Master of Philosophy and Doctor of Philosophy Programs in Economics (Part time)

Minimum Credit Requirement
MPhil: 23 credits
PhD: 36 credits

Credit Transfer
PhD students who have taken the HKUST MPhil Program in Economics will be granted credit transfer to the PhD Program. Students who have taken an MPhil program or equivalent in other universities may be granted credit transfer on a case-by-case basis, up to a maximum of 32 credits.

Introductory Quantitative Requirement
Unless students have clearly demonstrated sufficient knowledge in the area, students entering the MPhil or PhD Program are required to take the following two mathematics-oriented courses in the first regular term of study. The credits earned from these two courses cannot be counted toward the degree requirements.

ECON 5100Mathematics for Business and Economics3 Credit(s)
ISOM 5540Introduction to Probability3 Credit(s)
orMATH 5411Advanced Probability Theory I3 Credit(s)
orMATH 5431Advanced Mathematical Statistics I3 Credit(s)

Course Requirement

MPhil: At least 23 credits as follows, with at least 8 credits of MPhil/PhD level courses in the major field.

PhD: At least 36 credits including the following.

ECON 5210Microeconomic Theory I4 Credit(s)
ECON 5220Microeconomic Theory II4 Credit(s)
ECON 5250Macroeconomic Theory I4 Credit(s)
ECON 5260Macroeconomic Theory II4 Credit(s)
ECON 5300Econometrics4 Credit(s)
LANG 5002*Postgraduate English for Business and Social Science Studies1 Credit(s)
* For PhD students only
Students may need to take additional courses related to their research topics, as requested by their thesis supervisors.

Graduate Teaching Assistant Training

PDEV 6800Introduction to Teaching and Learning in Higher Education0 Credit(s)

All full-time RPg students are required to complete PDEV 6800. The course is composed of a 10-hour training offered by the Center for Education Innovation (CEI), and session(s) of instructional delivery to be assigned by the respective departments. Upon satisfactory completion of the training conducted by CEI, MPhil students are required to give at least one 30-minute session of instructional delivery in front of a group of students for one term. PhD students are required to give at least one such session each in two different terms. The instructional delivery will be formally assessed.

Professional Development Course Requirement

PDEV 6770Professional Development for Research Postgraduate Students1 Credit(s)

Students are required to complete PDEV 6770. The 1 credit earned from PDEV 6770 cannot be counted toward the credit requirements.

PhD students who are HKUST MPhil graduates and have completed PDEV 6770 or other professional development courses offered by the University before may be exempted from taking PDEV 6770, subject to prior approval of the School.

SBMT 6780Professional Development in Ethics, Innovation and Technology for Research Postgraduate Students1 Credit(s)

Students are required to complete SBMT 6780. The 1 credit earned from SBMT 6780cannot be counted toward the credit requirements.

PhD students who are HKUST MPhil graduates and have completed SBMT 6780 or other professional development courses offered by the University before may be exempted from taking SBMT 6780, subject to prior approval of the School.

English Language Requirement

LANG 5000Foundation in Listening & Speaking for Postgraduate Students1 Credit(s)

Full-time RPg students are required to take an English Language Proficiency Assessment (ELPA) Speaking Test administered by the Center for Language Education before the start of their first term of study. Students whose ELPA Speaking Test score is below Level 4, or who failed to take the test in their first term of study, are required to take LANG 5000 until they pass the course by attaining at least Level 4 in the ELPA Speaking Test before graduation. The 1 credit earned from LANG 5000 cannot be counted toward the credit requirements.

MPhil Theory Examinations

MPhil students who intend to proceed to the PhD Program in Economics are required to take and pass four theory examinations during their first year of MPhil study. Students are allowed two attempts to pass the four theory examinations. The two attempts must be completed by the end of the first year of the MPhil study. If a student does not pass all four theory examinations in the first attempt, in the second attempt, the student only needs to take those theory examinations failed in the first attempt.

Students who fail to pass the four theory examinations in two attempts may continue their MPhil study, but are not allowed to proceed to the PhD Program.

PhD Qualifying Examination

All PhD students must pass a qualifying examination. There are only two attempts for the qualifying examination, which take place in June and August of the same year.

Students admitted via the HKUST MPhil Program in Economics will take the qualifying examination during the Summer of the first year of MPhil study. Students who fail the qualifying examination in the two attempts may continue their MPhil study, but are not allowed to proceed to the PhD program.

Students admitted without an HKUST MPhil degree in Economics will take the qualifying examination in the Summer of the first year of PhD study. They will take the same qualifying examination as the HKUST MPhil students. Students who fail the qualifying examination after two attempts in the first year of their PhD study are required to withdraw from the PhD Program.

Research Paper Requirement

PhD students are required to submit a research paper by the Summer of the second year of PhD study. Students admitted with an HKUST MPhil degree in Economics or equivalent will be exempted from this requirement.

Thesis Research

ECON 6990MPhil Thesis Research0 Credit(s)
ECON 7990Doctoral Thesis Research0 Credit(s)

MPhil:

Registration in ECON 6990; and
Presentation and oral defense of the MPhil thesis.

PhD:

Registration in ECON 7990; and
Presentation and oral defense of the PhD thesis.