Master of Philosophy in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Doctor of Philosophy in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
MPhil(CBME)
PhD(CBME)
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
PG Programs Coordinator:
Prof Fei SUN, Associate Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering
Applicants may apply for individual concentration(s) specified in the “Concentration” tab.
The Master of Philosophy (MPhil) Program aims to strengthen students’ fundamental knowledge of Chemical Engineering, with specialization in the areas of chemical processing, materials, environment, energy and bioengineering. Students will be exposed to relevant issues involved in the scientific research, technology development and commercial applications in the field. 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.
The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Program aims to instill in students the skills needed to identify research issues in Chemical Engineering, formulate an original research plan, and develop creative and innovative solutions that address the research issue. 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:
- Devise proper personal and acadmeic strategies to achieve defined research objectives in a professional and independent manner;
- Make original contributions to the field of chemical and biological engineering;
- Perform critical analysis on their research work and data, and existing research in the field of chemical and bilogical engineering;
- Effectively communicate their research work and findings to an audience with different levels of knowledge and backgrounds; and
- Excel in teamwork and leadership skills, and succeed in careers in engineering, science, research and development and in business and managerial positions.
On successful completion of the PhD program, graduates will be able to:
- Devise proper personal and acadmeic strategies to achieve defined research objectives in a professional and independent manner;
- Make original contributions to the field of chemical and biological engineering;
- Perform critical analysis on their research work and data, and existing research in the field of chemical and bilogical engineering;
- Effectively communicate their research work and findings to an audience with different levels of knowledge and backgrounds; and
- Excel in teamwork and leadership skills, and succeed in careers in engineering, science, research and development and in business and managerial positions.
The programs are offered by the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering with the following research foci and state-of-the-art facilities, providing students with an ideal environment for research.
Research Foci
Chemical and Biological Engineering is a highly diversified engineering and science discipline. The Department’s research can be classified into five major areas:
Advanced Materials
Nanomaterials, graphene, 2D materials, zeolites, novel polymers, polymer composites, DNA self-assembly process, polymer interfaces and surfaces as well as polymer/ceramic membranes. In-depth studies are being carried out in: nanomaterial synthesis and characterization, rheology, non-Newtonian flow, heat and mass transport, and process control associated with the injection-molding process.
Biomolecular Engineering
Molecular-level design and engineering of nature-derived and artificial materials for regenerative medicine, drug deliveries and therapeutics, novel sensing strategies and diagnostic platform for point of care, synthetic and systems biology, omics technology and bioinformatics.
Energy Technologies
Energy storage and conversion technologies including fuel cells, advanced batteries, solar cells, electrolyzers, and supercapacitors. Main research activities include optimization of energy systems, development of advanced materials and critical components, understanding reaction mechanisms, and modelling/ simulation.
Environmental Engineering
Air pollution formation and abatement, deodorization of indoor air, catalytic and advanced oxidation, electrocoagulation and electrooxidation, advanced methods for wastewater treatment, hazardous wastes and micro-contamination, waste minimization and cleaner technologies.
Product and Process Design
Design optimization, smart manufacturing, big data, artificial intelligence, chemical processes, biochemical processes, environmental fate and transport, and surface phenomena and effects. The design of high value-added products, such as, food additives and pharmaceuticals, is also an active research area.
Synthetic Biology
The core of synthetic biology lies in the systematic design and engineering of biological components or systems with desirable functions. By harnessing the potential of living organisms, synthetic biology aims to create sustainable solutions for a wide range of applications, from healthcare and environmental remediation to energy production and novel materials.
Facilities
The Department has state-of-the-art analytical instrumentation, including a high-performance liquid chromatograph, gas chromatographs with a mass selective detector, flame ionization detector, inductively coupled plasma spectrometer, organic carbon analyzer, UV/ visible spectrophotometer, Raman and FTIR spectrometers, differential scanning calorimeter, capillary rheometer and universal testing machine. In addition, each area of research has specific facilities available to it.
The University’s central facilities provide relevant supports, including an electronic support shop, instrumentation pool, machine shop and the Design and Manufacturing Services Facility. There are also advanced computing facilities, including a massive parallel processing computer.
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Minimum Credit Requirement
MPhil: 12 credits
PhD: 18 credits
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Credit Transfer
PhD students entering with a master’s or equivalent degree in Engineering or related discipline from outside the Department may be granted credit transfer of up to 9 credits by the Department Head and PG Coordinator. Students entering with a master’s degree from the Department will be granted credit transfer of up to 12 credits, subject to the approval of the Department Head and PG Coordinator.
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Required Courses
MPhil: 12 credits of postgraduate courses, with at least 6 credits in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering.
PhD: 18 credits of postgraduate courses, with at least 9 credits in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering.
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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, including students entering with the HKUST Master of Science degree in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, must take and pass CENG 6800 at least twice. Part-time students must take and pass CENG 6800 at least once. All students must present at least one seminar during their study, counting the oral defense of their MPhil thesis.
PhD:
Full-time students must take and pass CENG 6800 at least three times and present in at least two seminars during their study, counting the oral defense of their PhD thesis. Part-time students and students entering with the HKUST MPhil degree in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering must take and pass CENG 6800 at least once and present in at least one seminar during their study, counting the oral defense of their PhD thesis.
- PhD Qualifying Examination
To become a doctoral candidate, the student must pass a qualifying examination within the first 1.5 years of study. The qualifying examination consists of an oral examination given by the Thesis Supervision Committee. The purpose of the oral examination is to establish the student’s ability to formulate and conduct original research in the chosen discipline.
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Thesis Research
MPhil:
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Registration in CENG 6990; and
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Presentation and oral defense of the MPhil thesis.
PhD:
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Registration in CENG 7990; and
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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 Department and a representative from the participating company.
Last update: 1 June 2023
- Energy Technology Concentration
In addition to the existing program requirements, students who opt for the Energy Technology concentration are required to:
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Take one ENEG course.
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Complete ENEG 6010 for one term. They can use ENEG 6010 to replace one term of registration of CENG 6800.
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Conduct research in energy area.
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Nanotechnology Concentration
In addition to the existing program requirements, students who opt for the Nanotechnology concentration are required to:
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Take one NANO course.
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Complete NANO 6010 for one term. They can use NANO 6010 to replace one term of registration of CENG 6800.
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Conduct research in nano area.
Last update: 31 July 2019
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: 1 Jul 2025
Part-time: 1 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:
Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering - Energy Technology Concentration
Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering - Nanotechnology 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.
