitions at national, provincial or city level, or patents), rich extracurricular experience, leadership, or artistic or sporting talent. Selection is early, with online interviews; strong performers can receive bonus consideration, and outstanding applicants may receive a conditional offer before the Gaokao. The first round closes on 31 December 2026, interviews run in batches from January–February 2027, the final deadline is 22 March 2027 and results are complete in May 2027. An applicant who has not attended any round of interviews before the Gaokao is treated as having given up the scheme.
• HKU’s mainland page does not separately describe requirements for Chinese high school transcripts or the Huikao, and does not state an English-subject cut-off. Applicants who apply on international qualifications should use the English and document requirements in the previous section; for anything else, ask the HKU Admissions Office.

7. Transfer and sub-degree students

• Transferring from another university (first-year entry): choose “Bachelor’s or higher degree” as your qualification in the non-JUPAS application. HKU’s sub-degree page shows in a table that applicants currently enrolled in, or who have completed one or more years of, a bachelor’s programme are eligible for first-year places only, not senior-year places. The step-by-step guide stresses entering the exact number of years of education, which is crucial for advanced standing. The expected lower boundary and advanced-standing rules for transfer applicants are in the admissions standards tool, which was not used for this guide, so check it on HKU’s website; students currently in a UGC-funded bachelor’s programme in Hong Kong are considered only in special cases (see section 5).
• Internal transfer: current HKU students who want to move to another faculty write to the Registrar or follow the Registry’s procedure rather than applying through the application system; the Faculty of Science’s own internal-transfer conditions were not read for this guide.
• Hong Kong associate degree / higher diploma graduates entering Year 3: the Faculty of Science sets aside places on the BSc, 75 for 2027 according to its FAQ. Applicants hold a recognised full-time associate degree or higher diploma of at least two years from a Hong Kong community college in a same or related discipline; second-year sub-degree students can also apply. You must state your major when applying, from Biochemistry, Food & Nutritional Science, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Ecology & Biodiversity, Environmental Science, Biological Sciences, Earth System Science, Geology, and Molecular Biology & Biotechnology. Admitted students receive 120 credits of advanced standing, including some core courses of the major and credits for English, Chinese and elective courses. There is no interview; some conditional offers are issued in March–April and the rest are considered after sub-degree results in July.
• Dates: the sub-degree page gives 23 September 2026 to open, 25 November 2026 (noon) for the first round, then rolling review until noon on 20 August 2027, while the general information for international qualifications says applications for senior-year places can be submitted until noon on 25 August 2027. The dates differ, so follow what the application system shows. The application fee is HK$780.

8. Tuition, living costs and scholarships

• Tuition: for 2027/28, non-local students (and local students not eligible for subsidised fees) in STEM faculties and schools, including the Faculty of Science, pay HK$280,000 a year; eligible local students pay HK$49,500. HKU says the fee in later years follows the rate of the year of study, not the rate of the year of admission. HKU does not describe a separate Science surcharge. The School of Computing and Data Science, home of Actuarial Science and Statistical Decision Sciences, is also listed among the STEM schools; the fee page lists the Business and Economics faculties as non-STEM at HK$250,000 a year, and the Quantitative Finance page names the HKU Business School as its faculty, so ask the Admissions Office which rate applies.
• Living costs: HK$17,290 to HK$37,940 a year in residential halls (285 residential days, excluding the summer semester), HK$30,000 to HK$50,000 off campus, and up to HK$50,000 a year in living expenses.
• Entrance scholarships: every applicant is considered automatically with no separate application, and the result is announced with the offer; selection is based on academic merit with consideration of non-academic achievements. HKU says the entrance scholarship for top-ranking students can go up to a full tuition waiver plus an accommodation scholarship and a yearly living allowance. Hundreds of merit-based scholarships can also be applied for once you have started. HKU’s scholarship finder filters by student type (local / non-local), qualification (HKDSE, international, mainland Gaokao) and faculty; check the website for specific awards and amounts.
• Young Scientist Scheme (YSS): JUPAS students admitted to 6901 with a best-five total of 35 or above are accepted automatically with no interview; selected non-JUPAS applicants are invited. HKU lists for YSS students a Summer Research Fellowship in the first summer, a further fellowship or an Overseas Research Fellowship, international exchange or summer study, attendance at an international conference, a research mentor, a Frontiers of Science Honours Seminar, and an entrance scholarship of HK$10,000 to HK$70,000 (for JUPAS students with outstanding HKDSE results; non-JUPAS cases are considered individually). Students not admitted at entry can still join later.

Checklist

Hong Kong local students:

• Apply through JUPAS by 2 December 2026; Level 3 in English and Chinese, Level 2 in Mathematics, Level 3 in two electives with one of Biology, Chemistry or Physics; put the BSc high in Band A

Non-local students with international or overseas qualifications:

• Use the 2026 lowest scores of A-level 1A*2A or IB 34 as a reference and check subject requirements in HKU’s admissions standards tool; IELTS 6.5 (6.0 in Writing and Speaking); apply by noon on 25 November 2026 for the first round; enter predicted grades in the system

Mainland Gaokao students:

• Register online and pay HK$780 by noon on 28 June 2027, then upload scores; HKU publishes no Gaokao cut-off; with competition results or other strengths, also apply to the Diversified Excellence Admissions Scheme (first round 31 December)

Transfer students:

• Choose “Bachelor’s or higher degree” in the non-JUPAS application, for first-year places only; sub-degree graduates can apply to enter Year 3 in the Mathematics major (code A307), 75 BSc places in total for 2027

Sources: HKU Admissions Office and the faculties concerned, BSc (6901); Faculty of Science admissions platform; 6901 programme features; Intensive Majors; 6901 FAQ; Faculty of Science admission requirements; Mathematics Major; Actuarial Science (6729); Statistical Decision Sciences (6779); Quantitative Finance (6884); International qualifications admissions; General information for IAS/NJ/DAS (PDF); Online application step-by-step guide (PDF); English language requirement; JUPAS; JUPAS admissions information (PDF); Mainland Undergraduate Admissions Scheme (Chinese); Hong Kong sub-degrees; Tuition and living expenses; Scholarships; Interview schedules. Information is for September 2027 entry; scores are HKU’s published reference figures from earlier years. Check HKU for the latest details.