To register for the degree of PhD, a student must normally hold a postgraduate degree containing a significant research component, such as a dissertation, conferred by a recognized university.
In exceptional circumstances, applicants other than those stipulated above may be admitted directly to the PhD programme. For example, an applicant with a Bachelor’s degree with First Class Honours, or the equivalent. Such applicants may be required to pass an examination.
PolyU may accept other equivalent qualifications. The decision is made on an individual basis.
The requirements for those who do not have a degree for which English was the language of instruction at a recognised university are:
An overall score of at least 6.5 (with score for the writing component at 6.0 or above) in the International English Language Testing System (IELTS); OR
A Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) score of 80 or above for the Internet-based test (with a writing score of 23 or above) or 550 or above for the paper-based test (with a score of 4 or above in the Test of Written English).
Alternatively, consideration will be given to acceptable scores in other internationally recognised public examinations, such as the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT).
All English language test scores are considered valid for five years after the date of the test.