Application Procedures

Master of Social Sciences in the field of Social Data Analytics > Application Procedures
Step 1. Prepare your application materials

You application should include the following materials:

This course aims to help students make sense of “big data.” It guides students to ask and answer the following questions: What are big data? With big data, what questions can policymakers and researchers ask and answer? How to collect and analyze big data? This course introduces students to basic data science techniques and demonstrate how they can be applied to various formats of social data. Upon completion, students are expected to master basic concepts of data science and acquire hands-on experience with social data analytics.

6 credits
Assessment: 100% coursework

(i) Local applicants: Hong Kong ID Card
(ii) Non-local applicants from Mainland China: Mainland ID Card/Passport
(iii) Non-local applicants from other countries/regions: Passport

Please refer to the FAQ for the categorisation of local and non-local applicants.
(i) Completed Degree: Final transcript or Verification Report of China Higher Education Student’s Academic Transcript (中國高等學校學生成績驗證報告) that includes the degree conferment information
(ii) Degree currently in progress or has not yet been conferred: Latest available transcript
Transcript legends, keys or grading scales which are normally available on the back of the transcript or in the student handbook

(Example: Clause TPG 9 of Regulations for Taught Postgraduate Curricula of HKU)
Completed Degree at the time of application: a copy of the Graduate Certificates

In addition to the Graduate Certificates, applicants are required to prepare the following document(s) in both Chinese and English versions, with the validity period set to six months or the longest available duration, if applicable:

  1. For applicants whose qualifications were awarded by universities or comparable institutions in Mainland China, the following documents are required:
    1. Online Verification Report of Higher Education Qualification Certificate (教育部學歷證書電子註冊備案表) issued by the China Higher Education Student Information (學信網); and
    2. Online Verification Report of Higher Education Degree Certificate (中國高等教育學位在線驗證報告) issued by China Higher Education Student Information.


  2. For non-local applicants from Mainland China whose qualifications were awarded by overseas universities/institutions, the following document is required:
    1. Overseas Credentials Evaluation Report (國外學歷學位認證書) issued by the Chinese Service Center for Scholarly Exchange (CSCSE) (教育部留學服務中心).
    2. Given the processing time required by CSCSE, if the Report is not yet available by the document submission deadline, an email or a text message sent by CSCSE after payment, confirming that the application of the Report has been successfully initiated. Upon receipt of the Overseas Credentials Evaluation Report, applicants should upload the document to the application system.
  1. Applicants with qualifications from universities or comparable institutions outside Hong Kong, where the language of teaching and/or examination is not English, are required to obtain valid and satisfactory results from one of the following examinations:
      • TOEFL (University’s TOEFL code is 9671) / IELTS / GCE / IGCSE / Cambridge Test of Proficiency in English Language
    For the acceptance range of performance for respective examinations, please refer to the requirements of university/respective programmes.
  1. Applicants with qualifications from universities or comparable institutions where the medium of teaching and examination is English should provide:
    • An official letter or equivalent proof, such as transcript or degree certificate, confirming that the applicants’ qualifications were obtained from a university or comparable institution where the medium of instruction or the language of teaching and examination of the qualification is English
Two reference reports sent via the online application system, with at least ONE academic referee.  Referees’ professional email addresses are required, public-domain email addresses will not be accepted unless they are used for professional purposes and printed on the referees’ business cards.
Personal Statement should be written in English with no more than 1,000 words, articulating your motivation for applying for this programme and its relevance to your academic and career pursuits.

This course aims to help students make sense of “big data.” It guides students to ask and answer the following questions: What are big data? With big data, what questions can policymakers and researchers ask and answer? How to collect and analyze big data? This course introduces students to basic data science techniques and demonstrate how they can be applied to various formats of social data. Upon completion, students are expected to master basic concepts of data science and acquire hands-on experience with social data analytics.

6 credits
Assessment: 100% coursework

Step 2. Create your account and submit application

  • Create your account via the HKU Taught Postgraduate Online Application System before the application deadlines
  • Complete and submit your application via the system
  • Settle a non-refundable application fee
  • You will receive an acknowledgement email within 48 hours after successful application. Please follow the instructions in the email to submit your documents through another system (refer to Step 3)
Step 3. Upload Supporting Documents for Application Evaluation

  • Upload the supporting documents by following the instructions in the acknowledgement email before the stipulated deadline
  • Scanned copies and unofficial version of supporting documents are sufficient at the application stage
  • Your application will only be processed once we have received all your supporting documents and full payment of the application fee
  • Notify the Programme Office at msda@hku.hk if you have uploaded updated documents
  • The reviewer(s) will consider your application based on the information and documents submitted and it is your responsibility to provide accurate and sufficient information. Submission of information after application deadline may not be considered.
Step 4: Check your Application Status

  • Check your application status updates via the system from time to time
Step 5: Interview

  • Shortlisted applicants will be invited by email for an admission interview.
Step6: Accept your offer

  • You will receive an email of admission offer once your application is successful
  • Follow the steps listed on your offer letter to accept your offer