Admission to Undergraduate Studies
Entrance Requirements:
AL / AS Requirements
Grade E or above in:
AS Chinese Language & Culture; and
AS Use of English; and
AL Physics; and
1 AL science subject or 2 AS subjects (one of them must be a science subject)
HKCEE Requirements
Seven subjects in one sitting, with good grades in any two language subjects (Chinese Language and English Language are preferred); and good grades in Mathematics or Additional Mathematics (Additional Mathematics is preferred), Physics and Chemistry.
Entrance Requirements for New Undergraduate Curriculum from 2012
General Application Procedures:
The JUPAS Office is an agent of the eight tertiary institutions for handling applications for admissions. All equiries should be directed to the JUPAS Office:
UG-02 Knowles Building, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong.
Phone: (852) 2859 2274
Fax: (852) 2858 4825
24-hour hotline: (852) 2803 2200
Programme of Study:
Programme Specifications for New Undergraduate Curriculum from 2012
Our BSc programme in Physics is designed with the aim of training our students to have a good grasp of fundamental knowledge and general methods, and to appreciate and understand their important applications in the modern society. Courses are offered in the form of lectures, laboratories, small-group discussions and problem solving sessions, colloquia, seminars, and projects.
The core part of our physics major curriculum, which is required of all and meant to build a solid foundation for students, consists mainly of courses on classical and modern physics. Newtonian mechanics and electromagnetism, supplemented by thermodynamics and optics, constitute the classical physics while quantum mechanics and its simple application to understand the behavior and structure of matter at various levels constitute the modern physics. Besides, there are two streams of courses that students can choose to meet their various needs and aspirations, namely, the physics stream (P) and the enrichment stream in theoretical physics (T). The latter is particularly suitable for those interested in further studies. In addition, a large number of courses, e.g., astronomy, relativity, astrophysics, meteorology, computer simulation, solid state physics, laser physics, photonics, electronics, instrumentation, materials characterization, nanoscience, physics project and graduate courses, etc., are available for the students to choose as electives in order to fulfill their major requirements and to satisfy their own interests.
The flexible credit system at CUHK allows students to choose a minor by taking courses offered by other departments. Oftentimes, such major-minor combination proved to be beneficial for students of physics who wish to acquire multi-disciplinary skills and to enhance their career prospects. For example, a theoretically-inclined student may choose to further his/her mathematical training by minoring in Mathematics, or a practical-minded student may choose to minor in an Engineering or Computer subject. The popular minors among recent graduates are Mathematics (~37%) and Computer Science (~16%).
The department organizes various activities to enhance the learning experience of its students. These include Overseas Programme for Undergraduate Students (OPUS), Summer Undergraduate Research Exchange (SURE) programme with renowned overseas universities, Summer Teacher AppRenticeship (STAR) programme with secondary schools in Hong Kong, internship programme in Hong Kong Observatory, and mentoring programme to guide interested students to study topics of their choices. In addition to scholarships offered by the University and by the Colleges, outstanding physics students are qualified to compete for the CN Yang Scholarship, Undergraduate Research Assistantship, the Physics Prize and Professor Dennis Yam Kuen Lo Physics Award offered by the Department.
Advanced programmes leading to MSc, MPhil and PhD (Physics and Materials Science and Engineering) are also offered.
Career of Physics Graduates:
University Appointments Service's statistics in recent years indicate that around 53% of Physics graduates continue to pursue higher degrees in Physics or related subjects. Among those graduates who are in employment, 56% take up careers in the industry and commerce sectors, which is made possible by their training in analytical perception and command of technical knowledge; 35% serve in education institutes; 4% join the Government, and the remainder enter the social and public service and other sectors. In recent years the majority of our Physics graduates and MPhil graduates who continued to pursue higher degrees abroad have been admitted into the graduate schools of distinguished universities, including University of California at Berkeley, University of California at Santa Barbara, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, University of Maryland, Northwestern University, University of Colorado, University of California at San Diego, California Institute of Technology, University of Chicago, University of Michigan, John Hopkins University, University of Cambridge, Princeton University, University of Pittsburgh, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and University of Toronto, where they have been awarded financial supports in the form of teaching assistantships and scholarships. Many of our alumni now hold senior posts in renowned academic and research institutes in the United States, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, while many more others occupy prominent positions in various sectors in the society.