Research Postgraduate Programmes
Doctor of Philosophy / Master of Philosophy (School of Communication)
The Research Postgraduate (RPg) programme focuses on PhD education. It is designed to enable each student to become familiar with existing knowledge in their chosen area of study, to become a critical consumer of others' research in the chosen area of study, and to become an independent knowledge creator through the use of appropriate research methodologies.
The PhD degree by research admits outstanding applicants interested in the theoretical understanding of, and academic research in advertising, communication in interactive media, game design and animation, digitally mediated communication, information processing and behaviour change, journalism, media studies, organizational communication, and public relations.
Admission of Research Postgraduate students is school-based rather than faculty-based. All new students are assigned the same academic advisor in the first semester. Selection of principal and co-supervisors starts in the second semester. Faculty members at the rank of Assistant Professor or higher are eligible for MPhil and PhD supervision and at the rank of Research Assistant Professor are eligible for MPhil and PhD co-supervision.
Applicants are not advised to contact faculty members prior to admission.
Students can visit the School’s Communication and Media Studies Research website and Department websites to learn more about the key research areas that the academic staff are engaged in as well as their detailed profile.
The School’s Criteria and Procedures for Application for Research Postgraduate Studies Admission
Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme
Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) invites candidates from all cultural and ethnic backgrounds, with evidence of academic excellence, research ability and potential, and good communication, interpersonal and leadership abilities to apply for full-time PhD study under the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme (HKPFS). HKPFS is established by the Hong Kong Research Grants Council (RGC) with an aim to attract the best and brightest students from all over the world to pursue their PhD studies in Hong Kong.
PhD Transdisciplinary Research Scholarship Scheme
HKBU’s Transdisciplinary Research initiative prominently includes four University Research Clusters. We invite applications for the PhD Transdisciplinary Research Scholarship Scheme, aiming at admitting exceptional PhD students.
Transdisciplinary Doctoral Project-based Training
The Scheme entails practical and intensive research training, engaging students in transdisciplinary research projects during their first year of studies. In addition to acquiring research knowledge, this project-based doctoral research training also aims to enhance students’ language, writing, presentation and analytical skills, along with other essential soft skills. This foundation is crucial for their future research endeavours.
To strengthen research coherence and foster collaborative expertise, HKBU has identified the following four strategic Research Clusters:
- Creative Media/Practice
- Health and Drug Discovery
- Data Analytics and Artificial Intelligence in X (where X denotes applications such as journalism, business and finance)
- Humanities and Cultures