MPhil-PhD

• Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Application
• Regular Postgraduate Application

Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme [ Application Deadline - 1 December 2020 ]

General background

1. Established by the Research Grants Council (RGC) of Hong Kong in 2009.
2. Aim at attracting the best and brightest students in the world to pursue PhD studies in Hong Kong.
3. Applicants must demonstrate outstanding qualities of academic performance, research ability/potential, communication and interpersonal skills, and leadership abilities.
4. Benefits
   • Monthly stipend of HK$26,600 (~US$3,410) for a period up to 3 years for Bachelor/Master degree applicants.
   • Travel allowance (for conference or research related) of HK$13,300 (~US$1,700) per year to awardees for a maximum period of three years.
   • Only 2 course duties during normative study period.
5. The CUHK Vice-Chancellor HKPFS Scholarship offers awardees a tuition fee waiver for their whole normative study period.
6. Provides an award of HK$40,000 (approx. US$5,130) for lodging in the first year of study and HK$20,000 in the subsequent years within the normative study period.
7. The on-campus hostel fee will be waived in the first year of study.
8. Guaranteed on-campus accommodation during the normative period os study to HKPFS awardees who submit timely applications.
9. For awardees with a normative study period of four years, CUHK will offer the studentship and conference travel allowance at HKPFS level for the fourth year.

Official Application deadline for HKPF: 1 December, 2020.

Working Application deadline for HKPF (for our department): 15 November, 2020.

If you are interested in our department sponsoring your HKPF application, your full application (including all the documents required by the department) should reach the department by 15 November. This is because the admission committee will need to evaluate your case for potential sponsorship well before 1 December.

To avoid confusion, please note that HKPF applicants must first submit an HKPF application at the UGC website, get a number, then fill out an application at the CUHK Graduate School web site (which only requests for minimal information). The applicant must be careful not to select the wrong department during the UGC application. Last year several applicants were disqualified because they selected the wrong department in the UGC web site which was different from the one they applied to.

The department requires additional information on top of the HKPF application materials. Both your HKPF application materials and the additional department application materials must reach us by November 15. Our Department requires HARD COPIES of the application materials to be sent to the department directly.

For instructions on the documents needed by the department and where to send them, please CLICK HERE.

For CUHK Graduate School website, please CLICK HERE.

For UGC official website for HKPF, please CLICK HERE.

Note: HKPF applicants will be automatically considered for a CUHK Postgraduate Studentship (PGS) should the HKPF application be unsuccessful.

MPhil-PhD Programmes (Application Deadline for PGS - 31 January 2021)

Admission requirements:

1. Bachelor's degree in Computer / Information / Electronic or related engineering or science fields
   • from a recognized university with honors not lower than Second Class; or
   • from an honors programme of a recognized university, with an average grade not lower than B; or
   • from a programme of study in a tertiary educational institution and obtained professional or similar qualifications equivalent to an honors degree;
   • conditional offer will be given to applicants who are expected to receive the Bachelor's degree in the current academic year.
2. Fulfill the English Language Proficiency Requirement:

• obtained a degree from a university in Hong Kong¹ or taken a degree programme of which the medium of instruction was English; or
• achieved scores in the following English Language tests² as indicated:
  1. TOEFL: 550 (Paper-based)/79 (Internet-based);
  2. IELTS (Academic): 6.5;
  3. GMAT (Verbal): Band 21; or
• obtained a pass grade in English in one of the following examinations:
  1. Hong Kong Advanced Level Examination (AS Level);
  2. Hong Kong Higher Level Examination;
  3. CUHK Matriculation Examination;
  4. General Certificate of Education Examination (GCE) Advanced Level (A-Level)/Advanced Subsidiary Level (AS-Level); or
• achieved Level 4 or above in the English Language subject of the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE) Examination; or
• obtained a recognized professional qualification, provided that the examination was conducted in English.

Note:

1. This is based on the understanding that English is the medium of instruction of degree programmes offered by universities in Hong Kong. Moreover, graduates from universities in Hong Kong should have fulfilled the English language requirements of the institution concerned when they were admitted to the degree programmes. The CUHK Graduate School may request applicants to provide additional supporting documents to prove their English proficiency.
2. TOEFL and IELTS are considered valid for two years from the test date. GMAT is considered valid for five years from the test date.

Postgraduate Studentships (PGS)

1. Available for most full-time students:
   • Adequate to cover the tuition and basic living expenses.
   • PGS holders must assist in the teaching and research work of the Department.
2. Two types:
   • Department funded PGS - student can choose any professor in the Department as supervisor, subject to mutual agreement.
   • Research grants funded PGS - the grant owner would serve as the supervisor.

Application deadline: 

• For MPhil applicants: 31 January, 2021
• For non-HKPFS PhD applicants: 31 January, 2021
• Late applications will be considered only if there are still unfilled slots.
• For non-Postgraduate Studentship PhD applicants: Applications are accepted throughout the year.

How to apply -- please read carefully

Notes to Self-Funded PhD Students:
We admit self-funded PhD students throughout the year. The above deadlines do not apply to self-funded students.

Submit confidential recommendation reports and fill out online application at the Graduate School website

Note: In addition to submitting the online application form, applicants should submit the following materials to the IE Division by mail to the address below:

1. Application fee - paid online by credit card payment
2. Official transcript of academic records (original) issued by the applicants’ former / current universities in sealed envelope with stamp from Registry or Office responsible for handling student records
3. An official explanatory notes printed / attached to the transcript indicating the grading scheme of the University
4. Copy of degree and graduate certificate
5. Copy of 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) (Apply to applicants who obtained degrees from universities in Mainland China)
6. Confidential recommendation from 2 referees (hardcopies) in sealed envelope or submit via online system
7. Curriculum vitae (include the area of interest and a list of publications if available)
8. Research proposal
9. Original English score report (TOEFL or IELTS) - Please apply for an institution copy of TOEFL test report and send it to CUHK (Institution Code: 0812; Department Code: 99)
   NOTE: CUHK DOES NOT ACCEPT TOEFL REPORT SENT BY YOU. THE REPORT MUST BE SENT BY THE TOEFL AGENCY (ETS) DIRECTLY TO CUHK.
10. Copy of Hong Kong Identity Card or other identity document
11. Other supporting documents

Address: Division of Information Engineering,
             Rm 834, Ho Sin Hang Engineering Building,
             The Chinese University of Hong Kong,
             Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong,
             China.

Apply now!

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