Frequently Asked Questions

1. What are the basic requirements for admission to the postgraduate programmes in Psychology?

The basic requirements for admission vary across the different postgraduate programmes. Applicants are advised to consult the Postgraduate Prospectus published by the Graduate School at CUHK, or go to http://www.cuhk.edu.hk/gss/ for details.

2. Can I apply for the postgraduate programmes with a Bachelor's degree in Psychology without honors?

Applicants with a Bachelor's degree in Psychology without honors (e.g., graduated from a university without honors system) are still encouraged to apply. We will consider these applications as special cases.

 

3. Can I apply for the Master's programmes without an undergraduate major degree in Psychology?

For the M.Phil. in Industrial-Organizational Psychology and the M.S.Sc. in Clinical Psychology, applicants who do not have a Bachelor's degree in Psychology are required to obtain a postgraduate diploma in Psychology. For the M.Phil. in Psychology and the M.A. in Trauma Psychology, applicants are required to have a Bachelor's degree in Psychology or in a related field.

 

4. In terms of qualifications for admission, what does it mean to have a degree "in a related field"?

When selecting applicants of our M.Phil.- Ph.D. in Psychology, we will also consider those without a major degree in Psychology if their scholastic records are exceptionally strong and their major studies are highly related to Psychology (e.g., some specialized degree in cognitive science, child development, or business psychology).
These applications will be considered as special cases.

5. What is the "English Language Proficiency Requirement"?

For applicants who obtain their degrees from a university in a non-English-speaking country (e.g., Mainland China), they are required to submit one of the following scores in their applications for assessing their English language proficiency: TOFEL; College English Test (CET) of PRC; IELTS.
For applicants who obtain their degrees from a university in Hong Kong or an English-speaking country, they are not required to submit any English proficiency test scores.

6. What does the "eligibility for membership of the Hong Kong Psychological Society" refer to?

The Hong Kong Psychological Society has stipulated certain requirements for issuing its membership. Applicants should visit http://www.hkps.org.hk for details.

7. Where can I obtain the application forms? When do I apply?

Application forms are obtainable at the Graduate School (Room 402, Academic Building No. 1, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T.). The application period is usually between January and February every year. However, it is subject to change. Applicants are advised to visit www.cuhk.edu.hk/gss/ at the beginning of January each year for details.

8. Will I receive any financial support?

All our full-time M.Phil. and Ph.D. students receive some form of studentships, as long as they are in good academic standing. They usually work as teaching or research assistants for the Department.
No assistantships are available for students in the M.S.Sc. programme, the MA programme and the Postgraduate Diploma programmes.

9. Do the referees for my application have to be from an academic setting?

Applicants are required to submit two recommendation letters, preferably from someone who can evaluate the applicant's scholastic performance and intellectual ability. However, applicants could also invite referees of non-academic background.

10. What is the entrance examination for the Postgraduate Diploma programme about?

Short-listed applicants who have not taken a course on General Psychology before are required to pass an entrance examination in General Psychology organized by the Department. This examination is usually in a multiple-choice format, aiming at measuring applicants’ basic knowledge of Psychology. It lasts for about 1.5 hours. Applicants will be notified about the syllabus and given approximately one month to prepare the examination.

11. Does the Postgraduate Diploma Programme require applicants to have any related working experience?

No, we do not require applicants for the Postgraduate Diploma Programme to have any related working experience.