Application for admission.doc

Application for admissionGeneral Qualifications for AdmissionThe basic qualification necessary for admission to research postgraduate studies is a good honours degree from this University or an equivalent qualification from a comparable institution. In addition, certain degree courses have more specific requirements. Qualifying examinations to test the applicants abilities to follow the prescribed courses and/or interviews may be conducted. Applicants with qualifications other than an honours degree are considered on their individual merits.Applicants who wish to be admitted to higher degrees on the basis of a qualification from a university or a comparable institution outside Hong Kong where the language of teaching and/or examination is not English are required to obtain the following:(a) a minimum score in the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) as specified below:Paper-based test- An overall score of 550 or above- Additional requirement for applicants to the Faculty of Arts except the School of Chinese and the Centre of Buddhist Studies: 4 or above in the Test of Written English (TWE)Internet-based test- An overall score of 80 or above- Additional requirement for applicants to the Faculty of Arts except the School of Chinese and the Centre of Buddhist Studies: 25 or above in the Writing sectionor(b) a minimum overall band of 6 with no subtest lower than 5.5 in the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) (Academic module) (applicants of admission to read for an MPhil or a PhD degree in the Faculty of Arts except the Centre of Buddhist Studies are required to obtain an overall band of 7 with no subtest lower than 5.5 in the IELTS); or(c) grade C or above in the Overseas General Certificate of Education (GCE); or(d) grade C or above in the International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE); or(e) grade C or above in the Cambridge Test of Proficiency in English Language (CPE);unless in exceptional circumstances when they are exempted from this requirement.Since places for research postgraduate studies are limited, it may not be possible to offer admission to all qualified applicants.On-line Application Procedures, Application Fee and Supporting DocumentsAll applications and supporting documents have to be submitted via the on-line application system by the appropriate closing date as mentioned above.Application fees can be paid in two ways: (1) via the on-line application system by credit card at a discounted rate of HK$150 per application, or (2) by other means at the rate of HK$400 or US$53 per application see section (e) below for details. Application fees are non-refundable.Applicants who wish to apply for admission to more than one department should submit one complete set of the on-line application form and supporting documents for each proposed department of study.The University views any act of plagiarism as of the utmost seriousness and it is a form of academic misdemeanour that the University will not tolerate. To discourage plagiarism, the University will conduct a plagiarism check on the application materials submitted by the applicants, including the research proposal, research plan and vision statements (the latter two apply to HKPF applicants only), before offer of admission. Proper referencing is needed in the preparation of research proposals. The result of the plagiarism check will be taken into consideration when the Department, Faculty and Graduate School review the application. The application may be deemed unsuccessful if plagiarized materials are identified.The application documents include the following:(a) On-line application form(b) On-line submission of certificates and complete transcripts of undergraduate and postgraduate studiesPlease upload certificates and complete transcripts of your undergraduate and postgraduate studies via the on-line application system. Applicants have to supply certified hard copies of academic certificates and transcripts upon request. Documents that are not in English should be accompanied by a formally translated version in English. If the policy of your institution is that the transcript should remain confidential, please request your institution to send it directly to the HKU Graduate School.For current undergraduate or postgraduate students: It is to your advantage to upload an interim transcript showing the results of courses you have completed so far.For qualifications obtained from HKU (except HKU SPACE): Certificates are not required but if you are a graduate, you are requested to upload your transcript with your on-line application; if you are a current student, you are requested to upload your examination results obtained from the Student Information System through HKU Portal or your examination result slips.(c) On-line submission of statement of research interest or research proposalWhether a statement of research interest or a research proposal is required depends on your proposed programme and department of study. Please click here for the requirements of individual Faculties. In general, a statement of research interest should include your reasons for undertaking graduate work at HKU, while a research proposal should include the background, the objectives and the methodology/approach you propose to take in studying the subject matter.(d) Two academic referees reportsPlease invite two people who are familiar with your academic achievements to complete the academic referees report form and send it directly to the Graduate School. Alternatively, you may request the referees to return the referees report to you in a signed and sealed envelope, and send the unopened envelopes to the HKU Graduate School.(e) Proof of payment of application fee (this is not required if payment is made via the on-line application system)Local applicants: Please deposit the amount of HK$400 to any branch of HSBC (account no.: 002-222834-014 (Ref: 4001) or transfer the amount to the account using an ATM machine (account no.: 002-222834-014) and submit the original customer copy of the Account Deposit Form or the ATM customer advice with your application.Overseas applicants: Please pay by bank draft of HK$400 or US$53 payable toThe University of Hong Kong.Note: Please write your full name and proposed department of study on the back of the pay-in-slip or bank draft for identification purposes. Cash will NOT be accepted.Applicants are encouraged to pay the application fee via the on-line application system by credit card, at a discounted rate of HK$150.(f) Official score report of TOEFL, IELTS or other English language proficiency tests as specified in the above section General Qualifications for Admission (for applicants from institutions outside HK where the language of instruction and examination is not entirely in English)Applicants should request the Educational Testing Service (ETS) to send an official score report to the University direct. The original or a certified copy of the Examinees score record will not be accepted. For this purpose, the TOEFL code of the University is 9671 and please use 99 as the department code for sending the official score report to the HKU Graduate School. It is a policy of the TOEFL Policy Council to validate scores which are obtained within a two-year period. The University therefore accepts this two-year validity rule in the admission exercise.(g) Official score report of the GMAT or GRE (taken within a five-year period) (ONLY for applicants to the Faculty of Business & Economics) (Institution codes: GMAT FS2-WL-48; GRE - 2482)(h) Official score report of the GRE Subject Test in Psychology (taken within a five-year period) with a minimum score of 550 (ONLY for applicants to the Department of Psychology if they do not have a first degree in Psychology) (Institution code: 2482)(i) On-line submission of other documentsOther documents that applicants would like to bring to the attention of the University, e.g. list of publications, documentary evidence of academic awards and professional qualifications, and summa