How to Apply to Psychology at City University of Hong Kong: The Four-Year BSocSc Psychology With Direct Major Entry, and Requirements and Timeline for Chinese (Gaokao), International-Curriculum, Canadian High School and Transfer Students

At City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK), psychology is offered by the Department of Social and Behavioural Sciences in the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences. The degree is the BSocSc Psychology, programme code JS1112, a four-year programme you enter directly as a psychology major. Here is what you need to know for 2027/28 entry, based on CityUHK’s official information, for students at high schools in China (Gaokao and international curricula), students at Canadian high schools (including BC and Vancouver), and transfer students.

1. Programme and curriculum

• Two streams: Health and Development, and Mind and Brain.
• Credit structure: at least 121 credit units: Gateway Education 31, College requirement 6, major foundation courses 9, major core 36, electives 18, and free electives or a minor 21.
• Core courses: research methods, developmental psychology, personality and individual differences, two courses in design and analysis for psychological research, biological, cognitive, learning and behaviour, social psychology, and a research project in psychology.
• Research and practice: CityUHK describes lab training with eye-tracking, EEG, tDCS and TMS systems, a supervised individual research project in the final year, a psychology internship and overseas experience.
• After graduation: CityUHK says graduates are eligible to apply for graduate membership of the Hong Kong Psychological Society (HKPS), the British Psychological Society (BPS) and the American Psychological Association (APA); HKPS graduate membership is normally regarded as an entry requirement for advanced professional psychology training.
• Joint degree with Columbia University: from 2026/27, high school applicants can apply directly for Year 1 of the CityUHK–Columbia joint bachelor’s degree programme and earn degrees from both; see CityUHK’s page for details.
• Places: 25 local places (first-year and advanced standing combined); around 500 non-local places across all CityUHK programmes, excluding Gaokao admission.

2. Students at high schools in China: Gaokao admission

• How it works: since 2026, CityUHK admits current-year Gaokao candidates through its own Chinese Mainland Gaokao admission scheme, outside the national unified admission plan, so it does not use one of your national preference slots. You apply on CityUHK’s website; there are no provincial quotas and selection is on merit.
• Psychology is open: Psychology (1112) is on the Gaokao programme list, open to both arts and science streams with no required elective subjects.
• Minimum requirements: an actual Gaokao score (excluding bonus points) at or above the first-tier key university line or the special-type admission control line, and at least 110 out of 150 in English. CityUHK also considers your application materials, interview performance (if any) and other factors.
• Choices: up to two ranked programme choices, which can be changed between early June and 13 June 2027.
• Timeline:
  • applications open 24 September 2026;
  • optional award certificates (international, national, provincial or city level) are due by 28 February 2027;
  • applications close 13 June 2027, which is also the deadline for your Gaokao candidate number documents;
  • after results come out in late June, enter your scores and upload a screenshot; late or incorrect entries make the application invalid;
  • outcomes are released from late June to early July.
• Interviews: some programmes may interview; invited applicants hear directly from the department.
• Scholarships: Gaokao admits are automatically considered for entrance scholarships on Gaokao and English results and other factors: full scholarships, full-tuition or half-tuition awards, usually for four years and renewable if you meet the required CGPA each year.
• Mainland students not taking the Gaokao (for example, in international curricula) apply through Chinese Mainland Non-Gaokao Admission, with the same requirements and deadlines as international applicants (below).

3. International curricula (A-Level, IB)

• A-Level minimum: grade E or above in three A-Level (or A2 or International A-Level) subjects, with two AS counting as one A-Level, plus one English requirement such as E or above in A-Level or AS English, C/4 or above in IGCSE First Language English, or an IELTS or TOEFL score.
• IB minimum: the IB Diploma, plus grade 4 or above in English A Language and Literature or Literature (HL or SL), or English B at 4 (HL) or 5 (SL), or an IELTS or TOEFL score.
• Actual admission scores: CityUHK’s published university-wide middle 50% (25th to 75th percentile) of non-JUPAS admits for 2026 entry:
  • A-Level: 136 to 160 UCAS tariff points for three subjects, about 2A1B to 2A*1A;
  • IB: 33 to 39 points, including TOK and EE bonus points.
  These figures are for the whole university, not psychology alone.

4. Students at Canadian high schools

• British Columbia: the BC Senior Secondary Graduation Diploma with grade B in five Grade 12 subjects.
• Ontario: the OSSD with an average of at least 70% in six Grade 12 U or M courses; other provinces: at least 70% in five Grade 12 subjects; Quebec CEGEP is also accepted.
• These are minimum requirements, and admission is competitive.
• English: CityUHK expects applicants with international qualifications to meet its English requirements, and its list does not name Canadian high school qualifications, so plan on IELTS, TOEFL or another listed option.

5. Timeline for international and non-Gaokao mainland applicants

• Applications open 24 September 2026;
• early round deadline 15 November 2026, with results in December 2026;
• main round deadline 15 January 2027, with results from February to May 2027;
• Semester A of 2027/28 provisionally starts on 30 August 2027.

6. English requirements

• IELTS Academic 6.5 overall;
• TOEFL iBT 4.5 out of 6 for tests on or after 21 January 2026, or 79 for earlier tests; single test date only, no MyBest scores;
• IELTS and TOEFL scores must be within two years of the start of Semester A in your admission year, and home, online and one-skill-retake results are not accepted;
• other options include PTE Academic 62, SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing 590, and ACT English and Reading of 24 each in one sitting.

7. Transfer students: advanced standing

• Who can apply: applicants with a 13-year school-leaving qualification, the IB Diploma, A-Levels, an associate degree, a higher diploma or bachelor’s study can apply for first-year entry or for Advanced Standing I. For psychology, the advanced standing code is 1298A.
• Length: Advanced Standing I normally takes three years, with at least 91 credit units for graduation. The 1298A page also lists Senior Year entry for non-JUPAS applicants, taking two years.
• Credit: there is no credit transfer for qualifications earned before admission; you can be exempted from specific courses, but exempted courses carry no credit.
• IB for advanced standing: at least 30 out of 45 points.

8. Tuition and scholarships

• Non-local tuition for 2027/28 entry: HK$240,000 a year. Fees are reviewed annually, and once approved they apply until you finish your programme.
• Other fees: application fee HK$600 (up to two choices); acceptance fee HK$20,000, non-refundable and credited towards tuition.
• Living costs: HK$50,000 to 60,000 a year; a double room in student residence is HK$20,800 (2026/27 rate), and off-campus housing is about HK$50,000 to 60,000 for two semesters.
• Scholarships: CityUHK offers several entrance scholarships with no application needed; awards are stated in the offer letter. For Gaokao entrance scholarships, see section 2.

Checklist

Students at high schools in China (Gaokao):

• Apply on CityUHK’s website from 24 September 2026 to 13 June 2027, with psychology as one of up to two choices
• Aim for the first-tier (or special-type) control line and at least 110 in English
• Upload award certificates by 28 February; enter Gaokao results promptly in late June

International-curriculum students and non-Gaokao mainland students:

• Early round deadline 15 November 2026; main round 15 January 2027
• University-wide middle range: A-Level about 2A1B to 2A*1A; IB 33 to 39
• IELTS 6.5 or TOEFL 4.5 (79 on the old scale)

Students at Canadian high schools (including BC and Vancouver):

• BC minimum is a B in five Grade 12 subjects; this is only the threshold, and higher grades help
• Prepare IELTS or TOEFL; deadlines 15 November (early) and 15 January (main)

Transfer students:

• Apply for advanced standing (1298A), usually three years; prior courses can be exempted but no credit is transferred

Sources: City University of Hong Kong, BSocSc Psychology (JS1112); BSocSc Psychology, advanced standing (1298A); Department of Social and Behavioural Sciences undergraduate programmes; International admission; Chinese Mainland non-Gaokao admission; Chinese Mainland admissions; Gaokao admission notes; College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences majors and subject requirements; Admissions score reference; Fees and scholarships. Information is for 2027/28 entry. Check CityUHK for the latest details.