The Education University of Hong Kong

Research Postgraduate (RPg) Programmes

Current Students

Programme & Course Information

  • A programme handbook is available here to provide students with an overview of the structure and content of the RPg programmes as well as essential information students need to know for their studies.

    Study Flowchart for research postgraduate students

     



  • General Academic Regulations (for Taught Postgraduate Programmes)


    General Academic Regulations (for Research Component)


    Code of Practice

  • RPg students have to complete all the core courses during their first year of study. Students will be informed of the course details via email.

    Core course list admitted before 2024/25 #:

     

    Core course list for students admitted in 2024/25 and thereafter #:

    Core Courses

    Credit Points

    3

    • Advanced Course in Research Methods

    3

    • Advanced Theories of Specific Disciplines

    3

    3

    • 1 to 2* Specialised Courses and/or Special Topics in the Primary Discipline

    3

    0

     Total:

    15

     *Students who opt out of the ‘Foundation course in research methods’ should take two specialised courses and/or special topics in the primary discipline.

    Classes in the same or different semester(s) may be scheduled on weekday daytime/evenings, weekends and/or during long holidays at the Tai Po Campus / Tseung Kwan O Study Centre / North Point Study Centre / Kowloon Tong Satellite Study Centre and/or other locations as decided by the University.

    Following the programme curriculum, students are required to take all core courses (3 credits for each course) and present their thesis or thesis proposal at the Qualifying Examination and Viva Examinations to complete the programme requirements.

    If students would like to take courses offered in the Doctor of Education (EdD) programme after consulting their supervisors, they are required to inform the Graduate School by sending an email to rpg@eduhk.hk with details of the courses that students plan to take before the semester starts.

    #Any aspect of the courses and course offerings (including, without limitation, the contents of the course and the manner in which the course is taught) may be subject to change at any time at the sole discretion of the University if necessary. Without limiting the generality of the University’s discretion to revise the courses and course offerings, it is envisaged that changes may be required due to factors including staffing, enrolment levels, logistical arrangements, curriculum changes, and other factors caused by change of circumstances. Tuition fees, once paid, are non-refundable.

     

  • For Taught Courses

    Application for Credit Transfer

    For EDD8010 - Record of Participation in Research Seminars

    For students admitted in 2021/22: Record of Participation in Research Seminars for EDD8010 Development of Research Proposal

    For students admitted in 2022/23 and thereafter: Record of Participation in Research Seminars for EDD8010 Development of Research Proposal


    For EDD0027 - Record of Participation in Conferences, Seminars, Workshops and Presentations

    For students admitted in 2024/25 and thereafter: Record of Participation in Conferences, Seminars, Workshops and Presentations

  • Supervisory Arrangements

    Each student in the RPg programmes should have a Principal Supervisor and at least two Associate Supervisors to supervise his/her research.

    Changes in Supervisory Arrangement

    When there is a change in the supervision team, students are required to submit a completed “Change of Supervisor” form, with endorsements and signatures of Supervisors to the Graduate School for further approval by the RPg Programme Committee. 

  • Students are reminded to keep a timely record once they have completed their teaching, research, and/or support duties at the end of each semester. The record form should be submitted to the Graduate School by semester.

    Record Form (For PhD)

  • To provide opportunities for RPg students to develop their professionalism related to learning and teaching, the Centre for Learning, Teaching and Technology (LTTC) provides a certificate course.

    It consists of four themes:

    1. Staff induction – Introduction to Teaching in Higher Education Settings;
    2. Practicum;
    3. Seminars / Workshops in Learning and Teaching; and
    4. Learning and Teaching Support.


    Participants who completed any course of Theme (i), (iii) and (iv) with a minimum of 9 hours of attendance can apply for a Certificate of Attendance issued by LTTC.

    For more details of the Certificate Course, please refer to https://www.lttc.eduhk.hk/?p=10715.

  • Students of the University who are carrying out research involving human participants and/or human data (such as, secondary data, archival data, data collected for one project and being used for another project) must submit an ethical review application, irrespective of whether the research is funded or unfunded.

    Procedures for Application for Ethical Review

    RPg students are required to submit their applications for ethical review, with endorsement of their Principal Supervisor, to the Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC) for approval.

    Students will normally be notified the result of their application by the HREC in writing within 4 weeks’ time from receipt of their duly completed application with all the required documents. Please note that research cannot begin until the protocol has been approved by the HREC.

    The updated University’s guidelines on ethics in research and the detailed procedures for ethical review can be found at the website of Research and Development Office (RDO) at www.eduhk.hk/rdo/human.html.

    For a brief guideline on ethical review:
    http://www.eduhk.hk/gradsch/resource/RPg/Guidelines/HREC%20Leaflet_202007.pdf

    For enquiry on ethical review, please contact rdo@eduhk.hk.

  • Postgraduate Students Publication Awards Scheme (PSPAS)

    To cultivate an outcome-based research environment, the Postgraduate Students Publication Award is set up to reward students who produce quality research output in the format of journal articles.

    Details about nominations for the PSPAS will be announced in the Event Section of our webpage.

  • Forms

     

    Withdrawal from Study
    If you wish to withdraw from the programme, please contact the Programme Team at rpg@eduhk.hk

     

  • Programme Handbook
  • Policies & Guidelines
  • Course Information
  • Cross-institutional Courses
  • Other Course-related Information
  • Supervision
  • Doctoral Students Teaching
  • Professional Training
  • Research Ethics
  • Award Scheme
  • Other Information

Confirmation of Candidature

Guides to Thesis Submission

  • Students are required to submit the “Intention to Submit Thesis” form to the Graduate School at least six weeks before the expected date of thesis submission. Students who wish to participate in the Congregation (normally held in November to December) should submit the completed form by the end of the 2nd week of March in that academic year.

    After receiving the “Intention to Submit Thesis” form, students are required to send an email to rpg@eduhk.hk with a soft copy of thesis.

    Students are also required to submit (i) A Completed Thesis Submission Form, (ii) Two soft copies (one in Word format and one in PDF format) of thesis. Hard copies of thesis will be needed upon request by thesis examiner(s).

  • Flowchart for Thesis Submission

  • Viva Examination will normally be arranged within 8 weeks after the submission of Thesis, subject to the availability of the Thesis Examination Panel.

    The revision and rebuttal of Thesis after the Viva Examination is subject to the decision of the Thesis Examination Panel, and students will be informed after the Viva Examination.

  • Candidates may submit their research work in the form of a folio, subject to the approval of the panel of their thesis proposal presentations (for professional doctorate programmes) or qualifying examinations (for research postgraduate programmes).

    The following components will form the body of the folio:

    1. An introduction, explaining the theoretical and practical context leading to the research conducted, as well as the relationship between the publications included in the folio. The introduction will normally not exceed 20 pages.
    2. At least three publications, representing connected parts of a coherent research project.
    3. A discussion, addressing the implications of the research conducted and directions for future research, and comparing the results of the three publications and explaining any contradictions and limitations. The discussion will normally not exceed 20 pages.


    For a detailed guideline, please refer to the Requirements for the Submission of Folios.

Cross-institutional Courses

  • Cross-institutional Course/Subject Enrolment Scheme

    Research postgraduate (RPg) students are eligible to apply for enrolment in the courses listed for the Cross-institutional Course/Subject Enrolment Scheme. This collaboration scheme is established between eight UGC-funded institutions in Hong Kong to enhance the opportunities for postgraduate students to access research postgraduate courses and expertise at other universities. The participating institutions include:

    • The Chinese University of Hong Kong
    • City University of Hong Kong
    • Hong Kong Baptist University
    • The Education University of Hong Kong
    • The Hong Kong Polytechnic University 
    • The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
    • Lingnan University
    • The University of Hong Kong

     

    General information

    • Research postgraduate students of the eight universities are eligible to apply for enrolment in the courses listed for this Scheme and waivers of tuition fees will be granted to eligible students.
    • A student should only apply for the courses listed that are directly relevant to his/her field of study.
    • All application must be submitted to the host university through the home university on or before the deadline set by the host university.
    • The host university reserves the right whether to accept the applications from students of the other universities subject to availability, student quota and other pertinent factors of the courses.
    • Students who are successfully registered to the courses at the host university are required to fully participate in the courses, including completion of coursework and examinations.
    • Grades will be given to students with an official transcript issued by the host university at the end of the courses. Grading scale is at the sole discretion of the host university.
  • For EdUHK Research Postgraduate Students who want to enroll in courses offered by other UGC-funded universities:

    Notes to applicants:

    1. Students should only take courses offered by other UGC-funded universities if there are no equivalent courses being offered by EdUHK. Student should take courses that are directly relevant to his/her field of study.

    2. Grades will be given to students with an official transcript issued by the host university at the end of the courses. Grading scale is at the sole discretion of the host university.

    3. Students can apply for credit transfer for the courses completed through the Cross-institutional Course/Subject Enrolment Scheme. The transferred courses will be shown on the student’s transcript as credit transfer. The credit point will be counted towards the graduation requirements but excluded from the calculation of GPA.

    Application procedures:

     1.  Visit the websites of the universities concerned for detailed information.

    (Note : The application deadline is applicable for Research Postgraduate courses and UG courses; some Taught Postgraduate courses may have earlier deadlines):

    University information Information (available from) Application deadline Semester One (start date) 

    City University of Hong Kong

    Students applying for course(s) offered by CityU are required to complete an e-form.

    5 August 2024 21 August 2024 2 September 2024
    Hong Kong Baptist University 29 July 2024 19 August 2024 2 September 2024
    Lingnan University 26 July 2024 26 August 2024# 2 September 2024^

    The Chinese University of Hong Kong

    Students applying for courses offered by CUHK are required to complete a filled e-form.

    26 July 2024 9 August 2024 2 September 2024
    The Education University of Hong Kong 31 July 2024 12 August 2024 2 September 2024
    The Hong Kong Polytechnic University 22 July 2024 9 August 2024 2 September 2024

    The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

    Students applying for courses offered by HKUST are required to complete a filled e-form (RR-41).

    1 August 2024 16 August 2024 2 September 2024
    The University of Hong Kong 1 August 2024

    16 August 2024

    2 September 2024

    # The application deadline is applicable to most courses. Some courses have deadlines ranging from 5 to 29 August 2024

    ^ The first lesson of some postgraduate courses may start before 2 September 2024

    2. Download and complete Sections I, II, and III of the Application Form for Cross-institutional Course/Subject Enrolment for Research Postgraduate Students.

    3. Download the  Approval Form for Cross-institutional Course Enrolment and complete Part 1 and 2.

    4. Obtain approval from your Supervisor and Dean of Graduate School (via rpg@eduhk.hk).

    5. Submit the Application Form AND the Approval Form to the Graduate School Office at least FIVE working days before the deadline set by the university you wish to attend as specified above. Late applications will not be accepted.

    6. The host university will inform you of the application results.

  • For Research Postgraduate Students from other UGC-funded universities who want to enroll in EdUHK courses:

    Important dates in Semester One (2024-2025)*

    Event

    Date

    Application deadline for cross-institutional course/subject enrollment in EdUHK

    12 August 2024

    Announcement of Application Results

    21 August 2024

    Semester Start Date 2 September 2024

    Add/ drop period

    ~ 2 weeks from the start date of the course

    * Subject to change if necessary


    Course to be offered in Semester One, 2024-2025

    EDD8008 Conceptualizing Research

    Course Start Date: 14 Sep 2024

    Semester: 1
    Course Hours: 39
    Pre-requisite(s): Nil

    The course is designed to assist students to begin a systematic preparation for identifying problems that are considered important for scholarly communications, clarifying research ideas and concepts, evaluating critically research reports, formulating research questions by focusing on specific aspects of a broader research topic, and defining precisely the aim and objectives of a study. Since students with different backgrounds will come into the course with a variety of interest and skills, and would probably plan to embark on a wide range of areas, the course is designed to identify and build their capacities relevant to conducting research, provide focused specialist input, and offer a collective forum for debating research approaches. The course will also address the issue of how might educational and social researchers make ethical decisions when conducting research and minimize the potential risk to participants in the study.

     

    EDD8016 Research Methods I

    Course Start Date: 25 Sep 2024

    Semester: 1
    Course Hours: 39
    Pre-requisite(s): Nil

    Research Method Blocks together aim to start building students’ foundation knowledge of quantitative and qualitative methods at a doctoral level. Then the Blocks will provide students with a deeper understanding of concepts and principles in quantitative research methods and to advance their mastery of qualitative research skills. Students will develop competence in quantitative and qualitative research through lectures, critical reading, discussions, hands-on practices in study design, data collection and analysis.

     

     

    Notes to applicants

    1. Students admitted to a course will be officially registered as Visiting Students at EdUHK and are required to participate fully in the course, including completion of coursework and examinations, if applicable.

    2. Visiting Students will not be registered in a specific programme of study or attached to a specific academic department. Upon the completion of the registered course, a Visiting Student of EdUHK will not lead to a degree or other awards from EdUHK.

    3. Student ID card will NOT be issued to visiting students. They can use their HKID card/passport for identification purposes and use the JULAC library card for entering the EdUHK library.

    Application procedures:

    1. Select courses from the listed courses offered by EdUHK (2024-25).

    2. Download and complete Sections I, II and III of the Application Form for Cross-institutional Course/Subject Enrolment for Research Postgraduate Students and submit it to the responsible office of your home university. Home university may require students to submit an approval form.

    3. Application should reach the Graduate School of EdUHK via your home University by 12 August 2024. Late applications will not be accepted.

    4. You will be informed of the application results by 21 August 2024 via email.

    5. Requests for withdrawal from a course should be submitted, in written form to the Graduate School of EdUHK, before the end of the add/drop period.

    6. Transcript will be issued by the Registry of EdUHK to your home University. 

Financial Support for Research

  • All full-time research students admitted to the Research Postgraduate Programmes (RPg) are automatically considered for Research Postgraduate Studentship (RPGSs). As a form of scholarship, RPGS provides the RPg students with financial assistance to study the programme. RPGSs is given based on academic merit; and the award is not taxable income. The value of the studentship shall be determined by the University from time to time.

    The monthly stipend for the 2024-25 academic year is HK$18,360 (approximately US$2,350) for all MPhil and PhD students and HK$18,870 (approximately US$2,420) for post-candidacy PhD students. RPGS shall be tenable on an annual basis and awards for the subsequent years will be reviewed and determined by the University, subject to satisfactory performance of the RPGS holders. RPGS holders may also simultaneously be recipients of government loans and grants, and they may receive other scholarship awards on condition that this does not violate the terms and conditions of the other awards.

    Holders of RPGS are required to undertake duties that carry educational benefits for the holders, such as, but not limited to, other research/academic activities, as assigned by the University. The amount of the duties shall not exceed, on average, 10 working hours per week in any full twelve-month period.

    Terms and Conditions
    Terms and Conditions of Research Postgraduate Studentships

    Application for On-campus Research-related Employment

     Application Form

     

  • To encourage and support research activities of RPg students, we offer research support funding for PhD and MPhil students. Students who have passed the Qualifying Presentation and confirmed their candidature are eligible to apply.

     

  • The University encourages RPg students to present their work internationally and to exchange information with others in their research areas. Financial support would be provided to RPg students to attend international / national / local conferences or workshops as well as to have immersion visits to international / national / local research centres / departments / universities which are relevant to their research areas and directly related to their thesis.

     

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently asked questions for RPg students.

Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this website. Changes to any aspects of the programmes may be made from time to time as due to change of circumstances and the University reserves the right to revise any information contained in this website as it deems fit without prior notice. The University accepts no liability for any loss or damage arising from any use or misuse of or reliance on any information contained in this website.