In case of illness necessitating absence exceeding three weeks, a student should submit an application together with a medical certificate signed by the Director of the University Health Service or a registered medical practitioner(s) to obtain endorsement from the Graduate Division concerned and permission from the Dean of the Graduate School (GS).

Leave of absence for non-medical reasons is limited to a maximum of one year in the first instance, and any extension is limited to one more year, beyond which no further extension will be granted, unless approval from the Graduate Council is obtained in special cases.

Owning to the nature of taught postgraduate programmes and that learning and teaching activities are organised in a term based fashion, leaves taken by TPg students will be recorded on the basis of a term.  For instance, a student taken a month off will be recorded as taken leave for the given term, if approved.

On the other hand, applications for leave of absence for non-medical reasons are handled as follows. A student who has been absent without approved leave of absence or who is in breach of the residence requirements for a continuous period exceeding one month will be considered as having withdrawn from studies.

i. Taught Postgraduate Students

ii. Research Postgraduate Students

^ Leave of absence is limited to a maximum of one year in the first instance, and any extension is limited to a maximum of one more year, beyond which no further extension will be granted. However, in special cases, the Graduate Council may on the recommendation of the Graduate Division concerned grant a student extension of leave beyond the period stated above.

* PGS - Postgraduate Studentship.

Please refer to the above Q4.2

There are 4 kinds of certification you can choose according to different purposes.

1. Transcript - this states your personal data, programme, courses taken with course titles, number of units, GPAs and grades. If you are a graduate, it will also state the degree awarded and the date of conferment. An official transcript is one sent to the party requesting the document directly in a sealed envelope. A student copy is for your own reference and record. Current students who need a quick and unofficial copy of their results can also print an unofficial transcript from CUSIS. For details, please refer to the CBT training available in CUSIS after login MyCUHK or here

2. Certifying letter - this states your personal data and certifies your current status with the University. If you are a current student, your expected graduation date will be stated. If you are a graduate, the degree/diploma/ certificate awarded and the date of award will also be stated. Full-time non-local students who want to apply for IANG visa should apply for the certifying letter specifically for this purpose.

3. Report on Curriculum Details - this contains your study scheme and descriptions of the courses you have taken.

4. Certified true copy of the graduation certificate - this is only available after you graduate and you must present the original graduation certificate to us in person (or by a representative) for our certification.

You should refer to the instructions given by the party that requests the document to decide which one you should apply for. Then, please submit an application here.

Since official transcript can only be sent to the institution or prospective employer directly, if you need an official transcript in sealed envelope to be sent to you instead, you need to provide information from the institution or prospective employer concerned requesting you of such arrangement. If you are unable to provide the information, you can only apply for a student copy of transcript.

You can go to “View your application” via Online Application for Official Documents and arrange to settle the payment by credit card again.

Course grades are released according to the schedule for releasing grades posted in the section ‘Academic Results’ on the GS Platform (Students). Please view your academic results after the grade release date by following the path: MyCUHK > CUSIS and My Study > View My Grades and select the corresponding academic term. You may also print an unofficial transcript for your record and reference.

If you wish to lodge an appeal on the grade of a particular course, please approach the teacher concerned within two weeks from the date of release of the grade in question. No late application is accepted.

Students are assessed for graduation according to their expected graduation dates or as requested by their programmes. Upon completion of the graduation assessment and formal endorsement procedures by the Graduate Division of the programme and the Graduate Council, the Graduate School will send by registered mail a full transcript and a certifying letter to students who are able to graduate. Students who are unable to graduate will also be informed of the result of graduation assessment accordingly. Students who are required to continue with their studies will be asked to renew their student ID card and pay tuition fees (if required by the Programme concerned). Students may also refer to Section 10 for information on graduation process.

Upon completion of the graduation assessment and formal endorsement procedures by the Graduate Division of the programme and the Graduate Council, the Graduate School will send by registered mail a full transcript and a certifying letter to students who are able to graduate. If you fail to receive it, please check if you have provided the updated correspondence address via CUSIS. It is student’s responsibility to keep the University informed of the change of contact information e.g. address via CUSIS from time to time so that important correspondence from the University could be delivered to students timely.

The graduation certificate will only be available after the conferment of degrees, usually in November/December of each year.

Since the graduation certificate can only be available after the conferment of degrees, request to receive the graduation certificate earlier could not be entertained.

For students who have studied in the programme for less than 6 years, you should submit an Application for Extension of Stay to the Immigration Department of HKSAR (IMMD) within 4 weeks before the expiry date of your student visa/entry permit. Besides completing the application form, you are also required to submit a certifying letter issued by the University to support your application. Please request for a certifying letter for extension of student visa/entry permit via our Request Official Documents System.

For students who have studied in the programme for 6 years or above, please contact IMMD directly at least 10 weeks before the expiry date of your student visa/entry permit. IMMD will advise you if a new student visa application is needed.

If IMMD suggests you to submit a new student visa application, please download and submit the completed Form ID995A (Sample of a duly completed Form ID995A) together with the supporting documents to us for handling. You should also settle the visa application fee by the payment methods listed in Q8.3. Please note that it normally takes at least 8 weeks to process a student visa application.

Upon IMMD approval, we will collect the newly issued visa label/entry permit and send it to you by courier according to your mailing address in CUSIS. Please check and make sure that your mailing address in CUSIS is valid so as not to delay the receipt of the new visa label.

Non-local students who are in possession of a part-time student visa/entry permit should apply afresh of a valid visa/entry permit by submitting the completed Form ID995A (Sample of a duly completed Form ID995A) together with the necessary supporting documents to the programme office at least 10 weeks before the expiry date of one’s existing visa/entry permit. You should also settle the visa application fee by the payment methods listed in Q.8.3. Please act in accordance with the timeline mentioned above.

Upon IMMD approval, we will collect the newly issued visa label/entry permit and send it to you by courier according to your mailing address in CUSIS. Please check and make sure that your mailing address in CUSIS is valid so as not to delay the receipt of the new visa label.

How can I settle the visa application fee?

You may settle the visa application fee by any of the payment methods listed below.

• ATM Service
  ATM cardholders of HSBC, Hang Seng Bank or JETCO member banks may settle the visa application fee at these banks’ ATM by selecting the screen of CUHK and choosing bill type ‘02’ for payment. Please input the first seven digits of the student ID number for the bill account number.

• Cheque/Bank Draft
  Applicants may send a personal cheque or bank draft made payable to “The Chinese University of Hong Kong” to the Graduate School.

• EPS
  Applicants can make payment by EPS at the Graduate School Office when submitting the Form ID995A and the supporting documents.

When can I apply for Immigration Arrangements for Non-local Graduates (IANG) visa?

You may apply for IANG visa upon your fulfillment of the graduation requirements of the programme and Graduate Division’s endorsement of your graduation. For RPg students, you should have submitted the final version of your thesis.

You may refer to our Graduation webpage for relevant details.

You may apply for a certifying letter from us to prove that you have already fulfilled the graduation requirements of the programme and will be recommended for award of the degree at a later date.

You may then submit this certifying letter to the Immigration Department of HKSAR together with the IANG visa application form and other supporting documents as stipulated by the Immigration Department of HKSAR.  Please visit the IANG webpage at the Immigration Department of HKSAR for relevant details.

Students staying in Hong Kong holding any type of Hong Kong visas (including but not limited to student, dependent and IANG visa) or entry permit are not eligible for this Scheme.

Yes. Starting from the 2018-19 academic year, the tuition fee for the normative study period will be supported by the Scheme and waived by the University. Details on the financial arrangement will be announced in the first term of 2018-19.

For MPhil students transferring to PhD programmes with effective on or after 1 August 2018, this Scheme covers the tuition fee for the normative study period of their PhD programmes.

Under the Scheme, the tuition of all eligible full-time local students enrolled in UGC-funded RPg programmes is waived. If the tuition fee of an RPg student has been fully waived, s/he will no longer be eligible for this Scheme. However, if the tuition fee has been partially waived, s/he is still entitled for the Scheme to cover the remaining part of the tuition fee.

Local recipients of the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme or awardees of any other scholarship are still eligible for the Scheme to cover their tuition fees provided that the scholarships, awards or stipends do not cover tuition fees.

No. Local recipients of the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme will be granted a tuition waiver for their normative study period by the Tuition Waiver Scheme for Local Research Postgraduate (RPg) Students. Non-local recipients of the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme will receive the CUHK Vice-Chancellor HKPFS Scholarship to cover the tuition fee for their normative study period (applicable from the 2019-20 intake).