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Read An open letter for prospective applicants


Degrees of PhD and MPhil by Research

PhD and MPhil in Chinese

Research experience, with its training in logic and critical thinking, is necessary for many senior posts in industry; it is particularly valuable to those who plan to make their careers in research institutes, industrial research, teaching, or university life.

Suitably qualified graduates from Universities or related institutions in Hong Kong or abroad may be accepted for postgraduate programmes for PhD or MPhil by research. The normal minimum entry qualification for admission as an MPhil candidate is a bachelor's degree with honours at least at second class level, and for admission as a PhD candidate, it requires a master's degree which may be obtained by research only or through a taught MSc degree programme with substantial research component. For PhD and MPhil cases, the candidate should show the ability to pursue research in the proposed field of advanced study. Graduates accepted for research degrees are registered for the degree of MPhil in the first instance unless they have previous research experience. In certain circumstances a candidate may enter the PhD programme at the end of the first or second year of research without first obtaining the MPhil degree.

Full-time and part-time options are available for the research degrees. The part-time option is intended for students who are working full-time in local industry or as a research assistant or demonstrator in the Department. In fact, most of the research assistants who are employed full-time by the principal investigators of the funded research projects are registered for the part-time research degrees. The duration for the postgraduate research programmes are as follows:

Full-time Part-time
MPhil 24-36 months 36-54 months
PhD 36-72 months 48-96 months

These higher degrees are awarded on the basis of independent but supervised research in a topic approved by the School of Graduate Studies, the submission of a thesis which describes the work he or she has carried out, and on an oral examination. A candidate must submit his or her thesis for examination within the maximum period of candidature. The thesis will be examined by not less than one external examiner and a University examiner appointed by the School of Graduate Studies.

Each student takes up an individual research investigation, under the supervision of a member of the academic staff and his or her progress will be overseen by a Qualifying Panel chaired by his or her supervisor.

The research degrees consist of a combination of coursework and research studies leading to the submission of a thesis. A candidate is normally required to take a certain amount of coursework in the form of taught courses. Coursework requirements which are recommended by the Qualifying Panel, may be determined on the basis of the specific needs of a research student. The objectives of this requirement are to help a candidate to improve his or her research techniques and skills, to provide him with a better and deeper understanding of the subjects, concepts and methodology in relation to his or her area of research, to help him or her in the preparation of a Qualifying Report and the thesis, and to enable him or her to satisfy all the requirements for the research degree for which he or she is registered. Those who have already completed a taught master's degree from this or any other acceptable university and those currently registered in this University for such a degree, who are successful in their application for a transfer to PhD candidate, will normally be exempted from coursework requirements. Those PhD candidature who already have a higher degree by research, may also be exempted from certain coursework requirements.

The submission of a Qualifying Report precedes the submission of a thesis. The Qualifying Report is a detailed survey of relevant literature in respect of a specific research topic, and contains information on the methodology and the results aimed at. Full-time candidates will be required to submit the Qualifying Report within 15 months from the date of registration for the degree. Part-time candidates are allowed up to a maximum of 21 months. The Qualifying Report submitted by an MPhil candidate will also enable him or her to be considered for transfer to PhD candidature, if it is assessed as having the potential to reach PhD standard.

Owing to the rapid growth of scientific knowledge and application of technology, research students are also encouraged to attend research seminars and colloquia held in the Department. However, most of a research student's time is expected to be spent in his or her research project.

Financial assistance :

Generous studentships, scholarships, and grants are available to well qualified research students. The conditions necessary to qualify a student for an award vary, but students who are likely to graduate with good Honours degrees are advised to apply for financial assistance in their postgraduate training. For detailed information about financial awards and assistance, please refer to the "Guidebook for Research Degree Studies" issued by the School of Graduate Studies, or visit the website: http://www.cityu.edu.hk/sgs/applicants/applicants_r.htm

If you are considering undertaking a research degree programme you should in the first instance contact the Department's Research Degree Coordinator who will advise you on how to apply for admission to MPhil or PhD candidature. You may then be invited to discuss your proposed area of work with the appropriate academic staff member of the Department who may eventually become your supervisor. You and your supervisor will first spend some time preparing your research proposal and application for registration, and it will only be forwarded to the Committee on Research Degrees Candidature for decision, via the Faculty Graduate Studies Committee, when your supervisor is satisfied that the research proposal is viable and fulfils the research degree regulations.

The list of research topics quoted under Research Groups and Research Interests is by no means exhaustive and those interested are invited to discuss possible projects with the teachers concerned or the Research Degree Coordinator who will advise suitable supervisors for the prospective research student. Below is an open letter from the current research degree coordinator for all prospective applicants:


An open letter for prospective applicants


Dear Prospective PhD/MPhil Research Student,

Re: PhD/MPhil Research, Department of Manufacturing Engineering & Engineering Management

As the Research Degree Coordinator, I am in charge of postgraduate research studies and related matters in the Department. This letter briefly explains our PhD/MPhil research degree application procedure. Details about CityU's PhD/MPhil programmes and regulations may be found on the CityU School of Graduate Studies' website (http://www.cityu.edu.hk/sgs/) or in its Admissions Handbook for Research Degree Programmes.

Although CityU is a relatively young university in Hong Kong, it is vibrant and of high academic standing, being ranked among the top 150 universities of the world by the Britain's Times newspaper. We have committed staff and excellent facilities. Our postgraduate infrastructure is designed to provide a richly conducive research environment and a full research experience for the individual research student. CityU offers postgraduate studentship stipend to excellent PhD/MPhil candidates. In addition, tuition scholarship and conference grant are also available. Government funded PhD/MPhil places with studentship are limited and therefore highly competitive. Suitably qualified candidates can also apply for admission as self-financed PhD/MPhil students.

There are two rounds of PhD/MPhil admission a year in CityU. The Admissions Handbook with a set of application forms can be requested from School of Graduate Studies (SGS). Candidates can also apply on-line. Your application should be submitted with a research proposal. So, the first thing you will need to do is to identify one or more topic(s)/area(s) you would like to research into and the respective faculty member in this Department who may be your research supervisor. Please contact the potential supervisor(s) directly and discuss with him/them about the research topic(s) and develop the research proposal. However, if you already have a clear idea of your research, you may submit directly to the School of Graduate Studies, the completed forms together with your research proposal.

The research proposal at this application stage does not have to be too long or in very great detail (3-4 clearly and logically written pages would suffice), but we strongly encourage applicants to develop it addressing the following key components:

* Background (Why?)
* Aim & Objectives (What?)
* Methodology (How?)
* Research schedule (When?)
* plus a few key references

A list of research topics grouped under the three themes of the Department's research area of Advanced Manufacturing Technology and Management is attached for your information. Some of these are current research projects while the others are potential PhD/MPhil research undertakings the respective faculty members are interested to supervise. The faculty members' telephone numbers and e-mail addresses are also attached. Please let me know if you need any further information or help.

Please note that for applicants who have graduated from universities where English is not the language of instruction, a minimum TOEFL score of 550 (paper-based) or 213 (computer-based) or 79 (internet-based); or an overall band score of 6.5 in the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), or other test scores (like band 6 in the Chinese mainland's College English Test, with a minimum score of 490) that may be regarded as equivalent.

For more information, please contact:

Dr Rao KAMINENI
BEng-MetalE(Karnataka), MTech-MetalE(KanpurIIT), PhD(MadrasIIT), MCIMMP, CEng(India), MIE(India), MIIM, MPMAI(India), MASTM, MIEM(HK)
Associate Professor & PhD/MPhil Research Degree Coordinator

Tel: 3442 8409
Fax: 3442 0172
Email: mekprao@cityu.edu.hk


Tuition Fees

The following are the tuition fees (tentative rates for 2011-2012) for MPhil/PhD programmes. Please note that fees are subject to revision from time to time without prior notification, and any adjustments to fees will apply to both new and current students.

Tuition/Continuation Fees (normally adjusted in September every year)
Type of Fee Mode of Study Remarks
Full-time Part-time
Government-funded students:
Tuition fee HK$3,508 per month HK$1,754 per month Non-refundable; applicable to students within their stipulated study period
Continuation fee HK$877 per month HK$439 per month Non-refundable; applicable to students who have been approved for an extension of their study period
Self-financing students:
Tuition fee HK$7,016 per month HK$3,508 per month Non-refundable; applicable to self-financing students throughout their entire study period

Latest Information on tuition fees is available in the Admission Handbook at the website of the School of Graduate Studies at http://www.sgs.cityu.edu.hk/prospective/rpg/home.

Inquiry: 3442-8419 (Ms. Kan)


Last modified on 15 November, 2010