1. Application for the Program
1.1 Program Overview
The School of Engineering (SOE) of the Catholic University of America (CUA) has established a student exchange program with the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU). Through the established student exchange program, qualified engineering students at CUA may study abroad at PolyU during the second semester of their junior year. The CUA engineering programs including biomedical, civil, electrical and mechanical engineering and computer science have developed modified curricula for their study abroad students to ensure that the participating students graduate on time. Students who are interested in the student abroad program at PolyU should contact the SOE dean’s office for general information and their department for specific coursework.
1.2 PolyU & HONG KONG
● PolyU is a public university with 11,500 full-time and 500 part-time students.
● PolyU has 26 academic departments under six faculties (colleges) and 2 schools including Faculty of Engineering and Faculty of Construction and Land Use. All possess excellent instructional and research facilities.
● PolyU has well-established exchange programs with 150 institutions in more than 20 countries around the world.
● PolyU has various services for exchange students including orientation on arrival, buddy program, international club and host family scheme.
● Hong Kong is a very dynamic and prosperous metropolitan city of with a population of about 7 million. As a shopper’s paradise, it offers international cuisines and fabulous sightseeing attractions.
● Hong Kong’s main languages are Cantonese and English.
1.3 How Does It Work?
● The student pays full tuition at CUA for the study abroad semester. For students participating in the study abroad program at PolyU, there is no change in their existing financial aid arrangement in terms of their federal and CUA grants and scholarships.
● The SOE dean’s office will register the participating student for a study abroad course (ENGR 399) of 15 semester credit hours (SCH) for the study abroad semester.
● If applicable, the student informs CUA regarding their desired dormitory status while abroad and upon return to CUA so that proper arrangement can be made.
● All courses are taught in English at PolyU, thereby requiring no Chinese language proficiency. Students, however are encouraged to take some beginning courses of Chinese languages before going abroad.
● Upon receiving the transcript from PolyU for the courses the student completes at PolyU, the SOE dean’s office will enter grades in the equivalent CUA courses on the student’s CUA transcript. Grades earned at PolyU will be used in the calculation of the student’s grade point average (GPA).
1.4 Eligibility Requirements
To be eligible to participate in the study abroad program, students must be in good standing and possess a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 at the end of their sophomore year.
1.5 Application Procedure
Eligible students must complete an application for CUA and another one for PolyU.
CUA Application
Step 1: Complete the study abroad application form available from the SOE dean’s office.
Step 2: Submit the application form with all supporting documents (2 letters of recommendation, unofficial CUA transcript, a copy of passport, if available) to the academic advisor as soon as possible but no later than September 20th, 2007.
Step 3: Make an appointment to meet with your advisor to discuss the study abroad semester. Your academic advisor will work with your program’s chair to further process the application.
Step 4: After receiving the approval for study abroad from the SOE dean’s office, proceed to the next stage to apply to PolyU.
PolyU Application
Students must apply to the PolyU to be admitted into its student exchange program. Enrollment forms and other required documents can be obtained from the SOE dean’s office or from
http://www.polyu.edu.hk/~aeco/public/eexc_inbound_application.htm. The deadline for the second semester (January-June, 2008) is October 1, 2007. The complete application package to be submitted to PolyU includes:
● PolyU enrollment form
● Student’s curriculum vitae
● CUA transcript (certified true copy)
● Copy of passport
● Visa application (See note)
● Proof of financial support
● One recent passport-size photo
Note: PolyU will apply for the appropriate visas on behalf of the exchange students. Thus students do not need to apply for the visa in the Chinese Embassy at their home countries.
1.6 Fees and Living Expenses at PolyU
● Tuition: Exchange students do not pay tuition at PolyU.
● Est. Monthly Living Expenses
Accommodations $150
(In Student Halls of Residence)
Food $300
Public Transport $50
Laundry $25
Books $40
Miscellaneous $100
Total $665
1.7 Useful References
● Study Abroad Program Student Manual (CUA School of Arts and Sciences) can be retrieved at
http://studyabroad.cua.edu.
● To learn about the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, visit its website at http://www.polyu.edu.hk.
1.8 Contact Information
Dr. Frank Pao, Director of Development of International Programs,
202-319-6142, pao@cua.edu
Ms. Peggy Bruce, Student’s Exchange Program Coordinator, 202-319-5160, brucep@cua.edu
2. Before You Go
3. Before You Come Back
4. After You Come Back
