Downloadable Forms

Prospective Students

Standardized forms for Statement of Research Interest and Research Proposal

Faculties' Requirement Regarding Submission of Statement of Research Interest & Research Proposal from MPhil/PhD Applicants 

MPhil PhD
Faculty of Architecture

Research Proposal
Form: Form 274/504
Length: No limit
Format: No specific requirement

Faculty of Arts (including Centre for Applied English Studies and Centre of Buddhist Studies)
Research Proposal 
Form: No standardized form
Length: 3 to 4 pages
Format: Double-spaced
Instructions: It should include a brief account of the applicant's academic history (including what he/she studied and what in particular has interested him/her; also, where relevant, the reason why he/she wants to undertake research at HKU). The proposal should set out the area of study he/she proposes to work in, and the research he/she intends to do in it. The Faculty understands that the proposal at this stage will be provisional, but it should show that the applicant knows something about the field, has started on the relevant reading, and has a sense of the interesting research questions and problems likely to be faced, of the methodology proposed and, if relevant, the resources required. The applicant should append a preliminary bibliography.

Applicants are advised to visit the individual departmental websites for the respective departments' guidelines on the format of research proposal required.
Research Proposal 
Form: No standardized form
Length: 4 to 5 pages
Format: Double-spaced
Instruction: It should outline a clearly-considered and defined research topic, with an account of research questions and methodology proposed, an explanation of the value and originality of the research, and a bibliography.

Applicants are advised to visit the individual departmental websites for the respective departments' guidelines on the format of research proposal required.
Faculty of Business & Economics

Statement of Research Interest

Research Proposal
Form: Form 273/504
Length: 6 to 8 pages
Format: Double-spaced, font size: 12 point

Faculty of Dentistry

Research Proposal
Form: Form D. 82/903
Length: 1 to 2 pages (500-1000 words), A4 papers
Format: Single-spaced, font size: 11 or 12 point

Faculty of Education

Research Proposal Summary
Form: Form 152/118
Length: 6 pages
Format: No specific requirement

Important notes:
All MPhil theses should be written in English. For applicants whose research topic is in Chinese Language Education, special approval may be granted for their thesis to be written in Chinese. Applications for such special approval should be submitted at the time of application for admission. If an applicant intends to write the thesis in Chinese, the 6-page research proposal summary should still be written in English.

Applicants are required to declare
(i) whether the research proposal submitted is all his/her own work; names of persons who have provided contribution and the nature and extent of their contribution should be specified if otherwise; and
(ii) whether the proposal, in parts or in whole, has not been published or submitted to any institution; the extent and the details of the publication and/or submission to the institution(s) should be specified if otherwise.

Research Proposal 
Form: No standardized form
Length: Not more than 20 pages (containing a
1-page abstract, and excluding references)
Format: A4-size, double-spaced, point 12 font size
Instruction: It should give a clear description of the particular aspect of the field in which you are interested and explain the particular approach which you propose to take in studying the subject matter.

Important notes:
All PhD theses should be written in English. For applicants whose research topic is in Chinese Language Education, approval may be granted for their thesis to be written in Chinese. Applications for such approval should be submitted at the time of application for admission. If an applicant intends to write the thesis in Chinese, the 1-page abstract should still be written in English but the Research Proposal may be written in Chinese.

Applicants have to include a declaration in their research proposal to confirm whether
(i) the proposal is all his/her own work; names of persons who have provided contribution and the nature and extent of their contribution should be specified if otherwise; and
(ii) whether the proposal, in parts or in whole, has not been published or submitted to any institution; the extent and the details of the publication and/or submission to the institution(s) should be specified if otherwise.

Faculty of Engineering

Research Proposal
Form: Form 272/504 
Length: No limit 
Format: No specific requirement

Faculty of Law

Research Proposal
Form: Form 272/504 
Length: 4 pages
Format: No specific requirement

Research Proposal
Form: Form 272/504 
Length: No limit
Format: No specific requirement

Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine

Statement of Research Interest

Research Proposal
Form: Form 272/504 
Length: No limit
Format: No specific requirement

Faculty of Science

Research Proposal
Form: Form S65/712
Length: No limit 
Format: Please see Form S65/712

Faculty of Social Sciences (including Journalism & Media Studies Centre, Hong Kong Institute of Humanities & Social Sciences (Inc. the Centre of Asian Studies), Kadoorie Institute and Social Sciences Research Centre)

All Departments and Centres except the Department of Sociology and Hong Kong Institute of Humanities & Social Sciences (Inc. the Centre of Asian Studies)
Research Proposal
Form: Form 272/504 
Length: No limit 
Format: No specific requirement

Department of Sociology
Research Proposal
Form: Form SS22/413 amended
Length: max. 10 pages
Format: Single-spaced

Hong Kong Institute of Humanities & Social Sciences (Inc. the Centre of Asian Studies)
Research Proposal
Form: Form 276/812 
Length: max. 8 pages
Format: Double-spaced

November 2020