Sept 2026 Entry
1 year (Full-time)
2.5 years (Part-time)
31
Early Round: 2025-10-15
Main Round: 2026-01-15
Extended Round: 2026-04-30
Early Round: 2025-10-15
Main Round: 2026-01-15
Extended Round: 2026-04-30
What's New
- MPhil
- PhD
- Taught Postgraduate
- Undergraduate
- Undergraduate
Programme Aim
The programme will take students who are from diverse backgrounds (business and non-business) but with an enthusiasm and interest to deal with global business. It aims at providing students with a wide range of skills, both quantitative and qualitative ones, and equipping them with qualifications necessary for working in a global business environment
Features
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Provide students with solid training in strategic thinking and scientific decision-making
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Provide students with a comprehensive understanding of how operating across borders will impact various business functional areas (including supply chain/operations, logistics, accounting, finance, and other related management areas)
Characteristics
This programme aims to prepare students with a portfolio of business skills and industry knowledge to meet the challenges in a fast-moving global commercial landscape. The well-designed programme curriculum will not only provide students with comprehensive understanding on various functional areas of global business (including supply chain/operations, logistics, accounting, finance, and other related management areas), but also prepare them with solid training in scientific and analytics tools necessary for managerial decision-making.
Students who complete one or more relevant subjects in MSc in Global Business and Decision Analysis are eligible to apply for the following qualifications provided by the Six Sigma Institute (SSI):
- Registered Lean Six Sigma Green Belt (RLSSGB)
- Registered Six Sigma Green Belt (RSSGB) and Registered Lean Leader (RLL)
- Lean Six Sigma Black Belt Certificate
Structure (Subject to review)
This programme helps students to build a comprehensive knowledge framework of various business function areas in global business, and develop the analytical skill set and knowledge that is appropriate in addressing the challenges in global business strategy and operations. This programme will carry out an exciting and innovative mix of theory and practice-based lectures, seminars, and hands-on workshops.
The curriculum includes 5 Compulsory Subjects, 3 Restricted Elective Subjects, and 3 Free Elective Subjects or a 6-credit Research-based Project.
Students may graduate with a Postgraduate Diploma upon completing 5 Compulsory Subjects and 2 Restricted Elective Subjects (19 credits).
Compulsory Subjects+
(5 subjects - 13 credits for both MSc and PgD)
- Academic Integrity and Ethics in Business (1 credit)
- Global Business
- International Trade and Logistics Management
- Models for Decision Making*
- Business Analytics*
Restricted Elective Subjects+
(3 subjects - 9 credits for MSc; two subjects – 6 credits for PgD)
- At least one of these methodology-focused subjects:
- Project Management*
- Statistics for Management*
- Applications of Decision-Making Models*
- Global Risk and Decision Analysis
- Coding for Management with Python
- At least one of these supply chain, logistics, and operations-focused subjects:
- Global Sourcing and Supply*
- International Operations Management*
- Contemporary Issues in Operations Management*
- International Logistics Systems, Operations and Management
- At least one of these accounting, finance, management and marketing-focused subjects:
- International Accounting*
- Accounting for Managers
- Managerial Finance*
- International Management*
- Marketing Management*
- Global Marketing in Cross-Cultural Perspectives
- Managing Innovation
Students may take more restricted elective subjects than necessary; these will be counted as free electives.
Free Elective Subjects+
(Any 3 subjects – 9 credits for MSc; 0 credits for PgD)
- International Financial Management
- Global Economic Environment for Management
- Managerial Economics with an Application to China Business
- Organisational Management in Shipping and Logistics
- Shipping Economics and Markets
- Air Transport Logistics and Management
- Supply Chain Management
- Intermodal Transport Management
- Risk Management in Operations
- Digital Procurement Management and Analytics
- Contract Management
- Managing Operations Systems
- Managerial Thinking and Skills Workshop
- Lean Six Sigma and Quality Management Techniques
- Marketing Management in China
- Research Project in Global Business and Decision Analysis (3-credit project)
- Project (6 credits)
A tuition fee is not required for the 1-credit subject "Academic Integrity and Ethics in Business". Each subject and the Research Project are worth 3 credits, whereas the Project is worth 6 credits.
+ Subjects are offered according to class quota availability.
* This course has been included in the list of reimbursable courses under the Continuing Education Fund. The mother course (MSc in Global Business and Decision Analysis) of this module is recognised under the Qualifications Framework (QF Level 6).
31
Programme Director
Prof. XIAO Guang
PhD
- A Bachelor's degree or equivalent in any discipline.
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 purposes. Please refer to the "Admissions Requirements" section for Taught Postgraduate Programmes of Study@PolyU for details.
For further information, please contact:
Tel: (852) 2766 7450
Email: mscgbda.lms@polyu.edu.hk
For academic matters, please contact:
Prof. XIAO Guang, Programme Director (tel: (852) 2766 5628; email: guang.xiao@polyu.edu.hk);
or Prof. Raymond WONG, Deputy Programme Director (tel: (852) 3400 3619; email: raymond-lm.wong@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 15 October 2025 will be invited to attend the first round of interviews in November 2025. Other rounds of interviews will be conducted afterwards.
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.
Student visa and other information for non-local students
- Non-local students must obtain a valid student visa issued by the Immigration Department of HKSAR before being allowed to register as students 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/.
Please click here to download.
HK$366,000 per programme (HK$12,200 per credit) for local and non-local students
Both entry scholarships and merit scholarships are provided. Please click here for details.
PolyU reserves the right to change or withdraw the scholarship at any time. In case of any dispute/disagreement, PolyU’s decision is final.
Pursuing a career in a multinational corporation has always been my goal, and the MSc in Global Business and Decision Analysis (GBDA) at PolyU has made this possible. With a background in supply chain management, the programme equipped me with the tools to tackle significant challenges. Courses such as Global Business and Business Analytics developed my ability to analyse complex data, optimise operations, and make strategic decisions; skills I now apply daily. Additionally, the programme provided me with cross-cultural negotiation techniques, teaching me to bridge cultural gaps and align stakeholders across regions.
A defining moment occurred during my interview for a multinational firm’s Management Trainee programme. When faced with a case study, I applied the frameworks learned through the GBDA’s curriculum. My solutions mirrored real-world scenarios practised in class, impressing the interviewers with their practicality and depth. This demonstrated how the programme’s blend of theory and hands-on learning prepares students to excel in high-stakes environments.
Beyond technical skills, the GBDA emphasised cross-cultural collaboration and adaptability. Leading multicultural teams in group projects honed my ability to resolve conflicts, build consensus, and drive results in dynamic settings, skills critical for thriving in multinational workplaces.
For anyone aspiring to succeed in international business, this programme is an invaluable launchpad.
A distinctive strength of this programme lies in its balanced curriculum. While providing the freedom to choose courses from different business departments, the programme ensures we build expertise in key areas such as global supply chains, accounting and finance, and data analytics. For instance, through courses such as Models for Decision Making, I learned to apply predictive models to real scenarios like optimising shipping routes and managing financial risks.
Further, the programme’s emphasis on practical learning ensures theoretical concepts translate into actionable skills. Through real-world case studies embedded in the curriculum, we analyse authentic business scenarios ranging from multinational expansions to operational optimisations.
Additionally, the programme empowers professionals across industries to develop their original expertise. With four years of working experience, I arrived with domain-specific knowledge but limited strategic decision-making frameworks. Through collaborative learning with peers from tech, consulting, and entrepreneurship backgrounds, I’ve developed adaptable methodologies applicable to career growth, business innovation, and even complex personal decisions.
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Optional
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