Sept 2025 Entry
2 years for MSc (Full-time)
2 years for PgD (Full-time)
2.5 years for MSc (Part-time)
2.5 years for PgD (Part-time)
34 for MSc,
19 for PgD
PgD Exit Award
Students admitted to the MSc programme may apply for early exit with a Postgraduate Diploma if they have met the specified credit requirements.
Scholarships
The Hong Kong Maritime and Logistics Scholarship Scheme
For details on joining Programme Stream 44087-ISS, please click here.
Please submit the application for this Scholarship separately from the programme application.
Applications for Programmes 44087-IFM and 44087-ISS are processed separately, and the application fee is non-transferable.
Master of Science in International Shipping and Transport Logistics Scholarship for International Students
Programme Stream 44087-IFM: MSc in International Shipping and Transport Logistics [Mixed-mode] (Full-time)
Available to overseas applicants (outside of mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan) with outstanding academic and non-academic performance
Waiver of tuition fee plus living cost subsidy
Please click here to download the application form for this scholarship.
Candidates are required to submit applications for the programme (44087-IFM) and this Scholarship together.
LMS Taught Postgraduate Programme Scholarship Scheme
Scholarships will be awarded to applicants with outstanding qualifications. Please click here for details and here to download the application form.
PolyU reserves the right to change or withdraw the scholarship at any time. In case of any dispute/disagreement, PolyU’s decision is final.
Note to Applicants
Please complete all of the relevant fields and enclose all necessary documents. Incomplete applications cannot be processed promptly.
What's New
Programme Aims
This programme equips students with the knowledge and skills needed to introduce modern and cost-effective reforms into the shipping, transport and logistics industries.
Features
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Curriculum designed in consultation with industry leaders and prospective employers.
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Academic theory balanced with professional practice.
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Multidisciplinary knowledge integrated with specialist expertise.
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Graduates pursue diverse career paths.
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Graduates are granted exemptions from professional examinations.
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Postgraduate Diploma offered as an intermediate exit.
Characteristics
This is a multidisciplinary and specialist programme designed to attract students from diverse backgrounds. As such, it benefits from the range of professional experience that students bring. The intellectual demands of the programme challenge students to integrate and synthesise what are traditionally disparate disciplines. There is also an array of Elective Subjects that allow students to specialise in areas that would normally be impossible to cover in depth within the time constraints of the first degree.
Graduates with the MSc in International Shipping and Transport Logistics are granted full exemption from the Qualifying Examination of The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport in Hong Kong (CILTHK).
Graduates with the PgD in International Shipping and Transport Logistics are granted Level 1 and Level 2 (6 subjects) exemption from The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport in Hong Kong (CILTHK).
Graduates with the MSc/PgD in International Shipping and Transport Logistics are granted exemption from the following subject by the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers (ICS):
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Introduction to Shipping
Programme Structure (Subject to review)
Mode of Study: Mixed-mode
Students can pursue their studies in either a full-time study load (taking 9 credits or more in a semester) or a part-time study load (taking fewer than 9 credits in a semester). In general, one evening class per week is scheduled for each subject over a regular 13-week semester and two evening classes per week over a 7-week optional Summer Term.
For the MSc:
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Students complete 34 credits (2 Compulsory Subjects, 5 Restricted Elective Subjects and 5 Free Elective Subjects). In addition to the Compulsory and Restricted Elective Subjects, students can choose to complete a 6-credit Project plus 3 Free Elective Subjects.
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Depending on their study pace, students should normally be able to complete the full-time programme within 2 years and the part-time programme within 2.5 years.
For the PgD:
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Students complete 19 credits (2 Compulsory Subjects and 5 Restricted Elective Subjects).
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Students should normally be able to complete the programme full-time within 2 years and the part-time within 2.5 years.
Students will be required to attend more classes in the evening if they choose the full-time option, and the duration of study will be subject to class quota availability.
Core Areas of Study
The following is a summary of the core areas of study. Detailed information will be provided upon registration.
Compulsory Subject+
(2 subjects – 4 credits for both MSc and PgD)
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Academic Integrity and Ethics in Business (1 credit)
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International Logistics Systems, Operations and Management*
Restricted Elective Subjects
(5 subjects – 15 credits for both MSc and PgD)
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Choose at least two subjects from the focus on International Shipping:
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Organisational Management in Shipping and Logistics*
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Port Policy and Management*
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Ship Chartering Strategies*
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Liner Shipping Management*
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Strategic Management for International Shipping
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Choose at least one subject from the focus on Shipping Economics and Finance:
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Shipping Economics and Markets
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Finance for Shipping and Logistics
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Choose at least one subject from the focus on Shipping Law and Insurance:
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Law and Practice in Marine Insurance*
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Shipping Law*
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Choose at least one subject from the focus on International Logistics:
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Air Transport Logistics and Management*
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Supply Chain Management*
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Students may take more than 5 Restricted Elective Subjects. The additional subjects will be counted as Free Elective Subjects.
Free Elective Subjects+
(Any 5 subjects – 15 credits for MSc; 0 subjects for PgD)
Focus on International Shipping:
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Maritime Logistics
Focus on Shipping Economics and Finance:
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Accounting for Managers
Focus on Shipping Law and Insurance:
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Admiralty Law
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Contract Management
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Maritime Arbitration Law
Focus on International Logistics (Air Logistics Management):
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Intermodal Transport Management
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Air Transport Regulatory Policy
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Airline Strategic Management
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Aviation Marketing
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Aviation Safety Management
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Airport Business Management
Others:
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Transport Logistics in China
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Project Management
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Risk Management in Operations
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Statistics for Management
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Enterprise Resource Planning
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Applications of Decision Making Models
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Strategies and Technologies in Warehousing Management
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Information Systems for Supply Chain Management
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Coding for Management with Python
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Project (for MSc only) (6 credits)
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Research Methods
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E-Commerce
A tuition fee is not required for the 1-credit subject "Academic Integrity and Ethics in Business". Each subject is 3 credits, and the Project is 6 credits.
Information on the subjects offered can be obtained here.
+ Offerings are subject to class quota availability.
* This course has been included in the list of reimbursable courses under the Continuing Education Fund.
* The mother course of this module (Master of Science/Postgraduate Diploma in International Shipping and Transport Logistics) is recognised under the Qualifications Framework (QF Level 6).
34 for MSc,
19 for PgD
Programme Director
Dr YANG Dong
PhD
- A Bachelor’s degree or an equivalent qualification
OR
- Full membership in one of the following professional bodies:
- The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport, Hong Kong
- The Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers, UK
- The Chartered Insurance Institute, UK
- The Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply, UK
OR
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Applicants with other post-secondary qualifications, who have been employed in the fields of maritime service, shipping, transport or logistics for not less than 6 years, of which 3 years have been in a managerial capacity, will also be considered.
If you are not a native speaker of English, and your Bachelor’s degree or equivalent qualification is awarded by institutions where the medium of instruction is not English, you are expected to fulfil the University’s minimum English language requirement for admission purpose. Please refer to the “Admission Requirements” section under Taught Postgraduate Programmes at Study@PolyU for details.
For further information:
Tel: (852) 2766 4065
Email: mscistl.lms@polyu.edu.hk
For academic matters, please contact:
Prof. Stephen LI, Deputy Programme Director (tel: (852) 2766 5009; email: stephen.yk.li@polyu.edu.hk);
or Dr YANG Dong, Programme Director (tel: (852) 2766 7413; email: dong.yang@polyu.edu.hk).
Interview
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Departments will consider applications on a rolling basis. Shortlisted candidates may be invited to attend admission interviews. Applicants who submit their applications before 19 November 2024 will be invited to attend the first round of interviews in December 2024. Other rounds of interviews will be conducted thereafter.
Class Arrangement
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Classes are normally scheduled on weekday evenings in three semesters (including an optional Summer Term) within an academic year. However, classes are occasionally delivered in the daytime or in short block mode over weekends.
Student visa and other information for non-local students
- Non-local students must obtain a valid student visa issued by the Immigration Department of the HKSAR before being allowed to register or commence study with PolyU. Please refer to https://www.polyu.edu.hk/sao/student-resources-and-support-section/non-local-student-services/living-in-hong-kong/student-visa/.
- For information on living costs and related expenses in Hong Kong, please refer to https://www.polyu.edu.hk/sao/student-resources-and-support-section/non-local-student-services/living-in-hong-kong/off-campus-accommodation-information/.
6 for local students
12 for non-local students
Please click here to download.
HK$287,100 per programme (HK$8,700 per credit) for local and non-local MSc students
HK$156,600 per programme (HK$8,700 per credit) for local and non-local PgD students
LMS Taught Postgraduate Programme Scholarship Scheme
Scholarships will be awarded to applicants with outstanding qualifications. Please click here for details. (Application Form: here)
PolyU reserves the right to change or withdraw the scholarship at any time. In case of any dispute/disagreement, PolyU’s decision is final.
As an aviation professional with 14 years of experience, driven by a desire to explore the realm of intermodal transport management, I embarked on the PolyU MSc in International Shipping and Transport Logistics programme, supported by the prestigious Targeted Taught Postgraduate Programmes Fellowship Scheme (TPgFS).
The programme is a wonderful platform for learning from academic professionals and professors, and it instills a deep understanding of global logistics and supply chain management. The comprehensive subjects have enriched my expertise and inspired me to explore the unlimited possibilities in my career and business ventures.
Through this MSc journey, my professional social networks have been extended through connections formed with like-minded friends. The programme has also inspired me with innovative and transformative ideas for my own aviation enterprise and has given me the confidence and expertise to seamlessly integrate my aviation background with the strategic insights I have acquired, paving the way to a dynamic and impactful future in the international shipping and logistics industry. The skills and insights that I have gained have empowered me with a more flexible, passionate and mature business mindset.
I was somewhat of an outlier when I joined this programme, as 20 years after I earned my first master's degree, I earned a second in ISTL.
After a year and a half of immersive study, I can say with confidence that this programme has transformed me. From shipping finance to chartering, and from aviation to supply chain management, the world of shipping and logistics is both fascinating and exotic. The programme is meticulously designed to cultivate the perfect mindset and skills needed for this dynamic sector.
Just last weekend, I joined my fellow graduates for the newly released PolyU-themed cocktails at Hotel Icon. These graduates are being recruited by broking houses, carriers, ocean terminals and the logistics departments of MNCs. Seeing the spark in their eyes, the same as I had when I began to work 20 years ago, filled me with immense pride.
If you crave the extraordinary, the ISTL programme is the perfect place to start. It may be challenging, but it will never be dull. Say cheers and bon voyage, future ISTL-ers!
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