Master of Philosophy in Bioscience and Biomedical Engineering
Doctor of Philosophy in Bioscience and Biomedical Engineering
MPhil(BSBE)
PhD(BSBE)
Full-time
MPhil
2 years
PhD
3 years (with a relevant research master’s degree), 4 years (without a relevant research master’s degree)
Bioscience and Biomedical Engineering Thrust Area
Systems Hub
Program Director:
Prof Pingbo HUANG, Professor of Life Science
Bioscience is a diverse but often converging field of study that applies knowledge to develop biological solutions to sustain, restore, and improve the quality of life for humans, plants, and animals. Biomedical Engineering is the application of engineering principles and design concepts to biology and medicine for advanced healthcare in diagnostics, monitoring, and therapy. Bioscience and Biomedical Engineering are strongly interdisciplinary which involve Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Mathematics, IT and Computer Science.
The Master of Philosophy (MPhil) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Programs in Bioscience and Biomedical Engineering aim to provide a well-rounded education as well as rigorous research training to prepare students to become versatile and knowledgeable professionals. Areas of research include regenerative medicine and tissue engineering, molecular and cell biology, precision medicine, plant biology, Chinese medicine, healthy aging, biostatistics, bioinformatics and data mining.
MPhil graduates should possess a good mastery of knowledge in bioscience and biomedical technologies, be able to apply engineering principles to solve problems in medicine and biology, and generate novel solutions.
PhD graduates should be capable of conducting high-quality original research, creating new knowledge, deriving valuable insights, and making tangible impacts in academia and the field.
On successful completion of the MPhil program, graduates will be able to:
- Demonstrate the breadth of knowledge across the field of bioscience and biomedical engineering;
- Show mastery of knowledge in their areas of specialization and convey the results of their research to people in the profession or an audience in a clear, succinct and effective manner;
- Design and conduct original research and effectively apply their research to solving problems in bioscience and biomedical engineering; and
- Integrate the basic concepts of biotechnology and experimentation to engage in hands-on practices for implementation of such techniques to facilitate the development of biotechnology industry.
On successful completion of the PhD program, graduates will be able to:
- Exhibit graduate-level mastery of basic theoretical knowledge and experimental methods in bioscience and biomedical engineering, as well as advanced expertise within the chosen specialty;
- Formulate a hypothesis and conduct original research using appropriate tools and techniques within their focused area of study to test the hypothesis;
- Master the analytical and methodological skills needed to evaluate and conduct research;
- Draw on previously published work to independently design and execute new experiments with a high degree of sophistication; and
- Teach courses in the areas of specialization at the undergraduate level.
To qualify for admission, applicants must meet all of the following requirements. Admission is selective and meeting these minimum requirements does not guarantee admission.
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Applicants seeking admission to a master's degree program should have obtained a bachelor’s degree from a recognized institution, or an approved equivalent qualification;
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Applicants seeking admission to a doctoral degree program should have obtained a bachelor’s degree with a proven record of outstanding performance from a recognized institution; or presented evidence of satisfactory work at the postgraduate level on a full-time basis for at least one year, or on a part-time basis for at least two years.
Applicants have to fulfill English Language requirements with one of the following proficiency attainments:
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TOEFL-iBT: 80*
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TOEFL-pBT: 550
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TOEFL-Revised paper-delivered test: 60 (total scores for Reading, Listening and Writing sections)
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IELTS (Academic Module): Overall score: 6.5 and All sub-score: 5.5
* refers to the total score in one single attempt
Applicants are not required to present TOEFL or IELTS score if
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their first language is English, or
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they obtained the bachelor's degree (or equivalent) from an institution where the medium of instruction was English.
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Minimum Credit Requirement
MPhil: 15 credits
PhD: 21 credits
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Credit Transfer
Students who have taken equivalent courses at HKUST or other recognized universities may be granted credit transfer on a case-by-case basis, up to a maximum of 3 credits for MPhil students, and 6 credits for PhD students.
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Cross-disciplinary Core Courses
2 credits
All students are required to complete either IIMP 6010 or IIMP 6030. Students may complete the remaining courses as part of the credit requirements, as requested by the Program Planning cum Thesis Supervision Committee.
- Hub Core Courses
4 Credits
Students are required to complete at least one Hub core course (2 credits) from the Systems Hub and at least one Hub core course (2 credits) from other Hubs.
Systems Hub Core Course
Other Hub Core Courses
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Courses on Domain Knowledge
MPhil: minimum 9 credits of coursework
PhD: minimum 15 credits of coursework
Under this requirement, each student is required to take elective courses to form an individualized curriculum relevant to the cross-disciplinary thesis research. To ensure that students will take appropriate courses to equip them with needed domain knowledge, each student has a Program Planning cum Thesis Supervision Committee to approve the courses to be taken soonest after program commencement and no later than the end of the first year. Depending on the approved curriculum, individual students may be required to complete additional credits beyond the minimal credit requirements.
Sample Course List
To meet individual needs, students will be taking courses in different areas, which may include but not limited to courses and areas listed below.
- Additional Foundation Courses
Individual students may be required to take foundation courses to strengthen their academic background and research capacity in related areas, which will be specified by the Program Planning cum Thesis Supervision Committee. The credits earned cannot be counted toward the credit requirements.
- Graduate Teaching Assistant Training
All full-time RPg students are required to complete PDEV 6800. The course is composed of a 10-hour training offered by the Center for Education Innovation (CEI), and session(s) of instructional delivery to be assigned by the respective departments. Upon satisfactory completion of the training conducted by CEI, MPhil students are required to give at least one 30-minute session of instructional delivery in front of a group of students for one term. PhD students are required to give at least one such session each in two different terms. The instructional delivery will be formally assessed.
- Professional Development Course Requirement
Students are required to complete PDEV 6770. The 1 credit earned from PDEV 6770 cannot be counted toward the credit requirements.
PhD students who are HKUST MPhil graduates and have completed PDEV 6770 or other professional development courses offered by the University before may be exempted from taking PDEV 6770, subject to prior approval of the Program Planning cum Thesis Supervision Committee.
Students are required to complete SYSH 6780. The 1 credit earned from SYSH 6780 cannot be counted toward the credit requirements.
PhD students who are HKUST MPhil graduates and have completed SYSH 6780 or other equivalent professional development courses offered by the University before may be exempted from taking SYSH 6780, subject to prior approval of the Program Planning cum Thesis Supervision Committee.
- English Language Requirement
Full-time RPg students are required to take an English Language Proficiency Assessment (ELPA) Speaking Test administered by the Center for Language Education before the start of their first term of study. Students whose ELPA Speaking Test score is below Level 4, or who failed to take the test in their first term of study, are required to take LANG 5000 until they pass the course by attaining at least Level 4 in the ELPA Speaking Test before graduation. The 1 credit earned from LANG 5000 cannot be counted toward the credit requirements.
Students are required to take one of the above three courses. The credit earned cannot be counted toward the credit requirements. Students can be exempted from taking this course with the approval of the Program Planning cum Thesis Supervision Committee.
- Postgraduate Seminar
MPhil:
Full-time students must take and pass BSBE 6800 at least twice, and present at least one seminar during their study, in addition to the oral defense of their MPhil thesis. Part-time students must take and pass BSBE 6800 at least once, and present at least one seminar during their study, counting the oral defense of their MPhil thesis.
PhD:
Full-time students must take and pass BSBE 6800 at least four times, and present at least two seminars during their study, in addition to the oral defense of their PhD thesis. Part-time students and students entering with an HKUST MPhil degree must take and pass BSBE 6800 at least twice, and present at least one seminar during their study, counting the oral defense of their PhD thesis.
- PhD Qualifying Examination
PhD students are required to pass a qualifying examination to obtain PhD candidacy following established policy.
- Thesis Research
MPhil:
- Registration in BSBE 6990; and
- Presentation and oral defense of the MPhil thesis.
PhD:
- Registration in BSBE 7990; and
- Presentation and oral defense of the PhD thesis.
Last Update: 24 July 2020
