Master of Common Law [MCL]

The Master of Common Law (MCL) programme is tailored for law graduates from non-common law jurisdictions, notably those from Mainland China, who seek to gain expertise in common law as practiced in Hong Kong and other common law jurisdictions.

• Candidates are required to complete the compulsory non-credit bearing course and no fewer than 72 credits nor more than 78 credits, including a capstone experience in accordance with the regulations for this degree and the syllabus. Candidates must choose at least seven courses from the Course List , including the compulsory course, one capstone course and at least five designated electives.

• Candidates may choose up to two other electives from courses not listed on the Course List, but listed as Electives on the Course List for the General LLM programme.

• Candidates who hold a law degree from a PRC university may not choose courses related to PRC law subjects, except with the approval of the Programme Director.

• Students should also pass all assessments with a Cumulative GPA of at least 1.50 in order to be recommended for graduation.

Please refer to the Regulations and Syllabus of your respective intake for more details.

Remark: Not all courses will be offered in any given year. You may also refer to the course schedule per academic year for actual classes available.

Applicants must comply with the General Regulations, the Regulations for Taught Postgraduate Curricula, and fulfil the following requirements:

(1) Hold a degree of Bachelor of Laws with at least second class honours or equivalent qualification from a university or comparable institution in a non-common law jurisdiction; and

(2) For a candidate who is seeking admission on the basis of a qualification from a university or comparable institution outside Hong Kong of which the language of teaching and/or examination is not English, shall satisfy the Faculty English language requirement with one of the following recognised English tests*:

- IELTS (Academic): An overall band of 7.0 or above
- TOEFL (Internet-based Test): A score of 100 or above

**For admissions purposes, please note:
- IELTS and TOEFL tests must be taken within two years prior to September 1 of each admissions year; and
- Scores from "IELTS One Skill Retake", “IELTS Indicator” and “TOEFL iBT Home Edition” will not be accepted.

Scholarships may be awarded to a limited number of qualified students enrolled in the MCL programme. An invitation to apply for the scholarship will be sent to all admitted students after announcing the first semester results, i.e., around February 2026 for the September 2025 intake. Applicants who would like to apply for the scholarship shall submit a separate application by a specific deadline.

In any given year, if candidates are adjudged to be of insufficient merit, no awards shall be made.

For September 2026 Intake
TBC

Video Recording for the September 2025 Intake:

For September 2026 Intake

Main Round:

• December 12, 2025 (Friday), 12:00 PM (GMT+8)
 
Clearing Round:

• February 27, 2026 (Friday), 12:00 PM (GMT+8)
 
Interested applicants should submit their application at https://admissions.hku.hk/tpg/programme-list.

Admission offers may be made on a rolling basis, and hence early applications are strongly encouraged.
 
Please click here for details on the application instructions and required supporting documents.



Admissions-related Enquiries: ✉ lawpgs@hku.hk