In addition to the general qualifications required by the Graduate School, applicants should (1) hold a Bachelor's degree majoring in Religion or Theology, holders of degrees in related fields will be considered on an individual basis; (2) submit a research proposal with well-informed bibliography; (3) secure confidential recommendations from two academic referees; (4) fulfil the "English Language Proficiency Requirement"; (5) candidates applying for Ph.D. (pre-candidacy) stream should submit an academic paper in either English or Chinese. (Please refer to the Postgraduate Prospectus 2012-13 or Graduate School Homepage (http://www2.cuhk.edu.hk/gss/postgraduate_prospectus_rp.php)

Programme

M.Phil. Stream

Course Work
Students are required to complete a minimum of 9 units of lecture courses and 6 units of seminar courses for graduation. In addition, they must enroll in "Thesis Research Courses" each term throughout their study.

Graduation Requirements

• Submission of a written graduation thesis
• Passing an oral examination

Ph.D. Stream

Pre-candidacy

Course Work
Students are required to complete a minimum of 9 units of lecture courses and 6 units of seminars courses for graduation. In addition, they must enroll in "Thesis Research Courses" each term throughout their study.

Third Language Requirement
Reading knowledge of at least one language other than English and Chinese is required. The required language may vary according to the field of specialization of the student and is to be advised by individual supervisors.

Candidacy Examination
Candidacy examination will take place upon completion of course work and language requirement. The passing of this examination is mandatory for continuation in the Ph.D. (Post-candidacy) Stream. Three written examinations are required to be taken by the end of the second year and should be examined in at least 2 areas of study or as prescribed by individual supervisors.

Post-candidacy
Ph.D. (Post-candidacy) students continue to enroll in "Thesis Research Courses" (12 units each) each term throughout their thesis preparation. Though lecture course is not a compulsory component for Ph.D. (post-candidacy) students, they may be requested to take additional courses if the Division finds it necessary.

Graduation Requirements

• Submission of a written thesis proposal and an original thesis of substantial contribution to existing knowledge
•  Passing an oral examination
  

Fields of Specialization

• Chinese Religions
• Taoist Studies
• Biblical Studies
• Buddhist Studies
• Christian Studies/Christianity in China
• Religion, Education and Society

Admission Method

Internet submission of admission materials via website: http://www2.cuhk.edu.hk/gss/apply.php

After submitting an online application, applicants upload the following documents to the Graduate School (http://www2.cuhk.edu.hk/gss/apply.php):

1. Copies of degree certificates
2. Copies of transcripts
3. Documents showing the applicant has fulfilled the Graduate School's English Language Proficiency Requirement
4. Application Fee Receipt (Not necessary for credit card payment through online application)
5. Copies of identity card or passport

And the following documents should be sent to the General Office (Address: http://www.crs.cuhk.edu.hk/en/contact.php) before the application deadline. Please write the application number, the name of programme applied and name of applicant on the envelope.

1. Confidential Recommendations from Two referees respectively*
2. Official Transcripts from the University attended by applicants*
3. Research proposal
4.  A sample of writings (MPhil: undergraduate term paper/research paper; PhD: Master¡¦s thesis/ representative research paper)

* Official Transcripts and Confidential Recommendation must reach the respective divisions directly from the University and referees, or in sealed envelopes and sent by the applicant with other support documents to the Graduate Division.

Application Deadline:

1 Dec 2012 (For applicants who apply for Ph.D. programmes through the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme)
31 Jan 2013 (For applicants who apply for M.Phil./Ph.D. programmes directly with CUHK)

Tuition Fee (Provisional): HK$42,100 per annum (Full-time)

Qualification for Admission

I. The minimum requirements for admission shall be as follows:

(A) For the Doctor of Philosophy, the applicant shall:

1. have a Master's degree from a recognized university; or
2. have a Bachelor's degree, normally with Second Class Honors in the upper division or above, and have been registered in a course of study for a Master's degree at this University for at least one year and have demonstrated research ability; or
3. have been registered in a course of study for a doctoral degree at a recognized university for at least one year, and have been approved for admission by the Graduate Council; or
4. have obtained the degrees of MB ChB, or equivalent, or under special circumstances, the degree of Bachelor, for admission to programmes of the Faculty of Medicine.

(B) For a Master's programme, the applicant shall have:

1. graduated from a recognized university and obtained a Bachelor's degree, normally with honors not lower than Second Class; or
2. graduated from an honors programme of a recognized university with a Bachelor's degree, normally achieving an average grade of not lower than 'B' in undergraduate courses; or
3. completed a course of study in a tertiary educational institution and obtained professional or similar qualifications equivalent to an honors degree.

II. English Language Proficiency Requirement:

1. possess a pass grade in English in one of the following examinations:
   •  Hong Kong Advanced Level Examination (AS Level)
   • Hong Kong Higher Level Examination
   • CUHK Matriculation Examination, or
2. have a degree from a university in Hong Kong or an English speaking country, or
3. submit one of the following scores for assessment by the programme(s) concerned:
   •  TOEFL (not lower than 550 paper based, 213 computer based, and 79 internet based);
   •  GMAT (Verbal not lower than 21);
   •  College English Test (CET 6) of PRC (not lower than 430);
   •  IELTS (Academic) (not lower than Band 6.5);
   •  PETS-5 (with pass grades in both written and oral parts)
4. obtained a recognized professional qualification awarded in Hong Kong or an English speaking country