Major Selection

General Rules for Taking Part in Major Selection Exercise (MSE)(applicable to SBM programs only)

  • All students, whether admitted through School-based (SBA) or Program-based (PBA) Admission, must join MSE if you want to declare or change their major. Once they have received a major offer, they cannot join MSE again.
  • PBA students must give up their major quota when joining MSE. If no offer is received, they will be placed in the Business and Management Program and can join MSE again to choose a major in subsequent term(s) until the end of the 3rd term where they will be assigned General Business Management Program, GBM if there is still no offer.
  • Senior year entry students (e.g. admitted through local Associate Degree or Higher Diploma) or PBA students admitted to ECOF and QFIN can join MSE in the first two terms.
  • SBA students or PBA students admitted to BBA programs can join MSE in the first three terms.
  • Students will be assigned GBM if they do not have a major by two terms for senior year entry students or by three terms for all other students.
  • Students must be an active student at HKUST at the time of application.

Programs Available for Selection

Major Selection Exercises are conducted at the end of Fall and Spring. BIBU, MAEC, SGFN and DDP will be available in Year 1 Spring only, while EVMT and RMBI will be available in Year 1 Fall and Spring.

Offered by School of Business and Management

  • BBA in Economics (ECON)
  • BBA in Finance (FINA)
  • BBA in General Business Management (GBM)
  • BBA in Global Business (GBUS)
  • BBA in Information Systems (IS)
  • BBA in Management (MGMT)
  • BBA in Marketing (MARK)
  • BBA in Operations Management (OM)
  • BBA in Professional Accounting (ACCT)
  • BSc in Economics and Finance (ECOF)
  • BSc in Quantitative Finance (QFIN)

Jointly offered by School of Business and Management, School of Engineering and School of Science 

  • BSc in Risk Management and Business Intelligence (RMBI)

Jointly offered by School of Business and Management and School of Science 

  • BSc in Biotechnology and Business (BIBU)
  • BSc in Mathemcatics and Economics (MAEC)

Jointly offered by School of Business and Management and Division of Environment and Sustainability

  • BSc in Sustainable and Green Finance (SGFN)

Offered by Academy of Interdisciplinary Studies (AIS)

  • BSc in Environmental Management and Technology (EVMT)
  • Dual Degree Program in Technology and Management (DDP)

Notes: For AIS Programs, please refer to AIS's website for details.

Eligibility

MajorEligibility
ECOF, GBUS, QFIN, EVMT, RMBI, SGFN,  DDP Completion of at least 29 credits, including transferred credits upon admission.
ACCT, ECON, FINA, GBM, IS, MARK, MGMT, OM Completion of:
  • at least 5 out of 7 major foundation courses; and
  • at least 43 credits, including transferred credits upon admission.
BIBU Completion of:
  • CHEM1008 [or attainment of Level 3 or above in HKDSE 1/2x or 1x Chemistry]; and
  • LIFS1901 [or attainment of Level 3 or above in HKDSE 1x Biology]; and
  • LIFS1902
MAEC Completion of:
  • at least 29 credits, including transferred credits upon admission; and 
  • a) MATH1012/1013/1023 and MATH1014/1024; or b) MATH1020

Notes:
1. The 7 major foundation courses are ACCT 2010, ECON 2103/2113/2123, FINA 2303, ISOM 2010, ISOM 2700, MARK 2120 and MGMT 2110.
2. Students indicate preference by ranking at least 1 and up to all of the programs that they are eligible to apply.

 

Program Requirements & Ranking Criteria


MajorRequirementsRanking Criteria
Majors offered by SBM
ECOF (Note 3i & ii) CGA 3.0 or above;
B- or above in any MATH course;
C+ or above in LANG 1401/1402 & LANG 1403/1404
Holistic assessment based on CGA,
selected course performance,
CV profile and interview performance
GBUS (Note 3ii) CGA 3.0 or above;
C+ above in MATH course (B+ or above in ISOM2500 for those who fail to meet the Math course requirement);
B- or above in LANG 1401/1402 & LANG 1403/1404
Holistic assessment based on CGA, selected course performance, CV profile, personal statement and interview performance
QFIN (Note 3ii)
CGA 3.0 or above;
B- or above in MATH 1012/1013/1020/1023;
C+ or above in LANG 1401/1402; B- or above in LANG 1403/1404
Holistic assessment based on CGA, selected course performance, CV profile, personal statement and interview performance
ACCT C+ or above in ACCT 2010 ACCT2010, then BCGA
ECON C+ or above in ECON 2103/2113 or ECON 2123
(Note: C- or below in any of ECON2103/2113/2123 will not be considered)
Holistic assessment based on ECON2103/2113, ECON2123 (if taken), BCGA, selected course performance and CV profile
FINA (Note 3iii) C+ or above in FINA 2303 FINA 2303, then BCGA
IS C+ or above in ISOM 2010 ISOM 2010, then BCGA
OM C+ or above in ISOM 2700 ISOM 2700, then BCGA
MARK C+ or above in MARK 2120 MARK 2120, then BCGA
MGMT C+ or above in MGMT 2110 MGMT 2110, then BCGA
Majors jointly offered by SBM and SSCI
BIBU CGA 3.0 or above;
C+ or above in LANG1403/1404
Holistic assessment based on CGA, CV profile, personal statement (Interview may be required)
MAEC (Note 3iv)

CGA 3.0 or above;
A
t least one course obtained B- or above, and both courses obtained C+ or above in MATH1012/1013/1023 and MATH1014/1024; or B- or above in MATH1020
C- in both LANG1401/LANG1402 and LANG1403/1404 and at least C+ in one of these two courses

Holistic assessment based on CGA, CV profile, selected course performance (Interview may be required)
Majors jointly offered by SBM, SENG and SSCI
RMBI (Note 3ii)

B- or above in MATH 1012/1013/1020/1023 preferred; B- or above in LANG 1401/1402 & LANG 1403/1404 preferred

Holistic assessment based on CGA, selected course performance, CV profile and interview performance
Majors jointly offered by SBM and Division of Environment and Sustainability
SGFN

CGA 3.0 or above; B- or above in MATH 1003/1012/1013/1020/1023; C+ or above in LANG 1401/1402; B- or above in LANG 1403/1404

Holistic assessment based on CGA, selected course performance, CV profile, personal statement and interview performance
Majors offered by AIS
T&M-DDP

For Engineering options:
B or above in LANG 1403/1404 (HKDSE English Language level 4 or above/IELTS 6.5 or above);
MATH 1014/MATH 1024/MATH 1020

For Science option:
B or above in LANG 1403/1404 (HKDSE English Language level 4 or above/IELTS 6.5 or above);
MATH 1003/MATH 1012/MATH 1013/MATH 1023/MATH 1020;
LIFS 1901 and/or LIFS 1902 taken in first year

Holistic assessment based on pre-admission exam result, CGA, selected course performance, CV profile, personal statement and interview performance
EVMT MATH 1003/MATH 1012/MATH 1013/MATH 1020/MATH 1023; CHEM 1004/CHEM 1008/CHEM 1020; any ENVR/SUST course Holistic assessment based on pre-admission exam result, CGA, selected course performance, CV profile and interview performance

Notes:

1. BCGA includes the following courses: ACCT 2010, ECON 2103/2113, ECON 2123, FINA 2303, ISOM 2010, ISOM 2020, ISOM 2500, ISOM 2600, ISOM 2700, MARK 2120, MGMT 2010 and MGMT 2110.
2. Credits transferred for the corresponding required courses are considered meeting the requirements.
3. Students without the corresponding major foundation course grade at HKUST will be assessed based on BCGA, selected course performance and CV profile, where in some situation, written exam, interview and personal statement may be required.
i. ECOF: A group of shortlisted students will be invited to attend an interview and to take a MATH test.
ii. ECOF, QFIN, GBUS and RMBI: In Fall MSE, students in the first term of study who have taken LANG 1401/1402 only may be considered.
iii. FINA: For students with credit transfer for FINA 2303, a holistic assessment based on in-person written exam, BCGA, selected course performance, CV profile, personal statement and interview performance is required.
iv. MAEC: Placement test will be required for students who have got credit transfer for MATH 1020. For students using IELTS score to substitute for LANG1401/1402, Band 6.5 or above in IELTS is required and they will need to obtain C+ or above in LANG1403/LANG1404 to fulfill the language requirement of MAEC program.



Quota

The quotas indicated below are indicative and may be adjusted depending on the size and the quality of the application pool.

MajorTotal QuotaMajor QuotaFall 2023
Major Quota
Major offered by SBM
ECOF 60 60 TBC
GBUS 60 60 TBC
QFIN 40 40 TBC
ACCT 210 165 TBC
ECON 110 70 TBC
FINA 140 110 TBC
IS 220 110 TBC
OM 150 75 TBC
MARK 220 160 TBC
MGMT 205 75 TBC
Major jointly offered by SBM & SSCI
BIBU 64 64 TBC
MAEC 38 38 TBC (shared between SBM & SSCI)
Major jointly offered by SBM, SENG & SSCI
RMBI 45 45 TBC
Major jointly offered by SBM & Division of Environment and Sustainability
SGFN 30 30 TBC
Major offered by AIS
DDP TBC TBC TBC
EVMT TBC TBC TBC

Notes:

1. "Total Quota" and "Major Quota" include students admitted to respective programs upon admission.
2. For ECOF, GBUS and QFIN, unfilled quota in Fall 2023 (first term) will be carried forward to Spring 2024 (second term).
3. For BBA programs except GBUS, unfilled quota in Fall 2023 (first term) and Spring 2024 (second term) will be carried forward to Fall 2024 (third term). Unfilled major quota in Fall 2024 will be added to the additional major quota in Spring 2025.
4. All quotas are indicative; quotas for ECOF and QFIN are subject to the size and the quality of the application pool.
5. BIBU, MAEC, SGFN and DDP are available in Year 1 Spring only.
6. EVMT and RMBI are available in Year 1 Fall and Spring.

Timeline

Fall 2023 MSE

DEC-JAN

Application period

  • December 21,  2023 -
    January 1, 2024
JAN

Interview (if required by programs)

  • January 4 - 5, 2024 (January 8 for GBUS)
JAN

Result announcements

  • January 11 , 2024

Spring 2024 MSE

APR

Application period

  • April 2024
MAY

Interview (if required by programs)

  • Mid May 2024 during study break
JUN

Re-prioritization of first major choices after grade release

  • Early June 2024 after grade release
JUN

Result announcements

  • Late June 2024

 

 

Fall 2024 MSE

DEC-JAN

Application period

  • December 2024 - Early January, 2025
JAN

Interview (if required by programs)

  • January 2025
JAN

Result announcements

  • January 2025

 

 

General Rules for Taking Part in Major Selection Exercise (MSE)(applicable to SBM programs only)

  • All students, whether admitted through School-based (SBA) or Program-based (PBA) Admission, must join MSE if you want to declare or change their major. Once they have received a major offer, they cannot join MSE again.
  • PBA students must give up their major quota when joining MSE. If no offer is received, they will be placed in the Business and Management Program and can join MSE again to choose a major in subsequent term(s) until the end of the 3rd term where they will be assigned General Business Management Program, GBM if there is still no offer.
  • Senior year entry students (e.g. admitted through local Associate Degree or Higher Diploma) or PBA students admitted to ECOF and QFIN can join MSE in the first two terms.
  • SBA students or PBA students admitted to BBA programs can join MSE in the first three terms.
  • Students will be assigned GBM if they do not have a major by two terms for senior year entry students or by three terms for all other students.
  • Students must be an active student at HKUST at the time of application.

Programs Available for Selection

Major Selection Exercises are conducted at the end of Fall and Spring. BIBU, MAEC, SGFN and DDP will be available in Year 1 Spring only, while EVMT and RMBI will be available in Year 1 Fall and Spring.

Offered by School of Business and Management

  • BBA in Economics (ECON)
  • BBA in Finance (FINA)
  • BBA in General Business Management (GBM)
  • BBA in Global Business (GBUS)
  • BBA in Information Systems (IS)
  • BBA in Management (MGMT)
  • BBA in Marketing (MARK)
  • BBA in Operations Management (OM)
  • BBA in Professional Accounting (ACCT)
  • BSc in Economics and Finance (ECOF)
  • BSc in Quantitative Finance (QFIN)

Eligibility

MajorEligibility
ECOF, GBUS, QFIN Completion of at least 29 credits, including transferred credits upon admission.
ACCT, ECON, FINA, GBM, IS, MARK, MGMT, OM Completion of:
  • at least 5 out of 7 major foundation courses; and
  • at least 43 credits, including transferred credits upon admission.

Notes:
1. The 7 major foundation courses are ACCT 2010, ECON 2103/2113/2123, FINA 2303, ISOM 2010, ISOM 2700, MARK 2120 and MGMT 2110.
2. Students indicate preference by ranking at least 1 and up to all of the programs that they are eligible to apply.

Program Requirements & Ranking Criteria


MajorRequirementsRanking Criteria
Majors offered by SBM
ECOF (Note 3i & ii) CGA 3.0 or above;
B- or above in any MATH course;
C+ or above in CORE 1401/1402 & CORE 1403/1404
Holistic assessment based on CGA,
selected course performance,
CV profile and interview performance
GBUS (Note 3ii) CGA 3.0 or above;
C+ above in MATH course (B+ or above in ISOM2500 for those who fail to meet the Math course requirement);
B- or above in CORE 1401/1402 & CORE 1403/1404
Holistic assessment based on CGA, selected course performance, CV profile, personal statement and interview performance
QFIN (Note 3ii)
CGA 3.0 or above;
B- or above in MATH 1012/1013/1020/1023;
B- or above in CORE 1401/1402 & CORE 1403/1404
Holistic assessment based on CGA, selected course performance, CV profile, personal statement and interview performance
ACCT C+ or above in ACCT 2010 ACCT2010, then BCGA
ECON C+ or above in ECON 2103/2113 or ECON 2123
(Note: C- or below in any of ECON2103/2113/2123 will not be considered)
Holistic assessment based on ECON2103/2113, ECON2123 (if taken), BCGA, selected course performance and CV profile
FINA (Note 3iii) C+ or above in FINA 2303 FINA 2303, then BCGA
IS C+ or above in ISOM 2010 ISOM 2010, then BCGA
OM C+ or above in ISOM 2700 ISOM 2700, then BCGA
MARK C+ or above in MARK 2120 MARK 2120, then BCGA
MGMT C+ or above in MGMT 2110 MGMT 2110, then BCGA

Notes:

1. BCGA includes the following courses: ACCT 2010, ECON 2103/2113, ECON 2123, FINA 2303, ISOM 2010, ISOM2020, ISOM 2500, ISOM2600, ISOM 2700, MARK 2120, MGMT 2010 and MGMT 2110. 
2. Credits transferred for the corresponding required courses are considered meeting the requirements. 
3. Students without the corresponding major foundation course grade at HKUST will be assessed based on BCGA, selected course performance and CV profile, in some situation written exam, interview and personal statement may be required. Please see the below details specifically for ECOF and FINA programs: 
i. ECOF: A group of shortlisted students will be invited to attend an interview and to take a MATH test.
ii. ECOF, QFIN and GBUS: In Fall MSE, students in the first term of study who have taken LANG1002 only may be considered.
iii. FINA: For students with credit transfer for FINA 2303, a holistic assessment based on in-person written exam, BCGA, selected course performance, CV, personal statement and interview performance is required 

 

Quota

The quotas indicated below are indicative and may be adjusted depending on the size and the quality of the application pool.

MajorTotal QuotaMajor QuotaFall 2023
Major Quota
Major offered by SBM
ECOF 60 60 17
GBUS 60 60 8
QFIN 40 40 4
ACCT 210 165 89
ECON 110 70 30
FINA 140 110 55
IS 200 110 60
OM 150 75 63
MARK 220 160 99
MGMT 205 75 33

Notes:

1. "Total Quota" and "Major Quota" include students admitted to respective programs upon admission.

2. Unfilled major quota in Fall 2023 will be added to the additional major quota in Spring 2024.

Timeline

Fall 2023 MSE

DEC
-
JAN

Application period

  • December 21,  2023 -
    January 1, 2024
JAN

Interview (if required by programs)

  • January 4 - 5, 2024 (January 8 for GBUS)
JAN

Result announcements

  • January 11 , 2024