REGULATIONS GOVERNING POSTGRADUATE STUDIES

28. Program Registration29. Course Registration30. Course Substitution31. Credit Transfer32. Transfer of Course Grade and Credits on Resumption of Studies33. Assessment34. Qualifying Examination35. Thesis Format36. Conduct of Thesis Examinations37. Outcome of Thesis Examination38. Post-thesis Examination Arrangements39. Submission of the Final Thesis40. Academic Standing - Progress of Postgraduate Students41. Annual Progress Report for Research Postgraduate Students42. Residency Requirements43. General Requirements of Taught Postgraduate Programs44. General Requirements of Research Degree Programs45. Inter-departmental / Program Transfer46. Program Withdrawal

28. Program Registration

Program registration involves payment of tuition and other prescribed fees whereappropriate and confirms students’ enrollment at the University. Failure to enrollin the program in any one semester will result in automatic withdrawal from theprogram and the University, unless a formal approval of Leave from Study hasbeen obtained from the student’s major department (see section 28.3 below).Moreover, a student must be officially registered in the program in the semesterwhen he/she is being considered for graduation from that program.

Each student enrolled in a specific program is subject to the requirements of themajor department and the University. Exemption from specific requirements ispossible, but only in well justified circumstances and with written permission fromthe major department.

As a registered full-time student, one may apply for hall residence and financialaid, as well as acquire information about student life and the University.

28.1 Full-time and Part-time Study

Most postgraduate programs are available on both part-time and full-timebasis. The taught programs leading to the EMBA, MA, MBA, MSc andMTM degrees and graduate as well as professional diplomas are suitablefor students interested in part-time study. The MPhil and PhD are researchdegrees, and students in some disciplines may be required to participatein research on a full-time basis.

Postgraduate students may apply to their department, prior to the beginningof any semester, for transfer from full-time to part-time status or from part-time to full-time status. When such a transfer is allowed, the remainingprogram requirements will be determined.

Full-time students in taught programs are expected to be in attendanceduring those semesters and sessions for which their programs arescheduled. Research students are expected to be in attendance on a year-round basis. For part-time students, attendance shall be as above excepton a part-time basis as defined by the requirements of their programs.

28.2 Study Commitment

Students admitted to a full-time program of study are expected to studyfull-time for their programs, and are cautioned that outside workcommitments may impede their academic performance.

28.3 Leave from Study

Students are discouraged from interrupting their program of study. Withsufficient justification, a student’s major department may approve a Leavefrom Study of one semester. Requests for Leave from Study for twoconsecutive semesters require the approval of the relevant Dean. Leavefrom Study for more than two consecutive semesters will normally not beconsidered. Any exceptions to this policy require the approval of the Officeof the Vice-President for Academic Affairs.

28.4 Double Registration

Unless prior permission from the Director of Admissions, Registration andRecords is obtained, students are not permitted to concurrently register foranother program at this University or at another tertiary institution. Studentenrollment lists are compared with those of other tertiary institutions fromtime to time. If students are found to be registered elsewhere, they willnormally be required to discontinue their studies at this University.

28.5 Late Registration

Non-local postgraduate students admitted to the University in a particularacademic year must complete registration in their programs by the end ofthe add/drop period in the Fall or Spring Semester. No deferment ofregistration is granted for more than two semesters. The admission offersmade to prospective students who are not able to adhere to the abovedeadlines will become void. They will have to re-apply for admission to theUniversity as new applicants.

28.6 Adherence to the Curriculum

Beginning 1996-97 academic year, all new postgraduate students mustadhere to the curriculum of the year of entry throughout their program ofstudy.

Departments should, as far as possible, deliver the curriculum advertisedunless due to special circumstances, changes to the original curriculumare necessary or advantageous.

28.7 Duration of Study

Postgraduate diploma programs

The professional diploma is an integral part of the graduate diploma of thesame generic title and area of study. The normative length of study for thepart-time professional diploma program is one year, whereas that for thepart-time graduate diploma program is a year and a half.

Taught master’s programs

For full-time MSc and MA students, the normative period for completingthe degrees is one or one and a half years as specified by individualprograms. Part-time students may expect to take twice the time of full-time students. The normal period for completing the full-time and part-time MBA programs is one and a half years and two years, respectively.

Research degree programs

The normal period for completing the PhD degree in full-time mode is fouryears after the first degree with a reduction of one year if a relevant master’sdegree is earned prior to entering the PhD program. For the MPhil degreein full-time mode, the normal period of study is two years.

Time restrictions on program completion

The maximum time allowed for degree completion is five years for themaster’s degree and eight years for the doctoral degree.

The maximum period of study for the part-time graduate diploma is threeyears whereas that for the part-time professional diploma is two.

The above time limits are in effect whether or not the student is in continuousregistration. Time limits for part-time study are the same as for full-timestudy.

28.8 Students Studying Taught Programs Beyond the Normal Duration of aProgram

Students on taught postgraduate programs who have to extend theirenrollment beyond their normative period of study are allowed to pay apartial fee, based on the number of credits they enroll for. The partial fee isonly applicable to a student’s final semester of study which is beyond thenormal period of study for the program the student is enrolled in. Details ofthe per credit charge can be found in the section “Fees”.

28.9 Tuition Fee for Research Postgraduates Studying Beyond the NormalPeriod

To encourage research postgraduate students to complete their studies atthe earliest possible time, a refund mechanism has been introduced sothat those who have met their program and residency requirements withinthe first three calendar months of the start of a semester are entitled to apartial refund of the tuition fee paid for that semester. Details of the refundarrangements can be found in the section “Fees”.

28.10 Quarter-time Research Postgraduates

Research postgraduate students who are studying beyond the normativeperiod of study and in their final stage of thesis writing may apply to registeras quarter-time students. They are required to complete an application formobtainable from the Admissions, Registration and Records Office (ARRO).The application, duly considered and endorsed by the thesis supervisor,head of department or PG coordinator, and Dean (in the case of PhDstudents who wish to extend their quarter-time status) concerned, has toreach ARRO at least eight weeks before the start of the semester the quarter-time tuition fee is to be effected. Details of the quarter-time tuition fee canbe found in the section “Fees”.

MPhil students may register in the quarter-time mode up to a maximum oftwo consecutive semesters, subject to the endorsement of their thesissupervisor and their major department. Similarly, a PhD student may registerfor the quarter-time mode for up to two consecutive semesters. If anextension is required, the PhD student has to obtain the approval of thethesis supervisor, his major department and the appropriate Dean. Thistype of extension for PhD students is very exceptional and is restricted tono more than two semesters of registration. A research postgraduate studentcan only opt for the quarter-time mode once. In the event the student isunable to complete his program of study by the end of the quarter-timeperiod allowed, he will need to continue his registration in either full-time orregular part-time mode of study in subsequent semesters.

Research postgraduate students who are registered in the quarter-time modeare not entitled to apply for partial tuition refund even if they have met theirprogram and residency requirements within the first three calendar monthsof a semester.

28.11 Registration Beyond Program Completion

Students who have completed their program requirements are not allowedto continue their registration for the same program of study in subsequentsemesters.

29. Course Registration

Course registration deals with the selection of and enrollment in appropriate coursesfor a specific semester. Course registration for a semester requires approval fromthe major department. The student’s program registration will be revoked withoutformal course registration. Students should ensure that they have properlyregistered in the courses specified for a semester. Students whose names are noton the class enrollment list will not be allowed to sit for examination(s) of thespecific course(s) concerned and will not be awarded any grades for the course(s).

Students should acquaint themselves with the general rules for postgraduate courseregistration and departmental course requirements for the program. They shouldalso read the course description and requirements carefully before selecting acourse.

29.1 Course Requirements

Credit requirements for postgraduate programs apply only to course andproject work, not to thesis research. For students on taught master’sprograms, unless restricted by program regulations, a maximum of ninecredits of approved undergraduate courses at the 300-level may be usedfor postgraduate credit. Of the nine credits, no more than six may be fromthe student’s major department.

For students on graduate diploma programs, unless restricted by programregulations, a maximum of three credits of approved undergraduate coursesat the 300-level may be used for postgraduate credit.

Students on professional diploma programs are not allowed to use anyundergraduate courses for postgraduate credit.

For students on research degree programs, unless restricted by programregulations, a maximum of six credits of approved undergraduate coursesat the 300-level may be used for postgraduate credit. Of the six credits, nomore than three may be from the student’s major department. Additionalstipulations on the use of 300-level courses to gain credit transfer can befound under Section 31.

For all postgraduate programs, the average course grade obtained forsatisfying program requirements must at least be ‘B’. The study loadrequirements for postgraduate programs are as follows:

Taught master’s programs

The normal study load for full-time students on taught master’s programsis twelve credits per semester, with nine credits being the minimum. TheMBA and the MSc programs offered by the School of Business andManagement, however, have a heavier study load than other taughtpostgraduate programs. For part-time students, the maximum study loadis eight credits per semester.

Postgraduate diploma programs

The normal study load for students on part-time postgraduate diplomaprograms is six credits for each semester. The maximum load is eightcredits per semester.

Research degree programs

The normal study load of full-time research degree students is ten creditsper semester whereas the maximum study load for those in part-time modeis eight credits per semester.

29.2 Course Repeats

A course with a grade less than C shall not be credited toward a programalthough it will be reflected in the student’s record. Only two courses(excluding audited courses) in a postgraduate program may be retaken,and each may be repeated only once. The new grade obtained afterrepeating a course will replace the previous grade in the calculation of thecumulative and graduation grade averages.

29.3 Course Registration Changes

a) Course add/drop

Students may make changes to their course enrollment during the add/drop period which is scheduled at the beginning of each semester.Changes made in this period will not be reflected in the student’s record.Requests for adding or dropping courses after the add/drop period willnot be accepted except under extenuating circumstances.

b) Course withdrawal

After the add/drop period, requests to withdraw from courses will notbe considered unless the withdrawal is due to extenuatingcircumstances beyond the control of the student. Students wishing torequest for course withdrawal after the add/drop period will be requiredto provide the department with full justification for making the application.The request is first considered by the head of the department, and ifsupported, then by the dean of the school concerned, and finally theOffice of the Vice-President for Academic Affairs.

Once the approval is given, the Withdrawal without Penalty Grade ‘W’is recorded as the course grade.

29.4 Corequisites, Prerequisites, Exclusions and Background

For a course with a corequisite designated, both courses should be takenconcurrently.

If a course designates other courses as its prerequisites, students musthave taken and passed the prerequisite(s) before they may register in thecourse, unless exemption is granted by the department offering the course.

If a course has exclusions specified, students are not allowed to register inthe course if they have already taken and passed any of the statedexclusions. Also students are not allowed to enroll in a course togetherwith any of its stated exclusions in the same semester.

A course may require a certain general level of desired prior knowledge asbackground. Students should ensure that they have the necessarybackground to undertake a course, and may seek help from theirdepartmental advisors.

29.5 Co-listed Course

A co-listed course is a course offered under more than one course code.There may be different assessment schemes or assignments for the differentcourse registrations, which will be explained to students at the beginningof the semester. Students may only register for one of the co-listed versionsof the courses, and can only earn the credits of the course for which theyare registered.

29.6 Course Auditing

With the permission of the course instructor, a postgraduate student, full-time or part-time, may register in a course as an auditor, who attends acourse and participates in activities up to and including the writing of thefinal examination but not receiving a formal grade. Subject to satisfactorycompletion of requirements set at registration by the course instructor, thedesignation AU will be recorded on the student’s transcript, otherwise thecourse will be removed from the registration record. No course credit isgiven for audited courses.

The credit load of audit courses is counted toward the study load of astudent. Students on taught postgraduate programs may not be allowed toaudit courses without registering for normal coursework simultaneously ina semester. Exceptions may be allowed for Summer and Winter Sessionswith the approval of the postgraduate coordinator concerned.

For students who are on taught postgraduate programs which adopts aper-credit tuition fee system, the tuition fee for the audit courses is thesame as that of regular courses.

30. Course Substitution

Course substitution may be granted if the student can produce evidence, such asa transcript and course syllabus, that a course is equivalent in content and level toanother course taken elsewhere, for which a satisfactory grade has been obtained.No credits will be given for the exempted course, and the student will be requiredto take an approved alternative course.

31. Credit Transfer

Credit transfer may be granted to students in recognition of studies completedsuccessfully elsewhere. Application must be made to their major department orprogram office during their first semester after admission. Students on postgraduatediploma programs must submit their application to the major department or programoffice within the first month after admission. Students applying for credit transfermust produce evidence, such as a transcript and course syllabus, to illustrate thata course is equivalent in content and level to another course taken elsewhere, forwhich a satisfactory grade has been obtained. Late applications will not beconsidered. Conditions on the granting of transfer credits are as follows:

a) No more than half of the required course work for students on taughtpostgraduate programs may be granted transfer credits;

b) Subject to the approval of the major department or program office, all creditsearned from a professional diploma program offered by the University may betransferred to a related graduate diploma or master’s degree program of theUniversity.

c) Credits earned at the undergraduate level can only be used for credit transferpurpose if the credits had not been used to earn another academic qualification,and that the course must be at the 300-level or above, and

d) Transfer credits cannot be granted in recognition of non-course work experienceor research work completed either at the University or at other institutions.

The amount of transfer credits to be granted will be determined by the majordepartment or program office following review of past academic records and thelevel of equivalence to HKUST courses required.

Transfer credits granted will not be included in the calculation of grade averages.In addition, courses approved for credit transfer will not appear on a student’stranscript.

32. Transfer of Course Grade and Credits on Resumption of Studies

Students who had previously withdrawn from their program of study at the Universitybut who, after a period of time, are re-admitted to a program of study at theUniversity, may be allowed to transfer their previous course grades and credits tothe new program of study. Such a transfer of course grades and credits is restrictedto courses which had been completed within five years prior to the resumption ofstudies at the University. In addition, these credits must not have been used toearn any academic qualifications either at the University or elsewhere.

33. Assessment

33.1 Course Grading

Grades given in each course are based on student performance in the finalexamination, tests, essays and reports, presentations and other forms ofclassroom participation, assignments, and laboratory exercises, althoughnot all these elements may be present in each course. A failing grade in thelaboratory component, if any, of a course may result in a failure in the wholecourse. The instructor in each course will announce the course gradingscheme to the class in the first week of lectures. Students will not be givenany grades for the course nor be allowed to sit for the examination of thatcourse if their names are not on the class enrollment list. Final examinationsare scheduled following the end of lectures.

33.2 Absence from Final Examinations

Students who fail to attend a final examination as scheduled will be givenzero mark for that examination. If the absence is due to extenuatingcircumstances beyond the student’s control, such as medical emergencies,he/she may apply to the Admissions, Registration and Records Office(ARRO) within one week from the missed examination for a make-upexamination to be held. For absence due to medical reasons, the studentis required to submit certification issued by a registered medical practitioner.Appropriate documentation would be required for absences due to otherreasons.

The ARRO will decide, in consultation with the Office of the Vice-Presidentfor Academic Affairs (VPAAO) and the Department/Course Instructorconcerned, whether or not the student’s application should be approved.The student will be notified of the result of the application within one weekfrom the date the application is lodged with ARRO. The make-upexamination will be held within five weeks after the regular examinationperiod. The format of the make-up examination will be decided by thecourse instructor concerned.

33.3 Postgraduate Grades

Students receive a grade in each course in which they are enrolled. Gradesrange in equal increments from A+ to F. The Pass, Ungraded (P) grade isgiven only for courses that are indicated in the course description in thisCalendar that they will be graded as such. A failed course (graded F) cannotbe credited toward a program. The grades C- to D-, and E, are not used inpostgraduate courses. For the purpose of calculating the grade averages,numerical grade points are assigned to each course grade, except AU, I, P,PP and W which are not included in the calculation of the grade averages.The grades used are shown in the following table.

Letter Grades Grade Points Definitions

A+ 12A 11 ] Excellent PerformanceA- 10

B+ 9B 8 ] Good Performance

B- 7C+ 6 ] Marginal PerformanceC 5

F 0 Failure

Other Grades Definition

AU AuditedI IncompleteP Pass, Ungraded

PP Permitted to ProceedW Withdrawal without Penalty

The Audited (AU) grade will be assigned when an auditing student hascompleted, to the satisfaction of the instructor, any conditions establishedat registration as an auditor. If the conditions are not met, the course willbe deleted from the student’s record.

An Incomplete (I) grade is used when work is necessarily delayed throughno fault of the student, such as a medical problem or an equipmentbreakdown. This grade must be converted to a regular grade at least oneworking day before the start of the following semester; otherwise it isconverted to F. The I grade given to students on postgraduate diplomaprograms must be converted to a regular grade within one month from thelast day for grade reporting for courses, which is normally the sixth workingday from the last day of examinations for the rest of the courses. Otherwiseit is converted to F.

When progress in thesis or project work is satisfactory but not scheduledfor completion at the end of a semester, the Permitted to Proceed (PP)grade is used.

The Withdrawal without Penalty (W) grade is given when a student withdrawsfrom a course after the add/drop period.

33.4 Grade Reports

After the examination period, students are required to check their own coursegrades which are available on the web-based student records system.Course grades will be posted on this web-based system as soon as theybecome available, but not later than six working days from the last day ofthe examination period for the semester. Printed grade reports are no longerissued to students.

33.5 Grade Review

A student may apply for a grade review in a course in which the studentwas enrolled in the semester just completed. This request should be madeto the department offering the course within two weeks from the day onwhich grades are posted. If a review is granted, the grading will be reviewedby the course instructor or another member of the departmental facultywithin three weeks after the date of grade posting. Any subsequent appealagainst the departmental decision must be made to the dean of the schoolconcerned within two weeks of receiving the decision. The dean’s decisionis final.

33.6 Grade Averages

A grade average (GA) is the average weighted grade obtained in a group ofcourses where each course is given a weight equal to its credit value.Advanced credits, exchange credits and courses graded AU, I, P, PP or Ware omitted from this calculation.

There are three grade averages. The semester grade average (SGA) is thecombined grade average covering all courses taken in both the semesterand the session immediately following. The cumulative grade average (CGA)is based on all the courses taken by the student which are expected at thetime of calculation to be applied toward the graduation requirements in thecurrent program. At graduation, a graduation grade average (GGA) will becalculated from the courses that are presented for an academic award.

All GAs are reported using the closest letter grade, including C- to D-although they are not course grades.

34. Qualifying Examination

Students enrolled on PhD programs are required to pass a qualifying examinationwithin a stipulated period in order to progress in the program. The qualifyingexamination may be conducted through the oral or written mode, or both. Thosewho fail the qualifying examination after two attempts are not allowed to continuewith their doctoral studies. Individual programs may have stipulations concerningthe minimum and maximum periods that students should take the qualifyingexamination and when the qualifying examination should be retaken in the case offailure in the first attempt.

35. Thesis Format

The thesis shall conform in layout, binding and presentation to the requirementslaid down in the Guidelines for Thesis Preparation. General University guidelinesrequire that a thesis should:

• be written in English;

• have a title page giving the thesis title, the student’s full name, the name ofthe department, the name of the degree for which the thesis is submitted, thename of the University, and the month and year of submission;

• contain a paginated table of contents and a list of references;

• be printed on one side only of international size A4 80 to 90gsm woodfreepaper (297mm x 210mm);

• have all textual materials in double line or one-and-a-half line spacing, althoughlong quotations, references and footnotes may be single-spaced;

• be adequately referenced and clearly punctuated; and

• include an abstract of not more than 300 words summarizing the content ofthe thesis.

Students in the School of Humanities and Social Science who are pursuing researchwork in the areas of Chinese Studies, and who can demonstrate a need to useChinese to write their theses should seek prior approval from the School ofHumanities and Social Science via their supervisors and the divisional head. Ifapproved, students are also required to produce a translation of the abstract intoEnglish.

Details on the exact format and other requirements of theses can be found in theAcademic Programs Manual.

36. Conduct of Thesis Examinations

A student wishing to appear before a thesis examination committee must so indicateto the major department at least six weeks before the examination, and havedelivered to the department a sufficient number of examination copies at least fourweeks before the examination. For a PhD thesis, the number of copies is seven,and for the MPhil four. One of these copies will be put on display prior to theexamination for perusal by departmental faculty and students and other membersof the University community and members of the public.

The thesis examination takes place in a single session and comprises four parts,the first two of which are open to all members of the University and to departmentalguests. The third part is closed to all but the student and the committee, and thefourth is a closed session of the examiners in the absence of the candidate.

The first part is an oral presentation by the student, emphasising the major elementsof the research and the results obtained. Next is an open questioning period,involving first members of the thesis examination committee, and subsequently,others in attendance. During this part of the examination, all questions areaddressed through the chairman and any dialogue limited to the student and theindividual questioner. The third is a closed session involving a less formal discussionbetween the student and the examination committee on his research. At the endof this part of the examination, the candidate must leave the examination venue.

The fourth and final part is a closed session involving only the committee to assessthe thesis, and the performance of the candidate. In arriving at a decision, thevotes of members of the thesis committee carry equal weight. The chairman isresponsible for advising the committee the vote of the external examiner in absentia,if applicable. A report on the thesis examination is then prepared by the chairman,together with members of the thesis examination committee.

37. Outcome of Thesis Examination

A thesis examination can have one of the following results:

Passed*Passed* subject to minor correctionsPassed subject to major correctionsFailed but may be resubmittedFailed

* The ‘Passed with Distinction’ category is no longer used from Spring Semester 1995/96onward.

38. Post-thesis Examination Arrangements

If a thesis has been graded “Passed” with no corrections required, a PhD candidatemust, within one week, submit four clean unbound original copies of the thesis tohis or her department, which will arrange for the appropriate signatures of approval,and forward the signed copies to the Admissions, Registration and Records Officefor their action. Of the four finalized copies of the thesis received by the Admissions,Registration and Records Office, two are kept by the University Library (one copyfor archives and one for reference). The third copy is retained by the departmentconcerned as a record. The fourth copy is sent to University Microfilms, Inc (UMI)in the US for microfilming. When submitting copies of the final version of thethesis, the thesis supervisor must remind the candidate that all four sets of thethesis should be identical and original copies. For MPhil candidates, thearrangement will be the same as that for the PhD candidates, except that threeoriginal copies of the thesis are required, instead of four as MPhil theses are notnormally forwarded to UMI for microfilming.

For candidates who have passed their thesis examination but subject to minorcorrections, their final thesis copies must be submitted to the University withinthree months from the date of the thesis examination, or a date specified by thethesis examination committee, whichever is earlier. This requirement is applicableregardless of the mode of registration of the candidate. The corrections are to bemade to the satisfaction of the thesis supervisor. The final version of the thesisshould be submitted to the thesis supervisor for checking and verification beforethe clean unbound original copies are submitted to the department to completethe degree requirements.

For candidates who have passed their thesis examination but subject to majorcorrections, their final thesis copies must be submitted to the University within 12months from the date of the thesis examination, or a date specified by the thesisexamination committee, whichever is earlier. This requirement is applicableregardless of the mode of registration of the candidate. The revised thesis requiresthe approval of the full thesis examination committee. If the members are satisfiedwith the revised thesis, they may recommend that a second thesis examination bewaived. The revisions should be forwarded to the thesis supervisor and the headof the candidate’s department for endorsement. If a second examination is required,the membership of the thesis examination committee should be the same as thatfor the first examination, unless otherwise recommended by the candidate’sdepartment.

The result “Failed but may be re-submitted” requires that the entire examinationprocess be repeated, including the re-establishment of the thesis examinationcommittee. At least six months must pass before the thesis can be re-submittedfor examination. A candidate who has failed in the second attempt of thesisexamination will result in the automatic withdrawal of the candidate from his or herprogram of study and termination of registration at the University

A “Failed” grade results in the automatic withdrawal of the candidate’s from theprogram of study and termination of registration at the University.

In the event that a candidate misses the specified deadline for final thesissubmission, the candidate will be viewed to have failed to meet the thesisexamination requirements of the University and will be deemed to have failed therequirements of the degree program being pursued. If the delay in submitting thefinal thesis copies is no fault of the candidate, he/she may appeal for an exceptionto be made for the above rules to be lifted.

39. Submission of the Final Thesis

On successful completion of the thesis examination, an MPhil student must submitthree clean unbound original copies of the thesis to the department, which willarrange for the appropriate signatures of approval, and forward the signed copiesto the Admissions, Registration and Records Office for their action. When bound,two copies will be retained by the Library and one by the department.

For PhD students, the arrangement is the same as that for MPhil students, exceptthat four original copies of the thesis are required, instead of three.

40. Academic Standing - Progress of Postgraduate Students

The academic standing of all postgraduate students is periodically reviewed bytheir departments. Unsatisfactory performance may result in students being deniedthe opportunity to continue their studies.

In order for postgraduate students to attain good academic standing, they must (i)obtain a cumulative grade average (CGA) of B or better, and (ii) show a reasonableprogress toward program completion at the end of each semester.

Students who fail to maintain good academic standing in a semester will be issueda letter of warning by the Head of Department. Students who fail to maintain thisstanding in two consecutive semesters will have their records reviewed by theDepartment and may be required to take academic leave and have their study atthe University suspended. The suspension period will last from one to threesemesters during which students may apply for re-enrollment in their program ofstudy at the end of their suspension. If this application is approved, certainconditions may apply and the student must regain good academic standing in thesemester immediately following re-enrollment. Students will be required to withdrawfrom the University if the conditions are not met. If re-enrollment in the program isnot granted by the expiry of the suspension period, the suspension will be convertedto a required withdrawal from the University.

41. Annual Progress Report for Research Postgraduate Students

All MPhil and PhD students are required to submit by 30 June every year a writtenreview of their study progress in the past twelve months, using a proforma designedfor this purpose. They also need to describe their study plans for the twelvemonths ahead. The proforma will be read by members of the thesis supervisioncommittee, and their evaluation will be discussed with the student concerned.The progress report is also reviewed by the PG co-ordinator of the departmentand necessary action may be taken to address issues of concern. Failure to submitthe duly-completed proforma by the date specified may result in the student beingdenied continued registration for the program of study.

42. Residency Requirements

Normally, a full-time research student is required to be on campus full-time andconsequently in such geographical proximity as to be able to participate fully inUniversity activities associated with the program. Residency provides the studentwith an opportunity to become immersed in the intellectual environment of theUniversity. Also included in residency are periods during which the student’sresearch requires off-campus field or non-HKUST laboratory work.

Normally, the residency requirement for an MPhil degree is four full-time semestersand that for a PhD degree is eight. In many departments, the semester may includeall or part of the subsequent session. A semester of residency of a part-timestudent counts as a one-half semester of residency. Students who have notcompleted their thesis work should continue registration on a full or part-timebasis, without interruption.

These residency requirements do not apply to taught postgraduate programs whichare defined by the semesters and sessions in which the programs are scheduled.

43. General Requirements of Taught Postgraduate Programs

43.1 MA, MSc and MTM Programs

These are course work degrees for which students must fulfill a minimumcourse requirement of 30 credits. Students may also undertake a projectdescribed in the departmental Calendar entries. Projects require thesubmission of a written report, as specified by the department, and carry amaximum of nine credits. Each report will be read by two faculty members,one of whom is the supervisor. Letter grades instead of ‘Pass’ or ‘Fail’grades are used for grading projects from Fall Semester, 1996/97 onward.

43.2 EMBA, IEMBA and MBA Programs

Requirements for the EMBA program, the IEMBA program and the full-timeand part-time MBA programs are described in the School of Business andManagement section of this Calendar.

43.3 Graduate and Professional Diploma Programs

Students on graduate diploma programs must fulfill a minimum course workrequirement of 15 credits. Those on professional diploma programs mustfulfill a minimum course work requirement of 8 credits.

44. General Requirements of Research Degree Programs

44.1 MPhil ProgramsIn addition to course work requirements, if any, described in thedepartmental entries of this Calendar, MPhil students will undertake aprogram of thesis research under the direction of a supervisor appointedby the department.

On commencement of study, each MPhil student is assigned an interimsupervisor. This supervisor works with the student to map out a tentativeprogram of study and research, and to identify a research supervisor. Theresearch supervisor, when appointed, replaces the interim advisor.

MPhil research is conducted under the general supervision of a thesissupervision committee of at least three faculty members, one of whom isthe designated thesis supervisor and committee chairman.

When the thesis is ready for examination, to the satisfaction of both thestudent and the supervisor, the department head appoints an examinationcommittee consisting of three faculty members. One is the supervisor andanother is appointed as chairman. The committee examines the thesis andconducts an oral thesis examination. Theses are graded Pass or Fail.

44.2 PhD Programs

PhD programs focus on original research by the student, but most alsorequire course work. Doctoral students proceed from admission to theprogram, to candidacy for the degree, and then to defense of the thesis.Each has a thesis supervisor who oversees the student’s research.Candidacy is obtained by the successful completion of qualifyingexaminations specified by the department.

PhD research is conducted under the general supervision of a thesissupervision committee of at least three faculty members, one of whom isthe designated thesis supervisor.

The five-member thesis examination committee is appointed by the Officeof the Vice-President for Academic Affairs on the recommendation of thedepartment. The committee is chaired by an individual from outside theschool, who is appointed by the Office of the Vice-President for AcademicAffairs from a pool of senior faculty nominated by the dean of each School.This person presides over the examination, but is not one of the five memberswho are: the thesis supervisor, two academic staff members from thedepartment, one academic staff member from outside the department, andone member external to the University who has expertise in the field beingexamined. Theses will be graded Pass or Fail.

45. Inter-departmental / Program Transfer

A student may change from one program of study to another with the permissionof the major department to which the student wishes to transfer. If a transfer isapproved, that department will determine which credits from the student’s formerprogram apply to the new program. Normally, the transfer will not be effected untilthe following semester. Students who wish to transfer to another program ofstudy in the middle of a semester should obtain the prior approval of the majordepartment and the relevant Dean’s Office. Unless there are extenuatingcircumstances, requests for program transfers to be effected in the middle of asemester are not supported.

46. Program Withdrawal

Students who withdraw or are required to withdraw from the University mustcomplete the clearance procedures with the Admissions, Registration and RecordsOffice, the Library, the Student Affairs Office, the Finance Office and the department.