Third Year Entry Process

The Joint Bachelor's Degree Program between City University of Hong Kong and Columbia University offers highly qualified students already enrolled at CityUHK an opportunity to continue their education in New York City at Columbia University through the Third Year Entry application process. In lieu of the traditional third year at CityUHK, admitted students spend two years enrolled full-time at the School of General Studies, Columbia University's undergraduate college for students pursuing a nontraditional educational path. Students will spend their two years at Columbia completing the Core Curriculum, major, and elective requirements. Upon completion of their studies at Columbia, Joint Degree Program students will earn two bachelor's diplomas, one from each institution.

Note: Students who are not currently enrolled at CityUHK are not eligible to apply for the Joint Bachelor's Degree Program through the Third Year Entry application process. Students who do not meet this necessary criterion but are interested in applying for transfer admission to the Dual Degree Program from another college or university are encouraged to apply through the first-year application process.

About the Third Year Entry Process

All Joint Bachelor's Degree Program students admitted through the first-year application process or through the Third Year Entry application process may transfer up to the equivalent of 60 Columbia University points (credits) from CityUHK (or other eligible university-level coursework) toward the fulfillment of the Columbia undergraduate degree program. Majors are mapped to what students study at CityUHK and they will spend their two years at Columbia completing core, major, and elective requirements.

By enrolling in the Joint Bachelor's Degree Program through the Third Year Entry application process, students demonstrate their commitment to completing both years at Columbia. Students must spend two full years enrolled at Columbia in order to graduate. Upon successful completion of the program, students are awarded a bachelor’s diploma from each institution - one from CityUHK and another from Columbia University. Please note that both diplomas are conferred upon graduation.

Students admitted through the Third Year Entry process will receive extensive support from the School of General Studies in their transition to Columbia University.  For more information, visit the Transition to Columbia page.

Students admitted to the Joint Bachelor's Degree Program through the Third Year Entry application process will be assigned an academic advisor from the School of General Studies in the fall semester of their second year at CityUHK. The academic advisor provides support to newly-admitted students, both by guiding them throughout their transition to Columbia and helping them navigate the completion of Columbia's undergraduate degree requirements.

Upon declaring a major at Columbia, students are assigned a faculty advisor within their major department who assumes responsibility for advising students about courses and requirements for the major. Faculty advisors are also available to students completing minors or concentrations in a particular discipline or program. Each academic department and program at Columbia has a designated Director of Undergraduate Studies (DUS) who is available for consultation about majors and their requirements. For a full list of the majors and minors offered at Columbia, please visit the Majors, Minors, and Other Programs of Study page. 

All Joint Bachelor's Degree Program students are guaranteed housing at Columbia when making the transition from Hong Kong to New York in their third year. Students are not required to sign up for Columbia housing should they prefer to make their own housing arrangements. However, students who initially choose not to take advantage of university housing will not be guaranteed placement at a later date. For more information, visit the Housing page.

During their two years of study at Columbia, Joint Bachelor's Degree Program students will pay Columbia University tuition and fees. All Joint Bachelor's Degree Program students are eligible to apply for financial aid at Columbia, like all other students at the School of General Studies. For more information about financial aid, visit the Types of Aid page.

Application Process

A number of City University of Hong Kong students are admitted to the Joint Bachelor's Degree Program through the Third Year Entry application process each year. The Joint Bachelor's Degree Degree Program Third Year Entry admissions process includes a review of the applicant’s academic history, letters of recommendation, standardized test scores, and a personal essay. 

Students who wish to be considered for admission to the Joint Bachelor’s Degree Program must be enrolled in an approved degree program at City University of Hong Kong. Visit the CityUHK website for more information about admission.

Applicants to the Joint Bachelor’s Degree Program must submit an internal application to their departmental or college coordinator in early November of their second year of studies at CityUHK. After an initial departmental/college review to confirm eligibility, applicants will be granted access to the official online application. The admissions process includes a review of the applicant’s academic history, letters of recommendation, official test scores, a personal essay, and an interview conducted in English. Applications will be reviewed by a committee of admissions representatives from Columbia University. Applicants to the Joint Bachelor’s Degree Program must submit the online application in mid-January for fall enrollment. 

Applicants may not simultaneously apply to the School of General Studies and to any other undergraduate division of Columbia University – Columbia College (CC), or The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS). Candidates may not apply to the Joint Bachelor’s Degree Program if in the last three years they applied to either of these divisions and were not accepted.

  • The transfer application process takes place in the fall of their second year of studies at CityUHK.
  • Students who are not currently enrolled at CityUHK are not eligible to apply for the Joint Bachelor's Degree Program through the Third Year Entry application process. Students who do not meet this necessary criteria but are interested in applying for admission to the Joint Bachelor's Degree Program between City University of Hong Kong and Columbia University are encouraged to apply through the first-year application process.
  • Additionally, candidates are not eligible to apply to the Joint Bachelor's Degree Third Year Entry process if in the last three years they were rejected by Columbia College or The School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.
     

Application Timeline - Fall 2026

  • Application Open: November 28
  • Application Deadline: January 15, 2026
     

Applying to the Joint Bachelor's Degree Program through the Third Year Entry Process

A complete Third Year Entry application for the Joint Bachelor's Degree Program between City University of Hong Kong and Columbia University includes the following:

  • Online application for admission: Create an account and choose "City University of Hong Kong Third Year Entry - Fall 2026" from the menu. The $80 application fee will be waived for applicants to this program.
  • Official secondary school transcripts*:
    • If no final exams were taken during high school, please provide all high school transcripts. All high school academic records should be uploaded to the online application form.
    • Non-English transcripts should be accompanied by an English translation.
    • *Unofficial documents are accepted as part of the application review process. If offered admission, in order to enroll, you will be required to submit official documents.
  • Photocopy of transcripts from City University of Hong Kong and any other universities attended, if available: Transcripts must reflect grades earned, as well as the number of units/credits awarded for each course taken. All university transcripts should be uploaded to the online application form.
  • English Proficiency Test Scores: Photocopy of TOEFL IBT results (minimum score of 100), IELTS results (minimum overall score of 7, subscores are not important), or CAE C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency exam (grade of B or higher) for non-Anglophone students, if applicable. If admitted, students must send official TOEFL/IELTS/CAE results to Columbia University.
  • Standardized Testing Scores: Photocopy of SAT or ACT scores, if applicable.
  • CV in English (1-2 pages)
  • Autobiographical essay: One typed, double-spaced essay of approximately 1,000-1,500 words. See the admissions application for the essay question.
  • Two letters of recommendation from academic and/or professional sources: At least one letter must be written by a CityUHK professor. Letters should be uploaded directly to the online application system by each recommender.  


Eligibility by College 

Please find specific eligibility requirements for applicants from each of CityUHK's four colleges below. 

Please note that these requirements are only applicable to current CityUHK students applying for third-year entry to the Joint Bachelor's Degree Program. 

College of Computing

Prospective Joint Bachelor's Degree Program students must complete at least 31 credits within their first year at CityUHK with a Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of at least 3.3. Completed credits must include the number of credit units specified by the College of Computing and the respective Home Department for its required courses as stipulated in the first-year curriculum. By the end of the second year, students must have completed at least 61 credits and fulfilled 10 credits in GE University requirements (i.e., GE1401 University English, a discipline-specific GE English course, GE1501 Chinese Civilisation – History and Philosophy and GE1601 – Whole Person Development), CHIN1001 University Chinese (if deemed required by the University) at CityUHK.

College of Science

Prospective Joint Bachelor's Degree Program students must complete at least 31 credits within their first year at CityUHK with a Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of at least 3.3. Completed credits must include the number of credit units specified by the College of Science and respective Home Department for its required courses as stipulated in the first-year curriculum. By the end of the second year, students must have completed at least 61 credits (63 credits for MA students) and fulfilled 10 credits in GE University requirements (i.e., GE1401 University English, a discipline-specific GE English course, GE1501 Chinese Civilisation – History and Philosophy and GE1601 – Whole Person Development), CHIN1001 University Chinese (if deemed required by the University) at CityUHK.

College of Business

Prospective Joint Bachelor’s Degree Program students must complete half of the credit requirements (see table below) within their first year at CityUHK with a Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of at least 3.3. Completed credits must include the number of credit units specified by the College of Business and respective Home Department for specific course requirements in the first two years. By the end of the second year, students must have completed the specific credit units stated in the table below, and fulfilled 10 credits in GE University requirements (i.e., GE 1401 University English, a discipline specific GE English course, GE1501 Chinese Civilization – History and Philosophy and GE1601 – Whole Person Development), CHIN1001 University Chinese and/or LC0200 English for Academic Purposes (if deemed required by the University), and CB4303 Strategy and Policy (for BBA students only) at CityUHK.

College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences

Prospective Joint Bachelor's Degree Program students must complete at least 31 credits within their first year at CityUHK with a Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of at least 3.3.  By the end of their second year and before they start their study at Columbia, students must complete at least 61 credits within their first two years at CityUHK and satisfactorily fulfilled the 6-credit College Requirement, 10-credit GE University requirements (i.e., GE1401 University English, GE2412 English for the Humanities and Social Sciences, GE1501 Chinese Civilization – History and Philosophy and GE1601 – Whole Person Development) , CHIN1001 University Chinese (if deemed required by the University) at CityUHK.  Completed credits must include the number of credit units specified by the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences and respective Home Department for its required courses as stipulated in the Year 1 and Year 2 curriculum.

Note: The 1-credit GE University requirement, GE1601 – Whole Person Development, applies only to students admitted to CityUHK from the 2025/26 intake onward. Current third-year entry applicants to CityUHK are not required to take GE1601 – Whole Person Development.

Prospective student applicants who wish to request institutional scholarship aid, and who are U.S. citizens or Permanent Residents must submit both the CSS Profile and the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Students who are neither citizens nor permanent residents in the U.S. would only be required to complete the CSS Profile. 

To be considered for institutional aid, prospective students should complete the 2026-2027 CSS Profile using Columbia University’s General Studies CSS School Code: 2095.

For consideration for GS institutional aid, complete family and parental information is required on the CSS Profile application from both custodial and non-custodial parents. If the parents have separate households (unmarried, separated, or divorced), complete financial information for both parental households must be provided on the application.

Please note:

  • The Columbia University School of General Studies CSS School Code is 2095.
  • The Columbia University FAFSA code is 002707.