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

MPhil PhD
Faculty of Architecture
Research Proposal
Form: Form 274/504
Length: No limit
Format: No specific requirement
Faculty of Arts (including Centre for Applied English Studies and Centre of Buddhist Studies)
Research Proposal
Form: No standardized form
Length: 3 to 4 pages
Format: Double-spaced
Instructions: 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.
Research Proposal
Form: No standardized form
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.
Faculty of Business & Economics
Statement of Research Interest Research Proposal
Form: Form 273/504
Length: 6 to 8 pages
Format: Double-spaced, font size: 12 point
Faculty of Dentistry
Research Proposal
Form: Form D. 82/903
Length: 1 to 2 pages (500-1000 words), A4 papers
Format: Single-spaced, font size: 11 or 12 point
Faculty of Education (including Institute of Human Performance)
Research Proposal Summary
Form: Form 154/1109 amended
Length: 6 pages
Format: No specific requirement

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.
Research Proposal Summary and a Detailed Research Proposal
(a) Research Proposal Summary
Form: Form 153/1109 amended
Length: 4 pages
Format: No specific requirement

(b) Detailed Research Proposal
Format: A4-size, double-spaced, point 12 font size (around 20 pages)

Important notes:
All PhD 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 4-page research proposal summary should still be written in English but the detailed research proposal can be written in Chinese.
Faculty of Engineering
Research Proposal
Form: Form 272/504
Length: No limit
Format: No specific requirement
Faculty of Law
Research Proposal
Form: Form 272/504
Length: 4 pages
Format: No specific requirement
Research Proposal
Form: Form 272/504
Length: No limit
Format: No specific requirement
Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine
Statement of Research Interest Research Proposal
Form: Form 272/504
Length: No limit
Format: No specific requirement
Faculty of Science
Statement of Research Interest Research Proposal
Form: No standardized form
Length: No limit
Format: No specific requirement
Faculty of Social Sciences (including Hong Kong Institute of Humanities & Social Sciences (Inc. the Centre of Asian Studies), Journalism & Media Studies Centre, Kadoorie Institute and Social Sciences Research Centre)
Research Proposal
Form: Form 272/504
Length: No limit
Format: No specific requirement

July 2011