Department of Physics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong

JUPAS Hotline

FAQ - Streams of Study

Q1:	What Streams are there?
A1:	Astrophysics and Particle Physics Stream Computational and Data Physics Stream Quantum Science and Technology Stream

Q2:	How about the Enrichment Stream in Theoretical Physics (ESTP)?
A2:	Enrichment Stream in Theoretical Physics admits students directly through a separate JUPAS code. Students have ESTP as their default Stream and they follow a curriculum with heavier ESTP stream-specific requirements. They may declare one additional Stream at most, if they so wish to take extra physics courses beyond graduation requirement to fulfill another Stream's specification.

Q3:

"Stream" or "No Stream", does it matter?

A3:

All students are awarded the Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) degree upon graduation. It is not necessary to graduate with a Stream. Students, beside those in ESTP, typically have 21 to 24 units of major electives in addition to the compulsory core courses. Physics at CUHK provides a wide range of elective courses, spanning pure and applied; theoretical, experimental, and computational; the tiniest, the gigantic and everything in between. These electives are meant for students to explore their interest, sample what different branches of physics are about, be exposed to frontiers in physics, shape their taste in physics, make informed decision on career plan, get prepare for further studies, and pick up employable skills. Without a Stream, students could choose freely across the broad spectrum of courses using the elective units.

Q4:

What are Streams for?

A4:

Streams guide students to use 12-15 elective units on focused sets of electives for attaining a certain depth in concepts and skills for which students will find useful in research in future studies and valuable in the workplace. Students who

have developed an interest in the theme of a Stream by the time they do electives;
plan to pursue research opportunities in the theme of a Stream in postgraduate studies;
want to acquire the skill set in a Stream for future employment;

will find the Stream a useful guidance in their electives selection.

Q5:	Will my Stream show up in my academic record?
A5:	Stream selection will be shown in the transcript but not on the graduation diploma.

Q6:	Can I do two Streams?
A6:	A student could do up to two Streams. But students need to spend extra units beyond minimum requirement to do two Streams. Students should consider their all-round training as an undergraduate besides their major subject before deciding. Taking a Stream or two Streams doesn't mean that one is smarter.

Q7:

What should I do if I want to graduate with a Stream?

A7:

You don't need to worry about Streams at the time of applying for admissions. After admission, declare physics as your major of study, and by the time you take your first physics major elective, do some soul searching on your interest, potential, and future plan. It is also useful to discuss with your academic advisor. There may be a Stream that fits you. If so, start taking Stream-specific required courses. It is useful to think and plan earlier, as courses are offered only once a year and some of them are sequential, i.e., you need to have completed a lower-level course before taking a higher-level one.