Course Information
Course Overview
MPhil
- Full-time: 2 years
- Part-time: 4 years
PhD
- Full-time: 3 years (with a relevant research master’s degree), 4 years (without a relevant research master’s degree)
- Part-time: 6 years
The Master of Philosophy (MPhil) Program is a research-oriented degree that aims to prepare students for a research and teaching career in universities and research institutes. It has a global perspective with a focus covering areas in Organizational Behavior, Human Resources Management, Corporate Strategy, and Organization Theory. A candidate for an MPhil degree is expected to demonstrate knowledge in the discipline and to synthesize and create new knowledge, making a contribution to the field. Students intending to do a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Program in Management at HKUST should consider entering the MPhil Program to acquire the training necessary for a PhD degree.
The PhD Program follows a strong research-intensive tradition on the North American model. It is designed to enable students to gain a deep knowledge of management in general, to develop a concentration in a specialized field, and to provide opportunities for students to do significant original research in their chosen area. PhD students are offered intensive and targeted research training and exceptional collaboration opportunities with faculty to prepare them for their future careers in teaching and/or research. It has a global perspective with a focus covering areas in Organizational Behavior, Human Resources Management, Corporate Strategy, and Organization Theory.
What You’ll Learn
Minimum Credit Requirement
MPhil: 19 credits
PhD: 36 credits
Credit Transfer
PhD students who have taken the HKUST MPhil Program in Management 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 24 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)
Course Requirement
MPhil:
At least 19 credits in the sequence suggested below. Students may need to take additional courses related to their research topics, as requested by their thesis supervisors.
Year 1
LANG 5002Postgraduate English for Business and Social Science Studies1 Credit(s)
ISOM 5550Statistical Methods for Business and Economics I3 Credit(s)
Year 1 or Year 2
MGMT 7100*Behavioral Science3 Credit(s)
MGMT 7120*Doctoral Seminar in Management3 Credit(s)
MGMT 7130*Doctoral Seminar in Organization Theory and Strategy3 Credit(s)
MGMT 7140*Doctoral Seminar in Behavioral Research Methods3 Credit(s)
* These courses are offered every other year.
Any one of the following:
ECON 5130Microeconomic Analysis4 Credit(s)
ECON 5210Microeconomic Theory I4 Credit(s)
ECON 5300Econometrics4 Credit(s)
PhD:
At least 36 credits including the following. Students may need to take additional courses related to their research topics, as requested by their thesis supervisors.
Required Courses
ECON 5130Microeconomic Analysis4 Credit(s)
orECON 5210Microeconomic Theory I4 Credit(s)
ISOM 5550Statistical Methods for Business and Economics I3 Credit(s)
LANG 5002Postgraduate English for Business and Social Science Studies1 Credit(s)
MGMT 7100Behavioral Science3 Credit(s)
MGMT 7120Doctoral Seminar in Management3 Credit(s)
MGMT 7130Doctoral Seminar in Organization Theory and Strategy3 Credit(s)
MGMT 7140Doctoral Seminar in Behavioral Research Methods3 Credit(s)
And at least one of the following:
ECON 5220Microeconomic Theory II4 Credit(s)
ECON 5300Econometrics4 Credit(s)
ISOM 5535High Dimensional Statistics with Business Applications2 Credit(s)
ISOM 5610Introduction to Business Analytics2 Credit(s)
Elective Courses
Other postgraduate courses approved by the PG Committee.
General Management Courses
At least three of the following:
ACCT 5100Financial Accounting Foundations2 Credit(s)
FINA 5120Corporate Finance2 Credit(s)
orFINA 5210Investment Analysis2 Credit(s)
ISOM 5700Operations Management2 Credit(s)
MARK 5120Marketing Strategy and Policy2 Credit(s)
MGMT 5230Management of Organizations2 Credit(s)
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 6780 cannot 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.
PhD Qualifying Examination
All PhD students must pass a qualifying examination.
Students admitted via the HKUST MPhil Program in Management will take the qualifying examination by the end of the second year of MPhil study. Students who fail the qualifying examination in the first attempt can retake the examination once and must pass the examination within six months after the first attempt.
Students admitted with an equivalent research master’s degree will take the qualifying examination by the end of the second year of PhD study. Students who fail the qualifying examination in the first attempt can retake the examination once and must pass the examination within six months after the first attempt.
Students admitted without an equivalent research master’s degree will take the qualifying examination by the end of the second year of PhD study. Students who fail the qualifying examination in the first attempt can retake the examination once and must pass the examination within six months after the first attempt.
Research Paper Requirement
PhD students are required to submit a research paper by the first term of the third year of study. Students admitted with an HKUST MPhil degree in Management or equivalent will be exempted from this requirement.
Thesis Research
MGMT 6990MPhil Thesis Research0 Credit(s)
MGMT 7990Doctoral Thesis Research0 Credit(s)
MPhil:
Registration in MGMT 6990; and
Presentation and oral defense of the MPhil thesis.
PhD:
Registration in MGMT 7990; and
Presentation and oral defense of the PhD thesis.