How to Apply to Life Sciences and Medicine-Related Degrees at the University of Hong Kong: Biology Majors in the BSc, Biomedical Sciences, Nursing, Pharmacy and MBBS Each Have Their Own Code, and Requirements for Local, International (Including Mainland Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

The University of Hong Kong (HKU) offers life-science and medicine-related undergraduate degrees on two tracks: biology-related majors within the four-year Bachelor of Science (BSc, code 6901) of the Faculty of Science, and the programmes of the LKS Faculty of Medicine, each with its own code: Biomedical Sciences (6949), Nursing (6468), Pharmacy (6494) and Medicine and Surgery (MBBS, 6456). 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. Chinese Medicine (6482), Dental Surgery and Biomedical Engineering (6925, offered by the School of Biomedical Engineering) are not covered here.

1. Faculty of Science: biology-related majors in the 6901 BSc

• How admission works: you apply only to 6901, with 253 first-year places (plus 75 places for sub-degree graduates entering Year 3). You choose a major after up to two years, there is no quota per major, and you can add a second major or minor in science or non-science fields; the degree needs 240 credits. HKU describes 10 majors plus 7 Intensive Majors on one page and 11 regular majors on another, so the wording differs.
• Life-science majors: Biochemistry (96 credits, with electives in bioinformatics, molecular medicine and molecular genetics); Biological Sciences (96 credits, plus a 144-credit Intensive Major covering genetics and molecular and cell biology, ecology, systematics and evolution, and physiology and organismic biology); Ecology & Biodiversity (96 / 144 credits, with special reference to Hong Kong and Asian aquatic and terrestrial life); Molecular Biology & Biotechnology (96 / 144 credits, with industrial and medical applications); Food & Nutritional Science (96 credits); and Environmental Science (an interdisciplinary major).
• Accreditation: HKU says the Intensive Majors in Biological Sciences, Ecology & Biodiversity and Molecular Biology & Biotechnology are accredited by the UK Royal Society of Biology, and the Environmental Science major by the Hong Kong Institute of Qualified Environmental Professionals. The pages disagree on how many majors are accredited (six on the programme page; four at launch of the Intensive Majors and five of seven in the FAQ), so confirm with the Faculty.
• Progression: outstanding students can use articulation pathways into HKU Science taught master’s programmes, or into the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) at the University of Melbourne; HKU states this is a HKU BSc plus a Melbourne DVM over seven years.
• Entrance tests and interviews: no biology admission test is mentioned; interviews may be arranged for principal nominees and students with outstanding achievements outside the exams. The Science entries in the international-qualification interview schedule do not include 6901.
• If you had no background in the subject: HKU says you can still declare it, but you may have to take preparatory courses first. The conditions for declaring a life-science major (such as Year 1 results) are not given on the pages used for this guide; ask the Faculty (3917 2683, sci.ug.admission@hku.hk).
• Young Scientist Scheme (YSS): JUPAS students admitted to 6901 with a best-five total of 35 or above are accepted automatically; selected non-JUPAS applicants are invited.

2. LKS Faculty of Medicine undergraduate programmes

• Bachelor of Biomedical Sciences BBiomedSc, 6949: four years, 53 first-year places, with four areas of specialisation: Biomedical Research, Bioinformatics, Clinical Sciences and Health Technology. Teaching includes lectures, laboratory practicals, problem-based learning tutorials, web-based learning and research projects, and the final year offers a Final Year Project or an Innovation Team Project as the capstone. HKU mentions summer research internships (in the Faculty’s research teams, at overseas universities or with outside agencies), the University’s Undergraduate Research Fellowship Programme, and overseas exchange or articulation in Year 3. Career areas HKU lists include research in university and government laboratories, medical development and management in pharmaceutical, diagnostics and device industries, and hospital and healthcare planning.
• Bachelor of Nursing BNurs, 6468: a five-year honours degree, 210 first-year places (combined figure for JS6418 and JS6468). The curriculum covers nursing core courses, nursing of specialised populations, nursing research foundations and nursing practica, with clinical placements under supervision in a variety of settings. HKU states that graduates who complete the requirements are eligible for direct registration as registered nurses with the Nursing Council of Hong Kong. A BNurs Advanced Leadership Track (6418) also exists, where Biology or Chemistry is required for its articulation pathway to MBBS.
• Bachelor of Pharmacy BPharm, 6494: four years, 35 first-year places, 258 credits (192 pharmacy core, 12 pharmacy electives, 36 common core, 12 language, 6 digital literacy). HKU describes the Pharmacy Experiential Education Programme (PEEP), with on-site placements in different pharmacy practice settings under pharmacist preceptors, plus an international exchange option and an enrichment module.
• Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery MBBS, 6456: six years, 300 first-year places (combined figure for JS6456 and JS6626). HKU describes problem-based small-group tutorials, early clinical exposure, medical ethics and inter-professional education, and an enrichment year for research, exchange or service in Hong Kong or abroad. The degree is recognised as a primary qualification by the Medical Council of Hong Kong, and graduates complete a one-year residency in a public hospital before registering as licensed doctors. Not given on the pages used for this guide: MBBS places or special policies for international and mainland students; see the Faculty of Medicine’s undergraduate admissions website.
• Clinical placements and international students: the programme pages do not describe extra restrictions for international students on clinical placements; ask the Faculty.

3. Prerequisites in one place (JUPAS)

• 6901 BSc: Level 3 in English, Level 3 in Chinese, Level 2 in Mathematics, Level 3 in two electives with one of Biology, Chemistry or Physics; best five subjects, with the science elective, Mathematics and M1 / M2 weighted 1.5. HKU gives an expected 2027 JUPAS score of 34.
• Biomedical Sciences 6949: Level 4 in English, Level 3 in Chinese, Level 2 in Mathematics, Level 3 in two electives, including Level 3 in Biology or Chemistry; best six subjects.
• Nursing 6468: Level 3 in English and Chinese, Level 2 in Mathematics, Level 3 in two electives; a good working knowledge of Cantonese is required; best five subjects plus 0.5 × the sixth best.
• Pharmacy 6494: Level 4 in English, Level 3 in Chinese, Level 2 in Mathematics, Level 3 in two electives, including Level 3 in Chemistry; a good working knowledge of Cantonese is required; best six subjects.
• MBBS 6456: Level 4 in English, Level 3 in Chinese, Level 2 in Mathematics, Level 3 in two electives, including Level 3 in Biology or Chemistry; a good working knowledge of Chinese is required; best six subjects.
• Subject and grade requirements for international qualifications are discussed in section 5.

4. Hong Kong local students: JUPAS

• Programme-specific requirements are in the previous section. HKU converts levels to scores as 1 → 1, 2 → 2, 3 → 3, 4 → 4, 5 → 5.5, 5* → 7 and 5** → 8.5.
• 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.
• International-qualification interview dates by programme (interview page): Biomedical Sciences 6949, Main Round 28 or 29 December 2026 and Second Round 14 April 2027; Nursing 6468, Main Round in the weeks of 4 and 11 January 2027 and Second Round in the week of 22 March 2027; Pharmacy 6494, Main Round 21 December 2026 and Second Round 7 April 2027; MBBS 6456, listed dates of 15 and 16 December 2026 and 31 March, 12 July and 20 August 2027 (the page does not say which round each date belongs to); 6901 BSc does not appear in the table.
• Subject and grade requirements for A-level, IB and other qualifications are given by qualification and programme in the admissions standards tool on HKU’s international qualifications page, which was not used for this guide; the page also notes that MBBS details are on the Faculty’s own website, which was not read. The Faculty of Science page gives the 2026 lowest admission scores for 6901 as GCE A-level 1A* 2A and IB 34.

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 Gaokao cut-offs for these programmes, and the mainland page gives no separate arrangements for the Faculty of Medicine programmes, so ask the Faculty.
• 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).
• Hong Kong associate degree / higher diploma graduates entering Year 3: (1) BSc: the Faculty of Science sets aside 75 places for 2027, and the majors you can choose include Biochemistry (A301), Food & Nutritional Science (A306), Ecology & Biodiversity (A314), Environmental Science (A320), Biological Sciences (A321) and Molecular Biology & Biotechnology (A324); admitted students receive 120 credits of advanced standing and there is no interview. (2) Bachelor of Nursing (A601): 25 places, entering Year 3 of the five-year programme; sub-degree graduates should come from the same or a related discipline. Biomedical Sciences, Pharmacy and MBBS are not in the senior-year list on HKU’s sub-degree page.
• 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 the Faculty of Science and the Faculty of Medicine (except MBBS) pay HK$280,000 a year, which covers the BSc biology majors, Biomedical Sciences, Nursing and Pharmacy; MBBS (and Dental Surgery) is HK$590,000 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.
• 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 (Faculty of Science): HKU guarantees YSS students a Summer Research Fellowship in the first summer, international exchange or summer study and a research mentor, and lists an entrance scholarship of HK$10,000 to HK$70,000 (for JUPAS students with outstanding HKDSE results; non-JUPAS cases are considered individually).

Checklist

Hong Kong local students:

• Apply through JUPAS by 2 December 2026; check each programme’s Level 3–4 English, Level 2 Mathematics and science requirements (6949, 6494 and 6456 name a required subject); Nursing and Pharmacy need a good working knowledge of Cantonese

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; note each programme’s interview dates

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 of the BSc (75 places) or Nursing (25 places)

Sources: HKU Admissions Office and the faculties concerned, BSc (6901); 6901 programme features; Intensive Majors; 6901 FAQ; Faculty of Science admission requirements; Biochemistry Major; Biological Sciences Major; Molecular Biology & Biotechnology Major; Ecology & Biodiversity Major; Food & Nutritional Science Major; Biomedical Sciences (6949); Nursing (6468); Pharmacy (6494); MBBS (6456); 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.