Admission
- Applicants are required to fulfil the General Admissions Requirements and English Language Requirements for Admission to the Graduate School.
- In addition to the qualifications required for admission to the Graduate School, applicants should have majored in History or a related field.
- All applicants must fulfill the language proficiency requirement as stipulated by the Division of History before being considered for admission:
First Language Requirement:
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- Either Chinese or English may be chosen as the first language. In the case of Chinese, applicants must provide adequate evidence of proficiency in Chinese such as public examination results or academic record;
- In the case of English, applicants from non-English-speaking countries are required to submit TOEFL or IELTS(Academic) scores. Those from English-speaking countries should submit SAT or GCE results instead.
Second Language Requirement:
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- It may be any Asian or Western language which is closely related to the intended fields of study; and
- Applicants must provide adequate evidence of proficiency in that language such as TOEFL scores, public examination results or academic records.
Applicants can apply online at Graduate School website.
Application Fee: HK$300 (non-refundable)
Applicants of Hong Kong Ph.D. Fellowship Scheme
Application Deadline: 1 December 2020
Normal Application Deadline: 31 January 2021
The “application no.” should be quoted on all documents. Completed application forms and the required supporting documents should reach the Office of History Division on or before the application deadline.
Supporting documents required include:
- Submit Online Application Form
- Official Transcripts from the University attended by applicant.* However, CUHK students (or graduates) may submit photocopies of their CUHK transcripts
There should be explanatory notes printed/appended to transcript indicating the grading scheme of the University. If no such notes, official grading scheme issued by the Registry is needed. - Copies of Degree Certificates
- Applicants who obtained degrees from universities in Mainland China are required to provide an Online Verification Report of Higher Education Qualification Certificate (教育部學歷證書電子註冊備案表) issued by the CHESICC (學信網).
- Documents showing the applicant has fulfilled the Graduate School’s English Language Proficiency Requirement#
- An essay/term paper on history in either Chinese or English
- A research proposal with clear objectives and proposed methodology in either Chinese or English (please refer to FAQ for preparing a research proposal)
- Photocopy of Identity Card or Passport
- Confidential recommendations from two referees*
- Application Fee Receipt (Not necessary for credit card payment through online application)
Note:* Official Transcripts and Confidential recommendation must reach the Office of History Division from the University and referees.
# For TOFEL / IELTS, only the original valid official score report sent directly from the respective test organization to the University will be accepted. Original examinee’s score report will not be accepted (TOFEL – The University’s institution code is 0812. IELTS – please fill in the contact information of the Division of History on Question 23 of the IELTS Application Form.)
The Selection Committee of the History Division will start viewing applications right after the application deadline. Selected applicants may be invited for an interview.
Successful applications will be recommended to Graduate School for admission. Applicants may login Graduate School’s Admission System and check your application results in the section of “View Application Result”.
Do I need to find a supervisor before I apply?
Applicants are not required to seek for a supervisor before the application, we will assign a suitable supervisor to you if we consider to admit you into our Programmes. You are welcome to contact our teaching member(s) before the application if you wish to do so.
Can I change the programme I have applied for after an application is submitted online?
NO. An application cannot be changed once it is submitted online. Please submit another application if you wish to apply for more than one programme.
Separate applications and materials have to be submitted and mailed for different programmes. Please also note that multiple application fees should be paid.
What makes my application a strong case?
Admission to our research programmes are highly competitive. You need to have a good academic standing and meet the English proficiency requirement in order to be successful. Reference letters will also be considered. A well-written research proposal is also essential.
What is a research proposal, in Chinese or in English? How long should I write?
A research proposal outlining areas of interest, goals and plans has to be submitted. It should be long enough to demonstrate a good understanding of relevant theories and a feasible research plan with methodological appropriateness.
The guiding principal for a good Research Proposal is that you must have a serious question in mind that is worthy of careful, thorough research. That is, you must be able to state a proposition (or series of related propositions) which is worthy of detailed research and analysis.
The proposal should be written in either English or Chinese (around 10,000 words) and include:
- Topic of research proposal
- Project objectives (A clear statement of aims of the research you wish to investigate)
- An outline of the research background of the topic, giving an overview of some current findings in the area, with references
- Research methodology (The methods you intend to apply to the research questions)
- A brief summary
- Project significance and value (Why it is a worthy and/or topic)
- A list of works cited in your proposal
If my TOEFL or IELTS score does not meet the requirement of the programme, could I use other means to demonstrate my English proficiency? Can the CET conducted by universities in China be used to substitute TOEFL or IELTS? Can I submit the TOEFL or IELTS scores later?
We accept ONLY TOEFL or IELTS score as a proof of English proficiency for applicants without a degree from a university in Hong Kong or taken a degree programme of which the medium of instruction was English. Other means are not accepted. The TOEFL/IELTS score must be valid at the time of application and fulfilling admission offer of our programme (TOEFL/IELTS score are considered valid for two years from the test date.). All TOEFL or IELTS score report must reach our office before the application deadlines. If the original score report is not yet available before the deadline, applicants may first send us a photocopy of the score report before the deadlines and submit the original score report later as soon as possible.
How can I know whether the Division has received my official transcripts, my TOEFL or IELTS score report, or my recommendation letters?
If you send your materials by courier, you may check the delivery status with the courier directly. Due to a large number of applications we receive, enquiries regarding receipt of documents will NOT be processed. Instead, we will actively contact the applicants for any missing or further documents if necessary.
To ensure all your supporting documents are received, you are strongly encouraged to upload full set of valid materials via the University’s online application system.
Will there be any interview?
Applicant may be invited for interview. The interview will a face-to-face meeting or by video conferencing.
When will the application results be announced?
Application results will be announced in several rounds from March to June. Successful applicants will receive a verbal notification as soon as the selection process is completed. Applicants can login the Graduate School’s “Online Application System for Postgraduate Programme” to check their status (via “view application result”). Applicants may consider their applications unsuccessful if they do not hear from us thereafter.
When will I need to pay the deposit?
Successful applicant will have to pay the deposit two to three weeks after the admission offer is sent to you by the Graduate School. Applicants are required to indicate acceptance of admission offer online and pay the deposit by the payment due date. The offer acceptance and payment due date CANNOT be delayed under any circumstances.
Can I apply for a refund of deposit?
According to the University’s policy, the deposit paid CANNOT be refunded.
Can I change to another programme after accepting an offer?
NO. Each applicant will receive only ONE offer from a postgraduate programme from the Graduate School.
What do I need to do after receiving an offer?
Please follow the instruction as per the Application Result and Registration Guide provided to you by the Graduate School via the Online System to do an online registration and send in your visa application materials as soon as possible after you have paid your tuition fee/deposit. Delay in online registration and visa application will disallow you to register for courses and to attend classes on time.
(1) Division Office
Address:
Graduate Division of History
Department of History
Room 131, 1/F, Fung King Hey Building
The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong
Phone: (852) 3943 8541
Fax: (852) 2603 5685
E-mail: hisdiv@cuhk.edu.hk
(2) Graduate School
Address:
Graduate School
7/F, Yasumoto International Academic Park
The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong
Phone: (852) 3943 8976 / (852) 3943 8977
Fax: (852) 2603 5779
E-mail: gradschool@cuhk.edu.hk
Homepage: http://www.gs.cuhk.edu.hk/