Faculties' Requirement Regarding Submission of Research Proposal and Statement of Research Interest from PhD/MPhil Applicants

Research Proposal
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For PhD applicants:
Research Proposal
(no standardized template)

Length:
4 to 5 pages
Format:
Double-spaced
Instruction:
It should outline a clearly-considered and defined research topic, with an account of research questions and methodology proposed, an explanation of the value and originality of the research, and a bibliography.
Applicants are advised to visit the individual departmental websites for the respective departments' guidelines on the format of research proposal required.

For MPhil applicants:
Research Proposal
(no standardized template)

Length: 3 to 4 pages
Format: Double-spaced
Instruction:
It should include a brief account of the applicant's academic history (including what he/she studied and what in particular has interested him/her; also, where relevant, the reason why he/she wants to undertake research at HKU). The proposal should set out the area of study he/she proposes to work in, and the research he/she intends to do in it. The Faculty understands that the proposal at this stage will be provisional, but it should show that the applicant knows something about the field, has started on the relevant reading, and has a sense of the interesting research questions and problems likely to be faced, of the methodology proposed and, if relevant, the resources required. The applicant should append a preliminary bibliography.
Applicants are advised to visit the individual departmental websites for the respective departments' guidelines on the format of research proposal required.

For PhD applicants:
Research Proposal
Download

Research Proposal
Download

For PhD applicants:
Research Proposal
No standardized form

Length:
Not more than 20 pages (Including a 1-page abstract, and excluding references)
Format:
Font size 12; Double-spaced
Instruction:
It should give a clear description of the particular aspect of the field in which you are interested and explain the particular approach which you propose to take in studying the subject matter.

Important notes:
All PhD theses should be written in English. For applicants whose research topic is in Chinese Language Education, approval may be granted for their thesis to be written in Chinese. Applications for such approval should be submitted at the time of application for admission. If an applicant intends to write the thesis in Chinese, the 1-page abstract should still be written in English but the Research Proposal may be written in Chinese.

Applicants have to include a declaration in their research proposal to confirm whether
(i) the proposal is all his/her own work; names of persons who have provided contribution and the nature and extent of their contribution should be specified if otherwise; and
(ii) whether the proposal, in parts or in whole, has not been published or submitted to any institution; the extent and the details of the publication and/or submission to the institution(s) should be specified if otherwise.

For MPhil applicants:
Research Proposal Summary
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Important notes:
All MPhil theses should be written in English. For applicants whose research topic is in Chinese Language Education, special approval may be granted for their thesis to be written in Chinese. Applications for such special approval should be submitted at the time of application for admission. If an applicant intends to write the thesis in Chinese, the 6-page research proposal summary should still be written in English.

Applicants are required to declare
(i) whether the research proposal submitted is all his/her own work; names of persons who have provided contribution and the nature and extent of their contribution should be specified if otherwise; and
(ii) whether the proposal, in parts or in whole, has not been published or submitted to any institution; the extent and the details of the publication and/or submission to the institution(s) should be specified if otherwise

Research Proposal
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For PhD applicants:
Research Proposal
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For MPhil applicants:
Research Proposal
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Length: 4 pages

For PhD applicants:
Research Proposal
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For MPhil applicants:
Statement of Research Interest
No standardized template

Research Proposal
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For all applicants (except for the Department of Sociology and Hong Kong Institute of Humanities & Social Sciences)
Research Proposal
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For applicants to Department of Sociology:
Research Proposal
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For applicants to Hong Kong Institute of Humanities & Social Sciences:
Research Proposal
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Length: max. 8 pages
Format: Double-spaced

Research Proposal
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