Master of Philosophy in Bioengineering
Doctor of Philosophy in Bioengineering
MPhil(BIEN)
PhD(BIEN)
Both full- and part-time
MPhil
Full-time: 2 years
Part-time: 4 years
PhD
Full-time: 3 years (with a relevant research master’s degree), 4 years (without a relevant research master’s degree)
Part-time: 6 years
BIEN PG Programs Coordinator:
Prof Becki Yi KUANG, Associate Professor, Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering
Applicants may apply for individual concentration(s) specified in the “Concentration” tab.
The Master of Philosophy (MPhil) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Programs in Bioengineering facilitate the close integration of biological, physical, and computational sciences and engineering in the study of biological processes. The programs adopt a systematic and quantitative approach to the study of biological systems. The aim is to provide students with the necessary knowledge to contribute to the biomedical industry as well as to optimize existing bioprocesses, and to develop new biomedical technologies. The Programs are managed by the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering.
A candidate for an MPhil degree is expected to demonstrate knowledge in the discipline and to synthesize and create new knowledge, making a contribution to the field.
A candidate for a PhD degree is expected to demonstrate mastery of knowledge in the chosen discipline and to synthesize and create new knowledge, making an original and substantial contribution to the discipline.
On successful completion of the MPhil program, graduates will be able to:
- Demonstrate knowledge in the discipline and to synthesize and create new knowledge; and
- Making a contribution to the field.
On successful completion of the PhD program, graduates will be able to:
- Demonstrate mastery of knowledge in the chosen discipline;
- Synthesize and create new knowledge; and
- Making an original and substantial contribution to the discipline.
The multi-disciplinary Bioengineering Program allows students to apply the tools of engineering, computer science and physical sciences to their study of biological processes. It addresses several major research foci and is supported with state-of-the-art research facilities.
Research Foci
Biological Information Engineering
Investigates issues associated with new computation concepts and tools involved in medical imaging. Research can also be extended to other data-driven areas, such as health analytics, bioinformatics, protein structure prediction, drug design, and systems biology.
Synthetic Biology, Bioprocessing and BioProduct Design
The technology of synthetic biology, bioprocessing, regulatory, safety and ethical issues involved in biotechnology, and the systematic evolution of production processes using product characteristics to assist in "product-oriented" process design.
Biomaterials and BioMEMS
The engineering of physical and biological properties of synthetic polymers, metals, ceramics and other materials, and their interaction with blood, soft and hard tissues; and the application of microelectromechanical systems to biological and bioanalytical methods, such as genechips.
Quantitative Neuroscience and Neural Engineering
Mechanistic understanding of neuroscience from the molecular level (inside a single neuron cell) to a cellular level interpretation where interactions between signaling and transport molecules will be mapped; system-level understanding on how neural systems respond to environment stimulus; and how computations are done by neural systems.
Facilities
The Bioengineering Laboratory provides world-class facilities for research. Advanced equipment is available for bacterial and cell culture, centrifugation separation, protein and DNA manipulation, gene amplification, microscopic analysis, digital imaging and analysis.
The Laboratory supports projects on microchip analysis, diagnostic device, tissue engineering, nanobiotechnology, bioproduct processing and bioproduct extraction. Relevant central facilities include the Materials Characterization and Preparation Facility, and the Nanosystem Fabrication Facility (CWB).
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Minimum Credit Requirement
MPhil: 12 credits
PhD: 15 credits
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Credit Transfer
PhD students entering with a master’s or equivalent degree in Engineering or related discipline may be granted credit transfer of up to 6 credits. Students entering with a master’s degree in Bioengineering may be granted credit transfer of up to 12 credits, subject to the approval of the Program Director.
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Core Courses
MPhil: 3 credits
PhD: 6 credits
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Elective Courses
MPhil/PhD: 9 credits
- 3 credits from the restrictive bioengineering electives; and
- 6 credits of non-restrictive elective courses selected from students’ chosen area of research.
Students without a degree in Biology or related disciplines may be required to take at least one additional undergraduate course covering appropriate basic knowledge in life science and obtain a passing grade of C+ or above. Subject to the approval of the Program Director, students may be exempted from this requirement.
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School Requirements on PhD Programs
In addition to the program requirements, all full-time and part-time PhD students are required to complete the school requirements, which aim to help students gain a wider exposure to multidisciplinary areas, and attain all-rounded learning by broadening their knowledge base.
PhD students are required to take at least a 3-credit course at 5000-level or above outside their programs offered by the School of Engineering. The 3 credits may be satisfied by courses from other Schools upon approval.
In some exceptional cases where students can provide sufficient justifications and obtain prior approval from their supervisors, PG Coordinators, and Heads of Department/Program Directors or designees, they are allowed to take the 3-credit course within their home departments/programs but the course must be in areas outside their specialty.
Details of the requirements are available on the website of the School of Engineering.
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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.
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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 School.
Students are required to complete ENGG 6780. The 1 credit earned from ENGG 6780 cannot be counted toward the credit requirements.
PhD students who are HKUST MPhil graduates and have completed ENGG 6780 before may be exempted from taking ENGG 6780, subject to prior approval of the School.
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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.
Full-time students are required to complete LANG 5005 and advised to complete it in the first year of study. The 1 credit earned from LANG 5005 cannot be counted toward the program credit requirements. Students may be considered for exemption from this course, subject to the approval of the Department Head and/or PG Coordinator/Program Director.
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Postgraduate Seminar
MPhil:
Full-time students must take BIEN 6800 every regular term, and present at least one seminar during their study. They must pass BIEN 6800 three times including once in the term when they present their seminar. Part-time students must take and pass BIEN 6800 at least once in the term when they present their seminar.
PhD:
Full-time students must take BIEN 6800 every regular term, and present at least two seminars during their study. They must pass BIEN 6800 five times including the terms when they present their seminars. Part-time students must take and pass BIEN 6800 at least twice in the terms when they present their seminars.
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PhD Qualifying Examination
To become a doctoral candidate, the student must pass a qualifying examination within the first 1.5 years of study.
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Thesis Research
MPhil:
- Registration in BIEN 6990; and
- Presentation and oral defense of the MPhil thesis.
PhD:
- Registration in BIEN 7990; and
- Presentation and oral defense of the PhD thesis.
If an MPhil student participates in an industrial project and writes a thesis on a work-related topic, the thesis will be supervised jointly by a faculty member of the program and a representative from the participating company.
Scientific Computation Concentration
In addition to the existing program requirements, students who opt for the Scientific Computation concentration are required to:
- MPhil:
Complete a minimum of 7 credits from the following course lists.
PhD:
Complete a minimum of 10 credits from the following course lists.
The credits earned under the concentration will be counted toward the total credit requirements of the programs.
All students must take MATH 6915 and MATH 6916. Credits earned from MATH 6915 can be repeated for up to 2 credits.
All students must take at least one course of other departments (excluding MATH 6915 and MATH 6916) or one CSIC course.
Elective Courses
- Conduct research in the area of scientific computation.
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 scores in one single attempt only. Test at home option is not accepted.
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.
Apply online before the application deadlines.
HK$180
For Hong Kong PhD Fellowship (HKPFS) Application (for PhD studies only):
Step 1 deadline at RGC (to obtain an HKPFS reference no. from RGC):
1 Dec 2024 (12noon, GMT+8)
Step 2 deadline at HKUST:
1 Dec 2024 (11:59pm, GMT+8)
Details please refer to https://fytgs.hkust.edu.hk/hkpfs
For 2025/26 Fall Term Intake (commencing in Sep 2025):
Non-local Applicants*
Full-time: 1 Jun 2025
Local Applicants
Full-time: 15 Jul 2025
Part-time: 15 Jul 2025
For 2024/25 Spring Term Intake (commencing in Feb 2025):
Non-local Applicants*
Full-time: 1 Nov 2024
Local Applicants
Full-time: 15 Dec 2024
Part-time: 15 Dec 2024
Applicants who would like to apply for the following concentration(s) should apply for the respective program choice(s) in the Online Admission System:
Bioengineering - Scientific Computation Concentration
* Applicants are considered as non-local students if they hold (i) student visa/ entry permit; or (ii) visa under the Immigration Arrangements for Non-local Graduates (IANG); or (iii) dependent visa/entry permit who were 18 years old or above when they were issued with such visa/ entry permit by the Director of Immigration. For details on student visa/ entry permit requirements, please click here.
