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Study Scheme


Applicable to students admitted in 2017-18 and thereafter
  1. Coursework Requirement
    1. Students are required to take ENGE8100 each term in preparation for Part I of the qualifying examination.

    2. Upon passing Part I of the qualifying examination, students are required to take ENGE8200 each term in preparation for the thesis and Part II of the examination.

    3. Thesis monitoring courses are listed below:
      ENGE8100 and ENGE8200

  2. Reading List

    To be centred on the candidate’s chosen area of research. For example, a candidate intending to work on a modernist writer must read five entries from the section labelled “20th Century (pre-1945)” and five from each of those sections which are contiguous with it – currently “19th Century (2nd half)” and “20th Century (post-1945)”. In addition to this, the candidate is to read ten works deemed contextually “important” by the candidate’s mentor / supervisor / committee members. This means that students should be given a reading list consisting of 25 works in total.

  3. Qualifying Examination

    Advancement to Ph.D. candidature is conditional upon the successful completion of the following:

    1. Section I – Written Exam
      • A three-hour written examination based on the agreed reading list, devised by supervisor and committee members. Student to answer three questions from a question paper of six questions.
      • This section is to be completed with 6 months of enrolment.

    2. Section II – Written Research Paper and Oral Examination
      • Completion of two written tasks – a full and final research proposal/plan (c.5k words), and a chapter of (or a substantial portion thereof) the thesis as outlines in the full and final research proposal/plan.
      • To deliver two presentations – one defence of the proposed thesis and the shape and dimensions of the proposed research area (id est the research proposal/plan); one defence of the argument(s) outline in the submitted chapter.
      • The written research proposal/plan and delivery of first presentation/defence to be completed within 12 months of enrollment. The written (substantial portion of) chapter and second presentation/defence to be completed within 18 months of enrollment. Both of these dates to be push back by 6 months for those on the four-year programme.

        • The maximum periods for students to pass the qualifying examinations are –

        Degree Normative Maximum Maximum Period to Pass the Candidacy Requirement
        Ph.D. (with research Master’s)
        Full-time 36 months 84 months 18 months
        Part-time 48 months 96 months 24 months
        Ph.D. (without research Master’s)
        Full-time 48 months 84 months 24 months
        Part-time 64 months 96 months 32 months


  4. Other Requirements
    1. Students must fulfill the Term Assessment Requirement of the Graduate School. For details, please refer to Section 13.0 "Unsatisfactory Performane and Discontinuation of Studies" of the General Regulations Governing Postgraduate Studies which can be accessed from the Graduate School Homepage: http://www.gs.cuhk.edu.hk.

    2. A student must achieve a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.0 in order to fulfill the graduation requirement, unless special approval is granted by the Graduate Council.

    3. Students are required to submit a research thesis and pass an oral examination for graduation.

    4. Students must complete with satisfactory results at least 6 units of language courses coded 3000 or above offered by the language departments at CUHK under the current curriculum. Alternatively, completion with satisfactory results of any language courses comparable to the year 3 courses offered at CUHK is also accepted as equivalent qualification. In some cases, a special language test may have to be arranged in coordination with the language departments in order to examine students' competence in a third language. Passing the test will also fulfil the language requirement for Ph.D. candidature.

    5. Students found to be deficient in essential background knowledge may be required to take supplementary undergraduate or postgraduate courses concurrently.

    6. Complete an Improving Postgraduate Learning (IPL) module on “Observing Intellectual Property and Copyright Law during Research”. This will be an online module and relevant information can be accessed from the website: http://www.cuhk.edu.hk/clear/prodev/ipl.html.

    7. Students are required to complete an online Research Ethics Training (RET) module on "Publication Ethics" offered by the office of Research and Knowledge Transfer Services (ORKTS) and obtain a valid Publication Ethics Certificate for graduation. Relevant information can be accessed from the RET website at https://www.research-ethics.cuhk.edu.hk/web/


Application to students admitted in 2016-17
  1. Coursework Requirement
    1. Students are required to take ENGE8100 each term in preparation for Part I of the qualifying examination.

    2. Upon passing Part I of the qualifying examination, students are required to take ENGE8200 each term in preparation for the thesis and Part II of the examination.

    3. Thesis monitoring courses are listed below:
      ENGE8100 and ENGE8200

  2. Reading List

    To be centred on the candidate’s chosen area of research. For example, a candidate intending to work on a modernist writer must read five entries from the section labelled “20th Century (pre-1945)” and five from each of those sections which are contiguous with it – currently “19th Century (2nd half)” and “20th Century (post-1945)”. In addition to this, the candidate is to read ten works deemed contextually “important” by the candidate’s mentor / supervisor / committee members. This means that students should be given a reading list consisting of 25 works in total.

  3. Qualifying Examination

    Advancement to Ph.D. candidature is conditional upon the successful completion of the following:

    1. Section I – Written Exam
      • A three-hour written examination based on the agreed reading list, devised by supervisor and committee members. Student to answer three questions from a question paper of six questions.
      • This section is to be completed with 6 months of enrolment.

    2. Section II – Written Research Paper and Oral Examination
      • Completion of two written tasks – a full and final research proposal/plan (c.5k words), and a chapter of (or a substantial portion thereof) the thesis as outlines in the full and final research proposal/plan.
      • To deliver two presentations – one a defence of the proposed thesis and the shape and dimensions of the proposed research area (id est the research proposal/plan); one defence of the argument(s) outline in the submitted chapter.
      • The written research proposal/plan and delivery of first presentation/defence to be completed within 12 months of enrollment. The written (substantial portion of) chapter and second presentation/defence to be completed within 18 months of enrollment. Both of these dates to be push back by 6 months for those on the four-year programme.

        • The maximum periods for students to pass the qualifying examinations are –

        Degree Normative Maximum Maximum Period to Pass the Candidacy Requirement
        Ph.D. (with research Master’s)
        Full-time 36 months 84 months 18 months
        Part-time 48 months 96 months 24 months
        Ph.D. (without research Master’s)
        Full-time 48 months 84 months 24 months
        Part-time 64 months 96 months 32 months


  4. Other Requirements
    1. Students must fulfill the Term Assessment Requirement of the Graduate School. For details, please refer to Section 13.0 "Unsatisfactory Performane and Discontinuation of Studies" of the General Regulations Governing Postgraduate Studies which can be accessed from the Graduate School Homepage: http://www.gs.cuhk.edu.hk.

    2. A student must achieve a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.0 in order to fulfill the graduation requirement, unless special approval is granted by the Graduate Council.

    3. Students are required to submit a research thesis and pass an oral examination for graduation.

    4. Students must complete with satisfactory results at least 6 units of language courses coded 3000 or above offered by the language departments at CUHK under the current curriculum. Alternatively, completion with satisfactory results of any language courses comparable to the year 3 courses offered at CUHK is also accepted as equivalent qualification. In some cases, a special language test may have to be arranged in coordination with the language departments in order to examine students' competence in a third language. Passing the test will also fulfil the language requirement for Ph.D. candidature.

    5. Complete an Improving Postgraduate Learning (IPL) module on “Observing Intellectual Property and Copyright Law during Research”. This will be an online module and relevant information can be accessed from the website: http://www.cuhk.edu.hk/clear/prodev/ipl.html.


Application to students admitted in 2015-16 and before
  1. Coursework Requirement
    1. Students are required to take ENGE8100 each term in preparation for Part I of the qualifying examination.

    2. Upon passing Part I of the qualifying examination, students are required to take ENGE8200 each term in preparation for the thesis and Part II of the examination.

    3. Thesis monitoring courses are listed below:
      ENGE8100 and ENGE8200

  2. Qualifying Examination

    Advancement to Ph.D. candidature is conditional upon the successful completion of the following:

    1. Part I – a written examination based on the general reading list approved by the Graduate Panel.
    2. Part II – An oral examination, in which the areas covered will be based on the following works
      1. a short paper (5,000-7,500 words or 20-30 pages).
      2. An additonal paper (4,000-5,000 words or 16-20 pages) based on a specialized reading list submitted to and approved by the thesis committe.
      3. A long paper (10,000-15,000 words or 40-60 pages) in the intended field of the thesis, to which a formal thesis proposal should be appended.

      The following guidelines must be met by the student in preparing for Part II of the qualifying examination. The oral examination cannot be taken unless all the three conditions set below are fulfilled:

      1. At least one paper (i, ii or iii) must be based on analysis of specific text(s).
      2. At least one area (i, ii or iii) must involve the treatment of a problem in the field of genre or period studies.
      3. At least one area (i, ii or iii) must involve the treatment of a theoretical problem in any field of literary or critical studies.

      As a general requirement, the Ph.D. student in Literary Studies must present results of original research in two colloquia by the end of the fourth term. Topics chosen for the colloquia should be closely related to the areas covered by the long and short apaers subsequently submitted for Part II of the qualifying examination. The colloquia will be open to all students and faculty members of the Department. Students are allowed no more than two attempts at apssing the examination or parts thereof. Any second attempt must come within six months of the first attempt.


      The maximum periods for students to pass the qualifying examinations are –

      Degree Normative Maximum Maximum Period to Pass the Candidacy Requirement
      Ph.D. (with research Master’s)
      Full-time
      Part-time      		 36 months
      48 months      		 84 months
      96 months      		 24 months
      32 months
      Ph.D. (without research Master’s)
      Full-time
      Part-time      		 48 months
      64 months      		 84 months
      96 months      		 36 months
      48 months


  3. Other Requirements
    1. Students must fulfill the Term Assessment Requirement of the Graduate School. For details, please refer to Section 13.0 "Unsatisfactory Performane and Discontinuation of Studies" of the General Regulations Governing Postgraduate Studies which can be accessed from the Graduate School Homepage: http://www.gs.cuhk.edu.hk.

    2. A student must achieve a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.0 in order to fulfill the graduation requirement, unless special approval is granted by the Graduate Council.

    3. Students are required to submit a research thesis and pass an oral examination for graduation.

    4. Students must complete with satisfactory results at least 6 units of language courses coded 3000 or above offered by the language departments at CUHK under the current curriculum. Alternatively, completion with satisfactory results of any language courses comparable to the year 3 courses offered at CUHK is also accepted as equivalent qualification. In some cases, a special language test may have to be arranged in coordination with the language departments in order to examine students' competence in a third language. Passing the test will also fulfil the language requirement for Ph.D. candidature.

    5. Complete an Improving Postgraduate Learning (IPL) module on “Observing Intellectual Property and Copyright Law during Research”. This will be an online module and relevant information can be accessed from the website: http://www.cuhk.edu.hk/clear/prodev/ipl.html.