The application for 2024 Exemption Recommendation of Outstanding CUHK-Shenzhen Undergraduates for Postgraduate Programmes has been started. “Exemption” means that the students in the recommended list bypass the preliminary exams and enter directly the second phase of the screening process such as re-examinations and/or interviews as stipulated by the postgraduate programme. The students (selected in the Exemption Recommendation List) could apply for the MPhil-PhD Programme in Biological Sciences, MPhil-PhD Programme in Biomedical Engineering, and Master of Science Programme in Bioinformatics of the School of Medicine. Please kindly see the information below for your reference:

Requirements for applying Exemption Recommendation:
1.    Senior students who will graduate by the summer of year 2024;
2.    Students of integrity, good conduct and responsibility, with no records of law-breaking disciplinary actions;
3.    Outstanding academic performance, ranked top 30% in the student’s own major during the first 3 years of undergraduate studies, as well as a CGPA of 3.0 or above for pursuing a Master degree, a CGPA of 3.2 or above for pursuing a PhD degree;
4.    Students with special academic expertise, or extraordinary potential in future graduate studies, can be waived from the above academic requirements, only if a joint recommendation from at least three CUHK-Shenzhen professors in the student’s major is received. In that case, explanatory materials submitted by the student and the recommendation letters must be publicly displayed.

Time to apply for Exemption Recommendation: September 22 – October 17, 2023

Application Materials:
1.    Registration Form for Exemption Recommendation Students (Attachment)
2.    Recommendation from College (Attachment)
3.    Official transcripts of all taken courses
4.    Certificate of ranking
5.    CV
6.    Personal statement (1000-1500 words), which may mainly include (but not limited your research experience, the reasons why you want to apply for a master's or doctoral degree, and your future study and career plans, etc.)
7.    Two recommendation letters (two letters from Assistant Professors or above, or one recommendation letter from Assistant Professors or above + one recommendation letter from the leader of your internship unit).
Supplementary materials (can be submitted optionally):
1.    Language test scores: IELTS, TOEFL or GRE, and other language test scores;
2.    Scanned copies or certification letters of academic achievements: For published papers, the journal catalog and the first page of the paper could be provided; and for unpublished papers, one page of abstract can be provided;
3.    Self-introduction video within 3 minutes (English);
4.    Other supplementary materials, such as honor certificates, internship certificates, or other materials that can prove your ability or experience.

Application procedures: 
https://portal.cuhk.edu.cn/ ---【Exemption Recommendation of Outstanding In-house Graduates to Postgraduate Programmes】

Screening and Selection: The Exemption Recommendation Selection Committee will determine the list of recommended students.

Admission Requirements:
Postgraduate programmes review and evaluate candidates’ materials, determine the list of students who qualify for interviews and notify the applicants accordingly. If the student has been selected in the Exemption Recommendation List, his/her application and application materials will be transferred to the first choice programme for review. If the applicant is not admitted by the first choice programme, the application will be transferred to the second choice programme for review, and so on.

1.    For MPhil-PhD Programme in Biological Sciences and MPhil-PhD Programme in Biomedical Engineering:
1)    Senior students who have been selected in the Exemption Recommendation List and will graduate by the summer of the year 2024, with a science or engineering background (gain a bachelor's degree in science or engineering); 
2)    Students of integrity, good conduct and responsibility, with no records of law-breaking disciplinary actions;
3)    Outstanding academic performance, ranked top 30% in the student’s own major during the first 3 years of undergraduate studies, as well as a CGPA of 3.0 or above for pursuing a Master's degree, a CGPA of 3.2 or above for pursuing a PhD degree;
4)    Applicant should contact his/her intended supervisor firstly, and confirm with the supervisor whether he/she will accept the application. The confirmation message (such as a screenshot of the email) must be submitted together with the application materials
5)    Strong research interests in the fields of bioinformatics, biomedical engineering, pharmacy, biological sciences or clinical medicine.
2.    For Master of Science Programme in Bioinformatics
1)    Senior students who have been selected in the Exemption Recommendation List and will graduate by the summer of the year 2024, with a science or engineering background (gain a bachelor's degree in science or engineering); 
2)    Students of integrity, good conduct and responsibility, with no records of law-breaking disciplinary actions;
3)    Outstanding academic performance, ranked top 30% in the student’s own major during the first 3 years of undergraduate studies, as well as a CGPA of 3.0 or above;
4)    Strong research interests in the fields of bioinformatics.