Course Information
Registration period
25 Mar 2022 (Fri) - 25 Mar 2026 (Wed)
Price
-
Study Mode
Duration
4 Year(s)
Language
English
Location
-
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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 provides training for students who intend to pursue careers in teaching and research. It can be an end in itself or serve as preparation for a PhD degree. Students may specialize in linguistics, literature, history and anthropology, or philosophy and religion, though they are expected to go beyond conventional disciplinary boundaries and cultivate knowledge and expertise in interdisciplinary dialogue and interaction. 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.
The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Program is interdisciplinary in nature. It provides training for students who intend to pursue professional and academic careers. Students may specialize in linguistics, literature, history and anthropology, or philosophy and religion, but are expected to go beyond conventional disciplinary boundaries and cultivate knowledge and expertise in interdisciplinary dialogue and interaction. A candidate for a PhD degree is expected to demonstrate mastery of knowledge in the chosen discipline and to synthesize and create new knowledge, making an original and substantial contribution to the discipline.
What You’ll Learn
Minimum Credit Requirement
MPhil: 12 credits
PhD: 21 credits
Credit Transfer
Subject to the approval of the Division's PG Committee, PhD students may be granted credit transfer up to 9 credits on a case-by-case basis.
Required Courses
MPhil:
A minimum of 12 credits of postgraduate courses in the Division of Humanities, preferably in their first year of study. The second year is normally devoted to the writing of the MPhil thesis.
PhD:
A minimum of 21 credits of postgraduate courses in the Division of Humanities, including HUMA 6200.
HUMA 6200Research Project in Humanities3 Credit(s)
All new students must propose a course-taking plan for the first academic year in consultation with their advisors. The proposal, consisting of a list of couses to be taken in the first year and a study plan specifying the learning objectives and how these objectives can be achieved by the proposed list of courses, should be submitted to the Division's PG Committee for endorsement with prior approval of the advisor, no later than the end of the course add/drop period of the first regular term.
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 towards 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.
HUMA 6300Postgraduate Seminar1 Credit(s)
Students are required to complete HUMA 6300. The 1 credit earned from HUMA 6300 cannot be counted towards the credit requirements.
PhD students who are HKUST MPhil graduates in Humanities and have taken and passed HUMA 6300 may be exempted from taking HUMA 6300, 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 ELPASpeaking 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.
LANG 5071Postgraduate English for the Humanities1 Credit(s)
Students are required to complete LANG 5071. The 1 credit earned from LANG 5071 cannot be counted toward the credit requirements. Students can be exempted from taking LANG 5071 with the agreement of the Division Head and PG Committee. PhD students can also be exempted if they have completed this course in the MPhil Program in Humanities before.
PhD Third Language Requirement
For PhD students, the study of a foreign language may be an important part of their preparation for research and teaching. A third language (normally Japanese, French or German), other than English and Chinese, is optional, but according to specific needs of the thesis research, the supervisor has the authority to require a student to take one and decide what level of proficiency should be achieved before graduation. The level of competence in a third language can be demonstrated either through satisfactory completion of a second-year language course taken within the last five years or through acceptable performance in a standardized examination. The third language, if required, must be fulfilled no later than the term in which the student completes the qualifying examination.
PhD Qualifying Examination
To become a doctoral candidate, a PhD student must pass a written qualifying examination. The qualifying examination should be completed no later than the third regular term of study for full-time students, or the fifth regular term for part-time students. For details of the qualifying examination, please refer to the Division’s website.
Thesis Research
HUMA 6990MPhil Thesis Research0 Credit(s)
HUMA 7990Doctoral Thesis Research0 Credit(s)
MPhil:
Registration in HUMA 6990; and
Presentation and oral defense of the MPhil thesis.
PhD:
Registration in HUMA 7990; and
Presentation and oral defense of the PhD thesis.
The thesis must be based on original research. It should demonstrate an awareness of the conceptual and methodological problems related to the chosen topic and a solid command of bibliographical materials in the field of study. The format of the thesis should conform to the guidelines outlined in the Handbook for Research Postgraduate Studies and also to the requirements listed in the Division’s website.
The thesis is normally written in English. If a student wishes to use Chinese as the thesis language, prior approval must be obtained. For details, please refer to the Division’s website.
A student submitting a thesis will need to defend it before the Thesis Examination Committee. For details of thesis examinations, please visit Handbook for Research Postgraduate Studies and the Division’s website.
