The School of Business and Management at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) is not yet 20 years old but has already developed an excellent reputation in its region. Its main offices are in a skyscraper in Hong Kong’s financial district, with splendid views over the harbour, but it also has centres in Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen.

Vital statistics. There are five applicants for each place; successful applicants usually have a GMAT of 550-700 and three to five years’ work experience. More than 70 per cent of students come from outside Hong Kong – countries represented include Australia, Brazil, Taiwan and Canada – and around half of them are women. Approximately 60 per cent of students’ time is taken up learning core topics such as accounting, finance, business law and ethics; the remaining 40 per cent is filled with electives chosen from options such as China’s economic development, advanced derivatives analysis and e-logistics. The course can be taken over 12 or 16 months; the coursework is the same in each but the longer programme allows time for a summer internship and an international exchange. Tuition is the same for each – around HK$254,800 (£16,700).

Rankings. HKUST’s business school is rated 20th by the Economist Intelligence Unit’s Which MBA? guide 2007.

International experience. Students can choose to specialise in Chinese business; those who take the course over 16 months can undertake an international exchange at one of more than 50 schools, including the University of California, Berkeley; Tel Aviv University; and Copenhagen Business School.

Application deadline: Applications for the programme beginning in August 2008 are technically open until March 15; however, international students are advised to apply by the first deadline, which has already passed. Applications for 2009 will open in October.

Sources: www.bm.ust.hk; mba.eiu.com; www.businessweek.com/bschools/rankings

Next week: Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper School of Business

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