Gender Studies Programme - MPhil-PhD in Gender Studies

 15 Mar 2025

MPhil-PhD in Gender Studies is an interdisciplinary programme with a unifying focus on gender as a theoretical perspective or as a subject of analysis. It allows students to bring together different disciplinary and methodological approaches for the advancement of gender studies. The programme emphasizes both theoretical knowledge and research skills.

The programme is divided into two streams:

(1)   MPhil stream

Graduates of MPhil stream of MPhil-PhD in Gender Studies is expected to have acquired advanced knowledge in major areas of Gender Studies and the student’s chosen subject discipline while maintaining a broad understanding of other related fields. Master's degree graduates should have gained enough background knowledge to enable them to perform research with minimal supervision.

(2)   PhD stream

Graduates of PhD stream of MPhil-PhD in Gender Studies is expected to have acquired in-depth knowledge in a number of major areas of Gender Studies and the student’s chosen subject discipline while maintaining a broad understanding of other related fields. Doctoral degree graduates should have accumulated enough educational experience and background learning to be capable of performing independent research to advance scholarship, with global standards. They should have the ability to identify research trends and opportunities, venture into new research areas when appropriate, define long-term research objectives, formulate original research problems, and originate and develop solution methodologies.

Students will be offered admission as either MPhil students or as PhD students (pre-candidacy).  Upon satisfying all the candidacy requirements within the candidacy period, PhD students (pre-candidacy) may be promoted to the post-candidacy stage preparing to work towards completion of their research thesis and oral defence for graduation. Furthermore, subject to the approval of the Division upon student’s request, the student can transfer from M.Phil. to Ph.D. Pre-candidacy.

 

Supervision and Subject Discipline

Students of MPhil-PhD in Gender Studies are usually supervised by a professorial grade teacher of a subject discipline from a respective department at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Subject disciplines include but are not limited to the followings: Anthropology, Chinese Language and Literature, Communication, Cultural Studies, Educational Administration and Policy, English, Fine Arts, Government and Public Administration, History, Japanese Studies, Psychology, Religious Studies, Sociology, Social Work and Translation. A list of our current students and graduates' supervisors can be found here for reference. For a list of faculties at our university, please visit our University's website.

The name of the subject discipline will be shown on the graduation transcripts of MPhil-PhD students in Gender Studies, in the form of "Home Department: <your chosen home department>)" (a sample can be downloaded here). While on the graduation certificates, only the name of "Gender Studies" will be shown.

Who should apply?

Applicants may come from a variety of backgrounds. While a degree in gender studies is not required, applicants should have some knowledge of gender studies and good background in their intended research perspective.                                                                                                                                              

Period of study

Degree

Mode

Candidacy #

Normative Period

Maximum Period

M.Phil.

FT

PT

--

 --

24

36

48

60

Ph.D. (entering with a research master’s degree)

FT

PT

24

32

36

48

72

84

Ph.D. (entering without a research master’s degree)

FT

PT

36

48

48

64

84

100

Summary of the study period, in months

#  Maximum period to pass candidacy requirement, counted from the first entry

Source: https://www.gs.cuhk.edu.hk/page/POSTGRADUATEPROGRAMMESOFSTUDY#:~:text=%E2%80%9Carticulated%E2%80%9D%20M.-,Phil.,64%20and%20100%20months%20respectively.

Tuition Fee

HK$44,500 per annum, regardless of the study mode

For local full-time students, please refer to the Tuition Waiver Scheme for Local Research Postgraduate (RPg) for details.

Source: https://www.gs.cuhk.edu.hk/admissions/scholarships-fees/scholarships#fees

Language

For Gender Studies’ courses, lectures are in English. While for discussion and students' presentation, students can use the language they feel most comfortable with, as long as the lecturers and students concerned understand that language. Meanwhile, most courses use English reading materials.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

Coursework Requirements

Please refer to the study scheme of MPhil-PhD in Gender Studies (2024-25)

*Grades and other course-related matters are handled by each course-offering department.

Course Grades Release

Course grades are released according to the schedule for releasing grades posted in the section ‘Academic Results’ on the GS Platform (Students). The academic results after the grade release date is accessible by following the path: MyCUHK > CUSIS and My Study > View My Grades and select the corresponding academic term.

If you wish to lodge an appeal on the grade of a particular course, please approach the teacher concerned within two weeks from the date of release of the grade in question. No late application is accepted.

Source: https://www.gs.cuhk.edu.hk/page/FAQ

Accommodation

Full-time MPhil-PhD students are eligible to apply for on-campus residence. Information can be found here.                                                                                       

Admission Requirements

In addition to the general requirements of the Graduate School for MPhil-PhD programmes , applicants should:

  • have some knowledge of gender studies; and
  • have good background in their intended field of concentration (subject discipline).

Applicants may come from a variety of backgrounds. On their application forms, applicants must indicate the subject discipline for which they wish to be considered. Meanwhile, applicants must present a research proposal providing a brief description of the intended research topic, objectives, and methods. The research proposal should use the academic method and approach characteristic of the applicants’ intended subject discipline to explore a topic involving issues of gender. Applications will be jointly considered by the Gender Studies Programme and the subject department. 

Application Method

The application method for MPhil or PhD stream is different:

A. For student who apply MPhil stream of MPhil-PhD in Gender Studies:

Step 1

Explore study/research options for MPhil in Gender Studies

Learn about the admission requirements, application methods and deadlines.

Decide on your intended subject discipline.

Decide on a topic of research.

(Optional) Find a potential supervisor from Gender Studies Programme or the department of your intended subject discipline and contact them.

Step 2

Preparation for your application

Prepare the documents/additional information required for application.

Write your research proposal.

Step 3

Create an Account to Submit Online Application

Input your intended subject discipline at the "Field of Study" in the application form.

Application for admission may be submitted from 1 September 2024.

Step 4

Ensure the required supporting documents  (including confidential recommendations from referees) are received by Gender Studies Programme by the application deadline

Soft copies of all the supporting documents must be uploaded to the online application system for our thorough review and consideration.

Please refrain from sending hard copies of the supporting documents to the Graduate School or Gender Studies Programme unless explicitly instructed to do so. 

The Gender Studies Programme will contact students with conditional offers separately in due course. 

Admitted students are required to submit original copies of those official documents for verification by the conditions fulfillment deadline. 

Note:

(1) Please be reminded that for the proof of English Language proficiency, TOEFL and IELTS scores are considered valid for two years from the test date, while GMAT scores are considered valid for five years from the test date.

(2) For detailed guidance on the online application procedures, please refer to the CUHK Graduate School website.

Step 5

Check your Application Status

Check your email for correspondence from Gender Studies Programme and log in to the Online Application System to check your application status.

Source: https://www.gs.cuhk.edu.hk/admissions/admissions/how-to-apply 

B. For student who apply PHD stream of MPhil-PhD in Gender Studies:
To apply for a PhD in Gender Studies AND Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme (HKPFS):

Applications are opened from 1 September 2024 (Hong Kong Time).

Step 1

Submit HKPFS Application

Submit an initial application to the RGC through their on-line application system and obtain an HKPFS reference number.

Source: https://www.gs.cuhk.edu.hk/admissions/scholarships-fees/hkpfs

RGC Application deadline:  1 December 2024 at Hong Kong Time 12:00 noon

Step 2

Submit your application of PhD stream of MPhil-PhD in Gender Studies @CUHK 

Follow the process below to apply for a PhD in Gender Studies AND quote the HKPFS reference number when completing the application form at the online application system.

Application deadline of PhD in Gender Studies for HKPFS applicants:

1 December 2024 at Hong Kong Time 11:59pm

Step 3

Check Your Application Status

Check your email for correspondence from Gender Studies Programme and log in to the Online Application System to check your application status.

To apply for PhD in Gender Studies only:

For applicants who wish to apply only for PhD in Gender Studies:

Application for Admission starts at: 1 September 2024

Step 1

Explore study/research options for PhD stream of MPhil-PhD in Gender Studies

Learn about the admission requirements, application methods and deadlines.

Decide on your intended subject discipline.

Decide on a topic of research.

(Optional) Find a potential supervisor from Gender Studies Programme or the department of your intended subject discipline and contact them.

Step 2

Preparation for your application

Prepare the documents/additional information required for application.

Write your research proposal.

Step 3

Create an Account to Submit Online Application

Input your intended subject discipline at the "Field of Study" in the application form.

Step 4

Ensure the required supporting documents  (including confidential recommendations from referees) are received by Gender Studies Programme by the application deadline

Soft copies of all the supporting documents must be uploaded to the online application system for our thorough review and consideration.

Please refrain from sending hard copies of the supporting documents to the Graduate School or Gender Studies Programme unless explicitly instructed to do so. 

The Gender Studies Programme will contact students with conditional offers separately in due course. 

Admitted students are required to submit original copies of those official documents for verification by the conditions fulfillment deadline. 

Note:

(1) Please be reminded that for the proof of English Language proficiency, TOEFL and IELTS scores are considered valid for two years from the test date, while GMAT scores are considered valid for five years from the test date.

(2) For detailed guidance on the online application procedures, please refer to the CUHK Graduate School website.

Step 5

Check Your Application Status

Check your email for correspondence from Gender Studies Programme and log in to the Online Application System to check your application status.

Supporting documents for Application

Required supporting documents for application of MPhil-PHD in Gender Studies:

  1. All the documents listed in the Graduate School’s website
  2. A CV (optional)
  3. A Research Proposal (in word or pdf format)

The quality of the research proposal is crucial to the success of an application. The purpose of the proposal is to briefly describe to the Admission Panel the research project the applicants wish to pursue. A brief description of the intended research topic, objectives, and methods should be presented. The proposal should include the following items:

  • What is the topic of the proposed study? What questions will be addressed?
  • Why is this topic important and why does it interest the applicants? A full survey of the literature is not expected to be offered, but if possible, do indicate how the research will differ from research that has already been done.
  • What methodology do the applicants propose to use in the research
  • The proposal can be written in English or Chinese. Providing an English abstract will be appreciated if the proposal is in Chinese. The recommended length of the proposal should be between 5 to 8 pages.

*Please upload an electronic copy of all your supporting documents to the online application system. For a CV or research proposal which do not have their own category in the upload system, please upload them under the "certificates" category.

Application Deadline

Main Round:  1 December 2024

Clearing Round: 31 March 2025

(Applications in the Clearing Round will only be considered subject to availability of places.) 

Admission Talk

Date: 24 Oct 2023 (Thu)

Time: 4:00pm - 4:45pm (HKT)

Venue: Online Zoom Platform (link provided after registration)

Speaker: Prof. Jing SONG, Graduate Division Head, Gender Studies Programme, The Chinese University of Hong Kong

Registration Link: https://t.ly/tLgsO

 

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Enquiry

Address: Room 250, Sino Building, Chung Chi College,
The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Date: 10 Nov 2022 (Thu)

Time: 5:00pm - 5:45pm (HKT)