General Coursework Requirement

In addition to the traditional one-to-one mode of supervision, the incorporation of coursework into the MPhil/4-year PhD programmes serves to provide a form of structural supervision. The Graduate School courses aim to provide students from all faculties some basic knowledge on thesis writing and research skills and methods. They do not aim to provide students with the discipline-specific knowledge that the faculty/school/departmental courses will provide.

(A) Coursework Component for MPhil and 4-year PhD Students
(B) Courses Offered by Other Local UGC-Funded Tertiary Institutions under the Cross-Institutional Course Enrollment Scheme
(C) Courses Offered under the Joint Centre for Advanced Studies (JCAS)
(D) 3-Year PhD Students 
(E) English Enhancement Opportunities 
(F) Assessment
(G) Application for Exemption
(H) Cancellation Policy

The coursework component is compulsory for all MPhil students and 4-year PhD students unless exemption is granted by the Graduate School under exceptional circumstances. The coursework component includes courses required by the Graduate School and the Faculty/Department/School.

(1) Graduate School Coursework Requirements:

Requirements for students registered in or after September 2021:

Two compulsory components (6 modules in total) of Graduate School:

(i) Researcher Development Training (14 hours) : 

(a) Module 1: GRSC6100 Doing Research @ HKU (2 hours)

(b) Module 2: Introduction to Qualitative/Quantitative Research Methods (3 hours)
-  GRSC6106  Introduction to Qualitative Research Methods (Humanities); or
-  GRSC6104  Introduction to Quantitative Research Methods (Humanities); or
-  GRSC6107  Introduction to Qualitative Research Methods (Sciences); or
-  GRSC6105  Introduction to Quantitative Research Methods (Sciences)

Faculties/Departments/Schools below offer courses in lieu of Module 2 to their students. Please refer to the table below for details.

(c) Module 3: Introduction to Thesis Writing (3 hours)
-  GRSC6120  Introduction to Thesis Writing (Humanities); or
-  GRSC6121  Introduction to Thesis Writing (Sciences); or
-  GRSC6140  Advanced Thesis Writing (Humanities); or
-  GRSC6141  Advanced Thesis Writing (Sciences)

Some students are required to complete  GRSC6027 Intensive English for Postgraduate Students  as a prerequisite for enrolling in Introduction to Thesis Writing . GS will inform these students individually in writing [ref: (E) below].

Faculties/Departments/Schools below offer courses in lieu of Module 3 to their students. Please refer to the table below for details.

(d) Module 4: GRSC6101 Responsible Conduct of Research (3 hours)

(e) Module 5: GRSC6102 Stream-based Responsible Conduct of Research (3 hours)

(ii) Professional Development Training (12 hours) : 

(a) Module 6a: GRSC6108 Online Transferable Skills Programme; or
(b) Module 6b: GRSC6138 Transferable Skills Retreat.

Faculties/Departments/Schools below offer courses in lieu of Online Transferable Research Skills Programme to their students. Please refer to the table below for details.

 

Requirements for students registered between September 2013 to August 2021:

Four compulsory courses of Graduate School:

(i) Thesis Writing : 

-  GRSC6001  Introduction to Thesis Writing; or
-  GRSC6020  Introduction to Thesis Writing (The Humanities & Related Disciplines); or
-  GRSC6021  Introduction to Thesis Writing (The Sciences & Related Disciplines); or
-  GRSC6040  Advanced Thesis Writing (The Humanities & Related Disciplines); or
-  GRSC6041  Advanced Thesis Writing (The Sciences & Related Disciplines); or
-  GRSC6120  Introduction to Thesis Writing (Humanities)^; or
-  GRSC6121  Introduction to Thesis Writing (Sciences)^; or
-  GRSC6140  Advanced Thesis Writing (Humanities)^; or
-  GRSC6141  Advanced Thesis Writing (Sciences)^.

Some students are required to complete  GRSC6027 Intensive English for Postgraduate Students  as a prerequisite for enrolling in Introduction to Thesis Writing . GS will inform these students individually in writing [ref: (E) below].

^ Offered from 2021-22.

(ii) Research Ethics for Graduate Students :

-  GRSC6029  Research Ethics for Graduate Students (Faculties of Business and Economics, Education, Law and Social Sciences); or
-  GRSC6030  Research Ethics for Graduate Students (Faculties of Arts and Architecture); or
-  GRSC6031   Research Ethics for Graduate Students (Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of Dentistry); or
-  GRSC6032  Research Ethics for Graduate Students (Faculty of Engineering); or
-  GRSC6033  Research Ethics for Graduate Students (Faculty of Science); or
-  GRSC6101 Responsible Conduct of Research^ and GRSC6102 Stream-based Responsible Conduct of Research^.

^ Offered from 2021-22.

(iii) Transferable Skills :

-  GRSC6008  Transferable Skills; or
-  GRSC6038  HKU Transferable Research Skills Course/ Transferable Skills Retreat; or
-  GRSC6039  International Transferable Research Skills Programme; or
-  GRSC6108 Online Transferable Skills Programme^; or
-  GRSC6138 Transferable Skills Retreat^.

^ Offered from 2021-22.

(iv) Research Methods :

-  GRSC6034  Introduction to Quantitative Research Methods (The Humanities & Related Disciplines); or
-  GRSC6035  Introduction to Quantitative Research Methods (The Sciences & Related Disciplines); or
-  GRSC6036  Introduction to Qualitative Research Methods (The Humanities & Related Disciplines); or
-  GRSC6037  Introduction to Qualitative Research Methods (The Sciences & Related Disciplines); or
-  GRSC6042  Intermediate Quantitative Research Methods (Prerequisite: This course is designed for students who are familiar with basic statistical concepts); or
-  GRSC6007  Applied Quantitative Research Methods (Prerequisite: Students who are able to provide documentary evidence that they possess basic knowledge in measurement and statistical concepts); or
-  GRSC6104  Introduction to Quantitative Research Methods (Humanities)^; or
-  GRSC6105  Introduction to Quantitative Research Methods (Sciences)^; or
-  GRSC6106  Introduction to Qualitative Research Methods (Humanities)^; or
-  GRSC6107  Introduction to Qualitative Research Methods (Sciences)^.

^ Offered from 2021-22.

For Faculty/Departmental/School courses in lieu of GS compulsory courses, please refer to the tables above (under "Requirements for students registered in or after September 2021") for details.

Requirements for students registered before September 2013:

(2) Faculty/School/Department Coursework Requirements:

Please refer to the Graduate School website (Information for Current Students > Coursework Enrolment > Faculty/Departmental Courses) for detailed Faculty/Department/School coursework requirements.

There has been agreement among the eight local UGC-funded tertiary institutions on opening up the research postgraduate courses for cross-institution enrollment. Students who find the course(s) useful to their studies may, with the endorsement of the supervisor and the Departmental Research Postgraduate Committee (DRPC), apply for the course(s) using the paper form.  Please click here for the detailed application procedures . Different universities have different application deadlines. Students should check the details on the websites.

The assessment result(s) of the course(s) taken under this scheme will be recorded in the transcript of HKU on a pass/fail basis. MPhil and 4-year PhD students are allowed to take courses from these institutions in lieu of HKU courses to fulfill up to 50% of the Faculty/Departmental/School coursework requirements. Students should seek prior approval for course substitution from their supervisor and Departmental Research Postgraduate Committee.

The Joint Centre for Advanced Study (JCAS) is a joint effort among The University of Hong Kong, The Chinese University of Hong Kong and The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology in response to the initiative of The University Grants Committee of Hong Kong in the development of strategic alliances and deep collaboration in higher education.

Students may refer to this  link  for more information. Students who are interested in taking courses under this scheme should approach the departments of their home institutions for advice and complete the regular procedures of course registration at their home institution. Additionally, students should fill in the Student Record Form and return it to the Graduate School. The Student Record Form is downloadable from Graduate School website . The result(s) of the course(s) taken under the JCAS scheme will be recorded in the transcript of HKU on a pass/fail basis.

Students who enrolled in courses under JCAS scheme and have to travel to other universities to attend courses may apply for a traveling subsidy. The Graduate School will inform the relevant students of the application procedure.

A candidate registered for the 3-year degree programme shall be required to complete the coursework component on research conduct offered or approved by the Graduate School if he/she has not yet completed equivalent training in previous research degree programmes. Students who have had equivalent training may apply for course exemption. The application form can be downloaded here.

The following coursework component on research conduct are on offer:

     GRSC6101 Responsible Conduct of Research and GRSC6102 Stream-based Responsible Conduct of Research.

The Graduate School offers a module ‘GRSC6100 Doing Research@HKU’, which acquaints new RPg students with the mission of HKU postgraduate education and provides them with a broad overview of the basics of conducting research at HKU. The module is compulsory for MPhil and 4-year PhD students registered in or after September 2021, while new 3-year PhD students are also encouraged to attend. Students can enroll for the module following the normal course selection procedures.

3-year PhD students may take the courses offered to MPhil and 4-year PhD students if they find them relevant to their studies. Once they are officially enrolled in the courses, their assessment results whether pass or fail will all be recorded in their transcripts.

Some Faculties/Departments/Schools may require 3-year PhD students to complete a number of courses as part of the degree requirement. Students should consult the Faculty/Departmental/School Office for details.

To provide more English enhancement opportunities for research postgraduate students, the course  GRSC6027 Intensive English for Postgraduate Students  has been offered since September 2009. Students admitted in the academic year 2009-10 and thereafter will be identified of their need of English enhancement by their TOFEL or IELTS scores upon admission and those required to take the course will be notified individually by the Graduate School.

All courses taken by research postgraduate students are assessed on a pass/fail basis. Students who fail a course at the first attempt may be re-examined in the same course or an alternative course as determined by the Faculty Higher Degrees Committees. A student who has not satisfied the examiners in any course (which, for this purpose, includes the alternative course) in a second attempt may be required to discontinue his or her studies.

Students who have successfully completed the required course(s) or equivalent(s), either from HKU or a comparable institution, may apply for course exemption. The application form can be downloaded here.

Students can apply for exemption from the compulsory Graduate School coursework components if they meet the following criteria:

Graduate School modules	Course exemption criteria
Introduction to Qualitative/Quantitative Research Methods	successfully completed and passed the required course(s) or equivalent(s), either from HKU or a comparable institution
Introduction to Thesis Writing
Responsible Conduct of Research & Stream-based Responsible Conduct of Research
Online Transferable Skills Programme	successfully completed and passed the required course(s) or equivalent(s), either from HKU or a comparable institution; OR  possessed full-time work experience for at least 6 months

Exemption from courses is subject to the approval of DRPC, FHDC and the Graduate School on a case-by-case basis, taking into account individual circumstances.

The Graduate School reserves the right to cancel any course with insufficient enrollment number. In case of course cancellation, students concerned will be informed by email immediately after the Course Enrollment Period.