Programme registration involves payment of tuition and other prescribed fees where appropriate and confirms students' enrolment at the University. Failure to enrol in the programme in any one semester will result in automatic withdrawal from the programme and the University, unless a formal approval of Leave from Study has been obtained from the student's major department. Moreover, a student must be officially registered in the programme in the semester when helshe is being considered for graduation from that programme.
Each student enrolled in a specific programme is subject to the requirements of the major department and the University. Exemption from specific requirements is possible, but only in well justified circumstances and with written permission from the major department.
As a registered full-time student, one may apply for hall residence and financial aid, as well as acquire information about student life and the University.
28.1 Study Commitment
Students admitted to a full-time programme of study are expected to study full-time for their degrees, and are cautioned that outside work commitments may impede their academic performance.
28.2 Double Registration
Unless prior permission from the Director of Admissions, Registration and Records is obtained, students are not permitted to concurrently register for another pro- gramme at this University or at another tertiary institution. Student enrolment lists are compared with those of other tertiary institutions from time to time. If students are found to be registered elsewhere, they will normally be required to discontinue their studies at this University.
28.3 Late Registration
Overseas postgraduate students admitted to the University in a particular academic year must complete registration in their programmes by the end of the add-drop period in the Fall or Spring Semester. No deferment of registration is granted for more than one semester. The admission offers made to prospective students who are not able to adhere to the above deadlines will become void. They will have to re-apply for admission to the University as new applicants.
28.4 Full-time and Part-time Study
Most postgraduate degrees are available on both part-time and full-time basis. The taught programmes leading to the MSc, MA and MBA degrees are suitable for students interested in part-time study. The MPhil and PhD are research degrees, and students in some disciplines may be required to participate in research on afull- time basis.
Academic Regulations
Postgraduate students may apply to their department, prior to the beginning of 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 remaining degree requirements will be determined.
Full-time students in taught programmes are expected to be in attendance during those semesters and sessions for which their programmes are scheduled. In many programmes, research students may be expected to be in attendance on a year- round basis. For part-time students, attendance shall be as above except on a part- time basis as defined by the requirements of their programmes.
28.5 Duration of Study
For full-time students, the normal periods for the completion of MSc, MA and MPhil degrees are one and a half years, and two years for the MBA. For the PhD degree it is four years after the first degree with a reduction of one and a half years if a relevant master's degree is earned prior to entering the PhD programme. Part-time students may expect to take abouttwice the time of full-time students. Students may apply for reductions to these periods.
The maximum time for degree completion is five years for the master's degrees and eight years for a doctoral degree (with a one and a half year reduction in the circumstances noted in the preceding paragraph). These time limits are in effect whether or not the student is in continuous registration. Time limits for part-time study are the same as for full-time study.
28.6 Students Studying Taught Programmes Beyond the Normal Duration of a Programme
Students on taught postgraduate programmes who have to continue their enrolment beyond their normal period of study are allowed to pay a partial fee, based on the number of credits they enrol for. The partial fee system is restricted to only one semester of study beyond the normal ~ e r i o d of study for the programme the student is enrolled in. Details of the per credit charge can be found on page 16.
28.7 Refunding Mechanism for Research Postgraduates
To encourage postgraduate research students to complete their studies at the earliest possible time, a refund mechanism has been introduced so that those who have met their programme and residency requirements within the first three calendar months of the start of asemester are entitled to a partial refund of the tuition fee paid forthat semester. Detailsof the refundarrangementscan be found on page 17.
29. Course Registration
Course registration deals with the selection of and enrolment in appropriate courses for a specific semester. Course registration for a semester requires approval from the major department, without which the student's programme registration will be revoked. Students should ensure that they have properly registered in the courses
specified for a semester. Students whose names are not on the class enrolment list will not be allowed to sit for examination(s) of the specific course(s) concerned and will not be awarded any grades for the course(s).
Students should acquaint themselves with the general rules for postgraduate course registration and departmental course requirements for the programme.
They should also read the course description and requirements carefully before selecting a course.
Other than courses that are graded Pass or Fail as indicated in the course description, students from the School of Engineering may make request at course registration time (up to the end of addldrop period) for a course to be graded Pass or Fail provided that the course is not counted towards their graduation require- ments. Special approval must be obtained from the major department and the course instructor concerned.
29.1 Course Requirements
Credit requirements for postgraduate degrees apply only to course and project work, not to thesis research. For the MSc, MA, MPhil and PhD programmes, the normal full course load is 10 credits per semester, and the maximum part-time load is six credits per semester. Unless restricted by departmental regulations, a maximum of two undergraduate courses may be used for postgraduate degree credit at the 300 level. Of the two courses, only one may be from the student's major department.
For all postgraduate programmes, the average course grade obtained for satisfying degree requirements must at least be B.
29.2 Course Repeats
A course with a grade less than C shall not be credited towards a degree although it will be reflected in the student's record. Only two courses (excluding audited courses) in a degree programme may be retaken, and each may be repeated only once. The new grade obtained after repeating a course will replace the previous grade in the calculation of the cumulative and graduation grade averages.
29.3 Course Enrolment Changes (a) Course addldrop
Students may make changes to their course enrolment during the "addldrop" period which is scheduled at the beainnina of each semester. Chanaes made in this ~ e r i o d will not be reflected in the sGdent5 record. Requests for aiding courses afier the
"addldrop" period will not be accepted except under extenuating circumstances.
(b) Course withdrawal
A student who wishes to withdraw from a course after the "addldrop" period may do so up to six weeks before the commencement of the examination period. With- drawal beyond the six-week deadline will not be accepted except when the
Academic Repulations
application is made due to medical reasons or withdrawal from the University.
Students are cautioned that late withdrawal may affect their academic prowess and result in less than the specified credits being earned in the semester. Such withdrawal is entirelv the res~onsibilitv of the student who should seek advice from the major departmeit. The withdrawal without Penalty (W) grade will be recorded as the course grade. Special arrangements pertain to half-semester courses in the Master of 6uGness ~dministration-(MBA) programme.
29.4 Corequisites, Prerequisites, Exclusions and Background
For a course with a corequisite designated, both courses should be taken concur- rently; alternatively the corequisite may be taken and passed previously.
If a course designates other courses as its prerequisites, students must have taken and passed the prerequisite(s) before they may register in the course, unless exemption is granted by the department offering the course.
If a course has exclusions specified, students are not allowed to register in the course if they have already taken and passed any of the stated exclusions. Also students are not allowed to enrol in a course together with any of its stated exclusions in the same semester.
A course may require a certain general level of desired prior knowledge as background. Students should ensure that they have the necessary background to undertake a course, and may seek help from their departmental advisors.
29.5 Course Auditing
With the permission of the course instructor, a full-time student may register in a course as an auditor, that is, to attend a course and to participate in activities up to and including writing the final examination but not receiving aformal grade. Subject to satisfactory completion of requirements set at registration by the instructor, the course will be designated AU on the student's transcript. Otherwise the course will be removed from the registration record. No course credit is given for audited courses.
30. Course Exemption
Course exemption may be granted if the student can produce evidence, such as a transcript and course syllabus, that a course is equivalent in content to another course taken elsewhere, for which a satisfactory grade has been obtained. No credits will be given for the exempted course, and the student may be required to take an approved alternative course.
31. Advanced Standing
Advanced standing may be granted to students on recognition of studies completed successfully elsewhere. Application should be made to their major department during their first semester after admission. Late application will normally not be considered.
The amount of advanced credits to be granted will be determined by the major department on review of past academic records and the level of equivalence to HKUST courses required.
Advanced credits granted will not be included in the calculation of grade averages.
32. Assessment 32.1 Course Grading
Grades given in each course are based on student performance in the final examination, tests, essays and reports, presentations and other forms of classroom participation, assignments, and laboratory exercises, although not all these ele- ments may be present in each course. Afailing grade in the laboratory component, if any, of a course may result in afailure in the whole course. The instructor in each course will announce the course grading scheme to the class in the first week of lectures. Students will not be given any grades for the course nor be allowed to sit for the examination of that course if their names are not on the class enrolment list.
Final examinations are scheduled following the end of lectures.
32.2 Absence from Final Examinations
a. Failure to take the examination as scheduled, without prior permission for exemption from the department offering the course, normally results in automatic course failure.
b. Students may appeal to the department within two weeks of the missed examination for special consideration, giving well-enunciated reasons.
c. When a student is exempted from writing the regular examination, the depart- ment may decide that the student
(i) repeat the course
(ii) take a special make-up examination (iii) take a supplementary examination
(iv) be granted a pass standing in the examination. In this case the course grade is based on the grades obtained in the course components other than the final examination.
Medical reasons, authenticated by a physician's certification that the student was unable to take the examination, will normally result in option (ii), (iii) or (iv) above.
32.3 Postgraduate Grades
Students receive a letter grade in each course in which they are enrolled. Grades range in equal increments from A+ to F, with F carrying zero credit. The grades C- to D-, and
E,
are not used in postgraduate courses. The grades used are shown in the following table.Academic Regulations
Letter Grades Definitions
Excellent Performance A-
: }
~ o o d Performance B-p }
Marginal PerformanceF Failure
Other Designations Definitions
AU Audited
I Incomplete
W Withdrawal without Penalty
P Pass, Ungraded
PP Permitted to Proceed
The Audited (AU) designation will be assigned when an auditing student has comoleted. to the satisfaction of the instructor. anv conditions established at regi&iation as an auditor. If the conditions are n i t met, the course will be deleted from the student's record.
An Incomplete (I) grade is used when work is necessarily delayed through no fault of the student, such as a medical problem or an equipment breakdown. This grade must be converted to a regular grade at the beginning of the next semester;
otherwise it is converted to F.
The Withdrawal without Penalty (W) grade is given when a student withdraws from a course after the "add-drop' period and prior to the prescribed deadline for course withdrawal.
The Pass, Ungraded (P) grade is given for courses which are indicated in the course description in this Calendar that they will be graded as such.
A failed course (graded F) cannot be credited towards a degree.
When progress on thesis or project work is satisfactory but not scheduled for completion at the end of a semester, the Permitted to Proceed (PP) grade is used.
32.4 Grade Reports
Grades will be posted in the course-offering departments as soon as they become available but not later than six working days from the last day of the examination period for the semester. On posted grade lists, students are identified only by their student numbers. Individual grade reports are sent to students approximately four weeks after the end of each semester.
Postgraduate Regulations
32.5 Grade Review
Astudent may apply fora grade review in a course in which the student was enrolled in the semester just completed. This request should be made to the de~artment offering the course within two weeks from the day on which grades are posted in the department. If a review is granted, the grading will be reviewed by the course instructor or another member of the departmental faculty within three weeks after the date of grade posting. Any subsequent appeal against the departmental decision must be made to the dean of the school concerned within two weeks of receiving the decision. The dean's decision is final.
32.6 Grade Averages
A grade average (GA) is the average weighted grade obtained in a group of courses where each course is given a weight equal to its credit value. Advanced credits, exchange credits and courses graded P, I, W, PP and AU are omitted from this calculation.
There are three grade averages. The semester grade average (SGA) is the combined grade average covering all courses taken in both the semester and the session immediately following. The cumulative grade average (CGA) is based on all the courses taken by the student which are expected at the time of calculation to be applied towards the degree requirements in the current programme. At graduation, a graduation grade average (GGA) will be calculated from the courses that are presented for the award of a degree.
All GAS are reported using the closest letter grade, including C- to D- although they are not course grades.
33. Conduct of Thesis Examinations
A student wishing to appear before a thesis examination committee must so indicate to the major department at least six weeks before the examination, and have delivered to the department a sufficient number of examination c o ~ i e s at least four weeks beforethe examination. Fora PhD thesis, the number of cop'ies isseven, and forthe MPhilfour. One of these copies will be put on display priorto theexamination for perusal by departmental faculty and students and other members of the University community and members of the public.
The examination takes place in a single session and comprises three parts, the first two of which are open to all members of the University and to departmental guests, and the third closed to all but the student and the committee. The first part is an oral presentation by the student emphasising the major elements of the research and the results obtained. Next is an open question period, led bv anv external examiners present followed by other members'of the examining commitiee, and ended by the thesis supervisor. Finally, others in attendance may also ask questions. During this portion of the examination, all questions are addressed through the chairman and any dialogue limited to the student and individual questioner. The third, and closed, part of the examination is reserved for a less formal discussion between the student and the examining committee on his research.
Academic Regukztions
The thesis examination can have one of several results:
Passed (or Passed with Distinction)
Passed (or Passed with Distinction) with minor corrections Passed with major corrections
Failed but may be resubmitted Failed
Minor corrections are to be made to the satisfaction of the supervisor, but major corrections require the approval of the full examining committee, or a designated sub-committee. The result "Failed but may be resubmitted" requires that the entire examination process be repeated, including the re-establishment of an examination committee. At least six months must pass before re-submission of the thesis.
Students can apply fortransferto part-time status during the rewriting process of the thesis. A arade of "Failed' results in the automatic withdrawal of the student from theprogrLmme of study and terminates registration at the University.
34. Thesis Fonnat
The thesis shall conform in layout, binding and presentation to the requirements prescribed by the Department. General University guidelines require that a thesis should:
be written in English;
have a title page giving the thesis title, the student's name and academic degree@), the name of the department, the name of the degree for which the thesis is presented, and the month and year of submission;
contain a signature page;
contain a paginated table of contents and a list of references;
be printed on one side only of international size A4 80 to 90 gsm woodfree paper (297mm x 21 Omm);
have all textual materials double-spaced, although long quotations, references and footnotes may be single-spaced;
be adequately referenced and clearly punctuated; and
include an abstract of not more than 300 words summarising the content of the thesis.
Students in the School of Humanitiesand Social Science who are pursuing research work in the areas of Chinese Studies, and who can demonstrate a need to use Chinese to write their theses should seek prior approval from the Committee on Postgraduate Studies of Senate via their supervisors and the divisional head. If approved, students are also required to produce a translation of the abstract into English.
On successful completion of the thesis examination, the student must submit three clean unbound copies of the thesis to the department within one week, which will arrange for the appropriate signatures of approval, and fonvard the signed copies
On successful completion of the thesis examination, the student must submit three clean unbound copies of the thesis to the department within one week, which will arrange for the appropriate signatures of approval, and fonvard the signed copies