Science, Technology And Research Stream (STARS)

Undergraduate research is an integral part of our curriculum, and the Faculty of Science offers extensive research opportunities to  undergraduates who are interested in research and wish to challenge themselves. STARS is tailored for students with strong abilities and interests to acquire wider exposure and research experience during their undergraduate studies.

This “add-on” stream is open for students admitted in 2017-18 and thereafter to the Faculty of Science (via SCIENCE broad-based (BSCIN) admission or programme-based admission) majoring in Biochemistry, Biology, Cell and Molecular Biology, Chemistry, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Food and Nutritional Sciences, Mathematics, Molecular Biotechnology, Physics, or Statistics.

Aims

• To nurture top students to have a broader exposure in Science
• To provide a clear path and guidance for students interested in doing research
• To offer research opportunities and training in research abilities at an early stage
• To discover and develop talent among undergraduates 

STARS students can:

• participate in research starting from junior year under the supervision of our professors 
• have opportunities to join international conferences and seminars
• gain at least 4 consecutive weeks of outgoing exposure
• be eligible for financial support for research-related outgoing exposure
• receive admission scholarship (applicable to students admitted for Phase 1 entrance only) 

Entrance Requirements

Students who meet the following criteria are eligible to enrol in STARS; interview is not required.

1. JUPAS admittees who have obtained at least 3 stars in science subjects, including Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics/M1/M2, Physics in HKDSE examination; OR
2. Non-JUPAS admittees who have obtained excellent performance in public examinations and/or international competitions (considered on a case-by-case basis)

Phase 2 (After the release of Year 1 Term 2 results)

1. Obtained a Year GPA of 3.7 or above in Year 1; AND
2. Already taken/exempted at least 3 Faculty Package courses from 3 different groups; AND
3. Obtained A- or above in 2 Faculty Package courses from different groups

Assessment

Academic performance, in terms of cumulative GPA (cGPA), of STARS students will be reviewed each academic year after the release of Term 2 results. A STARS student should maintain a cGPA of 3.3 or above throughout his/her studies. A two-regular term grace period (excluding the summer term) is given to those whose cGPA falls below 3.3. The student will be required to withdraw from STARS if he/she cannot attain the required cGPA at the end of grace period or before graduation, whichever date is earlier.

All STAR-coded courses taken will NOT be included in the calculation of the Major GPA for honours classification. Upon fulfillment of all the stream requirements as stipulated, STARS will be officially recorded on the academic transcript.

If students would like to opt out from STARS, they can approach major programmes for assistance.

The above assessment method will be applicable to STARS students admitted in 2025-26 and thereafter.

Last updated: August 2025