Coursework Requirements for CSE PG Students
Postgraduate Course Requirements
Each student is required to take a minimum number of credits and/or courses ad determined by the degree program in which he/she is enrolled. The credits and courses (in brackets) currently required for each program are indicated in the table below:
| Degree | Course Credits | LANG 5001 Credit | Seminar Credit | Total Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MPhil | 15(5) | 1(1) | 1(1) | 17 |
| PhD (see "Note 5" below) | 21(7) | 1(1) | 1(1) | 23 |
General Course Requirements for all Postgraduate Programs
1. Group Communication Skills Development and CSE Seminar Requirement
All postgraduate students are required to take LANG 5001 Group Communication Skills Development and the Computer Science seminar for two semesters (COMP 6911, and then COMP 6912). Students required to take the course Postgraduate English for Academic Purposes - Oral Skills must first pass that course before they are allowed to enroll in LANG 5001. LANG 5001 is a one-credit course.
2. Independent Studies Course
Only one independent studies course may be used to satisfy the course requirements for MPhil and PhD programs.
3. Graduation Average Requirement
The graduation grade average (GGA) obtained in the courses used to satisfy the degree requirements must be at least B.
Coursework Requirement for MPhil Program
| MPhil Program | |
|---|---|
| Normal duration for program completion | 2 years |
| Maximum duration for program completion | 5 years |
| Total course credits required | 17 credits |
| Maximum external transfer credits allowed | 9 credits |
In addition to the general requirement above, a student must complete at least five (5) postgraduate courses in four of the designated research areas (total of 15 credits).
Coursework Requirement for PhD Program
| PhD Program | |
|---|---|
| Normal duration for program completion (after a baccalaureate degree) |
5 years |
| Maximum duration for program completion (after a baccalaureate degree) |
8 years |
| Total course credits required | 23 credits |
| Maximum external transfer credits allowed | 6 credits |
See Note 5 below for applicability of the requirement.
In addition to the general requirement above, a student must complete at lesat seven (7) postgraduate courses (total 21 credits). Of the seven PG courses in CSE, four are required to be PG-core courses that cover four (4) of the following areas, with one being theoretical computer science:
- Artificial Intelligence
- Data, Knowledge and Information Management
- Networking and Computer Science
- Software and Applications
- Theoretical Computer Science
- Vision and Graphics
Two PG-core courses are required to be completed in the first year, and all four PG-core courses are required to be completed by the end of the second year. No UG courses can be used for any of the seven PG courses.
A list of PG-core courses is given. PhD students must obtain a B+ or above for each of the four PG-core courses. In addition, one of the four PG-core areas covered by their courses must be Theoretical Computer Science.
Notes
Note 1. University in-time duration for PhD students is three years.
Note 2. Seminar course credits cannot be transferred.
Note 3. UG credits cannot be transferred.
Note 4. For PhD students, no more than six (6) credits can be transferred from outside the HKUST CSE department with approval from the PG Committee on a case by case basis. Note that transferring credits for courses does not automatically provide an 'area waiver'. The use of a transferred course to cover one of the four required areas must be applied for approval from the PG Committee seperately.
Note 5. This coursework requirement applies to Fall 2008 cohort and onward. For students who entered the CSE PhD program before Fall 2008, the previous policy as specified in Academic Calendar 2007-08 applies by default; however, requrests to switch to the new system can be considered on a case by case basis, based on PG-core courses taken among others.
