For PhD students admitted in or after 2025/26 Cohort
Students who are enrolled in the PhD in Physics program or PhD in Nano Science and Technology program offered by Department of Physics are required to pass the PhD Qualifying Examination (PQE) as part of their PhD study requirements. The PQE consists of a written report and an oral examination with which a PhD student must complete within two attempts at most.
1. Timeline for taking PhD Qualifying Examination (PQE)
- Full-time PhD students without an MPhil degree must complete their 1st attempt of PQE no later than June 30th of their 2nd year* of PhD study. If students fail their 1st attempt, they must pass the 2nd attempt of PQE before the start of the 5th regular term (Fall/Spring)* of study in order to continue with their PhD study. Students who were admitted to PhD program in Spring term, they must complete their 1st attempt of PQE no later than November 30th of their 2nd year study*.
- Full-time PhD students who already have an MPhil degree must complete their 1st attempt of PQE no later than June 30th of their 1st year study* of PhD study. If students fail the 1st attempt, they must pass the 2nd attempt of PQE before the start of the 3rd regular term (Fall/Spring)* of study in order to continue with their PhD studies. For students who were admitted to PhD program in Spring term, they must complete their 1st attempt of PQE no later than November 30th of their 1st year study* of PhD study.
* Students who fail to complete 1st attempt of the PQE before the deadline stipulated above will automatically receive a “Fail’’ PQE result. They MUST complete their 2nd attempt of PQE before the deadline stipulated above. If a student fails to complete 1st attempt due to extenuating circumstances, the student can apply for an extension from PQE Coordinator with strong evidence and supporting documentation by the deadline of their 1st attempt as stipulated above.
2. Examination Registration Procedures
PhD students who wish to take PQE should first inform her/his research supervisor (primary faculty supervisor) and submit the “Registration for the PhD Qualifying Examination” form (downloadable at Physics Intranet (HKUST login is required, under Section "PG Matters"). The completed registration should be submitted to the Department of Physics either in person (Physics Administration Office, Room 4461, 4/F, Lifts 25-26) or via email to phweb@ust.hk, at least 4 weeks prior to the proposed examination date. Student must complete Sections A & B, then seek endorsement (signatures) from his/her supervisor, Chairman and Committee members in Section C, before submitting the form to the Department for approval. The student is responsible for scheduling an examination date that is agreed by all members of the proposed PQE Committee prior to submission of the form.
3. Formation of PhD Qualifying Examination Committee
The PhD Qualifying Examination Committee shall comprise of at least four academic faculty members.
- The Chairman must be a Physics regular faculty member other than student’s supervisor/co-supervisor. The Chairman shall be nominated by the supervisor, or by the PQE Coordinator upon request made by the supervisor. The Chairman has the voting right in the examination process.
- The supervisor shall be one of the Examination Committee members (for the case with a co-supervisor(s), the co-supervisor(s) can choose to attend the examination in consultation with the supervisor. Neither the supervisor nor the co-supervisor(s) has voting rights in the examination process.
- The remaining two members of the Examination Committee shall be nominated by the supervisor. These members may be from different academic Department/Division within the University and must be a regular faculty member. These members have voting rights in the examination process.
4. Written Report
At least 2 weeks prior to the proposed examination date, the student must submit a written report (about 15-30 pages following University guidelines on thesis format: https://fytgs.hkust.edu.hk/academics/Academic-Regulations-and-Requirements/Handbook-for-Research-Postgraduate-Studies/guidelines-thesis-preparation) to all approved Examination Committee members via email and copy to (cc) the Department of Physics at phweb@ust.hk. This report should include:
- A clear statement of the central questions of the thesis research,
- A justification for choosing these questions as worthy of study (e.g., how past research has set the stage, general significance of anticipated results), and
- An outline of work completed up to date, and
- A future plan of her/his PhD thesis research.
LATE report submission will result in an automatic CANCELLATION of the examination. Students are then required to submit a new PhD registration form for rescheduling the examination. The PQE must be completed before the stipulated deadline in Point 1 above.
5. Oral Examination
Students are required to deliver an oral presentation (in person) within 30 to 45 minutes. The presentation is followed by a question-and-answer (Q&A) session conducted by the Examination Committee. During the oral examination, the student is expected to demonstrate:
- A broad grasp of basic physics in her/his area of research;
- An ability to think creatively and critically about questions related to her/his area of research;
- An awareness of the significance and new advances in her/his area of research, and
- A full understanding of key assumptions and technical complexities of relevant methods (e.g., analytical, experimental, observational, statistical);
6. Outcome of the PhD Qualifying Examination
Examination result should be either “Pass” or “Fail”. The Chairman of the Examination Committee shall inform the student the examination outcome on spot after the examination concludes. The Chairman is required to complete “Report on Qualifying Examination Result for PhD Student” form within 1 working day and pass the report to the Department for processing. The Examination Committee should include comments (if any) in the "Remark" field of the form (e.g. students is required to submit revised written report for PQE).
7. Second Attempt for the PhD Qualifying Examination
In case the student fails the 1st attempt of PQE, he/she is allowed to take the 2nd attempt before the deadline stated in Point 1 above. The members of PQE Committee for the 2nd attempt shall normally be the same as those from the 1st attempt. The student must follow the same guidelines to arrange another examination date and time for the 2nd attempt and submit the “Registration for the PhD Qualifying Examination” form to the Department either in person or via email to phweb@ust.hk, at least 4 weeks in advance of the proposed examination date. The student should submit a revised written report (if it is required by the 1st attempt PQE Committee) to all Examination Committee members and to the Department at least 2 weeks prior to the 2nd attempt. The Committee Chairman shall inform the student the examination outcome on spot after the 2nd attempt examination concludes. The Chairman is required to complete “Report on Qualifying Examination Result for PhD Student” form within 1 working day and pass the report to the Department for processing. If a student fails the 2nd attempt, he/she will be terminated from his/her PhD study.