PhD & MPhil
Research Postgraduate
Overview

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) is an innovative world-class research university. PolyU’s research postgraduate education provides students with a range of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) and Master of Philosophy (MPhil) programmes, and attractive admission scholarships.

There are opportunities to expand global horizons and foster postdoctoral development, alongside training in interdisciplinary research and knowledge transfer to meet society’s needs. Join PolyU to unleash your full potential!

What are the differences between Taught Postgraduate programmes and Research programmes?
What are the eligibility criteria for PhD or MPhil admission?
How are non-local students defined?
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Requirements
Admission Requirements
Study Information
Academic Year
E-learning Module on “Understanding China and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, P.R.C.”
English Enhancement Subjects
Enrolment and Registration
Medium of Instruction and Thesis Presentation
Programme Types
Residence Requirement
Procedures
Application Procedures
Application Period
Application Result and Offer Acceptance
Guidelines for Submitting Supporting Documents
Supporting Documents for Application
Admission Policies
Applicants with Disabilities
Concurrent Enrolment
Credit Transfer and Subject Exemption
Non-local Applicants
Selection Criteria
Fees / Financial Assistance
Application Fee
Caution Money
Fellowship and Scholarship
Financial Assistance
General Expenses
Other Fees
Tuition Fee and Registration Fee
FAQs
FAQs
Faculties and Schools
Study Mode
Entry Year and Semester/Term
Faculty of Business
Jan 2026 Entry
Department of Management and Marketing - PhD
Research Areas:

  • Management

  • Management Information Systems

  • Marketing

Application Deadline: 30 Sep 2025
Jan 2026 Entry
Department of Logistics and Maritime Studies - PhD
Research Areas:

  • Aviation Management and Economics

  • Maritime Law and Shipping Finance

  • Maritime Studies

  • Operations Management

  • Supply Chain Management

  • Transport and Logistics Management

Application Deadline: 30 Sep 2025
Jan 2026 Entry
School of Accounting and Finance - PhD
Research Areas:

  • Accounting and Auditing

  • Corporate Finance and Asset Pricing

Application Deadline: 30 Sep 2025

Faculty of Computer and Mathematical Sciences

Jan 2026 Entry
Department of Applied Mathematics - PhD / MPhil
Research Areas:

  • Applied Optimisation and Optimal Control

  • Applied Statistics

  • Data Science

  • Engineering and Computational Mathematics

  • Financial Mathematics

Application Deadline: 30 Sep 2025
Jan 2026 Entry
Department of Computing - PhD / MPhil
Research Areas:

  • Artificial Intelligence and Big Data Computing

  • Blockchain, Cyber Security and Privacy

  • Graphics, Multimedia and Virtual Reality

  • Networking and Mobile Computing

  • Pattern Recognition and Natural Language Processing

  • Systems Modelling and Software Engineering

Application Deadline: 30 Sep 2025
Jan 2026 Entry
Department of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (DSAI) - PhD / MPhil
Research Areas:

  • Machine Learning

  • Biometrics and Human Language Processing

  • Computer Vision and Graphics

  • Data Technologies and Governance

  • Statistical Learning and Optimization Methods

  • AI + X (Science, Healthcare, Neuroscience, etc.).

Application Deadline: 30 Sep 2025
Faculty of Construction and Environment
Jan 2026 Entry
Department of Building Environment and Energy Engineering - PhD / MPhil
Research Areas:

  • Building and Environment

  • Building Energy

  • Building Safety and Resilience

  • Electrical Services

  • Facility Management

Application Deadline: 30 Sep 2025
Jan 2026 Entry
Department of Building and Real Estate - PhD / MPhil
Research Areas:

  • Construction and Real Estate Economics

  • Construction and Real Estate Management

  • Information and Construction Technology

  • Urban Sustainability Policy

Application Deadline: 30 Sep 2025
Jan 2026 Entry
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering - PhD / MPhil
Research Areas:

  • Coastal and Hydraulic Engineering

  • Construction and Transportation

  • Environmental Engineering and Science

  • Geotechnical Engineering

  • Structural Engineering

Application Deadline: 30 Sep 2025
Jan 2026 Entry
Department of Land Surveying and Geo-Informatics - PhD / MPhil
Research Areas:

  • Geomatics

  • Urban Informatics and Smart City

Application Deadline: 30 Sep 2025
Faculty of Engineering
Jan 2026 Entry
Department of Aeronautical and Aviation Engineering - PhD / MPhil
Research Areas:

  • Aerodynamics

  • Aerospace Propulsion and Combustion

  • Aerospace Structures and Materials

  • Aviation Engineering

  • Flight Mechanics and Control

  • Satellite Communication and Navigation

Application Deadline: 30 Sep 2025
Jan 2026 Entry
Department of Biomedical Engineering - PhD / MPhil
Research Areas:

  • Biomedical Imaging, Instrumentation, Sensing and AI

  • Molecular, Cellular and Tissue Engineering

  • Prosthetics, Orthotics, Smart Ageing and Rehabilitation Engineering

  • Sports and Neuromusculoskeletal Engineering

Application Deadline: 30 Sep 2025
Jan 2026 Entry
Department of Mechanical Engineering - PhD / MPhil
Research Areas:

  • Advanced Materials and Processing 先進材料與加工

  • Aerospace Engineering 航宇工程

  • Clean Energy and Energy Storage 清潔能源與儲能技術

  • Robotics and Control 機械人與控制系統

  • Sound and Vibration 聲學與振動

  • Thermofluids and Combustion 熱流體與燃燒

Application Deadline: 30 Sep 2025
Jan 2026 Entry
Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering - PhD / MPhil
Research Areas:

  • Artificial Intelligence and Robotics

  • Communications and Information Security

  • Microelectronics and Quantum Technology

  • Electric Vehicles and Smart Mobility

  • Photonics, Smart Material and Devices

  • Power and Energy Systems 

Application Deadline: 30 Sep 2025
Jan 2026 Entry
Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering - PhD / MPhil
Research Areas:

  • Advanced Materials Processing Technologies

  • Aviation and Transportation Logistics

  • Operations and Supply Chain Management

  • Precision Engineering and Nano Technology (State Key Laboratory of Ultra-precision Machining Technology)

  • Industrial Artificial Intelligence

  • Smart Products and Services

Application Deadline: 30 Sep 2025
Faculty of Health and Social Sciences
Jan 2026 Entry
Department of Applied Social Sciences - PhD / MPhil
Research Areas:

  • Family, Child, Youth, and Ageing Studies

  • Psychology, Mental Health and Health

  • Social Policy, Social Welfare and Community Development

  • Social Theory, China and Global Social Development

  • Social Work and Human Service Management

Application Deadline: 30 Sep 2025
Jan 2026 Entry
Department of Rehabilitation Sciences - PhD / MPhil
Research Areas:

  • Translational Research in Neuroscience

  • Translational Research in Musculoskeletal and Sports Science

  • Translational Research in Better Ageing and Longevity

  • Translational Research in Primary Healthcare

  • Translational Research in Intelligent Rehabilitation

Application Deadline: 30 Sep 2025
Jan 2026 Entry
Department of Health Technology and Informatics - PhD / MPhil
Research Areas:

  • Cancer

  • Haemodynamic and Vascular Disorders

  • Immunity and Infection

  • Metabolic and Ocular Disorders

  • Neuroimaging and Neuropathology

Application Deadline: 30 Sep 2025
Jan 2026 Entry
School of Nursing - PhD / MPhil
Research Areas:

  • Healthy Ageing through Innovations

  • Mental Health and Psychosocial Support

  • Cancer and Supportive Care

  • Primary Health Care

Application Deadline: 15 Aug 2025
Jan 2026 Entry
School of Optometry - PhD / MPhil
Research Areas:

  • Ageing Eye Research

  • Myopia Research

Application Deadline: 25 Aug 2025
Faculty of Humanities
Jan 2026 Entry
Department of Chinese and Bilingual Studies - PhD / MPhil
Research Areas:

  • Applied linguistics, including Bilingualism, Corporate Communication, Language Assessment, and Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language

  • Chinese and East Asian Linguistics

  • Computational and Corpus Linguistics

  • Neuro-cognitive Studies of Language and Clinical Linguistics

  • Translation and Interpreting Studies

Application Deadline: 30 Sep 2025
Jan 2026 Entry
Department of Chinese History and Culture - PhD / MPhil
Research Areas:

  • Art History, Visual Culture, and Media Studies in Greater China and Asia

  • China’s Interactions with Other Parts of Asia

  • Chinese Government and Society in Imperial China

  • Chinese Literature and Cultural History

  • Ethnic Relations in China

  • History of Science, Technology, and Medicine 

  • Modern Chinese Intellectual and Political History

  • Traditional Chinese Intellectual and Religious History 

Application Deadline: 30 Sep 2025
Jan 2026 Entry
Department of English and Communication - PhD
Research Areas:

  • Area Studies and Intercultural Communication

  • English Language and (Applied) Linguistics

  • Language and Professional Communication

  • Language Teaching and Learning

  • Media and Communication

Application Deadline: 30 Sep 2025
Faculty of Science
Jan 2026 Entry
Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology - PhD / MPhil
Research Areas:

  • Biology

  • Chemistry

Application Deadline: 30 Sep 2025
Jan 2026 Entry
Department of Applied Physics - PhD / MPhil
Research Areas:

  • Green Energy & Carbon Neutrality

  • Machine Learning & Computational Physics

  • Nanomaterials & Micro/Nanoelectronics

  • Photonics, Plasmonics & Optoelectronics

  • Quantum Physics & Devices

Application Deadline: 30 Sep 2025
Jan 2026 Entry
Department of Food Science and Nutrition - PhD / MPhil
Research Areas:

  • Food Safety and Bacterial Antimicrobial Resistance under One Health Framework

  • Food Sustainability

  • Functional Foods and Chinese Medicine

  • Microbiome in Nutrition and Human Health

  • Nutrition and Human Health: The Emergence of Precision Nutrition

Application Deadline: 30 Sep 2025
School of Design
Jan 2026 Entry
School of Design - PhD
Research Areas:

  • Design Economy (設計經濟學)

  • Design Making (設計製造學)

  • Social Design (設計社會學)

Application Deadline: 15 Aug 2025
School of Fashion and Textiles
Jan 2026 Entry
School of Fashion and Textiles - PhD / MPhil
Research Areas:

  • Apparel Technology

  • Fashion and Textile Business

  • Fashion and Textile Design

  • Textile and Apparel Materials and Products

  • Textile Chemistry and Functional Materials

Application Deadline: 30 Sep 2025
Taught Postgraduate