City University of Hong Kong (CityU) is a public research university in Kowloon, Hong Kong. It was founded in 1984 as City Polytechnic of Hong Kong and became a fully accredited university in 1994. It is one of eight government-funded degree-granting tertiary institutions. Located in the heart of Hong Kong, CityU has a well-earned reputation as an innovative hub for research and professional education and for addressing global issues and empowering positive change.

The Computer Science major aims to provide students with a thorough grounding in the theoretical and practical aspects of the computer science discipline necessary for successful careers as system designers in the continually developing information technology environment. The major enables students to develop a strong foundation in the discipline as well as specialization in a particular area through a flexible curriculum. Through a wide range of electives, students keep pace with the latest trends in computing technology. Furthermore, the curriculum devotes one year to supervised work experience to help students integrate and practice principles and techniques learned in the classroom and develop the necessary maturity and soft skills essential for a successful career in information technology.

The education objectives of the major are to produce graduates who possess:

1. A sound technical foundation in computer science and the ability to creatively apply computer and related technologies to practical problems
2. Communication and soft skills to function as an effective professional
3. Knowledge in specialized areas with the awareness of broad multi-disciplinary issues, and the ability to continue personal development to keep pace with advances in computer technology

Intended Learning Outcomes of Major (MILOs)

Upon successful completion of this Major, students should be able to:

1. apply relevant mathematics and engineering methods to computing;
2. use computer programming for problem-solving;
3. identify problems, analyze requirements, formulate a design and implement solutions that meet realistic constraints, such as costs, operational, social, cultural, ethical, health and safety;
4. use software engineering methods and tools for developing quality software solutions;
5. communicate and use language effectively;
6. develop projects effectively and independently;
7. apply specialized knowledge in the selected area(s) of Computer Science;
8. reflect on the ethical and social responsibilities required of professional citizens in a global society;
9. stay abreast of contemporary issues in computing and recognize the need for, and able to engage in life-long learning;
10. collaborate and function effectively in teamwork situations including multi-disciplinary team;
11. function effectively in an industrial environment and apply learned skills to real-world problems;
12. acquire an inquisitive attitude and skill to enable creating an original discovery or design related to computing.

Special Feature: the Mandatory IT Professional Placement Program

After completing two years of full-time study, Students will take the year-long IT Professional Placement (ITPP) course in the third year, where they can integrate and apply knowledge learned in the classroom to real-world environments. Participating companies include international computer vendors such as IBM, Hewlett-Packard HK SAR Ltd; banks such as HSBC and the Bank of East Asia Limited; the Hong Kong SAR Government and affiliated organizations such as the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer, the Hospital Authority, and the Housing Authority; as well as major local enterprises including the Hongkong Electric Co, Hong Kong Disneyland, the Hong Kong Jockey Club, and Thomson Reuters HK. During the placement year, students will take one day off weekly from their work to complete a number of courses.

Professional Recognition
This program is the first computer science program in Hong Kong accredited by the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers (HKIE).

Career Prospect
Graduates of this major will have good employment opportunities in the field of information technology. They will be equipped for jobs that involve state-of-the-art technology and the design and construction of large software systems. The provision of study streams allows students to pursue specializations in state-of-the-art technology such as data science, cloud computing, and mobile applications, further enhancing their career prospects in these areas.

Postgraduate Studies
For students who desire to pursue postgraduate studies or a career in research and development, there are many opportunities to pursue undergraduate research through a number of different channels ranging from the Research Mentoring Scheme, guided studies and the final year project to overseas research internship opportunities. The demonstrated ability of students to innovate is a key factor in the success of our students in gaining admission to top tier postgraduate programs.

The curriculum is composed of a set of highly focused core courses and a wide range of electives. The core courses focus on the areas of computer systems, problem solving and analysis, programming and logic, software design and practices, communication skills and professional knowledge. The electives cover a wide spectrum including security, e-commerce, mobile computing, Internet computing, computer graphics, multimedia technologies, data mining, and compilers. They provide broad exposure and choices to students.

The main subject areas are :
Computer Systems -- provides fundamental coverage of hardware principles and computer organization, operating systems, data communications and networks.
Algorithm Design and Analysis and Mathematics -- develop students' problem solving and analytical skills through the study of discrete mathematics, object-oriented programming, data structures, algorithm design techniques, and mathematical analysis tools.
Software Engineering -- covers the entire software development life cycle, with emphasis on software design and synthesis, database design and management, and understanding of social, ethical and professional issues.
Seminar Series -- keeps the students abreast of the latest development in technology and market trends and to introduce students to research culture in the early years of study. Outside scholars, IT professionals, and hardware/software vendors will be invited as guest speakers or honorary lecturers.
English Communication Skills to enhance language proficiency and presentation skills of the students.

Located in the heart of Hong Kong, CityU has a well-earned reputation as an innovative hub for research and professional education and for addressing global issues and empowering positive change.

The university has five colleges and four schools: the College of Business, College of Engineering, College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, College of Science, Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences, and the School of Creative Media, School of Data Science, School of Energy and Environment and School of Law.

Some of the CityU rankings and achievements are: #1 for [THE] World University Rankings 2020 "Most International University"; #52 for [QS] World University Rankings 2020; #15 for [THE] Asia University Rankings 2019, #4 for [QS] "Top 50 under 50" in 2020; and #90 for [QS] Graduate Employability Rankings 2020.

Research

The City University of Hong Kong identify solutions to critical global challenges by extending the frontiers of knowledge both within and beyond existing research paradigms. Their highly qualified academics are drawn from all over the world, bringing a wealth of research and professional experience to their programmes. Their world-class labs and state-of-the-art teaching facilities, as well as their state key laboratories, a national engineering centre and a suite of institutional-level research centres, enable their researchers to maintain a positive trajectory. They also pioneer new forms of expression by bringing science and the arts together.

CityU's 10 faculty members were named as Highly Cited Researchers for 2018 by Clarivate Analytics, while they rank #1 in Hong Kong in Top 100 Worldwide Universities Granted U.S. Utility Patents (2018) and #2 in Hong Kong for Citations per Faculty in QS World University Ranking 2020.

CityU Campus

City University of Hong Kong is located on Tat Chee Avenue, Sham Shui Po District, Kowloon. It is near Kowloon Tong Station, which serves the East Rail Line and Kwun Tong Line of Hong Kong's Mass Transit Railway (MTR) system. It is also adjacent to Shek Kip Mei Park, Nam Shan Estate and the Festival Walk shopping centre. The main campus covers around 15.6 hectares.

The Run Run Shaw Creative Media Centre is an academic building on the campus, which was completed in 2011. It was designed by Daniel Libeskind cooperating with Leigh and Orange Ltd. and received several awards on its design. It was funded with a donation of HK$100 million from the Shaw Foundation and is named after Run Run Shaw. The building houses the university's School of Creative Media, the Centre for Applied Computing and Interactive Media and the computer science, media and communication, and English departments.

Hu Fa Kuang Sports Centre is a five-storey sports centre which houses a multi-purpose hall and four practice gymnasiums for badminton, basketball, volleyball, martial arts and dance, and other activities. In May 2016, the 1,400 square metre roof of the Chan Tai Ho multi-purpose hall at the sports centre which had been covered with a living roof just completed for two months suddenly collapsed, injuring three people.

About Hong Kong

Situated at the south-eastern tip of mainland China and in the heart of Asia, Hong Kong enjoys economic and strategic importance that exceeds its geographical size in an area of only 1,105 square kilometres.

With a population of approximately 7.34 million, Hong Kong is a densely populated city, comprising Hong Kong Island, Kowloon Peninsula, and the New Territories. The average population density was 6,830 people per square kilometre (as of 2017). Nonetheless, Hong Kong is also known for its beautiful and well-managed country parks and greens, located mainly in the New Territories and 262 outlying islands.

English is the teaching medium at most universities, including CityU, but both Chinese and English are the official languages in Hong Kong. English is widely used within the government and also by the legal, professional and business sectors. There is no shortage of well-educated, competent bilingual or even trilingual professionals who speak English, Cantonese and Putonghua.

Student Life

Their students are exposed to a dynamic campus life where they explore their individual potential and collaborate with others in exciting new ventures. The global linkages that we have established offer our students the chance to study at prestigious institutions on excellent programmes with highly experienced faculty.

Facts and Figures:

• 40 Countries for Internship.

• HK$124M total amount awarded for scholarships.

• 3,814 scholarship recipients.

• 10,908 Hours of Service Learning Completed.

• Ranked 9th - Grand Slam in USFHK Intercollegiate Sports – Overall Men’s Champion and Overall Women’s Champion in the Same Year.

• More than 70 Nationalities of Students in Student Residence.

• More than 80 Nationalities are Represented in the CityU Student Body.

• More than 400 Exchange Partners in 44 Countries/Regions Around the World.

Multi-Dimensional Campus Experience

All work and no play isn’t good for anybody.  CityU offers a whole host of out-of-study recreational activities to choose from, be it enjoying our many multicultural events, joining any of the numerous student societies, or working off excess energy through a variety of sporting activities.

Global Learning Experience

With over 400 exchange partners in 44 countries and regions, explore the world with CityU’s many international opportunities. CityU encourages all students to gain valuable international experience by undertaking an exchange, joint degree or overseas learning experiences. 

Career Development & Employability

University is the most formative time of life and the very best time for nurturing personal qualities. CityU helps bring out the very best of each individual - helping them to attain personal and professional excellence, to cherish life-long learning, and to contribute to society.

Caring for You

Adapting to university life can be challenging for many, so to help students facing issues of adjustment, or indeed any problems at all, CityU has a team of experienced counsellors to ease students’ transition through this important stage of personal development.

Student Facilities

Everyone on campus has access to state-of-the-art facilities for both recreation and well-being. These include Run Run Shaw Library, Computers and Internet, Chan Feng Men-ling Chan Shuk-lin English Language Centre (ELC), Activity Venues, Sports & Recreation Facilities, Joint Sports Centre, Health Care, Administrative Information Management System (AIMS), CityU Portal / Canvas and CityU Mobile.

Living at CityU

Living in the Student Residence is an invaluable university experience in enhancing one’s calibres such as independence, self-management and interpersonal skills. Their Residence Masters, Residence Tutors and students live together as a close-knitted community with enriched hall life full of joy and care. You will have a well-acclaimed platform and opportunities for self-development and meeting all kinds of people from many different cultures and nationalities.

Central Repository on Student Development Activities (CRESDA)

Universities offer a wealth of learning opportunities beyond the traditional classroom. In the absence of suitable tools, students often find difficult to keep track of all their activities and the various skills that they develop. To address this need, CRESDA is developed to keep a record of undergraduate student development activities in a mobile-friendly online central repository. It captures data that helps to provide a complete picture of students’ choices and preferences in personal development activities. The data collected is also used for big data analytics and strategic planning.

Golden Key Club

The Golden Key Club is a platform for all scholarship recipients to strengthen your competitiveness and employability through mutual sharing of success stories and exclusive opportunities in leadership training, professional development and social networking at CityU and in the community at large.

Student Leaders Training and Workshops

Diversified training and workshops in programme planning, activity management, team-building and many more useful areas will equip all CityU student leaders with the necessary knowledge and skill set to excel in leadership roles in student organisations and societies.