Master of Science in Information Technology
MSc(IT)
Both full- and part-time
Full-time: 1 year
Part-time: 2 years
Full-time: HK$270,000
Part-time: HK$230,000
New students admitted with credit transfer are also required to pay the full program fee. Students who take additional courses or need to retake any courses are required to pay additional fee.
Program Director:
Prof Fangzhen LIN, Professor of Computer Science and Engineering
The MSc program offers courses for those who wish to obtain broad-based and leading-edge skills in Information Technology. The aim is to make its graduates more marketable and also better prepared for more challenging career paths. For those who have interests to focus in cybersecurity, they could opt for cybersecurity concentration available in the program.
On successful completion of the program, graduates will be able to:
- Examine and formulate problems in major topics in computer science and information technology drawn from several areas, including applied areas technology;
- Integrate theoretical principles and up-to-date techniques in computer science and information technology to solve problems in the field of information technology;
- Communicate effectively through report writing, literature search, project design and oral presentations;
- Apply the latest computing and software development tools and techniques, especially state-of-the-art techniques that are used in industrial practice; and
- Identify and describe the impact of key factors related to the design, management and performance of large scale software systems.
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Minimum Credit Requirement
30 credits
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Credit Transfer
Subject to the approval of the Program Director and the University regulations governing credit transfer, a maximum of 9 credits can be transferred to the program. Holders of the MicroMasters Program in Big Data Technology certificate from HKUST and edX may be granted credit transfer of 9 credits.
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Required Courses
Students are required to complete at least 30 credits of CSIT courses.
They may repeat CSIT 6910 to obtain a maximum of 6 credits.
Subject to the approval of the Program Director, students may take a maximum of 3 credits of MSBD courses from the MSc Program in Big Data Technology as partial fulfillment of the graduation requirements of the program.
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Remarks
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Part-time students may take a maximum of 9 credits in each term.
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Students failing to meet the graduation grade average (GGA) requirement of 2.850 or above are required to repeat or take additional course(s) even if they attain passing grades for all courses.
Last update: 17 August 2022
Cybersecurity Concentration
Students who opt for the Cybersecurity concentration are required to complete the following as part of the program requirements:
- Complete at least 9 credits of Cybersecurity courses from the following list:
Students may also take CSIT 6000 in the Cybersecurity area to fulfill the credit requirements.
- Complete 3 credits of CSIT 6910 in the Cybersecurity area as approved by the Program Director:
To qualify for admission, applicants must meet all of the following requirements. Admission is selective and meeting these minimum requirements does not guarantee admission.
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Applicants seeking admission to a master's degree program should have obtained a bachelor’s degree from a recognized institution, or an approved equivalent qualification.
Applicants have to fulfill English Language requirements with one of the following proficiency attainments:
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TOEFL-iBT: 80 *
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TOEFL-pBT: 550
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TOEFL-Revised paper-delivered test: 60 (total scores for Reading, Listening and Writing sections)
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IELTS (Academic Module): Overall score: 6.5 and All sub-score: 5.5 *
* Refers to scores in one single attempt only. Test at home option is not accepted.
Applicants are not required to present TOEFL or IELTS score if
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their first language is English, or
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they obtained the bachelor's degree (or equivalent) from an institution where the medium of instruction was English.
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A bachelor's degree in Computer Engineering, Computer Science or a related area
Applicants who are holders of the MicroMasters Program in Big Data Technology certificate from HKUST and edX may apply for:
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credit transfer of 9 credits;
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tuition fee reduction with reference to fee of the MicroMasters Program in Big Data Technology .
Integrated Bachelor-Master Pathway
- Only for HKUST students in Year 3 or above who are studying a bachelor's degree in Computer Engineering, Computer Science (COMP/COSC) or a related area. Admission depending on academic excellence.
- Successful applicants will receive a conditional offer for admission to MSc(IT) and need to pay a deposit at the prevailing deposit rate.
- They will be allowed to start taking MSc(IT) courses in their final year of undergraduate study, and will enter the MSc(IT) Program upon successful completion of the undergraduate degree.
- Upon entering MSc(IT), they can transfer up to 6 credits taken during the undergraduate study to fulfill the MSc(IT) program requirements. They will pay tuition fee for the remaining credits on a pro-rata basis, with a minimum payment for 24 credits.
Apply online before the application deadlines.
HK$450
For 2025/26 Fall Term Intake (commencing in Sep 2025):
Non-local Applicants*
Full-time: 1 Nov 2024 (Round 1); 1 Jan 2025 (Round 2)
Part-time: 1 Nov 2024 (Round 1); 1 Jan 2025 (Round 2)
Local Applicants
Full-time: 1 Nov 2024 (Round 1); 1 Jan 2025 (Round 2)
Part-time: 1 Nov 2024 (Round 1); 1 Jan 2025 (Round 2)
* Applicants are considered as non-local students if they hold (i) student visa/ entry permit; or (ii) visa under the Immigration Arrangements for Non-local Graduates (IANG); or (iii) dependent visa/entry permit who were 18 years old or above when they were issued with such visa/ entry permit by the Director of Immigration. For details on student visa/ entry permit requirements, please click here.
