Application for Admission

Admission Requirements

  Master of Philosophy
(MPhil)
4-year Doctor of Philosophy
(4-year PhD)
3-year Doctor of Philosophy
(3-year PhD)
Admission Requirements Bachelor's degree with Honours at Second Class Division I or above;
or
Bachelor's degree with Honours at Second Class Division II and a taught Master's degree
Bachelor's degree at First Class Honours preferably with research experience;
or
Bachelor's degree with Honours at Second Class Division I and a taught Master's degree
Bachelor's degree with Honours at Second Class Division I or above and a research Master's degree (MPhil)
Selection Criteria
  • Applicant's academic qualifications
  • Quality of research proposal
  • Research experience/track record/publications
  • Comments made by referees

Applicants with qualifications from a university or a comparable institution outside Hong Kong where the language of teaching and/or examination is not English are required to submit official score report of English language proficiency tests (see Supporting Documents below).

Since places for postgraduate studies are limited, it may not be possible to offer admission to all qualified applicants.

Application Procedures

Applications are invited in three rounds each year. The application deadlines are as follows:

Hong Kong PhD Fellowships:   December 1, 2020 noon
Main Round:   December 1, 2020
First Clearing Round:   April 30, 2021
Second Clearing Round:   August 31, 2021

 

Applicants are encouraged to submit their application form and pay the application fee online by credit card (http://www.gradsch.hku.hk/gradsch/prospective-students/how-to-apply) at a discounted rate of $150.

Supporting Documents

Apart from the online application form, applicants should submit the following supporting documents via online application system: https://www.gradsch.hku.hk/gradsch/rola/online-application-for-mphil-phd-admission:

  1. Certificates and complete transcripts of undergraduate and postgraduate studies: Please upload certificates and complete transcripts of your undergraduate and postgraduate studies via the online application system. Applicants have to supply certified hard copies of academic certificates and transcripts upon request.

    Documents that are not in English should be accompanied by a formally translated version in English. If the policy of your institution is that the transcript should remain confidential, please request your institution to send it directly to the HKU Graduate School.

    For current undergraduate or postgraduate students: It is to your advantage to upload an interim transcript showing the results of courses you have completed so far.

    For qualifications obtained from HKU (except HKU SPACE): Certificates are not required but if you are a graduate, you are requested to upload your transcript with your online application; if you are a current student, you are requested to upload your examination results obtained from the Student Information System through HKU Portal or your examination result slips.

    In case if the GPA / Average Mark are not shown on your transcript, you are required to calculate an average mark by using the template provided in the Online Application System, please convert the file(s) to PDF format and upload the file(s) as supporting document for verification. Your application may not be considered if you failed to do so.
     
  2. Statement of research interest or research proposal (Online submission)

    MPhil applicants should submit a statement of research interest in PDF format which should include the reasons for undertaking graduate work at HKU. PhD applicants should submit a research proposal in PDF format, which should include the background, objectives and the methodology/approach of the proposed research project.An application for admission to the PhD programme without a duly completed research proposal will not be considered.

    The University views any act of plagiarism as of the utmost seriousness and it is a form of academic misdemeanour that the University will not tolerate. To discourage plagiarism, the University will conduct a plagiarism check on the application materials submitted by the applicants, including the research proposal, research plan and vision statements (the latter two apply to HKPF applicants only), before offer of admission. Proper referencing is needed in the preparation of research proposals. The result of the plagiarism check will be taken into consideration when the Department/School, Faculty and Graduate School review the application.The application may be deemed unsuccessful if plagiarised materials are identified.
     
  3. Two academic referee's reports

    Two academics who are familiar with your academic achievements will be invited to complete the online academic referee's report for you. Please provide the details of referees, including the email address, in the RPg Online Application System. You can also check the status of the referee reports online at http://www.hku.hk/gradsch/status. Authentication may be carried out and your application may be disqualified if forged reports are found.
     
  4. Official score report of one of the following English language proficiency tests (for applicants from institutions outside HK where the language of instruction and examination is not entirely in English).
    • Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) (taken within a two-year period) (Institution code: 9671; Department code: 99)
      [Note: Applicants who took the TOEFL should request the Educational Testing Service (ETS) to send an official score report to the University direct. Original or certified copy of the Examinee's score record will not be accepted.]
       
    • International English Language Testing System (IELTS) (taken within a two-year period)
    • TOEFL/IELTS score report cannot be substituted by CET-6/TEM-8
    • Overseas General Certificate of Education (GCE)
    • International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE)
    • Cambridge Test of Proficiency in English Language (CPE)
       
  5. Proof of payment of application fee (HK$400 or US$53) (this is not required if payment has been made via the Online Application System)

    Local applicants: Please deposit the amount to any branch of HSBC (account no. 002-222834-014 (Ref: 4001)) or transfer the amount using the ATM machine (account no. 002-222834-014). Please submit the original customer copy of the Account Deposit Form or the ATM customer advice with your application.

    Overseas applicants: Please pay by bank draft of HK$400 or US$53 payable to 'The University of Hong Kong'.

    Note: Please write your full name and proposed department of study on the back of the pay-in-slip or bank draft for identification purposes. Cash will NOT be accepted.
     
  6. Other documents

    Other documents which the applicants would like to bring to the attention of the University, e.g. list of publications, documentary evidence of academic awards and professional qualifications, and summary of relevant experience.

All documents submitted in support of an application will be destroyed if the application is unsuccessful. Do not send in original or irreplaceable documents.