Credit Transfer
Applications for transferring credits into the Common Core Program are processed through the Academic Registry. The transfer of credits can take the form of course-credit transfer, where a transferred course is equivalent to a specific course in the HKUST course catalog; or credit-only transfer, where only credits are transferred. Transfer credits granted will not be included in the calculation of grade averages. Application details are available from Credit Transfer (Undergraduate Studies - UG) of the Academic Registry webpage.
Credit Transfer for 30-credit Program
Block credits will be granted to students admitted with the admission basis below.
| Admission Basis | Block Credits | Maximum total number of entry credits to be transferred |
| IB - International Baccalaureate Diploma GCEAL - General Certificate of Education Advanced Level HKALE - Hong Kong Advanced Level Examination | For students admitted in 2024-25 onwards 6 University Common Core (Broadening Group) Credits (CORE BROAD); and 9 Unassigned Free Credits (OTHR FREE) to fulfil the degree credit requirement For students admitted in 2022-23 or 2023-24 6 University Common Core (Broadening Group) Credits (CORE BROAD); and 6 Unassigned Free Credits (OTHR FREE) to fulfil the degree credit requirement | 30 |
| Local Associate Degrees Local Higher Diplomas | 6 University Common Core (Broadening Group) Credits (CORE BROAD); and 15 Unassigned Free Credits (OTHR FREE) to fulfil the degree credit requirement | 60 |
The 6 block credits granted in the Broadening group can be used to fulfill the requirement of common core areas that are not designated as home Common Core area(s) in your major program(s). The sequence of common core areas in the Broadening group is listed in the order of Arts (A), Humanities (H), Science (S), Technology (T), and Social Analysis (SA). The Student Information System will pre-assign the 6 block credits for the first two non-home common core areas in your major program(s). You may find out more information of this 6-block credit transfer in section titled Common Core Courses in Broadening Group below.
For example, if you are in any program in School of Science (SSCI), Student Information System will pre-assign 6 block credits for A and H areas as the home Common Core area of any program in SSCI is S area. If you study in the Global China Studies (GCS) program in School of Humanities and Social Science (SHSS), Student Information System will pre-assign 6 block credits for A and S areas while the home common core areas of GCS program are H and SA areas.
You can use the remaining credits to take courses in the Broadening group to fulfill the requirement of common core areas specified in the program-specific credit requirement. Courses with pre-assigned common core areas can also be used to fulfill the Common Core requirement as long as the courses taken are aligned with the program-specific credit requirement.
If you later take course(s) listed under Common Core area(s) with pre-assigned 6 block credits transfer, the pre-assigned block credit transfer may be moved to fulfill other eligible common core areas under the Broadening group.
You can view the records of common core areas of the block credits granted at the Student Services Center in Student Information System, and the records will be finalized upon your graduation.
Exam-to-course credits are generally awarded automatically without the need for an application if the following conditions are met:
- The exam subject is linked to an equivalent HKUST course in the Credit Transfer Database.
- You have achieved the minimum grade or score required for that mapping.
- Your exam results have been submitted to and verified by the university.
If you have non-disclosed exam results or want to request new mappings, you can submit these along with a detailed examination syllabus to the Academic Registry. This must be done no later than one month after the start of your first regular term at HKUST. If you wish to submit your English Language qualifications for course streaming in the English Communication (E-Comm) area under the Common Core Program, please refer to the "Credit Transfer in English Language Course" section.
If you are admitted to HKUST based on local post-secondary awards, such as local associate degrees or local higher diplomas, 6 credits in Broadening group of Common Core Program and 15 unassigned free credits will be granted. You may find out more information of this 6-block credit transfer in section titled Common Core Courses in Broadening Group below. Application is NOT required for these credits.
Students completing studies elsewhere during your study at HKUST may apply for credit transfer. If you plan to take courses elsewhere which have not been approved before may apply for assessment for new course mappings before the actual study. Application procedures are published on Credit Transfer (Undergraduate Studies - UG) of the Academic Registry webpage.
Eligibility of credit transfer for different Common Core groups (i.e., Foundations, Broadening, and Experiencing) are listed in the following sections.
For students admitted in 2024-25 onwards, you are not allowed to transfer credits in the Foundations group.
For students admitted in 2022-23 or 2023-24, you are not allowed to transfer credits into the following areas/courses in the Foundations group:
- CTDL area
- HMWA area
- Any common core courses in the English Communication (E-Comm) area, except LANG 1402
- Any common core courses in the Chinese Communication (C-Comm) area
For students admitted in 2024-25 onwards
You are not allowed to transfer credits in the English Communication (E-Comm) area.
If you wish to submit English Language qualifications for the English Communication (E-Comm) area under the Common Core Program course streaming, please bring the physical true copy of your public exam results to Academic Registry (Room 1381, 1/F, Academic Building, Lift 17-18).
For students admitted in 2022-23 or 2023-24
If you have attained the required level of English language proficiency, you are eligible for credit transfer in LANG 1402 English Language for University Studies (previous course code: CORE 1402), provided that this information has been presented to the University for admission purposes. The transfer of credits is automatic and application is NOT required. The records of credit transfer can be viewed at the Student Services Center in Student Information System.
You are granted a maximum of 6 credits in the common core areas in Broadening group according to the program-specific credit requirements at HKUST. However, if you have already granted 6 block credits in the Broadening group, you will not be able to transfer any additional credits in that group. This means that the maximum of 6 credits for credit transfer in the Broadening group includes both block transfer on entry and credits earned from exchange studies.
The 6 block credits granted in the Broadening group can be used to fulfill the requirement of common core areas that are not designated as home Common Core area(s) in your major program(s). The sequence of common core areas in the Broadening group is listed in the order of Arts (A), Humanities (H), Science (S), Technology (T), and Social Analysis (SA). The Student Information System will pre-assign the 6 block credits for the first two non-home common core areas in your major program(s).
For example, if you are in any program in School of Science (SSCI), Student Information System will pre-assign 6 block credits for A and H areas as the home Common Core area of any program in SSCI is S area. If you study in the Global China Studies (GCS) program in School of Humanities and Social Science (SHSS), Student Information System will pre-assign 6 block credits for A and S areas while the home common core areas of GCS program are H and SA areas.
You can use the remaining credits to take courses in the Broadening group to fulfill the requirement of common core areas specified in the program-specific credit requirement. Courses with pre-assigned common core areas can also be used to fulfill the Common Core requirement as long as the courses taken are aligned with the program-specific credit requirement.
If you later take course(s) listed under Common Core area(s) with pre-assigned 6 block credits transfer, the pre-assigned block credit transfer may be moved to fulfill other eligible common core areas under the Broadening group.
You can view the records of common core areas of the block credits granted at the Student Services Center in Student Information System, and the records will be finalized upon your graduation.
You are not allowed to transfer credits for any common core courses in the Undergraduate experiential Opportunities Programs (UxOP) area in the Experiencing group.