Research Postgraduate Programmes

MPhil and PhD supervision in every Academy — funded studentships, the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme, and a supervisor found before you apply.

CHRP Chinese, History, Religion and Philosophy GSIS Geography, Sociology and International Studies LAC Language and Culture WHD Wellness and Human Development

MPHIL AND PHD

A supervisor first, then an application

Write to a potential supervisor with a two-page proposal before you submit. Every research student is admitted to a Department, joins its research seminar from the first semester, and is reviewed annually by a panel that includes a supervisor from outside the Department.

MPHIL 2 years Full-time; a thesis of up to 60,000 words plus coursework in research methods

PHD 3–4 years Three years with a research master's, four years from a bachelor's degree

STUDENTSHIP HK$18,600 Monthly stipend for full-time students, plus a conference and fieldwork allowance

SUPERVISORS 180+ Across eleven Departments, four Academies and six research centres

01 ACADEMY OF CHRP

Chinese, History, Religion and Philosophy

Textual scholarship, archival history and moral philosophy — the Faculty’s largest concentration of research students.

Department of Chinese Language and Literature

MPhil / PhD in Chinese Language and Literature MPHIL 2 YR · PHD 3–4 YR Classical poetics, modern Chinese fiction, Cantonese linguistics and manuscript studies.

Department of History

MPhil / PhD in History MPHIL 2 YR · PHD 3–4 YR Late imperial and modern China, Hong Kong social history, and heritage and memory studies.

Department of Religion, Philosophy and Ethics

MPhil / PhD in Religion and Philosophy MPHIL 2 YR · PHD 3–4 YR Chinese philosophy, comparative religion, bioethics and philosophy of technology.

02 ACADEMY OF GSIS

Geography, Sociology and International Studies

Empirical social science on cities, populations and governance, with strong quantitative and fieldwork training.

Department of Geography

MPhil / PhD in Geography MPHIL 2 YR · PHD 3–4 YR Urban sustainability, climate adaptation, remote sensing and GIS-based spatial analysis.

Department of Sociology

MPhil / PhD in Sociology MPHIL 2 YR · PHD 3–4 YR Migration, family and ageing, labour and social inequality, digital society.

Department of Government and International Studies

MPhil / PhD in Government and International Studies MPHIL 2 YR · PHD 3–4 YR Comparative politics, public administration, Greater Bay Area governance and international political economy.

03 ACADEMY OF LAC

Language and Culture

Literary, linguistic and translation research, including corpus and digital-humanities methods.

Department of English Language and Literature

MPhil / PhD in English Language and Literature MPHIL 2 YR · PHD 3–4 YR World literatures in English, applied linguistics, and language and identity in Hong Kong.

Translation, Interpreting and Intercultural Studies

MPhil / PhD in Translation Studies MPHIL 2 YR · PHD 3–4 YR Literary translation, interpreting studies, audiovisual translation and translation technology.

Department of Humanities and Creative Writing

MPhil / PhD in Humanities MPHIL 2 YR · PHD 3–4 YR Film and visual culture, cultural policy, and practice-based creative writing research.

04 ACADEMY OF WHD

Wellness and Human Development

Applied research with practitioner partners in schools, agencies, clinics and sport organisations.

Department of Education Studies

MPhil / PhD in Education Studies MPHIL 2 YR · PHD 3–4 YR Language education, teacher development, curriculum policy and assessment.

Department of Social Work

MPhil / PhD in Social Work MPHIL 2 YR · PHD 3–4 YR Mental health services, youth and family intervention, and social policy evaluation. MPhil / PhD in Psychology MPHIL 2 YR · PHD 3–4 YR Cognitive and developmental psychology, wellbeing and behavioural interventions.

Department of Sport and Health Sciences

MPhil / PhD in Sport and Health Sciences MPHIL 2 YR · PHD 3–4 YR Exercise physiology, physical activity and public health, and sport management.

ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS

How to apply

ACADEMIC Bachelor’s with honours A good honours degree for MPhil; a research master’s or an MPhil for direct three-year PhD entry. Two academic referees required.

LANGUAGE AND PROPOSAL IELTS 6.5 · TOEFL 79 Waived for degrees taught in English. Submit a two-page research proposal naming the supervisor you have contacted.

KEY DATES HKPFS 1 December Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme closes on 1 December; the main University round closes at the end of January, with interviews in March.

FIND A SUPERVISOR Browse staff research interests by Department, or download the thesis submission checklist and supervisor change form before you start. People and research interests →