HKUST(GZ) gains approval for 4 undergraduate majors, 6 master's and doctoral programs
The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST(GZ)) has recently received approval to introduce four new undergraduate majors, five master's programs, and one doctoral program.
These new programs are designed to meet national economic and social development needs and address the urgent demands of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
Leveraging its interdisciplinary approach, HKUST(GZ) offers first-class faculty and educational resources, aiming to cultivate innovative and versatile talent.
This year, HKUST(GZ) is offering seven undergraduate majors:
Artificial Intelligence
Data Science and Big Data Technology
Smart Manufacturing
Materials Science and Engineering
Robotics Engineering
Financial Technology
Microelectronics
These majors provide students with a wider range of high-quality educational choices.
HKUST(GZ) launches 4 new undergraduate majors, which are carefully articulated with postgraduate studies.
This year, HKUST(GZ) has introduced four new undergraduate majors:
Materials Science and Engineering:
This major is dedicated to exploring new materials and enhancing existing ones to drive technological innovation and social progress. It aims to cultivate a new generation of material scientists and engineers with interdisciplinary thinking and the ability to integrate with AI for materials discovery and innovation.
Robotics Engineering:
This major focuses on opportunities and challenges in robotics development, training a new generation of robotics professionals with scientific research, technological development, educational teaching, and engineering management capabilities in robotics and embodied intelligence.
Financial Technology:
This major is committed to leveraging technology to empower technology finance, green finance, inclusive finance, pension finance, and digital finance, serving as a pivotal force in the national economic landscape. It aims to cultivate a new generation of fintech talent with a strong national and international vision, an innovative spirit and practical skills.
Microelectronics:
This major focuses on chips as both the core of microelectronics and the foundation of artificial intelligence. It encompasses several domains: chip design, manufacturing, application, semiconductor devices and materials, and electronic design automation (EDA) for integrated circuits.
HKUST(GZ) has been enrolling its first batch of undergraduate students since 2023 and currently has two cohorts.
The University’s undergraduate programs are carefully articulated with postgraduate studies, aiming to nurture innovative talent for the future.
Our undergraduate education follows a general and phased training approach. During the first two years, students pursue a general curriculum without declaring a major. In the third year, students select their desired major and begin specialized studies.
HKUST(GZ) offers an innovative residential college education system, integrating in-class and extracurricular learning to create a vibrant learning and living community. The residential college provides holistic development guidance throughout the University experience through a tripartite support system of "academic advisors – student development advisors – peer coaches".
To encourage and support undergraduate participation in research, HKUST(GZ) launched the "Five Ones" undergraduate research program in June 2024.
Under this program, one professor provides full guidance to one undergraduate student for a research project, allowing them to access advanced research instruments and equipment in laboratories and produce various research outcomes. Seventy percent of the University's undergraduates at the time have participated in this program.
In 2025, the University introduced the "Explorer" Undergraduate Research Program, encouraging students to contact professors and conduct practical research through self-selected topics, creating a space for undergraduate students to freely explore research.
Through faculty-student collaboration, the program aims to inspire young students to pursue scientific exploration and creative thinking and to cultivate forward-thinking and practice-oriented scientific and technological innovation talent.
6 master's and doctoral programs were added, including MBA+ program
This year, HKUST(GZ) is introducing six new master's and doctoral programs. Notably, the taught postgraduate programs at HKUST(GZ) feature an innovative dual-track training model combining academic study with practical experience. This model emphasizes hands-on learning, ensuring all students complete at least a one-semester internship at a leading enterprise or research institution.
Taught Postgraduate Programs (TPgs)
Smart Manufacturing (Master of Science):
This program aims to cultivate interdisciplinary professionals in fields such as intelligent design and manufacturing, sensing and detection technologies, data analysis, and control systems. Through cross-disciplinary innovation, it equips students with comprehensive skills and knowledge to design, manage, and optimize smart manufacturing processes and systems.
Carbon Neutrality and Green Finance (Master of Science):
The program is dedicated to fostering interdisciplinary high-end talents capable of leading the development of green and low-carbon industries. The curriculum highlights the “Dual Carbon + Finance” feature, focusing on key areas such as energy revolution, industrial transformation, green finance, and carbon markets.
Computational Arts (Master of Fine Arts):
This program offers systematic training in computational media and arts, including AI art, creative coding, 3D animation, game design, virtual reality and augmented reality, etc.
Research Postgraduate Programs (RPgs)
Carbon Neutrality and Climate Change (Master of Philosophy and Doctor of Philosophy):
This program places special emphasis on the deep integration of science, engineering, and humanities and social sciences, encompassing areas such as low-carbon technology, carbon neutrality policies, economics and finance, AI, and more, systematically constructing an interdisciplinary curriculum. It aims to train a group of high-caliber, interdisciplinary talents capable of leading “Dual Carbon” initiatives and advancing industry development.
MBA program
Master of Business Administration in Innovation and Entrepreneurship:
The MBA+ program breaks through the traditional business administration education. Through project-based learning and in-depth study within the “X” areas such as fintech or AI, the program emphasizes practical training to cultivate venture capital thinking and entrepreneurial design thinking, allowing students to emerge as the next generation of entrepreneurs, investors, and business leaders with both professional depth and cross-disciplinary perspectives.
Both master's and doctoral programs at HKUST(GZ) are recognized as overseas degree programs. They follow an autonomous recruitment process and an application-based admissions system.
The admission standards are on par with those of the corresponding programs at the HKUST. Upon completing their studies and meeting the graduation requirements, students will receive a degree certificate from HKUST.
Top-tier resources nurture talent, international environment broadens horizons
Leveraging the strong academic foundation of HKUST and guided by the philosophy of "Unified HKUST, Complementary Campuses", HKUST(GZ) has adopted an interdisciplinary academic structure.
This structure focuses on the cutting-edge of global scientific research and responds to the strategic needs of national development, seeking innovative solutions to the complex challenges facing the globe.
For students, choosing HKUST(GZ) means opting for world-class faculty, a customized talent development program for innovative individuals, an international learning environment, and abundant opportunities for exchange and collaboration.
Faculty at HKUST(GZ) comprises global talent, including senior professors from HKUST and high-caliber individuals recruited from renowned universities and research institutions worldwide. Nearly 15 percent of academic staff at HKUST(GZ) were made Stanford University's "Top 2% Scientists List 2024".
The world-class laboratories and research facilities at HKUST(GZ) are built to international standards.
HKUST(GZ) currently operates 14 central research facilities, with additional ones now in the planning stages. These facilities complement those at HKUST, enabling faculty and students from both campuses to share and utilize them collaboratively.
HKUST(GZ)’s primary language of instruction is English, emphasizing its international character. Since its founding in 2022, the University has enrolled students from the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, and abroad, offering a diverse and personalized learning experience for students worldwide.
Since its inception, HKUST(GZ) has been committed to both local internationalization and expanding international cooperation.
The campus now hosts international students and faculty from 22 countries and regions worldwide. It has engaged in in-depth exchanges with more than 50 world-class higher education institutions, including the University of Cambridge, KU Leuven, the University of Tokyo, and Stanford University. It has signed over 10 cooperation agreements, resulting in high-quality overseas exchange opportunities for students.
