Doctor of Philosophy in Marketing
Master of Philosophy in Marketing
PhD(MARK)
MPhil(MARK)
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
MPhil/PhD Programs Coordinator:
Prof Ying ZHAO, Associate Professor of Marketing
MPhil program is only available via the Integrated MPhil-PhD program study scheme.
The Master of Philosophy (MPhil) Program is a research-oriented degree that aims to prepare students for a research and teaching career in universities and research institutes. 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. Students intending to do a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Program in Marketing at HKUST should consider entering the MPhil Program to acquire the training necessary for a PhD degree.
The PhD Program follows a strong research-intensive tradition on the North American model. It is designed to enable students to gain a deep knowledge of management in general, to develop a concentration in a specialized field, and to provide opportunities for students to do significant original research in their chosen area. PhD students are offered intensive and targeted research training and exceptional collaboration opportunities with faculty to prepare them for their future careers in teaching and/or research. It emphasizes the development of sophisticated, state-of-the-art research skills that help in the creation of new knowledge in a chosen area of marketing: Consumer behavior that is mainly psychology-based, and Quantitative modeling that is largely based on economic and statistical theories.
On successful completion of the MPhil program, graduates will be able to:
- Demonstrate up-to-date and in-depth knowledge of their areas of specialization, through which they design and execute independent, substantive, scholarly research; and
- Demonstrate an ability to summarize, analyze, and communicate contemporary business and organizational issues, within their area of specialization.
On successful completion of the PhD program, graduates will be able to:
- Demonstrate up-to-date and in-depth knowledge of their areas of specialization, through which they design and execute independent, substantive, scholarly research;
- Demonstrate an ability to summarize, analyze, and communicate contemporary business and organizational issues, within their area of specialization; and
- Equipped to perform all aspects of the role of faculty in academia, including the development and application of pedagogical skills.
The program is offered by the Department of Marketing with the following research foci:
Research Foci
Research areas include: consumer information processing, judgment and decision-making, non-conscious consumer behavior, affect and emotions, attitudes and persuasion, goals and self-regulation, self and identity, social influence, lay beliefs, technology and consumer choice, field experiments, empirical models of consumers and firms, eye-tracking and spatial modeling, choice models, theory-based empirical models, Bayesian data analysis, information economics, retailing and marketing strategy, information and contract, media strategy, machine learning, business analytics, pricing, natural language processing, causal inference, AI generated content and generative AI marketing, social media, advertising and sustainability.
- Minimum Credit Requirement
MPhil: 34 credits
PhD: 36 credits
- Credit Transfer
PhD students who have taken the HKUST MPhil Program in Marketing will be granted credit transfer to the PhD Program. Students who have taken an MPhil program or equivalent in other universities may be granted credit transfer on a case-by-case basis, up to a maximum of 20 credits.
- Introductory Quantitative Requirement
Unless students have clearly demonstrated sufficient knowledge in the area, students entering the MPhil or PhD Program are required to take the following two mathematics-oriented courses in the first regular term of study. The credits earned from these two courses cannot be counted toward the degree requirements.
- Course Requirement
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Required Courses
MPhil/PhD: at least 13 credits
Two of the following:
Students are required to take all seminars in their depth area plus one seminar in their non-depth area.
Students may need to take additional courses related to their research topics, as requested by their thesis supervisors.
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General Management Courses
PhD: 2 credits
PhD students admitted with an HKUST MPhil degree in Marketing should take one of the following courses in the first year of PhD study, whereas those admitted without an HKUST MPhil degree in Marketing will take this course in the third year of PhD study.
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Elective Courses
MPhil/PhD: 21 credits of other postgraduate courses approved by the PhD Committee
- 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 SBMT 6780. The 1 credit earned from SBMT 6780 cannot be counted toward the credit requirements.
PhD students who are HKUST MPhil graduates and have completed SBMT 6780 or other professional development courses offered by the University before may be exempted from taking SBMT 6780, subject to prior approval of the School.
- 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.
- PhD Qualifying Examination
All PhD students must pass a qualifying examination.
Students admitted via the HKUST MPhil Program in Marketing will take the qualifying examination in the Summer of the second year of MPhil study. Students who fail the qualifying examination in the first attempt can retake the examination once and must pass the examination before December of the first year of PhD study.
Students without an HKUST MPhil degree in Marketing will take the qualifying examination in the Summer of the second year of PhD study. Students who fail the qualifying examination in the first attempt can retake the examination once and must pass the examination before December of the third year of PhD study.
- Research Paper Requirement
MPhil students are required to write a research paper by the Summer of the first year of study.
PhD students are required to submit a first year research paper and a second year research paper. Students admitted with an HKUST MPhil degree in Marketing will be exempted from this requirement.
- Thesis Research
MPhil:
- Registration in MARK 6990; and
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Presentation and oral defense of the MPhil thesis.
PhD:
- Registration in MARK 7990; and
- Presentation and oral defense of the PhD thesis.
Last update: 30 August 2024
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 requried 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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A satisfactory score in GMAT or GRE
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: 15 Jan 2025
Local Applicants
Full-time: 15 Jan 2025
Part-time: 15 Jan 2025
MPhil program is only available via the Integrated MPhil-PhD program study scheme, and is not open for individual application. Applicants should apply for the PhD program in the Online Admission System.
* 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.
