Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
Applicants seeking admission to the PhD degree program should possess:
- a master's degree from a recognized university of comparable institution; OR
- a bachelor's degree with first class honors from a recognized university or comparable institution; OR
- any other qualification deemed by the Research Committee of the University to be acceptable for this purpose.
Candidates under paragraph (b) should have evidence of research achievement/experience. They may be admitted to the MPhil Program initially, but with a view that they will proceed to the PhD program after satisfactorily performing at the time of candidature confirmation.
Candidates under paragraph (c) may be required to take a qualifying examination. Their progress shall be reported to the Research Committee at the end of their first year of study.
Tuition Fees, Funding Support, and Modes of Admissions
There are two modes of admissions to our research postgraduate programs: (1) UGC-funded mode and (2) self-funded mode.
PhD students admitted via the UGC-funded mode is successful competitors for and recipients of research studentships offered by the University or, in the case of PhD students, funding from the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme (HKPFS, a territory-wide scholarship administered by the Research Grants Council of Hong Kong). In 2021-22, awardees of the HKPFS receive an annual stipend of HK$322,800, whereas recipients of the research studentships will get a monthly stipend of HK$17,820. The annual tuition fee for UGC-funded students is HK$42,100 (full-time).
PhD students may also support their study with their personal funds. Once admitted, they may apply for financial aids, including teaching assistantships (available to PhD students only). In the 2021-22 academic year, students admitted through the self-funded mode will pay the yearly tuition fee of HK$84,200 (full-time study) or HK$42,100 (part-time study).
Please refer to the Research Grants Council’s webpage on the Hong Kong PhD Fellowships Scheme (https://cerg1.ugc.edu.hk/hkpfs/index.html) and the webpage of the Graduate School of this University (https://gs.hkbu.edu.hk/prospective-students/fees-scholarships-and-financial-aid) for the latest information on the tuition fees and value of the stipends.
Both the HKPFS and the University’s research studentships are highly competitive. Applicants for the PhD programme are strongly encouraged to apply for the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme – qualified applicants of the HKPFS will be considered for the University’s research studentships simultaneously. Applicants are also urged to consider admission via the self-funded mode.
A research proposal (including research questions, literature review, and research methodology) is required at the time of application. Preference will be given to applicants of high academic caliber who present clear specific proposals for theoretically and/or socially significant research.
Although not compulsory, applicants for PhD programme are also encouraged to match their research interests with those of the Department’s staff members. Please refer to the profile of individual staff members, which contains information on their specializations, latest research, publications, and research grants.
Please observe the deadlines of application. The HKBU accepts two rounds of application (1 December and 15 April). However, applicants interested in the University’s research studentships are advised to apply in the first round. The HKPFS administered by the Research Grants Council usually sets the deadline for submitting an “initial application” on 1 December at 12 noon (Hong Kong Time), though the deadline for submitting a “full application” to HKBU is usually set at 1 December, 11:59 pm (Hong Kong Time). Deadlines may vary from year to year. Applicants are advised to check the webpage of the Graduate School of this University and that of the Research Grants Council for the latest information on the deadlines.
Apply for admission to the HKBU Sociology PhD programme via the HKPFS (https://gs.hkbu.edu.hk/admission/hong-kong-phd-fellowship-scheme/application)
Apply for admission to the HKBU Sociology PhD programme for consideration of both the research studentships and the self-funded option (https://gs.hkbu.edu.hk/admission/research-postgraduate-programmes/application)
The Research Grants Council’s webpage on the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme (https://cerg1.ugc.edu.hk/hkpfs/index.html)
The HKBU Graduate School webpage (section for prospective students): provides information on the study programmes, fees, scholarships, financial aids, and other useful information for local and international students (https://gs.hkbu.edu.hk/prospective-students)