How to Apply to Economics at the University of Hong Kong: BEcon and BEcon&Fin Share Admission Code 6767 at the HKU Business School, JUPAS Needs Level 4 English, and Requirements for Local, International (Including Mainland Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

The University of Hong Kong (HKU) teaches undergraduate economics in the HKU Business School, which awards two degrees: the Bachelor of Economics (BEcon) and the Bachelor of Economics and Finance (BEcon&Fin). Both are four-year programmes and the Admissions Office page lists them under one shared code, 6767. The guide below follows HKU’s Admissions Office and Business School 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. Business administration, accounting and finance and other business programmes have their own codes and are not covered here.

1. The economics programmes and how admission works

• Degrees and places: BEcon and BEcon&Fin are four years and need 240 credits. The admissions page gives 226 first-year places, stated as a combined figure for codes JS6755, JS6767 and JS6781, so economics has no separate place count.
• You apply to one code: both JUPAS and international-qualification applicants apply to 6767. The admissions page does not say how students are assigned to or choose between BEcon and BEcon&Fin, so ask the Business School (3917 5343, fbe.ugenquiry@hku.hk).
• BEcon: economic theory, statistical tools and applications to trade, banking and the labour market, with training to evaluate the regional economic performance of mainland China, Hong Kong and other economies; HKU says the curriculum leaves considerable flexibility for planning a career specialisation.
• BEcon&Fin: economics and finance together, treating economics both as a discipline in its own right and as a foundation for finance. HKU states it is a designated CFA Institute University Affiliation Program, with CFA scholarships to take the Level I exam and free workshops on ethics and professional standards from the local CFA society. Students of both BEcon and BEcon&Fin can join the CGMA Finance Leadership Program.
• Curriculum structure: a single-major structure that lets you add a second major or a combination of minors if you meet their requirements. The admissions page does not list course titles, compulsory courses or mathematics courses; the Business School website publishes regulations, syllabuses and course lists by year of entry, so check the 2027 entry version there.
• Experience and internships: HKU mentions summer exchange programmes at partner universities and internships with companies in Hong Kong and mainland China; it does not state a compulsory internship.
• Dual degrees: the “Future Leaders” programme with Peking University splits time between Hong Kong and Beijing over four years and awards a BEcon&Fin from HKU and a Bachelor of Arts and Management (BMgmt) from PKU; the dual bachelor’s with the University of California, Berkeley has two years in Hong Kong and two in the US and awards a HKU BEcon and a Berkeley BA. Both need a separate application; see the Admissions Office’s collaborative programmes page.
• Entrance tests and interviews: the pages mention no economics admission test. Non-JUPAS applicants may have an optional interview “as necessary”, usually an individual online interview; the Business School entries in the international-qualification interview schedule are Quantitative Finance and International Business and Global Management, not the Bachelor of Economics.

2. Prerequisites: mathematics and economics subjects

• For 6767 the JUPAS programme requirements are Level 4 in English, Level 3 in Chinese, Level 3 in Mathematics and Level 3 in two electives; the “specific elective subjects” column shows a dash (none), so neither economics nor the Mathematics Extended Part is required.
• HKU’s pages do not state mathematics or economics subject requirements for A-level, IB and other qualifications; these sit in the admissions standards tool on the international qualifications page by qualification and programme, which was not used for this guide, so check it on the website. The Business School’s non-JUPAS FAQ only says that each application is assessed individually, that the “expected lower boundary” on the Admissions Office website is a reference threshold that does not guarantee admission, and that the actual grade depends on the quality of that year’s applicants.

3. Neighbouring programmes

• BSc in Quantitative Finance BSc(QFin), 6884: also in the Business School, 25 first-year places; the first two years cover accounting, corporate finance, macroeconomics, derivatives and portfolio management alongside probability, statistics, calculus, linear algebra and programming, and the later years cover risk management, financial engineering and mathematical finance. JUPAS requires Level 4 in English and Level 3 in Chinese and Mathematics, and Level 3 or above in M1 / M2. HKU states it is accredited by PRMIA and is a CFA Institute University Affiliation Programme.
• Actuarial Science 6729 and Statistical Decision Sciences 6779 are offered by the School of Computing and Data Science and require Level 4 in Mathematics in JUPAS; they are not covered further here.

4. Hong Kong local students: JUPAS

• Requirements for 6767: Level 4 in English, Level 3 in Chinese and in Mathematics, Citizenship and Social Development “Attained”, and Level 3 in two electives; no elective subject is named.
• Scoring: 1.5 × English + 1.5 × Mathematics + best three subjects + 0.2 × the sixth best subject (M1 / M2 may be counted). HKU converts levels to scores as 1 → 1, 2 → 2, 3 → 3, 4 → 4, 5 → 5.5, 5* → 7 and 5** → 8.5. HKU’s JUPAS PDF shows reference admission scores from earlier years and states they are for local HKDSE students only and should not be used to predict the chance of admission.
• 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.
• How the Business School assesses non-JUPAS applications: on the information and documents supplied, including past academic records (school and public examinations), the personal statement, references, official predicted grades and interview performance (if any); shortlisted applicants may be invited, usually to an individual online interview. Documents named in its FAQ include an identity document, visa labels (if applicable), transcripts, GCE AS / A-level statements of results showing numerical scores, and an optional CV of up to two A4 pages. First-round results are notified from around late December 2026, then on a rolling basis.
• Mathematics and economics subject requirements and the 2026 reference lowest scores for international qualifications are given by qualification in the admissions standards tool, which was not used for this guide, so no specific figures are quoted here.

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 the Bachelor of Economics.
• 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 enrolled in, or who have completed years of, a bachelor’s programme are eligible for first-year places only. 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. For students in a UGC-funded bachelor’s programme in Hong Kong, HKU discourages inter-institutional transfer and considers only excellent results with special approval (see section 5).
• Current HKU students moving into the Business School: internal transfer within the School is open only to non-final-year students, is not guaranteed, and a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 by the second semester is generally expected (for reference only, not a guarantee). The application window HKU lists for 2026–27 was 1 April to 1 June 2026, which is last year’s timetable, so check the website for 2027–28. Students from other faculties moving in follow the Registry’s inter-faculty transfer procedure, which was not read for this guide.
• Hong Kong associate degree / higher diploma graduates: the senior-year places listed on HKU’s sub-degree page cover Arts, Education, Engineering, Nursing (Medicine), Science and Social Sciences, with no Business School programme; the table shows that final-year students and graduates of sub-degrees can apply for first-year places. Applications open on 23 September 2026, the first round closes at noon on 25 November 2026 and later applications are reviewed on a rolling basis until noon on 20 August 2027. 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 pay HK$280,000 a year and in non-STEM faculties and schools HK$250,000 a year. The fee page lists “Business and Economics” among the non-STEM faculties, but the BEcon page names the HKU Business School as its faculty, which is not exactly the same wording, so ask the Admissions Office which rate applies. 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 economics surcharge.
• 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.

Checklist

Hong Kong local students:

• Apply through JUPAS by 2 December 2026; Level 4 in English, Level 3 in Chinese and Mathematics, Level 3 in two electives (no named subject); put 6767 in Band A

Non-local students with international or overseas qualifications:

• Check A-level / IB 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, and submit a personal statement, transcripts and ID

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; current HKU students moving into the Business School must be non-final-year, with a GPA of about 3.0 generally expected

Sources: HKU Admissions Office and the faculties concerned, BEcon / BEcon&Fin (6767); Business School: BEcon; Business School: BEcon&Fin; Business School: non-JUPAS FAQ; Business School: internal transfer; 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.