Doctor of Philosophy in Humanities

The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) program is interdisciplinary in nature. It aims to provide training for students who intend to pursue a professional career in teaching and research.

Students enrolled in the program may specialize in Linguistics, Literature, History and Anthropology, or Philosophy and Religion, but are expected to go beyond conventional disciplinary boundaries and cultivate knowledge and expertise in interdisciplinary dialogue and interaction.

Students are required to

1. Complete a minimum of 21 credits of postgraduate coursework, including HUMA 6200 Research Project in Humanities;
2. Complete and pass SHSS 6770 Professional Development in Humanities and Social Science which should be taken in the first year of study for full-time students, or the first two years of study for part-time students. The 1 credit earned from SHSS 6770 cannot be counted toward the credit requirements. HKUST MPhil (HUMA) graduates who have taken and passed this course before may be exempted from this requirement, subject to prior approval from the Division Head and PG Coordinator;
3. Complete and pass HUMA 6300 Postgraduate Seminar. The 1 credit earned from HUMA 6300 cannot be counted toward the credit requirements; MPhil/PhD in Humanities
4. Take and pass LANG 5071 Postgraduate English for Humanities. The 1 credit earned from LANG 5071 cannot be counted toward the credit requirements. Students can be exempted from taking LANG 5071 with the agreement of the Division Head and PG Committee, or if they have completed this course in MPhil (HUMA) program before;
5. Pass the qualifying examination;
6. Register in HUMA 7990 Doctoral Thesis Research; and g) Present and defend the PhD thesis.

All new students must propose a course-taking plan for the first academic year in consultation with their advisors. The proposal, consisting of a list of courses to be taken in the first year and a study plan specifying the learning objectives and how these objectives can be achieved by the proposed list of courses, should be submitted to the Division’s PG Committee for endorsement with prior approval of the advisor, no later than the end of the course add/drop period of the first regular term.

Subject to the approval of the Division’s PG Committee, students may be granted credit transfer of up to 9 credits on a case-by-case basis.

Areas of Concentration

Students are required to focus their research thesis on one of the four areas of concentration, namely Linguistics, Literature, History and Anthropology, and Philosophy and Religion. For all areas of concentration, of the remaining 18 credits of the required coursework, at least 9 must be taken in the student’s chosen concentration. Before the commencement of each academic year, the Division will provide students with a list of courses to be offered in each area of concentration. 

Linguistics Concentration

Students will focus their research on Chinese linguistics, including phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, and dialectology, or Sino-Tibetan linguistics from a historical perspective

Literature Concentration

Students will focus primarily on Chinese literature from comparative, interdisciplinary, and theoretical perspectives.

History and Anthropology Concentration

Students will have the option of choosing one of the following two areas:

• Area A – Chinese History and World History. This area focuses on the history of China with emphasis on the period from early China to the People’s Republic, whereas World History focuses on European and/or American history. Approaches to the subject can be economic, social, political, cultural, intellectual, or comparative. 
• Area B – Cultural Anthropology and Social History. This area focuses primarily on South China. Research areas include not only Guangdong and Fujian, but also regions extending from Taiwan through Hong Kong and Macao to Hainan. Other possible subjects of study are overseas Chinese (in Southeast Asia, Japan, North America, and Europe) and the ethnic groups of southern and southwestern China (She, Yao, Dan, etc.).

Philosophy and Religion Concentration

Students will focus their research on at least one of the following areas: Chinese, Asian, Western, and comparative philosophy and/or religion. 

Requirements

Requirements

• Obtained a bachelor’s degree with a proven record of outstanding performance from a recognized institution; OR presented evidence of satisfactory work at the postgraduate level on a full-time basis for at least one year, or on a part-time basis for at least two years;
• Satisfied the specific requirements prescribed by the school and department concerned as to their chosen subject of research, as well as their fitness to undertake the research.
• You will fulfill the English Language requirements with one of the following proficiency attainments:TOEFL-iBT 80, TOEFL PBT 550, IELTS Overall score: 6.0
• You are required to nominate 2-5 referees to support your application. Upon your application submission, the referees will be invited by email to complete a reference report online. Referees may attach additional reference letters to the online report if they wish to.
• Remember that you will need to send official documents to substantiate your qualifications/ exam results after accepting an admission offer. 

Want to improve your English level for admission?

Prepare for the program requirements with English Online by the British Council.

• ✔️ Flexible study schedule
• ✔️ Experienced teachers
• ✔️ Certificate upon completion

📘 Recommended for students with an IELTS level of 6.0 or below.

Enroll in the course

Scholarships

• Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme (HKPFS)
• Postgraduate Studentships