HKUST Business School is the business school of the HongKong University of Science & Technology. It is one of the world’s leading business schools in Asia. Established in 1991 in Hongkong, the HKUST MBA Program is among the most prestigious MBA degrees in the world. The school also offers EMBA in partnership with the Kellogg School of Management. The HKUST MBA Program is constantly ranked #1 in Hongkong. It has also been ranked among the top 20 MBA programs in the world for 13 consecutive years.
Last year in 2019, the HKUST MBA program was ranked #18 by the Financial Times in its Global MBA Ranking. The school offers one-intake each year. A typical class consists of around 80 students. Out of which 90% of the students are international (non-local). In 2019, a total of 95 students enrolled in the full-time HKUST MBA program. In the following article, we shall let you know more about the HKUST MBA program.
The HKUST MBA program is a 12 to 16-month long program. The students can choose their exit points according to their convenience. The whole curriculum is made up of 52 credit points. The MBA journey at HKUST begins with the orientation program, where you go through the fundamentals of 3 accelerator courses, personal assessment workshops, & leadership training. There are a total of 7 required core courses & 6 flexible core courses (which you can choose out of 12 choices).
The required core courses include Financial Accounting, Marketing strategy & policy, IT management, Strategic management, corporate finance, Operations management, & Managerial Microeconomics. The flexible core courses include subjects like Data Analysis, Global macroeconomics, financial modeling, & artificial intelligence, among others. Other than this, there are 70+ electives related to 6 career tracks. The career tracks include Finance, Marketing, Entrepreneurship, etc. Students are required to study a total of 12 electives throughout the program.
Please note that some core courses can be exempted for students who have obtained certain qualifications in a particular subject. In that case, the students are required to select an elective in its place. In addition to the above, there is a special credit-bearing practicum, where the student takes an internship, real-world consultancy project, or overseas career tracks. For the students enrolled in the 16-month MBA program, they have an opportunity to participate in the summer internship or opt for a semester-long exchange program with HKUST 60 partner schools in more than 15 countries. The partner school includes top business institutions like Columbia Business School, HEC Paris, ISB Hyderabad, Fuqua Business School, Kellogg School of Management, London Business School, & IIM- A & B, among others. The school also offers an optional Mandarin training. It is strongly recommended for the students who are planning to take a job post-MBA in Hong Kong or China.
Eligibility
Academic requirement
The candidate must have a bachelor’s degree in any discipline. There is no minimum graduate GPA required to apply for the HKUST MBA program.
Work Experience
The candidates are required to have at least 2-years of full-time work experience post their graduation. The average work experience of the class generally ranges between 3 to 9 years.
Tests
The interested applicants are required to submit a valid GMAT or GRE score. Although there is no minimum score requirement for the same, the average GMAT score typically ranges between 570 to 710. Last year in 2019, the median GMAT score of the class was 660. The applicants are encouraged to take GMAT Instead of GRE. Other than this, the English Language Test is a must requirement for the candidates who have studied their graduation from the institution or university, where English was not the first language of instruction.
The minimum score requirement for the TOEFL is 80 & 550 for the Internet-based test (IBT) and Paper-based test (PBT), respectively. For IELTS, the minimum overall score band required is 6.5.
Systematic financial planning is an essential step before you start your MBA journey. The Non-Hongkong student needs to apply for the student visa, which requires proof that you have sufficient resources to fund your MBA program. The program fee for the full-time MBA costs HK$585,000 (that is approximately 56.5 lakh Indian rupees). The program fee remains the same irrespective of your exit point. It covers your tuition fee, textbook & course material for core courses, and expenses for certain self-enrichment activities.
Along with the program fee, there are other expenses like accommodation (HK$96,000), books and supplies (HK$10,000), living expenses (HK$84,000), & miscellaneous expenses (HK$30,000). It roughly amounts to HK$220,000 (approximately 21 lakh Indian Rupees). Please note that if you opt for the international exchange program, you will need to bear the traveling, living expenses & other hand expenses of the entire program by yourself.
The school provides many scholarship options to the students enrolled in the HKUST MBA program. There is no separate application required to apply for the scholarships. All the admitted applicants are considered for the same. The scholarship decision is notified to the students at the same time of getting the admission offer. Some of the popular scholarship options include
HKUST MBA merit scholarship
This scholarship is offered to students who demonstrate excellent work experience, academic performance, & international exposure.
HKUST professional awards
It includes a group of awards and is offered to outstanding students in different aspects. Some of them are HKUST global citizen award, HKUST MBA women award, HKUST MBA entrepreneur award, HKUST MBA consulting strategy award, & HKUST MBA India business professional awards. Private loan options are also available for the Indian students to cover their MBA expenses. It includes Prodigy Finance (the UK based private finance company) & HDFC Credila (a non-bank finance company in India).
Ranked world no. 4 in career progress among global top 20 MBA programs by the Financial Times in 2020, the placements at HKUST is exceptional. A total of 91% of the class received a job offer within 3-months of graduation. Among them, 95% were hired in Asia. 61% of the students switched their job functions, while 78% changed their industry post-MBA.
The mean annual base salary received by the class was USD 77,600 (excluding the signing bonus and other guaranteed compensation). The top 3 industries who hired the majority of the students include:
Technology 34%
Financial Service 22%
Manufacturing 10%
The top recruiters of the placement session 2018-19 were:
Apple
Amazon
Google Inc.
Bain & Company
The Boston Consulting Group
McKinsey & Company
Infosys
Credit Suisse
Citibank
Morgan Stanley
Renault
The HKUST business school selects a diverse group of students from more than 20 countries who will benefit from the HKUST MBA program and contribute to the HKUST community.
Online Application
To apply for the program, you will need
Transcripts
GMAT/GRE score
English Language Test
Resume
2 Letter of Recommendations
2 Essays
Proof of employment
Salary proof
Application Fee (HK$1,000)
There are a total of 4 phases to apply for the HKUST MBA program. International students are encouraged to apply before the 3rd application phase deadline.
Interview:
After submitting your application, it gets reviewed by the admissions committee. If shortlisted, you will be invited to the interview process. The interviews are mostly held on Skype for international students. But if the admissions committee member is traveling somewhere near to your geographical area, you might be called for an in-person interview. Generally, the students go through 2 interviews. The first interview is taken by a current MBA student or school alumni. And the second interview is taken by the admissions committee members.
The interview consists of traditional MBA interview questions. The interviewer focuses on your communication style, leadership skills, & interests towards the HKUST MBA program.
The online application includes two mandatory Essays. They are:
- The HKUST MBA mission is to inspire and transform individuals to be future business leaders for Asia and the world. We embrace diversity and are looking for ambitious and open-minded candidates with a passion to contribute. It is the first day of orientation. Please introduce yourself to your classmates, highlighting what drives you in your personal and professional life. (500 words)
- Tell us about your post-MBA goals, and based on that, why is the HKUST MBA the ideal program for you, and how do you plan to engage and enrich our community? (500 words)
As you can see from the essay questions, the school is looking for candidates who will benefit from the HKUST MBA program and, at the same time, contribute towards the HKUST community. So make sure that your essay reflects the above. HKUST MBA program is one of the widely known & most prestigious MBA programs around the world. The small class size helps you develop contact with every single student and engage with the faculties intensely. An MBA from this school can prove to be one of the best investments in your life. So without any doubt, go for it.
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