Faculty Exchange Programme 2012-13
The Faculty of Engineering encourages students of the BEng programmes to participate in student exchange programmes during their course of study, so that students can widen their horizons, expand their international exposure, enrich their learning experience and learn to appreciate different cultures, by studying abroad at prestigious engineering schools. The Faculty Exchange Programme (Programme) aims at providing such opportunities for undergraduate engineering students. Successful candidates will study abroad in one of the following institutions: University of Illinois – Urbana Champaign or University of Wisconsin-Madison in USA; University of Western Ontario in Canada; Technische Universität Darmstadt in Germany; Monash University in Australia and Shanghai Jiao Tong University (上海交通大學) in Mainland for up to one academic year (two semesters) in the academic year 2012-2013.
Application procedures
Applications will commence on November 15, 2011. Interested students, regardless of whether they have applied for the HKU Worldwide Undergraduate Student Exchange Programme 2012-13, should submit the Application Form for the Faculty Exchange Programme 2012-13 directly to the Faculty Office of the Faculty of Engineering by 12:00 noon on December 23, 2011 (Friday). Late or incomplete applications will NOT be accepted.
Suitable candidates will be shortlisted and invited to attend an interview to be held in January 2012 with individual notification by email in due course.
Notes to application
- Student eligibility
- Host institution and duration of exchange study
- Course Selection
- Credit transfer
- Leave of Absence
- Tuition fee
- English proficiency test
- Exchange Scholarship and Financial Aids
- Selection Criteria
- Application Result
- Refund of Deposit
- Application to the host institution
- Timeline
Further information or enquiries
Please refer to http://engg.hku.hk/home/exchange.htm or contact us by email at enggfac@hkucc.hku.hk
Links
- Faculty Exchange Programme 2012-2013
- HKU Worldwide Undergraduate Student Exchange Programme
Notes to application
1. Student eligibility
All non-final year undergraduate students of BEng programmes in the year 2011-12 are eligible to apply for the exchange programme.
Application from students who have previously been or are going to be on exchange under the HKU Worldwide Undergraduate Exchange Programmes or any other student exchange programmes organized by other faculties or departments will NOT be considered.
2. Host institution and duration of exchange study
The Faculty of Engineering has established exchange agreement with the following institutions in USA, Australia and Mainland China:
| Institution | Country | Duration of Exchange | No. of quota |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Illinois – Urbana Champaign | USA | One year (September 2012 to May 2013) |
5 |
| University of Wisconsin-Madison | 2 |
||
| University of Western Ontario | Canada | One semester | 2 |
| Monash University | Australia | One year | 3 |
| Technische Universität Darmstadt | Germany | One semester or one year |
2 |
| Shanghai Jiao Tong University (上海交通大學) | Mainland | One semester or one year |
10 |
3. Course Selection
Students are required to visit the website of the host institution of your choice for more information, and proceed to choose the courses that you wish to study during your exchange. The course details and syllabuses are usually available at the website of the host institution. Please be aware that some courses of the host institution may be restricted and not available for exchange students.
The host institutions reserve the rights to accept or reject students from enrolling in certain courses, due to limited quota, pre-requisite conditions, course restrictions or other reasons. You are advised to be prepared to add or drop courses when you pursue your study at the host institution.
The details on partner institutions and relevant course information can be viewed at the following website:
| University of Illinois – Urbana Champaign | http://courses.uiuc.edu/cis/index.html |
| University of Wisconsin-Madison | http://public.my.wisc.edu |
| University of Western Ontario | http://www.uwo.ca/ |
| Monash University | http://www.monash.edu/study/coursefinder/search/ |
| Technische Universität Darmstadt | http://www.tu-darmstadt.de |
| Shanghai Jiao Tong University (上海交通大學) | http://www.sjtu.edu.cn/ |
4. Credit transfer
Students are eligible for applying credit transfer for the credits they gained at the host institution after they completed the courses abroad, in full or in part, as fulfillment of their degree requirements of HKU. Prior approval for credit transfer must be granted by the Faculty and respective departments of HKU before the commencement of the exchange programme. Application for credit transfer without prior approval from the Faculty or submitted after the exchange period will not be considered.
Students pursuing minor option or double-degree programme should note the restrictions on their curriculum structure, and should seek advice and approval from the respective department for credits to be granted for courses intended for the fulfillment of minor options or double-degree programme.
Please note that fail grades will not be accepted for transfer of credits for each course.
5. Leave of Absence
Students who are selected for participating in exchange programme should apply for leave of absence by submitting the application form to the Faculty Office by July 31, 2012 (for first semester or one year exchange), or by November 30, 2012 (for second semester exchange).
6. Tuition fee
Students are required to pay full tuition fees to HKU, while exempted from paying tuition fees to the host institution.
7. English proficiency test
All the candidates who are selected for university or faculty level exchange programmes are required to submit proof of English proficiency (e.g. IELTS or TOEFL) to the host institutions with your exchange applications. If you have not taken any English language proficiency test, you must register in one of the tests immediately and report the test date to the Faculty. You should have your IELTS or TOEFL result ready by the end of January 2012. The offer may be withdrawn if the test result cannot be provided with the application to the host institution.
Minimum English requirement
| Host Institution | IELTS | TOEFL |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| paper-based | computer-based | internet-based | ||
| University of Illinois – Urbana Champaign | 6.5 or above | 610 | 253 | 102 |
| University of Wisconsin-Madison | 6.5 or above | 550 | 213 | 80 |
| University of Western Ontario | 7.0 or above | 580 | - | 88 |
| Monash University | 6.5 or above | 580 | 237 | 90 |
8. Exchange Scholarship and Financial Aids
Students selected for Faculty Exchange Programme may apply for the HKU Worldwide Undergraduate Student Exchange Scholarships. Awards are based on financial need, academic achievement and extra-curricular activities participation.
The value of the scholarships awarded depends on the country of the host institution and the duration of exchange. The details of the scholarships for 2012-13 will be announced by the Office of International Student Exchange in due course.
The value of the scholarships awarded in 2011-12 is listed for your reference:
| Country | Value of scholarship in 2011-12 (in HK dollars) |
|---|---|
| USA | $12,000 per semester |
| Australia | $11,000 per semester |
| France | $12,000 per semester |
| China | $4,000 per semester |
For financial aids, the Centre of the Development and Resources for Students (CEDARS) also provides financial assistance for students in need. Please go to http://cedars.hku.hk/nonlocal/outgoing/fund/loan.html for details.
9. Selection Criteria
- Academic standing (preferably with YGPA 3.0 or above)
- Communication skills (in English for most institutions)
- Personality and outlook
- Capable of being a good ambassador of HKU and Hong Kong
- Participation in extra-curricular activities
- Study plan
- Performance at the interview
10. Application Result
The application result will be announced in mid- to end of January 2012. Successful applicants are required to pay a refundable deposit of HK$1,000 upon acceptance of the offer.
11. Refund of Deposit
The deposit will be forfeited should you withdraw from the Faculty Exchange Programme after acceptance of offer. The deposit will be returned upon completion of the exchange programme and the submission of the exchange report to both OISE and the Faculty.
12. Application to the host institution
Successful applications will be notified by the Faculty Office to submit application documents as required by the host institution.
13. Timeline
| Nov 15 to Dec 23, 2011 | Submit application |
|---|---|
| Mid-Jan 2012 | Selection interview |
| End of Jan 2012 | Submit result of English language proficiency test |
| End of Jan / Early Feb 2012 |
Announcement of result |
| Feb 2012 | Accept offers |
| Feb 2012 | Submit application to host institution |
| Before Jul 31, 2012 | Submit application of leave of absence and credit transfer (for first semester/whole year exchange) |
| Before Nov 30, 2012 | Submit application of leave of absence and credit transfer (for second semester exchange) |
| Sep 2012 to Jun 2013 | Exchange |
| Return from exchange | Submit official transcript for credit transfer |