Innovation, Policy and Entrepreneurship is an emerging interdisciplinary area that has become increasingly important in recent years in addressing global challenges in governance and provision of private and public goods and services. It focuses on linkages among innovation, entrepreneurship, and public policy in development of human society. The Master of Philosophy (MPhil) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Programs in Innovation, Policy and Entrepreneurship are interdisciplinary programs that prepare the next generation of leaders in solving problems at the interface of technology and society through innovation in technology, institution, policy, entrepreneurship, and business model.

The MPhil Program aims to train students to conduct independent research in innovation, policy and entrepreneurship. An MPhil graduate is expected to acquire cross-disciplinary knowledge and demonstrate skills in the area, and to contribute to innovation, public policy and entrepreneurship in practice.

The PhD Program seeks to train students in original research with cross-disciplinary approach to innovation, policy and entrepreneurship, and to cultivate independent and innovative thinking for knowledge creation in policy, innovation and entrepreneurship. A PhD graduate is expected to demonstrate mastery of knowledge in the chosen area of research and to synthesize and create new knowledge, making an original and substantial contribution to the cross-disciplinary area.

On successful completion of the MPhil program, graduates will be able to:

1. Identify issues concerning technology of the future and create an environment conducive to its creation, dissemination, and management;
2. Identify and synthesize current research and conduct high-quality IPE research in academia and/or industry; and
3. Analyze issues, design, and execute IPE research by utilizing sound research methodologies.

On successful completion of the PhD program, graduates will be able to:

1. Identify issues concerning technology of the future and create an environment conducive to its creation, dissemination, and management;
2. Identify and synthesize current research and conduct high-quality IPE research in academia and/or industry;
3. Compare and contrast state-of-the-art knowledge in innovation studies, public policy, and entrepreneurship, and apply such knowledge on IPE practice;
4. Analyze issues, design, and execute IPE research by utilizing sound research methodologies; and
5. Present developed IPE knowledge and research to academic and practitioners’ communities.

1. Minimum Credit Requirement

   MPhil: 15 credits
   PhD: 21 credits

2. Credit Transfer

   Students who have taken equivalent courses at HKUST or other recognized universities may be granted credit transfer on a case-by-case basis, up to a maximum of 3 credits for MPhil students, and 6 credits for PhD students.

3. Cross-disciplinary Core Courses

2 credits

All students are required to complete either UCMP 6010 or UCMP 6030. Students may complete the remaining courses as part of the credit requirements, as requested by the Program Planning cum Thesis Supervision Committee.

4. Hub Core Courses

4 Credits

Students are required to complete at least one Hub core course (2 credits) from the Society Hub and at least one Hub core course (2 credits) from other Hubs.

  Society Hub Core Course

  Other Hub Core Courses

5. Courses on Domain Knowledge

MPhil: minimum 9 credits of coursework
PhD: minimum 15 credits of coursework

Under this requirement, each student is required to take a required course and other elective courses to form an individualized curriculum relevant to the cross-disciplinary thesis research. To ensure that students will take appropriate courses to equip them with needed domain knowledge, each student has a Program Planning cum Thesis Supervision Committee to approve the courses to be taken soonest after program commencement and no later than the end of the first year. Depending on the approved curriculum, individual students may be required to complete additional credits beyond the minimal credit requirements.

  Required Course List

  Sample Elective Course List

To meet individual needs, students will be taking courses in different areas, which may include but not limited to courses and areas listed below.

6. Additional Foundation Courses

Individual students may be required to take foundation courses to strengthen their academic background and research capacity in related areas, which will be specified by the Program Planning cum Thesis Supervision Committee. The credits earned cannot be counted toward the credit requirements.

Unless clearly demonstrating sufficient knowledge in the area, students entering the MPhil or PhD Program are required to take the following course in the first regular term of study:

7. 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 Institute of Educational Innovation and Practice (IEIP), and session(s) of instructional delivery to be assigned by the respective departments. Upon satisfactory completion of the training conducted by IEIP, 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.

8. 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 Program Planning cum Thesis Supervision Committee.

Students are required to complete SOCH 6780. The 1 credit earned from SOCH 6780 cannot be counted toward the credit requirements.

PhD students who are HKUST MPhil graduates and have completed SOCH 6780 or other professional development courses offered by the University before may be exempted from taking SOCH 6780, subject to prior approval of the Program Planning cum Thesis Supervision Committee.

9. English Language Requirement

Full-time RPg students are required to take an English Language Proficiency Assessment (ELPA) Speaking Test administered by the Division of 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.

Students are required to take DLED 5001. The credit earned cannot be counted toward the credit requirements. Students can be exempted from taking this course with the approval of the Program Planning cum Thesis Supervision Committee.

10. Postgraduate Seminar

IPEN 6101 and IPEN 6102 will be offered in different terms. Students are required to complete IPEN 6101 and IPEN 6102 in two terms. The credits earned cannot be counted toward the credit requirements.

11. PhD Qualifying Examination

PhD students are required to pass a qualifying examination to obtain PhD candidacy following established policy.

12. Thesis Research

  MPhil:

1. Registration in IPEN 6990; and
2. Presentation and oral defense of the MPhil thesis.

PhD:

1. Registration in IPEN 7990; and
2. Presentation and oral defense of the PhD thesis.

Last Update: 20 July 2023

To qualify for admission, applicants must meet all of the following requirements. Admission is selective and meeting these minimum requirements does not guarantee admission.