The coursework component is compulsory for all 4-year PhD and MPhil students and students are required to have passed all Graduate School compulsory courses and at least 50% of the Faculty/School/Departmental courses by the end of the probationary period. Those who fail to do so will have to apply for an extension of the probation period from their home Faculty. All coursework requirements must be completed before thesis submission.
Graduate School Coursework Requirements
Graduate School courses aim to provide students from all faculties core knowledge on thesis writing and research skills and methods.
- For students registered in or after September 2021: 6 compulsory modules
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Researcher Development Training (5 modules)
Compulsory Modules Course Module 1
Doing Research @ HKU
(2 hours)- GRSC6100 Doing Research @ HKU
Module 2
Introduction to Qualitative/Quantitative Research Methods
(3 hours)Select one of the following:
Module 3
Thesis Writing1
(3 hours)Select one of the following:
Module 4
Responsible Conduct of Research
(3 hours)- GRSC6101 Responsible Conduct of Research
Module 5
Stream-based Responsible Conduct of Research
(3 hours)- GRSC6102 Stream-based Responsible Conduct of Research*
Professional Development Training (1 module)Compulsory Module Course Module 6
Transferable Skills (12 hours)Select one of the following:
1 With reference to the TOEFL or IELTS scores submitted upon admission, some students will be required to complete GRSC6027 Intensive English for Postgraduate Students prior to taking Module 3: Thesis Writing. Students concerned will be notified individually by the Graduate School.* Please take note of the focus of each sub-module from the course outline and, taking into consideration your research focus, ensure that you enrol in the appropriate subclass.
- For students registered between September 2013 and August 2021: 4 compulsory courses
-
Compulsory Courses Course Thesis Writing1 Select one of the following:
- GRSC6001 Introduction to Thesis Writing
- GRSC6020 Introduction to Thesis Writing (The Humanities & Related Disciplines)
- GRSC6021 Introduction to Thesis Writing (The Sciences & Related Disciplines)
- GRSC6040 Advanced Thesis Writing (The Humanities & Related Disciplines)
- GRSC6041 Advanced Thesis Writing (The Sciences & Related Disciplines)
- GRSC6120 Introduction to Thesis Writing (Humanities)
- GRSC6121 Introduction to Thesis Writing (Sciences)
- GRSC6140 Advanced Thesis Writing (Humanities)
- GRSC6141 Advanced Thesis Writing (Sciences)
Research Ethics for Graduate Students Select one of the following:
- GRSC6029 Research Ethics for Graduate Students (Faculties of Business and Economics, Education, Law and Social Sciences)
- GRSC6030 Research Ethics for Graduate Students (Faculties of Arts and Architecture)
- GRSC6031 Research Ethics for Graduate Students (Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of Dentistry)
- GRSC6032 Research Ethics for Graduate Students (Faculty of Engineering)
- GRSC6033 Research Ethics for Graduate Students (Faculty of Science)
- GRSC6101 Responsible Conduct of Research and GRSC6102 Stream-based Responsible Conduct of Research
Transferable Skills Select one of the following:
Research Methods Select one of the following:
- GRSC6007 Applied Quantitative Research Methods
- GRSC6034 Introduction to Quantitative Research Methods (The Humanities & Related Disciplines)
- GRSC6035 Introduction to Quantitative Research Methods (The Sciences & Related Disciplines)
- GRSC6036 Introduction to Qualitative Research Methods (The Humanities & Related Disciplines)
- GRSC6037 Introduction to Qualitative Research Methods (The Sciences & Related Disciplines)
- GRSC6042 Intermediate Quantitative Research Methods
- 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)
1 With reference to the TOEFL or IELTS scores submitted upon admission, some students will be required to complete GRSC6027 Intensive English for Postgraduate Students prior to taking Thesis Writing. Students concerned will be notified individually by the Graduate School.
- For students registered before September 2013
-
Compulsory Courses Course Thesis Writing1 Select one of the following:
Basic Research Skills and Methods Compulsory Module:
ONLY for students registered between September 2009 and August 2013. Select one of the following:
- GRSC6009 Research Ethics for Graduate Students2
- GRSC6029 Research Ethics for Graduate Students (Faculties of Business and Economics, Education, Law and Social Sciences)
- GRSC6030 Research Ethics for Graduate Students (Faculties of Arts and Architecture)
- GRSC6031 Research Ethics for Graduate Students (Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of Dentistry)
- GRSC6032 Research Ethics for Graduate Students (Faculty of Engineering)
- GRSC6033 Research Ethics for Graduate Students (Faculty of Science)
Elective Module:
For students registered between September 2009 and August 2013, select one of the following:
For students registered before September 2009, select two of the following:
- GRSC6002 Making Your Writing Clear
- GRSC6003 Reporting on Other Researchers’ Work
- GRSC6004 Effective Academic Presentations
- GRSC6007 Applied Quantitative Research Methods
- GRSC6008 Transferable Skills
- GRSC6010 Logic, Critical Thinking, and Creativity
- GRSC6014 How to Publish Your Research (The Humanities & Related Disciplines)
- GRSC6015 How to Publish Your Research (The Sciences & Related Disciplines)
- GRSC6018 Qualitative Research Methods
- GRSC6022 Basic Quantitative Research Methods (The Humanities & Related Disciplines)
- GRSC6023 Basic Quantitative Research Methods (The Sciences & Related Disciplines)
- GRSC6024 Intermediate Quantitative Research Methods (The Humanities & Related Disciplines)
- GRSC6025 Intermediate Quantitative Research Methods (The Sciences & Related Disciplines)
- GRSC6026 Computer-Assisted Analysis of Qualitative Data
- GRSC6028 Biological Safety
- GRSC6034 Introduction to Quantitative Research Methods (The Humanities & Related Disciplines)
- GRSC6035 Introduction to Quantitative Research Methods (The Sciences & Related Disciplines)
- GRSC6036 Introduction to Qualitative Research Methods (The Humanities & Related Disciplines)
- GRSC6037 Introduction to Qualitative Research Methods (The Sciences & Related Disciplines)
1 With reference to the TOEFL or IELTS scores submitted upon admission, some students will be required to complete GRSC6027 Intensive English for Postgraduate Students prior to taking Thesis Writing. Students concerned will be notified individually by the Graduate School.
2 GRSC6009 Research Ethics for Graduate Students have been replaced by five discipline-specific courses (GRSC6029/ GRSC6030/ GRSC6031/ GRSC6032/ GRSC6033) with effect from 2013-14. Students should complete the research ethics course intended for their home Faculty, unless approval from supervisor(s) and Departmental Research Postgraduate Committee (DRPC) has been obtained.
Faculty/School/Departmental Courses in lieu
Approval has been granted to specific Faculty/School/Departmental courses which can be taken in lieu of the Graduate School courses. Please click here for details.
Faculty / School / Departmental Coursework Requirements
Faculty/School/Departmental courses offer students with discipline-specific knowledge for research work in their distinct field of study. For details on the coursework requirements of individual Faculty/School/Department, please click here.