📖Introduction

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology is a public research university in Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong. Founded in 1991 by the British Hong Kong Government, it was the territory's third institution to be granted university status.

HKUST is commonly regarded as one of the fastest-growing universities in the world. As of 2019, the university was ranked seventh in Asia by QS and third by Times, and around the top 40 internationally. It also ranked first in Times Higher Education Young University Rankings in 2019 and second by QS world's under-50 universities in 2020.

Today, the university consists of four main academic schools, offering programs in science, engineering, business and management, humanities and social science, along with the Interdisciplinary Programs Office, HKUST Fok Ying Tung Graduate School / Guangzhou HKUST Fok Ying Tung Research Institute, HKUST Jockey Club Institute for Advanced Study and HKUST Institute for Public Policy.

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📚About the Program

Bachelor’s in Biochemistry and Cell Biology at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST)

Overview:

Students will study how biomolecules, which are the fundamental building blocks of all living organisms, work harmoniously in cell-free experimental systems (Biochemistry) and also within cells (Cell Biology). The early curriculum is broad-based and teaches students the fundamental concepts and principles of Biochemistry and Cell Biology. This will enable students to explore and develop their own interests in various aspects of modern molecular life sciences. As they progress through the program, they will take more advanced and specialized elective courses. BCB students will also have the option of engaging in intensive practical training and research.

Career Prospects:
BCB graduates will have a broad range of career options. Some will be well-prepared for postgraduate research studies and future employment opportunities in academia, medical and biotechnology research. Besides, BCB graduates will also be fully equipped to pursue other vocational careers in private and government sectors requiring a life science background, including healthcare, biotechnology, and education. With recent advances in technology and societal expectations driving an expansion in career and employment opportunities, life science is truly at exciting times.

Highlight:
The BCB program gives students an opportunity to build a firm foundation in different aspects of modern biochemistry, cell biology, molecular biology, and genetics. It also nurtures students who are motivated to pursue postgraduate training and research careers in both academic and industry sectors.

Program Structure:

In Year 1, students will enroll in science foundation courses according to their interests and background, as well as courses in other areas to fulfill the University Common Core requirement.  In Year 2, students will declare BCB as a major program. They may also consider declaring a minor program in order to add a secondary area of focus to their major.

Students MUST take the following courses prior to enrollment into the major:

LIFS 1901 General Biology I

LIFS 1902 General Biology II

Note: Students with level 3 or above in HKDSE 1x Biology are exempted from taking LIFS 1901.

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📖Program Curriculum

Year 1:
Required Courses
LIFS 1901 General Biology I
LIFS 1902 General Biology II
LIFS 1903 Laboratory for General Biology I
LIFS 1904 Laboratory for General Biology II
CHEM 1010 or CHEM 1020 General Chemistry IA or IB
CHEM 1030 General Chemistry II
CHEM 1050 Laboratory for General Chemistry I
CHEM 1055 Laboratory for General Chemistry II

Year 2:
Required Courses
LIFS 2040 Cell Biology
LIFS 2210 Biochemistry I
LIFS 2220 Biochemistry II
LIFS 2240 Cell Biology Laboratory
LIFS 2720 Biochemistry Laboratory
LIFS 2820 Biochemical Laboratory Techniques
CHEM 2110 Organic Chemistry I or CHEM 2311 Analytical Chemistry
CHEM 2155 Fundamental Organic Chemistry Laboratory or CHEM 2355 Fundamental Analytical Chemistry Laboratory

Year 3:
Required Courses
LIFS 3010 Molecular and Cellular Biology I
LIFS 3020 Molecular and Cellular Biology II
LIFS 3140 General Genetics
LANG 3024 Science Communication in English (Life Science)

Additional Courses Required for Students Following the International Research Enrichment Track (IRE Track)
LIFS 3110 Biotechnological Application of Recombinant DNA Techniques
LIFS 3520 Junior Research Project II
SCIE 3500 IRE Research Project I

Year 4:
Required Courses
LIFS 4961 Biochemistry and Cell Biology Capstone Project or
LIFS 4971 and 4981 Biochemistry and Cell Biology Project Research I and II or

Required Courses for Students Following the International Research Enrichment Track (IRE Track)
SCIE 4500 IRE Research Project II and LIFS 4981 Biochemistry and Cell Biology Project Research II

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🏫About The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST)

Campus

The university is largely a campus university, occupying a 60-hectare site at the northern part of the Clear Water Bay Peninsula in Sai Kung District, New Territories, Hong Kong, overlooking Port Shelter in Tai Po Tsai. The campus layout and architecture is based on a master plan submitted jointly by Simon Kwan & Associates and Percy Thomas Partnership, the runner-up entry in an architectural competition held before the university was founded.

As the campus has a sloped terrain, buildings and facilities are built on separate terraces carved out of the hillside, with the academic facilities occupying the top-level terraces, and undergraduate halls of residence and sporting facilities at the seafront. The terraces are connected by motor roads as well as a network of footbridges and elevators known as Bridge Link.

The countryside setting of the university contributed to the fact that HKUST was once the only public university in Hong Kong not being directly served by an MTR station, prior to the re-titling of the Education University of Hong Kong. The university is connected to the metro network through public bus routes including 91, 91M, 91P, 291P and 792M, complemented by a handful of minibus services, with Choi Hung and Hang Hau stations being the major feeder points.

About Hong Kong

Hong Kong is a Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China. It is a place with multiple personalities as a result of being both Cantonese Chinese and having been under British colonization. Today, the former British colony is a major tourism destination for China’s increasingly affluent mainland population. It is an important hub in East Asia with global connections to many of the world’s cities. It is a unique destination that has absorbed people and cultural influences from places as diverse as Vietnam and Vancouver and proudly proclaims itself to be Asia’s World City.

Living on Campus

Life in undergraduate halls

Leaving home and arriving at the university for the first time is both exciting and challenging! Luckily we offer a rich network of mentors including Hall Education Teams, Residence Masters, Learning Community Fellows, Residential Life Officers, Tutors, and Learning Community Coordinators.
 
Not only will you be supported every step of the way, but you will have the chance to join activities, events, and discussions and get to know everybody in the community. Pretty soon you'll be qualified to be the mentor for incoming students!
 
As the residential year begins, you'll have a Hall Orientation to help you get to know everybody, be introduced to the "dos and don'ts" of hall life, and understand the role and responsibilities expected of you. Most importantly, the orientation will be tremendous fun! You will meet plenty of people in no time at all, and feel at home.

Life in postgraduate halls – SKCC Hall and University Apartments

Enriching your educational life is what the postgraduate experience is all about. On-campus you will have convenient access to academic and research facilities, the opportunity to interact with peers, and meet the people who will not only help you learn but will become lifelong friends and maybe even professional associates in the future. Living with people from a variety of cultures and backgrounds is a wonderful way to enrich yourself and enjoy an immersive experience in diversity.

Lee Shau Kee Library

The HKUST Lee Shau Kee Library, part of the Hong Kong Academic Library Link (HKALL), occupies a central location of the campus. Connected to the Academic Building, it is accessible directly from the Hong Kong Jockey Club Atrium. It spans five floors with over 12,350 sq m of floor space, providing more than 3,674 seats as well as computing facilities. It offers a wide array of information resources, both local and remote. In addition to over 720,000 print and electronic volumes and a large collection of media resources, it provides access to more than 47,000 periodical titles, a large number of e-books, databases, and other digital information resources. The library also includes 24-hour-capable Learning Commons which provides a technology-rich environment for active learning and education.

The library owns a collection of old maps of China and the rest of Asia, produced by Chinese and Western cartographers over the last 500 years. A selection of these maps, providing an insight into the history of international geographic knowledge, was published by the library in a limited-edition (1000 copies) volume in 2003.

Student Amenities

The Amenities Service Counter is located in Room LG3005 inside the Indoor Sports Complex. It provides services and assistance to users of the student amenities. These services include:

  • student lockers
  • loan of equipment for activities organized by student societies and teams
  • information and advice on all matters related to amenities

Sports Facilities

The University provides a variety of sports and recreation facilities for the enhancement and promotion of your total well-being. All Full-time and Part-time students, staff and family members, long-serving retirees/leavers and Sports Facilities User Cardholders are welcome to use the facilities.  

The demand for sports facilities is quite keen. Sports skill classes, sports team practices and organized sports events including the intervarsity and intramural sports competitions are held in various facilities throughout the year.

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🏠 Accommodation

Did you know? The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology on-campus residential halls provide a total of:

4,544 places for undergraduate students in UG Halls

120 places in single rooms for MBA students

900 places in single or double rooms for Research Postgraduate Students

They also have off-campus accommodation, and the university has also 21 apartments in Tai Po Tsai and Sam Long to provide accommodation for full-time postgraduate students on taught programs. You can apply to these at your school or program office.

Notes:
  • You will need to book the accommodation after you have been accepted.
  • You can choose to live on campus or off campus in private accommodation.
  • We have an article about how to find accommodation off campus here.
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💰 Fees

Application Fee:

427 RMB

Tuition fee:

140,000 CNY per year

560,000 CNY in total

Insurance is 358 CNY.

Entry Requirements

You are not eligible to apply to this program because:

The minimum age is 18 and the maximum age is 65.

English fluency is required.
You need to be either:
- A native English speaker
- Studied a degree in English before
- Can demonstrate a high level of English
- Having an English certificate such as IELTS level 6 or TOEFL 95 and above is an advantage.

Minimum education level: High School.

The program is quite competitive, you need to have a high grades of Average B, 60%, or a high GPA.

All students from all countries are eligible to apply to this program.

Is this not correct? You can edit your profile or contact us.
Or see the list of programs you are eligible for here .
Check Your Eligibility Show Suitable Programs

📬 Admissions Process

3 Steps to Apply to a Chinese University

Application step 1

Application step 2

Application step 3

Please choose the programs here , "You are advised to select 2-3 programs to increase your chances of getting accepted.

Required Documents:

  • English Language Certificate
  • Your Highest Academic Transcript (In English)
  • Your Graduation Certificate (in English)
  • Your Photograph
  • Personal Statement Letter or Study Plan
  • Your Passport Copy

Preparing documents:

You can start your application now and send the application documents during your application. Some documents you can send later if you don’t have them right away. Some more info about preparing application documents is here

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Application process:

Applying Online is simple in just a few steps. More information is available here.

The first steps are to choose the programs, pay the application fee and upload the application documents.

Once submitted to China Admissions, we will review your application within 2-3 days and proceed to the university or ask you for further clarification

After it has been processed to the university you will receive your unique application ID from each university.

The university may contact you directly for further questions.

We will then follow up each week with the university for updates. As soon as there is any update we will let you know. If you have made other plans, decide to withdraw / change address at any time please let us know.

After you have been accepted you will receive your admissions letter electronically and asked to pay the non-refundable deposit to the university.

Once you have paid the deposit the university will issue you the admissions letter and visa form to your home country.

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Here is some more information about the enrollment process after you have been accepted.

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