How to Apply to Biology at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University: BSc (Hons) in Applied Biology with Biotechnology (JS3923), Accredited by the Royal Society of Biology and With an Optional Clinical Laboratory Science Module in Year 3, With Admission Routes and Requirements for Local, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Students

At The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU), the biology-related undergraduate degree is the BSc (Hons) in Applied Biology with Biotechnology (ABB, programme code JS3923), offered by the Department of Life Sciences in the Faculty of Science. In the Faculty of Science pages used for this guide, this is the biology degree listed; the Faculty’s Bachelor’s Degree Scheme in Science (JS3008) also lists Chemical Technology, Food Safety and Technology and Human Nutrition and Health, among others. Nursing, medical laboratory science, optometry and other health degrees, and medicine, are outside the scope of this guide; see PolyU’s faculty pages. Here is what you need to know for September 2027 entry, based on PolyU’s official information, for Hong Kong local students, students with international curricula or overseas qualifications, students from China and transfer students.

1. The programme and degree

• BSc (Hons) in Applied Biology with Biotechnology (JS3923): the programme page shows September 2027 entry, full-time, government-funded, four years, 120 credits plus training credits, an intake “to be announced”, and Prof. Zhao Yanxiang as programme leader. PolyU says the programme aims to nurture professionals in biotechnology, covering the principles, concepts and applications of modern biotechnology; graduates can enter the bioscience / biotechnology industry or pursue postgraduate study locally or overseas.
• What you study: the programme characteristics page lists core and elective subjects including Human Physiology; Microbiology, Microbial Biotechnology and Clinical Microbiology; Biochemistry and Biochemical Techniques; Molecular Biology and DNA Technology; Bioinformatics; Immunotechnology; Protein Biotechnology; Recent Developments in Medical Biotechnology; Metabolism and Diseases; Case Study in Biotechnology Companies; Chemical and Anatomical Pathology; and Haematology and Transfusion Science. It stresses integrating theory with practical skills, ending in an individual in-depth scientific investigation in the final year, and says students gain experience in local and international biotech companies, research centres and commercial organisations.
• Curriculum structure: the curriculum page says all students admitted to the Faculty of Science follow a Common Year One curriculum (basic biology, chemistry, statistics, laboratory techniques and some General University Requirements subjects) and that students “are expected to have chosen a specific Major in Semester 2 of Year One”, then follow their Major’s curriculum from Year Two; before graduating they must complete at least 120 hours (with training credits) of Work-Integrated Education. The subject-by-subject table is in a programme requirement document (shown for academic year 2025/26) and is not listed on the pages used for this guide; check the website for the 2027 version.
• Accreditation: PolyU says the programme is accredited by the Royal Society of Biology (RSB) and graduates qualify for RSB membership; named career paths are the global biotechnology industry and technical, executive or managerial positions in the industrial, commercial, education and public sectors, plus postgraduate study.
• Clinical Laboratory Science Module: PolyU says ABB students can take this module in Year 3. It bundles 7 subjects (Chemical Pathology; Haematology and Transfusion Science; Anatomical Pathology; Microbiology in Pathology Laboratory; Molecular Diagnostic in Pathology Specialties; Advanced Anatomical Pathology; Laboratory Attachment), is taught by registered Medical Laboratory Technicians and includes a clinical placement; students who complete all 7 subjects are eligible to apply for Part II registration as Medical Laboratory Technologists under the Supplementary Medical Professions Ordinance. Selection: ABB major, a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above in the first semester of Year 3, and an interview.
• Related programmes: Chemical Technology (JS3997) in the same Faculty is the chemistry-related programme.
• Direct entry or through the Science scheme: PolyU’s Gaokao entrance-requirements summary and the international application list both show Applied Biology with Biotechnology as a separate programme (JS3923) that applicants can apply to directly; the other route is the Bachelor’s Degree Scheme in Science (JS3008). The JS3008 page says all admitted students take a Common Year One curriculum and choose their major near the end of Year One through a ranking assessment (entrance score, Year One GPA and interview performance); but that page shows an entrance year of September 2025, so check the website for 2027 places and details. Note that PolyU words the timing of the choice two ways: the JS3923 page says students are “expected to have chosen a specific Major in Semester 2 of Year One”, whereas the JS3008 page says “towards the end of year one”; rely on the latest website information and your offer letter.

2. Prerequisites and subject choices

• HKDSE (JUPAS): Level 3 in Chinese and English, Level 2 in Mathematics, “Attained” in Citizenship and Social Development and Level 3 in two electives. The JUPAS subject requirements and weightings for Applied Biology with Biotechnology are on the programme’s own JUPAS page, which is not given on the pages used for this guide; check the website.
• International curricula and overseas qualifications: PolyU’s “Preferred Subjects” page says that for Applied Biology with Biotechnology, good results in Biology and/or Chemistry are preferred; this is a preference, not a hard requirement, and no specific biology syllabus, grade or minimum score is given.
• Gaokao: science stream; biology required where the school does not split arts and science (see the China section below).
• Interviews and admission tests: the international application page says interviews are generally not mandatory and departments contact shortlisted applicants; any admission test or interview arrangements specific to Applied Biology with Biotechnology are not given on the pages used for this guide; ask the admissions office.

3. Local students: JUPAS and Non-JUPAS

• JUPAS: local students with the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE) apply through JUPAS. PolyU’s general entrance requirements are Level 3 in Chinese Language and English Language, Level 2 in Mathematics, “Attained” in Citizenship and Social Development, and Level 3 in two elective subjects (including M1/M2); Citizenship and Social Development is not counted in the admission score. The JUPAS subject requirements and weightings for JS3923 sit on the programme’s own JUPAS page, which is not given on the pages used for this guide; check Study@PolyU.
• Non-JUPAS Year 1: local students with qualifications other than the HKDSE use this route; the international FAQ adds that holders of a Hong Kong permanent identity card should apply through Non-JUPAS, not the international route. The tuition page states that the fee for local students admitted in 2027/28 is HK$49,500 per academic year (two instalments), with an initial fee of HK$5,000 on accepting the offer that is later converted into part of the first-semester tuition.
• Entry scholarships (JUPAS admittees): the Department of Life Sciences programme page says that current-year Secondary Six local students taking the HKDSE for the first time and admitted to Year 1 through JUPAS are considered automatically, with no separate application, and notified after the academic year starts: a one-off HK$47,250 for Level 5** in one subject (at most 2 recipients); and, for the best-five-subject score, a one-off HK$30,000 for 27 or above, HK$20,000 for 26 to 26.5, HK$15,000 for 25 to 25.5 and HK$10,000 for 24 to 24.5. A student who qualifies under both receives only the higher one (level points: 5**=8.5, 5*=7, 5=5.5, 4=4, 3=3, 2=2, 1=1).

4. International curricula and overseas qualifications (non-local applicants)

• Who is a non-local applicant: anyone who needs a student visa to study in Hong Kong, or holds a dependant visa / entry permit issued at age 18 or above, or a visa under the Immigration Arrangements for Non-local Graduates (IANG). Holders of only a visitor or tourist visa must obtain a student visa before registering. If the status changes after submission, an offer may be revoked and the application is considered again under the other scheme.
• A-Level and IB: Grade B or above in 3 A-Level / International A-Level subjects; for the IB Diploma, PolyU says successful applicants in recent years typically scored 32 or higher out of 45, and applicants with a predicted score of 30 or above may be invited to an interview. The published middle 50% (25th to 75th percentile) of University-wide admission scores for 2026 entry is 144 to 168 UCAS Tariff points for three A-Levels and 33 to 38 for the IB (including TOK and EE points); PolyU says this is for reference only and must not be used to predict admission chances, and PolyU does not publish a separate admission score for Applied Biology with Biotechnology on the pages used.
• US high school and AP: a high school diploma with an overall average of 80% or above plus SAT 1190 or above out of 1600 or ACT 24 or above (one sitting) plus Grade 3 or above in 2 AP subjects; or a high school diploma with an average of 80% or above plus Grade 3 or above in 5 AP subjects. Precalculus, Calculus AB and Calculus BC count as one AP subject; Latin, English Language and Composition, AP Seminar and AP Research are excluded.
• Canadian high school: a provincial high school diploma needs an average of 80% or above in the best five Grade 12 courses; an Ontario OSSD needs 80% or above in six Grade 12 (4U/4M) courses; a Quebec DEC needs an average of 80% or above. The “General Entrance Requirements” page lists other countries’ school certificates one by one; qualifications not listed are considered case by case, and qualifications from online schools or virtual classes are not considered.
• Preferred subjects: PolyU’s “Preferred Subjects” page says for Applied Biology with Biotechnology, applicants with good results in Biology and/or Chemistry are preferred; for the Bachelor’s Degree Scheme in Science (JS3008), good results in Biology, Chemistry and/or Physics are preferred. It does not give specific biology or chemistry syllabi, grades or minimum scores, so check the website and the admissions office.
• English: IELTS Academic overall 6.0 in one sitting; TOEFL iBT total 80 out of 120 for tests taken before 21 January 2026, and 4.5 out of 6.0 for tests taken on or after that date; results must be within two years before the start of study; TOEFL Home Edition, IELTS Online, IELTS Indicator and IELTS One Skill Retake are not accepted. Other accepted evidence includes SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing 590, ACT English and Reading 23 each (one sitting), AP English Language or Literature 4, IB English 4 (HL/SL), A-Level/AS English E and GCSE/IGCSE English C or 4. The FAQ states that studying at an English-medium school does not waive the requirement; one of the listed options must be met.
• Timeline: in PolyU’s list of programmes for international applicants, the application deadline for Applied Biology with Biotechnology (JS3923) is shown as 17 November 2026; the FAQ says late applications after the Main Round are accepted until 14 May 2027, subject to places. The Main Round deadline and the opening date are not given on the pages used for this guide; check the “Key Dates” page on the website.
• How to apply: one application per person, with up to two programme choices that cannot be changed after submission; upload certificates and transcripts, with official English translations for documents not in English or Chinese; applicants whose results are not yet out may apply and provide them by mid-August, and IB / A-Level applicants should have their school send predicted results (the “Academic Referee” section). Interviews are generally not mandatory; departments email shortlisted applicants. The application fee for international applicants is not given on the pages used for this guide; check the online application system.
• Results and verification: offers and conditional offers are sent by email and SMS and can be checked online. On when to assume you were unsuccessful, PolyU gives two versions: “mid-July” on the application procedures page and “late July” in the FAQ. After you accept an offer and pay the initial fee, PolyU helps with the student visa, and the visa package must be submitted within one month of paying; final admission requires original transcripts and score reports (or electronic copies sent directly by the issuing body), and discrepancies may lead to the offer being withdrawn.

5. Applicants from China (Gaokao)

• Admission route: PolyU recruits current-year Mainland Gaokao students through its own independent admissions, with a separate application procedure and dates; it does not affect applications to Mainland universities and you do not list PolyU in the Mainland volunteer-filling. Students from all 31 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions can apply, with no fixed quota per province. Repeat candidates apply with the current year’s Gaokao result under the same procedure; students recommended for exemption from the exam must still take the current-year Gaokao and submit the result.
• Selection standard: PolyU asks for “excellent current-year Gaokao results, including a good English score”; it sets no provincial cut-off scores in advance and does not publish past provincial scores. A Gaokao subject cut-off for Applied Biology with Biotechnology is not given on the pages used for this guide; ask the admissions office.
• Gaokao requirements for this programme (Gaokao entrance requirements summary): BSc (Hons) in Applied Biology with Biotechnology, JS3923: science stream; applicants whose school does not split arts and science must have taken Biology; the department does not consider applicants who list this programme as a second choice. PolyU also states that from 2025/26 it uses a more flexible system: after the Faculty’s Common Year 1 curriculum, students may apply to switch to another programme in the same Faculty based on their wishes and Year 1 results.
• Timeline: online applications open on 23 September 2026 and close on 13 June 2027; in late June applicants enter their Gaokao scores in the system themselves (an application is void if scores are entered late or incorrectly); offers are announced between late June and 7 July; accepting an offer requires an initial fee of HK$20,000 and a student visa application; if you hear nothing by mid-July you may treat the application as unsuccessful; the new academic year begins on 30 August. The application fee is HK$600, non-refundable, payable by Alipay, WeChat Pay, VISA, MasterCard or UnionPay.
• 3D Comprehensive Assessment Admission Scheme: for current-year Grade 12 students with outstanding school-level mock-exam and academic-level test results; deadlines are 11 February 2027 (early round) and 14 May 2027 (main round); applicants who apply on time, pay the fee and enter the relevant scores join automatically, and PolyU invites eligible students to interview. A separate scheme for non-academic talents in sports, arts and culture, leadership and STEM (STARS) is also listed.
• Mainland students not taking the 2027 Gaokao: PolyU states that students on the Mainland senior-high curriculum who do not take the 2027 Gaokao will generally not be considered; applicants with other international qualifications are considered only with strong results or potential, and are handled under the international route above.
• Chinese high school transcripts, school-leaving exam materials and verification bodies: not listed separately on the Gaokao pages; ask the admissions office (for Mainland applicants not taking the Gaokao: polyu.njee@polyu.edu.hk).

6. Costs and scholarships (non-local students)

• Tuition: HK$240,000 per academic year for government-funded full-time bachelor’s programmes in 2027/28 for non-local students, payable in two instalments before each semester; programmes with their own rules follow those. The Applied Biology with Biotechnology page does not state a different fee.
• Initial fee: HK$20,000 on accepting an offer, non-refundable and non-transferable. The international tuition page says it is converted into part of the first-semester tuition, while the Gaokao scholarship page and FAQ say it is “refunded after enrolment”; the two wordings differ, so rely on your offer letter.
• Annual cost estimate: the other-fees page estimates about HK$290,272 per year (tuition 240,000, University-managed accommodation 18,515, campus meals 53,040, personal expenses 18,717; the accommodation figure is the 2026/27 rate and 2027/28 is to be announced). The Gaokao FAQ says about HK$330,272 per year in the first year with hall accommodation; the two figures differ, so check the latest. Non-local undergraduates in the 2027/28 intake are normally offered University-managed accommodation in the first year; after that they arrange their own.
• Scholarships: the Department of Life Sciences programme page lists non-local entry scholarships (academic): Full Scholarship HK$195,000 per year, Full Tuition Waiver HK$145,000 per year and Half Tuition Waiver HK$72,500 per year. That page says interviews are arranged for scholarship applicants, who fill in the scholarship section of the online application system, while PolyU’s international FAQ says outstanding applicants are considered automatically; both statements appear, so follow the system prompts. There is also a Cultural Ambassador Scholarship for students from under-represented nationalities (one-off HK$50,000) and the Belt and Road Scholarship established by the HKSAR Government, with PolyU nominating applicants (the page names students from Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Myanmar and other Belt and Road countries; it covers tuition). Gaokao students have their own entry scholarships: a Mainland student admitted to this programme who does not receive a University scholarship at entry may still receive a departmental scholarship of HK$25,000; University entry scholarships are selected by PolyU from applicants with no separate application, normally run for four years (some five) and require a specified GPA each year to continue, with details in the offer letter.
• Financial aid and part-time work: non-local students cannot apply for financial assistance from the HKSAR Government or PolyU; they may work on campus up to 20 hours a week and off campus in summer (1 June to 31 August), and the FAQ adds that from November 2024 eligible non-local students are temporarily exempted from these limits without a separate application.

7. Transfers and credit

• A-Level / IB credit: students with good A-Level or IB results are normally given credit from 12 credits (6 credits for Cluster Area Requirements (CAR) subjects and up to 6 credits for Language and Communication Requirement electives) up to a maximum of 25% of the award requirements, depending on prior study and grades.
• Transfer from other institutions: credit for earlier bachelor’s, associate degree or higher diploma study is considered case by case, normally requested from the department after registration and before the end of the first-semester add/drop period; credits from other institutions generally cannot exceed 25% of PolyU’s award requirement and are valid for 8 years. Some advanced qualifications may be considered automatically, with any reduced credit requirement stated in the offer.
• Senior-year entry: PolyU’s “Senior Year” route is for local associate degree / higher diploma (AD/HD) graduates. The Applied Biology with Biotechnology senior-year page gives two years, 25 places (subject to approval) and at least 63 credits, with credit exemption depending on each admittee’s qualification; however, that page shows an entrance year of September 2026 and code 12461-SYA, while the senior-year application list shows the 2027 intake under code 17403-SYA, so check the website for 2027 places and requirements.
• Direct senior-year entry for non-local transfer students: not given on the pages used for this guide; email polyu.intl@polyu.edu.hk (international) or polyu.njee@polyu.edu.hk (Mainland applicants not taking the Gaokao).

8. Application checklist

• Local students: apply with the HKDSE through JUPAS (Level 3 in Chinese and English, Level 2 in Mathematics, “Attained” in Citizenship and Social Development, Level 3 in two electives); students with other qualifications use Non-JUPAS Year 1, with local tuition of HK$49,500 per year in 2027/28.
• International curricula and overseas qualifications: JS3923 is listed with a deadline of 17 November 2026, with late applications after the Main Round accepted until 14 May 2027; A-Level 3 subjects at B or IB around 32 or above; good Biology / Chemistry results preferred; IELTS 6.0 or TOEFL 4.5 (80 on the older scale); English-medium schooling does not waive the requirement.
• China (Gaokao): apply in the PolyU online system between 23 September 2026 and 13 June 2027 with the HK$600 fee; science stream, biology required where arts/science are not split; enter your Gaokao scores yourself in late June.
• Transfer students: A-Level / IB credit up to 25% of the award requirements; credit from other institutions generally up to 25%; local AD/HD graduates may use senior-year entry.

Sources: The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, BSc (Hons) in Applied Biology with Biotechnology (JS3923); Programme characteristics; Curriculum; Recognition and prospects; Senior-year entry; Bachelor’s Degree Scheme in Science (JS3008); International / other qualifications; General entrance requirements; English language requirements; Preferred subjects; Admission figures for GCE and IB; Application procedures; Credit transfer; Tuition fees; Other fees and expenses; FAQ; Chinese Mainland Gaokao applicants (Chinese); Gaokao entrance requirements summary (Chinese); Gaokao application procedures (Chinese); 3D Admission Scheme (Chinese); Gaokao FAQ (Chinese); Gaokao scholarships (Chinese); JUPAS general entrance requirements; Non-JUPAS Year 1; Non-JUPAS tuition fees; Non-JUPAS Senior Year. Information is for September 2027 entry (where a page prints no year, check that it applies to 2027 entry). Check PolyU for the latest details.