Department of Sociology

(A) Graduate School Courses 

Requirements for students registered in or after September 2021Graduate School Course Information & Timetable

Modules Courses 4-year PhD/ MPhil 3-year PhD
Researcher Development Training (5 Modules)

Module 1 
Doing Research @ HKU 
(2 hours) 

 Required Optional
(Strongly encouraged to enrol in this orientation module)
 

Module 2
Introduction to Qualitative/ Quantitative Research Methods
(3 hours)

 Select one of the following courses based on your research needs:
  • GRSC6104 Introduction to Quantitative Research Methods (Humanities)
  • GRSC6105 Introduction to Quantitative Research Methods (Sciences)
  • GRSC6106 Introduction to Qualitative Research Methods (Humanities)
  • GRSC6107 Introduction to Qualitative Research Methods (Sciences)

 

Faculty/Departmental course(s) that can be taken as replacement:

  • FOSS6002 Qualitative Research Methods 1: Data Collection and Data Management Skills
  • FOSS6003 Quantitative Research Methods 1: Data Collection and Data Analysis Skills
  • FOSS6004 Qualitative Research Methods 2: Interpretation and Presentation of Qualitative Findings
  • FOSS6005 Quantitative Research Methods 2: Regression Analysis of Surveys
  • SOCI6011 Ethnographic Research Methods
 Required
 		 Optional
 
Module 3
Thesis Writing 
(3 hours)

Select one of the following courses based on your research needs:

  • GRSC6120 Introduction to Thesis Writing (Humanities)
  • GRSC6121 Introduction to Thesis Writing (Sciences)
  • GRSC6140 Advanced Thesis Writing (Humanities)
  • GRSC6141 Advanced Thesis Writing (Sciences)
     

Note: Selected students are required to complete GRSC6027 Intensive English for Postgraduate Students prior to taking this module.  Students concerned will be notified individually by the Graduate School.

 Required Optional
Module 4
Responsible Conduct of Research
(3 hours)
  • GRSC6101 Responsible Conduct of Research
 Required Required
Module 5
Stream-based Responsible Conduct of Research 
(3 hours)
  • GRSC6102 Stream-based Responsible Conduct of Research
     
Select one of the following topics based on your research needs:
-    Working with Human Participants (Humanities)
-    Working with Human Participants (Medicine)
-    Working with Animals (Medicine)
-    Lab Safety
-    Working on Big Data
-    Working on Texts		 Required Required
Professional Development Training (1 Module)
Module 6
Transferable Skills 
(12 hours)		 Select one of the following courses:
  • GRSC6108 Online Transferable Skills Programme
  • GRSC6138 Transferable Skills Retreat
 Required Optional

Requirements for students registered before September 2021

Click here to view the Graduate School coursework requirements.

 

(B) Faculty/Departmental Courses 

Requirements for students registered in or after 2024/25Faculty Website

  • 4-year PhD and MPhil: 5 compulsory courses

  • 3- year PhD: 1 compulsory course

Students registered in or after 2025/26 are recommended to take a research methods course offered by other departments as additional elective training. Full-time PhD students without solid methodological training are also strongly encouraged to take the Research Methods course offered by the Graduate School in addition to SOCI6011.

​

Courses Compulsory (C)/Elective (E)
4-year PhD 3-year PhD MPhil
SOCI6003 Research Seminars for Postgraduate Students (full-year course) C

C

(select 1 course)

 C
SOCI6011 Ethnographic Research Methods C C
SOCI6008 Modern Theory and Sociological Analysis C -- C
SOCI6012 Classical Social Theory

C

(select 1 course)

 --

C

(select 1 course)
SOCI7012 Special Topics in Contemporary Theory --
SOCI7010 Quantitative Research Methods

C

(select 1 course)

 --

C

(select 1 course)
SOCI7011 Introduction to Methods for Computational Social Science --
FOSS6100 A Practical Guide to Social Science Research E -- E


Requirements for students registered in 2022/23 and 2023/24

  • 4-year PhD and MPhil: 5 compulsory courses

  • 3-year PhD: 1 compulsory course

Courses Compulsory (C)/Elective (E)
4-year PhD 3-year PhD MPhil
SOCI6003 Research Seminars for Postgraduate Students (full-year course) C

C

(select 1 course)

 C
SOCI6011 Ethnographic Research Methods C C
SOCI6008 Modern Theory and Sociological Analysis C -- C
SOCI6012 Classical Social Theory C -- C
SOCI7010 Quantitative Research Methods C -- C
FOSS6100 A Practical Guide to Social Science Research E -- E


Requirements for students registered in or before 2021/22

  • 4-year PhD and MPhil: 4 compulsory courses

  • 3-year PhD: 1 compulsory course

Courses Compulsory (C)/Elective (E)
4-year PhD 3-year PhD MPhil
SOCI6003 Research Seminars for Postgraduate Students (full-year course) C

C

(select 1 course)

 C
SOCI6011 Ethnographic Research Methods C C
SOCI6008 Modern Theory and Sociological Analysis C -- C
SOCI6012 Classical Social Theory C -- C
FOSS6100 A Practical Guide to Social Science Research E -- E


Coursework arrangements are subject to change during the course of study. Students are advised to consult their home Faculty/Department for the most up-to-date course information.