Postgraduate Studies  |  Current Research Interests  |  Admission (MPhil/MSc/PhD)  |  Postgraduate Programmes PHY HomeProgrammes of Studies

Admission to Postgraduate Studies


General Information for Admission

Applications for postgraduate programmes are invited to the research Master of Philosophy and Doctor of Philosophy (MPhil-PhD) programme and the taught Master of Science (MSc) programme. The research postgraduate programme consists of MPhil and PhD streams.

Applicants for the PhD stream should hold, or expect to hold by the time of admission, a Master's degree in Physics or related disciplines, or a Bachelor's degree in Physics or related disciplines, normally with Second Class Honours or above. Applicants are advised to take the Advanced Physics Test of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) and a score of the test should be submitted along with the application. The PhD stream is open for application year-round. Due to the limitation of quotas, however, the applicants are urged to complete the application procedures before January 31.

Applicants for the MPhil stream should hold, or expect to hold by the time of admission, a Bachelor's degree in Physics or related disciplines. The deadline for applications is February 28/29.

Applicants should provide proof of their English language proficiency in one of the following ways: (a) possess a pass in English at the AS level, or (b) have a degree from an English-speaking institution, or (c) submit one of the following scores for assessment: TOEFL or CET or GMAT (verbal) or IELTS.


Financial Support & Housing

Postgraduate Studentships: $12,800 per month
Loans available: Yes
On-campus housing: $1,130-2,270 per month


Application for Admission (2010-2011)

Applications are invited for admission to the higher degree programmes (MPhil/MSc/PhD) in 2010-2011. Descriptions on the experimental and theoretical projects are given in the next sections. Application forms are available in the General Office of the Physics Department:
or from theUniversity Graduate School. Now you can also submit an application form through Internet in the web site http://www2.cuhk.edu.hk/gss/apply.php
An Introduction Session will be held in the afternoon of Saturday, 6 February, 2010 from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Science Centre, CUHK. The Session is aimed at giving the potential applicants an introduction of the programmes, a better understanding of the research projects, and a chance to talk directly to individual teachers and/or to visit their research laboratories. Those who plan to attend please register by completing the reply form.

Complete & Submit the Reply Form Now!

You may also register by completing and sending a hardcopy of the reply form to the Department, or by fax to (852) 2603 5204. Those who cannot attend are advised to contact their potential supervisors before sending in applications. Applicants from outside of Hong Kong should write to gradappl@phy.cuhk.edu.hk indicating the research fields of interest.
In filling the application forms, applicants are advised to write down at least four projects by their numbers listed in this page in order of preference. Before making selections, potential applicants are encouraged to contact the individual professors to find out more about their research, their group and what kind of students they are looking for. For general information regarding our postgraduate programmes, please call (852) 2609 6340 or e-mail to gradappl@phy.cuhk.edu.hk.
Both full-time and part-time candidates will be considered. A full-time PhD/MPhil student will normally be awarded a graduate-assistantship or a postgraduate studentship which carries a monthly remuneration of HK$12,800; a separate application for graduate-assistantship is not required. Postgraduate students are required to pay an annual tuition fee of the amount around $42,100.

Experimental Projects Offered in 2010-11


Theoretical Projects Offered in 2010-11


Application Periods


General Application Procedures

The candidate should also have the following credentials sent separately to the Physics Department as early as possible:
  1. One copy of official transcript of academic record (non-returnable), to be sent directly to the Physics Department by the original university/institution, not by the applicant;
  2. Two copies of recommendation from referees named on the application form to be sent directly by the referees to the Physics Department, not by the applicant;
  3. One copy of academic/professional credentials, certificates or diplomas, etc.
  4. One copy of the HKID card or other identity document as given in the Application Form;
  5. The receipt of payment of application fee.
Applicants of the doctoral programme are required to submit a study plan together with other application materials, indicating clearly the particular study field they are interested in.
For further information concerning application procedures, please contact the Graduate School Office:

English Language Proficiency Requirement for Applicants

Applicants should normally either
  1. possess a pass grade in English in one of the following examinations
    • Hong Kong Advanced Level Examination (AS Level)
    • Hong Kong High Level Examination
    • CUHK Matriculation Examination, OR
  2. have a degree from a university in Hong Kong or an English-speaking country, OR
  3. have obtained a recognized professional qualification awarded in Hong Kong or in an English-speaking country, OR
  4. submit one of the following scores for assessment by the programme(s) concerned:
    • TOEFL
    • College English Test (CET-6) of PRC
    • GMAT (verbal)
    • IELTS, OR
  5. be exceptionally admitted upon full justification.