Background

The UGC Targeted Taught Postgraduate Programmes Fellowships Scheme, established in 2019, aims to attract meritorious local students to pursue interdisciplinary and in-depth postgraduate training in priority areas of strategic importance to Hong Kong, and to encourage universities to establish more innovative and multi-disciplinary programmes that are beneficial to society.

Duration and Amount of Fellowship

The fellowships will be awarded to both full-time and part-time local students according to individual merits. Awardees are required to pay a minimum tuition fee of HK$42,100, which is the prevailing rate of the UGC-funded programmes, and the tuition differences will be subsidised by the fellowships subject to a cap of HK$120,000 per student per programme. This cap per student per programme is irrespective of the study mode and period of study.

For example, if the total tuition fee of a programme exceeds HK$162,100, the remaining balance after deducting the maximum amount of fellowship (i.e. HK$120,000) shall be borne by the student. If the total tuition fee of a programme is HK$162,100 or below, the student will only need to pay HK$42,100 as tuition fee, with the remainder covered by the fellowship.

Eligibility

Applications are open to local students of eligible programmes. The fellowships will be awarded according to merits, and will take into account academic achievements, professional qualifications, relevant work experience, language proficiency, interview performance, and achievement in other areas.

Programmes

The following LU Taught Postgraduate (TPg) programmes are eligible for the Fellowship Scheme in 2024-25 intake:

• Master of Arts in Chinese
• Master of Arts in Creative and Media Industries
• Master of Arts in Curating and Art History
• Master of Science in Health Analytics and Management

How to Apply

Students are required to first obtain an offer from one of the targeted taught postgraduate (TPG) programmes by following the normal admission process. Students who are admitted will then be invited to apply for the fellowships.

Note: Fellowship students are not allowed to switch to another eligible TPg programme once the fellowship is confirmed. Such cases will be considered as termination of study before completion and the students concerned are required to refund the fellowship award to the university.

FAQ

Q: Are part-time local students eligible for the fellowships?

A: Both full-time and part-time local students are eligible.

Q: Are the fellowships open to non-local students?

A: No. The fellowships are only open to local students. Except for students holding (i) student visa/entry permit; (ii) visa/entry permit under the Immigration Arrangements for Non-local Graduates; or (iii) dependant visa/entry permit who were 18 years old or above when they were issued with such visa/entry permit by the Director of Immigration, all other students will be treated as local students.

Q: Can students who are receiving other forms of government scholarships apply?

A: Students who are receiving other forms of government scholarship for pursuing the same programme shall not be considered, except for those receiving student financial assistance.

Q: Is there a minimum tuition fee?

A: Yes. Students who receive a fellowship will be required to pay a minimum tuition fee of HK$42,100, which is the prevailing rate of UGC-funded programmes. The remainder of the course fee will be subsidised by the fellowship subject to a cap of HK$120,000 per student. ​

Q: Can the fellowship students apply for the fellowships of other eligible TPG programmes under the Fellowships Scheme after completing the programme?

A: Yes. Fellowship students are allowed to apply for the fellowships of other eligible TPG programmes after completing the programme.

Q: Can fellowship students switch to another eligible TPG programme during their study period?

A: No. To ensure prudent use of public resources, fellowship students are not allowed to switch to another eligible TPG programme once the fellowship is confirmed. Such cases should be considered as termination of study before completion and these students will be required to refund the fellowship award to the university concerned.

Q: After graduation, will the fellowship students be required to take employment in the priority areas covered by the Fellowships Scheme?

A: No. Students are not required to take employment in the priority areas covered by the Fellowships Scheme. There are no restrictions on the kind of employment students can take after graduation. However, the universities carefully consider students’ fellowship applications by assessing their commitment to working in priority areas in Hong Kong.

Q: Will the fellowship students be required to refund the fellowship award if they decide to withdraw from the programme, or if they cannot obtain a satisfactory result in the TPG programme?

A: The fellowship holders who are unable to complete the programme, or who fail to attain the expected level of performance, will be required to refund the full amount of the fellowship award they received.

For more details of the Scheme, please visit UGC website.