AP8001/AP8004 will be replaced by MSE8001/MSE8004 from Semester A 2019/20 onwards.

Programme Electives: (10 credits)

Please refer to the updated list of approved courses for research students posted in the SGS website. 
 

Qualifying Examination:

The Qualifying Panel will assess the student’s suitability to continue his or her studies on the basis of the qualifying report, coursework results and any other assessment as considered appropriate by the Panel. The Panel’s recommendations will be forwarded to the Department/School for approval.

- Full-time: Within 6–12 months from start of study
- Part-time: Within 9–18 months from start of study

A qualifying report should include a survey of the relevant literature, an identification of a specific research topic, the research methodology and a discussion on possible outcomes.

After the qualifying period, students must submit progress reports (typed in English) on an annual basis until they have submitted the final version of their thesis for oral examination and completed any other academic requirements. 

Thesis:

The thesis at the core of the PhD study enables a student to demonstrate his/her independent research work, design and conduct experiments, analyze and formulate physical and engineering problems, correlate and verify data, explain problems lucidly and reach sound conclusions. The data obtained and conclusions reached are placed in logical context substantiated by physics and mathematics. The output of the PhD thesis results from the student’s creativity and original ideas. It represents a tangible contribution to science and engineering. The PhD thesis is unique and represents evident contribution to science and /or engineering in the field of study. It contains experimental and/or theoretical output supported by theoretical physics and practical implications.

Normally, students are expected to submit their thesis not earlier than six months before the end of the (normal) study period. Early submission of a thesis requires special approval from the College/School.

Students must submit a thesis for examination by the end of their maximum study period or the stipulated study period.

Additional Notes:

Students are also required to complete a compulsory 1 credit unit course “Teaching Students: First Steps” (SG8001). The credit unit earned from SG8001 will not be counted towards the minimum coursework requirement.

The student’s research project is normally supported by RGC projects or other projects acquired by the supervisor. Therefore the research interest of the student is aligned with the research project of the supervisor. In accordance with the topic of the thesis, a qualifying panel (supervisor and two other experts in the field) prescribes the courses taken by the student. The qualifying panel monitors the research progress and annually evaluates it based on a written progress report, an oral presentation and an oral examination. As coordinated by the SGS, the final research output presented in the form of thesis is assessed by two internal examiners, one of whom is also the panel chair, and two external examiners who may recommend the thesis for oral examination if it meets the standard required for PhD theses. Other details can be found in the Guidebook for Research Degree Studies published by the SGS.