Hong Kong SAR, China

Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK)

Applications for Spring 2027 are open from Monday, May 18, 2026 and close on Monday, June 22, 2026 at 11:59 pm. The application can be found here.

Hong Kong is a pretty international city so I found everything I needed and the best part of the program was the open, intellectual, and social students from all over the world that were at CUHK.” – Maxime, Former CUHK Participant

Want to hear more from our students about their experience studying abroad in Hong Kong? Check out our AIP blog for more information.

Program
The Annenberg Hong Kong program offers an exciting opportunity to live and study in the vibrant and cosmopolitan city of Hong Kong. Study alongside local and international students in a variety of disciplines from communication and journalism to marketing and culture, at the highly regarded global research institution- Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK). The CUHK campus, with its amazing waterfront views, is located in the Sha Tin district of the New Territories and is only 30 minutes away from the politically, economically, and culturally diverse city center of Hong Kong. Discover why it's considered the gateway into Asia for the western world and explore its unique “East Meets West” spirit.

Eligibility
This program is only open to Annenberg majors. Students must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 and a minimum sophomore standing before the start of the program. There is no language requirement.

Dates

Spring 2027 program dates are not yet finalized and will be published closer to the Fall 2026 semester. For planning purposes, please refer to the Fall 2026 schedule below as a general guide. Note that all dates are subject to change.

Fall 26 Program Dates: September 7, 2026 – December 23, 2026

Hostel check-in with additional fee: August 31, 2026

Hostel check-in: September 5, 2026

Orientation: September 2 – 4, 2026

Classes begin: September 7, 2026

Classes end: December 5, 2026

Exam period: December 9 – 23, 2026

Curriculum
Courses taught in English are offered in the following fields:

Communication
Public Relations
Journalism
Language classes (Cantonese and Putonghua/Mandarin)

Academic Units & Credit
All students are required to enroll in a full course load of 15 units.

COMM students will be able to earn 12 units of upper-division major elective credit; the remaining 3 units taken will be general elective credits
- The free elective course is required to focus on Hong Kong or Chinese culture or history.
- Students who take Putonghua courses at CUHK can earn a maximum of 9 units of upper-division COMM credit.
JOUR & PR students may be able to earn 12 units of upper-division major elective credit; the remaining 3 units will be free elective credits
- The free elective course is required to focus on Hong Kong or Chinese culture or history.

Students must take courses for a letter grade, pass/no pass is not an option. Courses will transfer to USC as credit/no credit and will not affect USC GPA. CUHK will issue a separate transcript that students may be required to submit to graduate or professional schools in the future.

Program Highlights

Field trips, monthly dinner talks, excursions, and other cultural programs are offered to international students each semester
CUHK student organization called the "i-LOUNGE" fosters interaction between international and local students with a number of excursions to Buddhist monasteries, big tourist sites, and trips to Shenzhen and Macau; most of which are included in program costs
Participate in CUHK team athletics and intramural sports
Explore Asia! Traveling to China and other Asian countries is very convenient and inexpensive
Extremely affordable on-campus housing
Access to USC Global Office, Hong Kong

Housing
Students are required to live in a dormitory on campus. On-campus dormitories are shared with other international and local students. All dormitories have bathroom facilities on each floor and laundry service in the basement. The dormitories are also cleaned every day by staff. Cooking is not common in the dorms due to limited kitchen facilities, but each dormitory has a student dining hall. Eating out is the most common option since food is very inexpensive and diverse in Hong Kong. Students may choose a meal plan in some dorms for an additional cost.

Estimated Costs
Please see the detailed estimated program costs below for Fall 2026*. Each semester, Annenberg International Programs provides an up-to-date cost sheet to admitted students. If there are any changes from the time students are admitted to a program to the time they leave for a study abroad semester, updated cost sheets will be sent to them. *Information regarding the cost of attendance for the Spring 2027 semester will be made available closer to the Fall 2026 semester.

Please note that these costs are subject to change without notice:

Tuition: $37,692 (2026-2027 USC tuition rate)
Student Visa, bedding and admin fees: $215
Housing: $1,100 - $1,400
CUHK Housing Deposit: $445 (refundable)
USC Overseas Health Insurance*: $1,313
Estimated Round Trip Airfare: $1,200
Estimated Personal Expenses (food, entertainment, weekend travel, etc.): $4,000
TOTAL: $45,965 - $46,265

Financial aid and tuition remission apply. Contact AIP for more information on financial aid and scholarships.

*All USC students are required to have sufficient health insurance during their study abroad program. In order to ensure proper coverage, all students going abroad must have either USC Overseas Policy or the USC Student Health Insurance Plan for the semester they are abroad. As students may not waive out of USC health insurance when they study abroad, students will be automatically enrolled in the USC Student Health Insurance Plan and billed accordingly by the USC Health Insurance Office. Students who have a waiver on file (because they have successfully waived out of the USC Student Health Insurance Plan through the online process on OASIS) will be enrolled in the USC Overseas Policy and billed accordingly.