FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

WBB is an international program and English is the medium of instruction. Therefore, fluency and proficiency in English is very important to succeed in this program. We expect candidates to meet the university minimum requirements for English requirements; applicants may take reference to HKUST's requirement here.

Yes, you can apply for WBB even if you have applied for other HKUST programs under JUPAS or direct entry. In fact, students interested in applying for both the World Bachelor in Business and the HKUST undergraduate programs should complete two separate applications. The WBB program is a self-financed program and is applied through USC Common Application platform, your WBB application will be evaluated separately from other HKUST programs. In another word, applying for WBB will not influence chances for admission to the other HKUST programs.

Under this policy, the applicant decides if they’d like their SAT or ACT scores to be considered. When students apply to WBB via CommonApp for Fall 2025, they will be asked to indicate whether they plan to submit scores; if they do, we will wait to receive them. Applicants will NOT be penalized or put at a disadvantage if they choose not to submit SAT or ACT scores. 

Be reminded that students whose native language is not English will still be required to submit test results from the TOEFL, IELTS, Duolingo English Test or PTE Academic English proficiency examinations. Please note that students who submit results from the Duolingo English Test will still be required to take the International English Exam. See our webpage for more details about English Proficiency Criteria.

WBB’s student selection process has always been holistic, and we are confident in our ability to identify student potential using the totality of what’s presented to us. Feel free to email us at wbb@ust.hk if you would like to learn more about the admissions process.

The WBB curriculum is designed for four years, so there will be no transfer opportunity into the WBB program. Students who are interested in joining the program need to indicate WBB as their first choice major on the Common Application. Admission is offered for freshmen only.

There is no foreign language prerequisite to apply to WBB. However, students must pass Mandarin and Italian language classes in order to graduate. Classes are all taught in English, other than the foreign language courses.

Upon successful completion of studies, the student is awarded three locally-accredited degrees, one from each university. For more information, please see here. A common certificate will also be issued, with the logos of the three partner universities and signed by the three program directors.

Yes. In year 1, students may go on a 10-day trip abroad in South America to meet with executives and community leaders there. The trip will provide the WBB students with an exposure to an international market outside the three regions included in WBB. Similar trips and programs will be organized when the students are spending their second and third year at HKUST and Bocconi University.

The target intake for each WBB cohort is 45. However, WBB students will take most of their classes with students from other programs of the university at each location except for the WBB specific courses.

WBB students will graduate with a major in World Business. If students are interested in a particular field, they can choose courses from that area as free electives. WBB academic advisors will be working with students closely to identify the best mean of satisfying their academic aspirations and making plans that best fit the career goal.

Certain GE courses may be waived with the appropriate exam scores, but do not count towards the unit requirement for graduation. Please contact us at wbb@ust.hk for more details.

While completing a double major may potentially delay graduation by more than a year, completing a minor with WBB is much more flexible. Students who wish to do so must return to USC in their senior year to complete the required courses for the minor.

No, students are fully admitted and enrolled at each of the three universities. This is how WBB students are able to receive a degree from each institution. Students take classes with peers from other non-WBB majors every year, and are connected to each university’s student resources and alumni network. 

Yes, all students will be provided accommodations in university housing in each location, offering them the opportunity to meet friends from all over the world. All three universities provide various residential options both on campus and off campus. Students may also arrange accommodation on their own in each location.

Yes, students can join study trips or internships during study breaks even though they are not mandatory in the WBB curriculum. All WBB students are enrolled into all three universities, and therefore will have access to the full range of student development and enrichment activities. During the summer and winter breaks, students may participate in all initiatives organized by the three universities.

WBB students will be able to explore the extracurricular activities at each school just like any other students. There will also be activities designed specifically for the WBB group. Students are encouraged to get involved in all campus communities and take part in various events, for instance, case competitions, corporate projects and community work. Of course, all three cities have abundant historical and cultural sites to explore, and their locations are ideal bases from which to make excursions to nearby cities and countries.