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When I first arrived at City University of Hong Kong (CityU) as a freshman, I initially chose Finance as my major. However, after a year, I decided to transfer to Global Business. During this transition, I realized that many students, especially those who took the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination (DSE), had little knowledge about CityU's Global Business program and considered it somewhat mysterious. That's why I wanted to write this blog post - to introduce this "enigmatic" major at CityU and share my experience.

What will we study in Global Business?

While other business majors like Accounting, Finance and Marketing have clear associations with mathematics and creativity, Global Business (GBU) remains somewhat mysterious due to its broad name. Although Global Business is under College of Business with no department, most courses of Global Business are offered by Marketing Department. Most Year 1 Global Business students will be pre-registered for college core courses. After completing two semesters, GBU students will take the course CB3601: Global Perspectives on Contemporary Issues in May or June. This course includes a 7-10 day study tour featuring summer classes and site visits.

*For 2024 cohort

*For classes marked as "individual" (indicated in brown on the course table), there will be a dedicated section for GBU students, though lessons will be shared with students from other majors. However, CB4605 and CB3601 are exclusively available to GBU students

Major Courses

offered by Management Department

-CB3302 International Corporate Social Responsibility

-CB3645 Marketing Research

-CB3042 China Business Environment

-CB4606 Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship

-CB4605 Business Consultancy Project (two semesters)/ CB4604 Global Business Consultancy Project (one semester)

-CB4601 Global Marketing

-CB3601 Global Perspectives on Contemporary Issues

-CB3041 Financial Statement Analysis

offered by Marketing Department

offered by Accountancy Department

*Students may take equivalent course to fulfil the requirement as not all the courses will be offered in the year

Major Electives

(2 courses from Group A + Group B total for 6 credits)

-Group A (take 0 course/ 1 course): French/ German/ Spanish/ Putonghua (LC2905 Putonghua for Office Administration)/ Japanese/ Korean

*Students are not allowed to take courses in their native language.

-Group B (take 1 course/ 2 courses from the list)

Global Business students are required to take double major. To apply second major, student needs to get a minimum GPA for 3.0. Students with non-weighted 3 core and 2 best elective scores at or above 25 with ‘Attained’ Level for the subject of “Citizenship and Social Development” are guaranteed with free choice of 2nd BBA major by the end of year 1.

*Available second major should be Accountancy, Business Decision Analytics, Business Economics, Global Operations Management, Finance, Information Management, Management, Marketing.

Global Business students are offered 3 exchange studies in maximum and required to go abroad for one compulsory exchange either in North America or in Europe.

Double Major

Exchange Requirement

Unique Aspects About Global Business

-exclusive quota of exchange schools for students

-eligible to apply Joint Bachelor's Degree Program between City University of Hong Kong and Columbia University (about 1-2 students a year in the major)

-Flagship scholarships available for Local students admitted by JUPAS

-GBU Room, dedicated WhatsApp group, gatherings and an exclusive club called Civitas

-Summer Programme of MIT Data Science Lab and Harvard Summer School

My Experience and Comments from Global Business Students

"GBU students seem academically stronger, compared to other business majors with a GPA mean around 3, GBU has a mean GPA of about 3.3. Also, they are more career oriented and have higher competence."

"It's all about giving you those killer soft skills, you know? They mix up management and marketing stuff with real-world business projects, which is pretty cool. But if you're worried about hardcore skills, you can always pick up a second major. At the end of the day, though, it's really about how much effort you put in. Your career is on you, but GBU definitely gives you a solid jumping-off point."

★★★★★

★★★★★

Career Prospect

With the major itself, GBU students are suitable for most business-related jobs, except those with specific technical requirements, like programming. However, they can choose a minor in CS or a double major in Information Management or Business Decision Analytics to gain hard skills. The GBU course curriculum aligns well with consulting/strategy, entrepreneurship/start-ups, and government positions. Graduates also work in banking and finance, including bulge brackets.

Admission

-JUPAS (JS1001) (local places: 15, though not all spots are filled) (group interview)

*2023 statistics: median 4C+2X scores are 29, approximately 23-25 for 3C+2X

*CityU uses a 7-point scale (5* = 7 scores)

*2024 JUPAS Flexible Admissions Threshold Scores is above 24. (Subject weightings is 1)

Internal Transfer

Community College (Non-Jupas)

International Admission (eg GaoKao)

Conclusion and Tips for CityU student who want to transfer to Global Business major

For CityU students aspiring to transfer to the Global Business major, it's crucial to be presentable and confident during the interview, which typically involves questions similar to those asked of non-JUPAS applicants (searchable on YouTube under "CityU Global Business"). A high CGPA is essential unless you have an exceptional CV, and you'll need to upload a resume and personal statement when applying for a change of major. Having contributions to the university is beneficial, and remember to wear business formal attire for the individual interview. By sharing these insights into the Global Business journey at CityU, I hope to provide valuable information for prospective students, current CityU students considering a major change, or anyone curious about this exciting field of study. This comprehensive look into the program should help you prepare for the application process and understand what Global Business entails. Good luck to all those pursuing this path :)