Programme Aims and Objectives

The programme provides a rigorous training in economic analysis and empirical methods for those who plan to pursue a career as economic analysts, policy researchers and investment strategists in multinational corporations, investment or commercial banks, trade associations, government bodies and policy research institutes. The programme can also serve as a foundation for further academic work at the graduate level.

Programme Details

Admission Code

P13

Year of Entry

2026

Intake Target

200

Mode of Study

Full-time

Credit Requirement

Level of Study

Master's Degree

Mode of Funding

Non-government-funded

Tuition Fee

HKD 354,000

Normal Study Period

1 year (expected to graduate within one year)

Max Study Period

2.5 years

Class Schedule

Weekday daytime and evenings; and Saturdays

Mode of Processing

Applications are processed on a rolling basis. Review of applications will start before the deadline and continue until all places are filled. Early applications are therefore strongly encouraged.

Programme Leader

Prof Fred Y K Kwan

efykkwan@cityu.edu.hk

General Enquiries

EF Postgraduate Office

+852 3442 9583

ef.pg@cityu.edu.hk

Entrance Requirements

Applicants must

Applicants must hold a bachelor’s degree from a recognized university. An undergraduate degree in economics or related areas is not a pre-requisite. Students with a solid quantitative background and commitment to academic study are encouraged to apply.

Applicants whose entrance qualification is obtained from an institution where the medium of instruction is NOT English should also fulfill the following minimum English proficiency requirement:

a score of 79 (for tests taken prior to 21 January 2026) or 4 (for tests taken from 21 January 2026 onwards) (Internet-based Test) in the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)^@#; or
an overall band score of 6.0 in International English Language Testing System (IELTS) ^@#; or
band 6 in the Chinese Mainland’s College English Test (CET6)*; or
other equivalent qualifications.

@TOEFL and IELTS scores are considered valid for two years. Applicants are required to provide their English test results obtained within the two years preceding the start of the University's application period. 'TOEFL iBT Home Edition', ‘TOEFL MyBest Score’, ‘IELTS Indicator’, ‘IELTS One Skill Retake’ and ‘IELTS Online’ are not acceptable. All TOEFL results must be sent directly by the Educational Testing Service (ETS) using CityUHK’s institution code 3401, while IELTS results must be sent via the IELTS Results Service e-delivery to 'City University of Hong Kong - Graduate School'.

#Applicants with an IELTS overall band score of 6.0 or a TOEFL overall score of 4 will be required to pass an interview for English proficiency conducted by the concerned academic unit. Applicants with a comparable overall score of 79 or above shown on the TOEFL report may be exempt from the interview requirement. Interviews for other applicants may not be required.

*Applicants holding CET6 results may refer to the score requirement as specified for individual programmes on the admissions website.

Course Description

Core Courses

Students have to take the following 5 core courses (total 15 credit units):

Advanced Econometrics

Advanced Microeconomics

Advanced Macroeconomics

Professional Seminars in Applied Economics

Quantitative Methods in Economics

Electives

Students have to choose 3 electives (total 9 credit units) from the below list:

Advanced International Trade

Economic Growth and Development

Experimental Economics

International Finance

Urban and Real Estate Economics

Up to two 3-credit-unit free electives (any courses subject to the approval from programme leader and course offering department)

Other Programmes

MSc Applied Economics