Frequently Asked Questions

Application for Admission in Academic Year 2027/28 (via Online Application System)
(Semester One of Academic Year 2027/28 commences on 30 August 2027)

Application Period(Fall Intake): Start from 7 September 2026

​Please visit here for application procedures.

^Some of the postgraduate programmes operate on a rolling admission basis, i.e. applications received after the specified application deadline will be considered by respective Schools on an on-going basis. Please submit the application at your earliest convenience. Click here to check the updates of the important days of the Postgraduate Programme.

Non-local applicants must obtain a student visa/entry permit from the HKSAR Immigration Department in order to study in HKSAR. Visa application must be submitted to the HKSAR Immigration Department via the Academy, and normally takes 6 to 8 weeks to process student visa application. For details, please visit: Non-local students.

For enquiry please contact the Registry by email to aso.admission@hkapa.edu.

Please refer to the Admission Requirements section.

The normative study period of Master of Fine Arts and Master of Music full-time mode is 2 years and 3 to 4 years for part-time mode.

Full-time mode for Master of Arts in Performing Arts Studies is 1 year, and 2 year for part-time mode.

​The credit requirement is 60 credits for Master of Fine Arts and Master of Music programmes, and 24 credits for Master of Arts in Performing Arts Studiess . Please refer to the programme websites.

The Academy may exceptionally consider professional experience and qualifications as alternatives if the applicant does not satisfy the normal entry requirements. Please refer to the Admission with Advanced Standing and Equivalency Principles sections.

These are required for MFA, MMus and MA applicants, but vary by programme and department.  Please refer to the Admission Requirements section.

Language test scores are required to be submitted along with the application form or at the latest by the date of audition/interview.

Auditions, interviews and tests are to be arranged.Please refer to Important Dates about date of interview/audition/test of Postgraduate Programmes.

For some programmes, non-local applicants may submit DVD/ video and have an online interview in lieu of attendance at the audition. However, since places in the programmes are limited and admission is highly competitive, applicants are strongly recommended to attend the audition in order to best present their strengths. Please click here for details.

At present the Academy has no hostel facilities. Current non-local students at the Academy take the initiative to organise their own private accommodation. However, non-local students on full scholarship will normally be offered student accommodation on a shared basis. Please refer to "Accommodation Tips" for more information. 

For details of fees, please refer to Fees in Postgraduate Degree Programmes.

Scholarships may be available for both local and non-local master's degree students. Scholarships are awarded on both academic merit and financial need bases.

Local Master's students (both full-time and part-time) who have the right of abode in Hong Kong or have resided or have had their homes in Hong Kong continuously for three complete years immediately prior to the commencement of their academic programmes at the Academy are eligible to apply for the Government’s Non-Means-Tested Loan. Please refer to the Scholarships & Financial Assistance section.

• What courses does the programme include?  
The programme consists of three main component

1. Specialisation courses, practice, independent projects, internships and apprenticeships imparting advanced skills and techniques in the creation, performance and dissemination of dance and an advanced understanding of state-of-the-art knowledge bases of dance;

2. Courses instilling core research and analytical competencies central to postgraduate study and advanced practice in dance;

3. A major thesis project demonstrating consolidation of knowledge and skills acquired through postgraduate study.

Please refer to the programme website for details.

• What are the specialised study areas for the MFA in Dance?  
All MFA in Dance degree students are admitted to the postgraduate programme on the basis of her/his clear articulation of career goals. Within a common structure, study programmes are tailored to each student's career goals in areas such as choreography, dance education, documentation and technology for dance, somatics and performance. Programmes are intended for applicants who seek to specialise in one or more of these areas, or to combine study in these areas with specialisations offered at the other Academy schools.

• Do I need to write a thesis for the MFA in Dance?  
Students are required to complete a thesis project for graduation. Components of the thesis project vary and may include, but are not limited to the following:

• Choreography concert
• Presentation of choreographic work within School of Dance concert(s)
• Series of performances within School of Dance concerts
• Video choreography project
• Animation choreography project
• Notation documentation project
• CD-ROM documentation project
• Reconstruction or movement analysis project
• Lecture demonstration project
• Collaborative projects with recognised professional dance organisation(s)
• including curriculum development, presentation of choreography,
• performance,  reconstruction, or documentation
• Interdisciplinary project
• Integrated project(s) on performance, education, choreography, documentation and/or direction

The thesis project includes practical exposition and documentation in appropriate formats such as DVD, CD-ROM, extended essay, or dance notation/analysis score, or combinations thereof.

• What courses does the programme include?  
The programme comprises study modules consisting of: major study courses including Professional Practice; specialisation courses, laboratories, and workshops; postgraduate competency courses; and the thesis project.

Please refer to the programme website for details.

• What are the major study areas for the MFA in Drama?  
The programme offers three major streams: Directing, Playwriting, Drama and Theatre Education, and Dramaturgy.

• Do I need to write a thesis for the MFA in Drama?  
Students are required to complete a thesis project for graduation.

For directing: the thesis project involves actual participation and practice in school productions, performance projects, workshops and directing projects, as well as outside internships. Detailed production proposals and planning are required for presentation.

For playwriting: students are required to complete two projects: a documentary drama project and a playwright thesis project that is a presentation of an original full-length play or a series of shorter plays constituting a full evening performance in the theatre.

For drama and theatre education: Create or implement an educational drama/ theatre piece or applied drama/ theatre for a specific target group with clear educational/ empowering purpose and objectives, with consultation and agreement of the discipline leader. The praxis should be submitted with a detailed reflective exegesis which demonstrates the deep theory and practice understanding of the student in Drama education and his/her evaluation of the project outcome with literature review.

• What courses does the programme include?  
The curriculum covers traditional and contemporary approaches to cinema production. It comprises study modules consisting of major study courses, postgraduate competency courses and the thesis project.

Please refer to the programme website for details.

• What are the features of the programme?  
This is an intensive and rigorous programme in high-end cinema production. The curriculum covers traditional and contemporary approaches to cinema production. The primary specialisation offered on the programme is narrative film production in which students will choose from one of the creative roles (listed below) to complete their Thesis Project. 

Students looking to complete their Thesis Project in documentary filmmaking or feature-length screenplay writing, may submit a written proposal for review and is subject to approval. 

Students will learn skills and enhance knowledge from the following range of creative roles:

• Producer (including Production Management)
• Director (including Assistant Directing)
• Screenwriter
• Cinematographer (including Camera Operation and Lighting)
• Editor (including Continuity)
• Sound Designer (including Recording, Editing, and Mixing)
• Production Designer (including Art Directing)

During the development, production and post production phases of the Thesis Project, each crew role will have access to professional cinema industry advisors.

• Do I need to write a thesis for the MFA in Cinema Production?  
Students are required to develop, complete, and defend a thesis project that is carried out in comprehensive detail in accordance with the highest professional standards for graduation. The thesis project is generally based on a final production assignment.

• What are the major study areas for the MMus?

• Performance Major

• Conducting Major

• Composition Major

 Please also visit here for more information. 

• How is the Composition major at the Academy different from those offered by the other universities in Hong Kong?  
The compositional training at the Academy has a strong practical emphasis. Students will have ample opportunity to work with performers and colleagues in the other schools within the Academy, have their works aired in public concerts, and acquire experience in concert organisation and promotion of their own compositions.

• What other courses does the programme include?

The programme has three main components:

1. Courses of major studies imparting specialisation;
2. Courses of academic studies instilling associated research and analytical competencies requisite of postgraduate music practitioners;
3. A set of graduation requirements that would be considered equivalent to a thesis.

​Please refer to the programme website for details.

• What courses does the programme include?  
The programme comprises study modules consisting of major study courses, postgraduate competency courses and the thesis project.

Please refer to the programme website for details.

• What are the major study areas for the MFA in Theatre & Entertainment Arts?  
The programme offers two major study options: Contemporary Design and Technologies and Arts and Event Management. Within each major study option, there will be a number of specialisation studies as follows:

Contemporary Design and Technologies

• Projection Design specialisation
• Interactive Media specialisation  
• Spatial Design specialisation
• Wearable Arts specialisation

​Arts and Event Management

• ​Arts and Event Management

​• Do I need to write a thesis for the MFA in Theatre & Entertainment Arts?  
Students are required to develop, complete, and defend a thesis project that is carried out in comprehensive detail in accordance with the highest professional standards for graduation. The thesis project is generally based on a final production assignment.

• What courses does the programme include?  

The programme comprises study modules consisting of: required courses and elective courses from six Academy schools. 

Please refer to the programme website for details.

• What are the features of the programme?  
The Master of Arts in Performing Arts Studies is the first postgraduate programme that provides a macro perspective on the study of performing arts at the Academy. This programme aims to nurture critical thinkers and reflective practitioners in the performing arts. It equips students with both theoretical knowledge and research skills, enabling them to reflect on various forms of performing arts and gain a nuanced and comprehensive understanding of the field. 

The curriculum provides an interdisciplinary learning experience, allowing students to choose elective courses from the six Academy Schools: the School of Chinese Opera, the School of Dance, the School of Drama, the School of Film and Television, the School of Music, and the School of Theatre and Entertainment Arts. We welcome applicants from both performing arts and other disciplines. 

The learning process is creative and reflective, fostering interdisciplinary synergy. Students will gain a solid understanding of various performing art forms while developing essential skills in research, effective communication, entrepreneurship, and community engagement.  By connecting these skills with the unique arts and cultural landscape of Hong Kong, the programme equips arts practitioners and aspiring individuals with tools necessary for meaningful professional growth.

Graduates are expected to become cultural advocates and leaders, with opportunities to pursue careers in managerial, curatorial, and educational roles within the creative, cultural, and performing arts industries. This programme is offered by the General Education and Research Unit at the Academy.