Postgraduate Programs 2017/18
Master of Philosophy and Doctor of Philosophy Programs in Management
Award Title

Master of Philosophy in Management
Doctor of Philosophy in Management

Program Short Name

MPhil(MGMT)
PhD(MGMT)

Mode of Study

Both full- and part-time

Normative Program Duration

MPhil

Full-time: 2 years
Part-time: 4 years
 

PhD

Full-time: 3 years (with a relevant research master’s degree), 4 years (with a bachelor’s degree only)
Part-time: 6 years

Program Advisor

PG Programs Coordinator:
Prof Bilian SULLIVAN, Associate Professor of Management

Enquiry

The Master of Philosophy (MPhil) Program is a research-oriented degree that aims to prepare students for a research and teaching career in universities and research institutes. It has a global perspective with a focus covering areas in Organizational Behavior, Human Resources Management, Corporate Strategy, and Organization Theory. A candidate for an MPhil degree is expected to demonstrate knowledge in the discipline and to synthesize and create new knowledge, making a contribution to the field. Students intending to do a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Program in Management at HKUST should consider entering the MPhil Program to acquire the training necessary for a PhD degree.
 

The PhD Program follows a strong research-intensive tradition on the North American model. It is designed to enable students to gain a deep knowledge of management in general, to develop a concentration in a specialized field, and to provide opportunities for students to do significant original research in their chosen area. PhD students are offered intensive and targeted research training and exceptional collaboration opportunities with faculty to prepare them for their future careers in teaching and/or research. It has a global perspective with a focus covering areas in Organizational Behavior, Human Resources Management, Corporate Strategy, and Organization Theory.

The program is offered by the Department of Management with the following research foci:
 

Research Foci

The main areas of research include topics related to organizational theory and strategic management including corporate governance, entrepreneurship, institutions and status, organizational learning, social networks, alliances/ joint venture success in China and multinational corporate strategy; topics related to human resources management and organizational behavior including social exchange processes, multiculturalism, behavioral ethics, leadership in Chinese context, workplace deviance, employment externalization, team processes and effectiveness, expatriate adjustment, goal orientation, creativity and diversity.

To qualify for admission, applicants must meet all of the following requirements. Admission is selective and meeting these minimum requirements does not guarantee admission.
 

1. General Admission Requirements of the University
  • Applicants seeking admission to a master's degree program should have obtained a bachelor’s degree from a recognized institution, or an approved equivalent qualification;

  • Applicants seeking admission to a doctoral degree program should have obtained a bachelor’s degree with a proven record of outstanding performance from a recognized institution; or presented evidence of satisfactory work at the postgraduate level on a full-time basis for at least one year, or on a part-time basis for at least two years.

2. English Language Admission Requirements

Applicants have to fulfill English Language requirements with one of the following proficiency attainments:

  • TOEFL-iBT: 80

  • TOEFL-pBT: 550

  • IELTS (Academic Module): Overall score: 6.0 and All sub-score: 5.5


Applicants don't need to present TOEFL or IELTS score if

  • their first language is English, or

  • they obtained the bachelor's degree (or equivalent) from an institution where the medium of instruction was English.

3. Program-Specific Admission Requirements
  • A satisfactory score in GMAT or GRE

  1. Minimum Credit Requirement

MPhil: 19 credits

PhD: 36 credits
 

  1. Credit Transfer

PhD students who have taken the HKUST MPhil Program in Management will be granted credit transfer to the PhD Program. Students who have taken an MPhil program or equivalent in other universities may be granted credit transfer on a case-by-case basis, up to a maximum of 24 credits.
 

  1. Introductory Quantitative Requirement

Unless students have clearly demonstrated sufficient knowledge in the area, students entering the MPhil or PhD Program are required to take the following two mathematics-oriented courses in the first regular term of study. The credits earned from these two courses cannot be counted toward the degree requirements.
 

ECON 5100
ISOM 5540

 

  1. Course Requirement

MPhil:

At least 19 credits in the sequence suggested below. Students may need to take additional courses related to their research topics, as requested by their thesis supervisors.
 

Year 1

LANG 5002
ISOM 5550


Year 1 or Year 2

MGMT 7100*
MGMT 7120*
MGMT 7130*
MGMT 7140*
* These courses are offered every other year.

Any one of the following:

ECON 5130
ECON 5210
ECON 5300
ISOM 5560


PhD:

At least 36 credits including the following. Students may need to take additional courses related to their research topics, as requested by their thesis supervisors.
 

  1. Required Courses

ECON 5130
orECON 5210
ISOM 5550
LANG 5002
MGMT 7100
MGMT 7120
MGMT 7130
MGMT 7140


And at least one of the following:

ECON 5220
ECON 5300
orISOM 5560
ISOM 5530

 

  1. Elective Courses

Other postgraduate courses approved by the PG Committee.
 

  1. General Management Courses

At least three of the following:

ACCT 5100
FINA 5120
orFINA 5210
ISOM 5700
MARK 5120
MGMT 5230

 

  1. Professional Development Course Requirement
PDEV 6770


Students are required to complete PDEV 6770. The 1 credit earned from PDEV 6770 cannot be counted toward the credit requirements.


PhD students who are HKUST MPhil graduates and have completed PDEV 6770 or other professional development courses offered by the University before may be exempted from this requirement, subject to prior approval of the School.
 

  1. English Language Requirement
LANG 5000


Full-time RPg students are required to take an English Language Proficiency Assessment (ELPA) Speaking Test administered by the Center for Language Education before the start of their first term of study. Students whose ELPA Speaking Test score is below Level 4, or who failed to take the test in their first term of study, are required to take LANG 5000 until they pass the course by attaining at least Level 4 in the ELPA Speaking Test before graduation. The 1 credit earned from LANG 5000 cannot be counted toward the credit requirements.
 

  1. PhD Qualifying Examination

All PhD students must pass a qualifying examination.
 

Students admitted via the HKUST MPhil Program in Management will take the qualifying examination by the end of the second year of MPhil study. Students who fail the qualifying examination in the first attempt can retake the examination once and must pass the examination within six months after the first attempt.
 

Students admitted with an equivalent research master’s degree will take the qualifying examination by the end of the second year of PhD study. Students who fail the qualifying examination in the first attempt can retake the examination once and must pass the examination within six months after the first attempt.
 

Students admitted without an equivalent research master’s degree will take the qualifying examination by the end of the second year of PhD study. Students who fail the qualifying examination in the first attempt can retake the examination once and must pass the examination within six months after the first attempt.
 

  1. Research Paper Requirement

PhD students are required to submit a research paper by the first term of the third year of study. Students admitted with an HKUST MPhil degree in Management or equivalent will be exempted from this requirement.
 

  1. Thesis Research
MGMT 6990
MGMT 7990


MPhil:

  1. Registration in MGMT 6990; and
  2. Presentation and oral defense of the MPhil thesis.

PhD:

  1. Registration in MGMT 7990; and
  2. Presentation and oral defense of the PhD thesis.

 

Last update: 31 July 2018