Master of Arts (MA) - FAQs | Department of Chinese History and Culture

When is the admission period?

It normally begins in late September and ends in late April of next year.

What are the admission requirements?

A Bachelor's degree (in any discipline) from an institution that is recognised by the University.
Graduates of non-English speaking universities are required to fulfil the University English Language requirement.
Applicants, whose native language is not Chinese, should have a good knowledge of Chinese language.

What are the requirements of English proficiency?

Graduates of non-English speaking universities are required to meet the following requirements:

IELTS: Band 6 or above;

TOEFL: (paper -based test) 550 or above; (internet-based test) 80 or above;

Failing to provide satisfactory results of the either test, applicants from non-English speaking universities will not be given any offers (including conditional offers) and possibly even interview opportunities.

Do you accept non-degree holders with relevant work experience in Chinese Culture?

The Basic entrance requirement is a Bachelor's degree which is recognised by the University. The Department may accept equivalent qualifications. The decision is made on an individual basis.

Is the admission interview required?

Applicants are required to attend face-to-face interviews (for local applicants) or web conferencing / telephone interviews (for international/mainland applicants).

How to apply for the programme? What supporting documents are required for the application?

Applicants can submit the online application and required supporting documents via the Academic Secretariat Website: https://www.polyu.edu.hk/admission. (There is no hard copy of application form available.) These documents include their Post-Secondary Qualification transcript, current study certificate or bachelor degree certificate and documents certifying their English proficiency.

The reference letter and personal statement are not compulsory. They are optional. We do not have standard forms in this regard or any requirements on their format or language.

How much is the application fee and how should it be paid?

The application fee is HK$450 for both local and non-local applicants, and it is non-refundable. For payment methods, please refer to:
https://www.polyu.edu.hk/fo/FO_Web/index.php?page=5&submenu=stud05&subpage=stud05app.

What is the size of an intake?

We will accept around 85 students (both full-time and part-time) this year.

When will the application result be announced?

Applicants can check their application results online at（www.polyu.edu.hk/admission）Admitted applicants will be informed by email. If applicants do not hear from us by the end of August, they may assume that their application is unsuccessful.

What is the duration of the programme?

The normal study period is 1 year for full-time students or 2 years for part-time students. The maximum study period can be up to 4 years. Non-local applicants are admitted to the full-time programme only.

What are the credit/course requirements of this programme?

A student must obtain 30 credits to fulfil the credit requirement of the MA degree and 18 credits for the Postgraduate Diploma. For details on programme structure and subjects, please refer to: M.A. and Postgraduate Diploma。

When are the classes conducted?

Classes are arranged on weekday daytimes, evenings and Saturday daytime. The schedule takes both full-time and part-time students into consideration.

What is the medium of instruction?

The medium of instruction is Putonghua, supplemented by Cantonese and English.

Can I apply for subject exemption or credit transfer?

We do not accept subject exemption and credit transfer.

How much does the programme cost?

HK$5,500 per credit (in total HK$165,000 for 30 credits) for local students
HK$5,900 per credit (in total HK$177,000 for 30 credits) for non-local students

Who are non-local applicants?

For details, please refer to: http://www51.polyu.edu.hk/eprospectus/tpg/faq#Q11

How and when should the tuition fee be paid?

At the time of admission, an initial fee (tuition fee of 6 credits for local applicants and 12 credits for non-local applicants) is charged. After the subject enrollment for the Semester 1 is finalized, overpaid fees (enrollment under the initial credits) will be refunded and outstanding fees (enrollment exceeding the initial credits) will be charged. If an applicant applies for withdrawal after accepting our offer and paying the initial fee, this applicant will be entitled to NIL refund.

Can the tuition fee be paid by installment?

The registration / tuition fee cannot be settled by credit card and no installment service is provided.

Is there any financial assistance or scholarship offered to students?

Master of Arts in Chinese Culture Scholarship

The Master of Arts in Chinese Culture Scholarship is awarded to graduates with distinction (Award GPA: 3.65 or above).

Criteria & Amount:

Graduate(s) with distinction and the first top GPA among the graduation cohort of the respective academic year (HK$50,000 for each awardee)
Graduate(s) with distinction and the second top GPA among the graduation cohort of the respective academic year (HK$40,000 for each awardee)
Graduate(s) with distinction and the third top GPA among the graduation cohort of the respective academic year (HK$30,000 for each awardee)
Graduate(s) with distinction (HK$10,000 for each awardee)

Points to Note:

To qualify for the scholarships of (1), (2) and (3), full-time students taking ten 3-credit subjects must complete their study within one academic year (including summer term), and part-time students taking ten 3-credit subjects must complete their study within two academic years (including summer term).
Alternatively, full-time students opting to submit a MA dissertation must complete their study within 1.5 academic years. Part-time students opting to submit a MA dissertation must complete their study within 2.5 academic years.
Students are selected exclusively for only one scholarship, in line with the criteria. That is to say, these scholarships do not overlap.
Recipients of the scholarships of (1), (2) and (3) must obtain an award GPA of 3.75 or above.
The scholarships of (1), (2) and (3) have one and only one recipient, respectively. For candidates with equal award GPA, means of raw marks of taken subjects and numbers of attained A+ subject grades are compared.
For any special situations falling outside the above criteria, a decision remains with the departmental Postgraduate Programme Committee.

Abbot Lee Yiu-fai Chinese Culture Scholarship

The scholarship honours and encourages MACC students whose academic achievements display a high level of excellence. A maximum of three scholarships, named after distinguished MACC alumnus Abbot Lee Yiu-fai, are offered to graduates of the programme.

Value:

HK$60,000 in total, for the best three graduates among each MACC cohort. Among the recipients, the graduate with the highest award GPA receives $30,000 while the graduates with the second and third highest award GPA receive $20,000 and $10,000 respectively.

Selection Criteria:

Graduates should have

obtained an award GPA of 3.45 or above;
demonstrated good conduct in the MACC programme; and
not received a Master of Arts in Chinese Culture Scholarship.

Points to Note:

To qualify for the scholarships, full-time students taking ten 3-credit subjects must complete their study within one academic year (including summer term), and part-time students taking ten 3-credit subjects must complete their study within two academic years (including summer term).
Alternatively, full-time students opting to submit a MA dissertation must complete their study within 1.5 academic years. Part-time students opting to submit a MA dissertation must complete their study within 2.5 academic years.
Each scholarship has one recipient only. For candidates with equal award GPA, means of raw marks of subjects taken and the number of subjects in which A+ are attained are compared.
For any special situations falling outside the above criteria, a decision remains with the departmental Postgraduate Programme Committee.

Scholarship Presentation:

Congregation of Faculty of Humanities

*Recipients of Master of Arts in Chinese Culture Scholarships will not be nominated for the Abbot Lee Yiu-fai Chinese Culture Scholarship

Can I apply for the Government non-means test loan scheme for this programme?

HK local students can try to apply for the government non-means test loan for this programme at the time they officially commence their study. For details, please refer to the Student Financial Assistance Agency (SFAA) website: https://www.wfsfaa.gov.hk/sfo/en/postsecondary/nlsps/overview.htm.

Can I apply for the Continuing Education Fund for this programme?

The subject of CHC5002 Studying Chinese Culture through Fieldtrips is registered under the Continuing Education Fund. For application details, please refer to the URL: https://www.wfsfaa.gov.hk/cef/cnintro.htm

(The course code of CHC5002 is 26Z087138.)

How can I revise the filled in application data or seek help with technical problems with my application account?

The applicant should contact the Academic Secretariat (AS) directly, because the application system is centrally maintained by the University instead of our department. The department has no access right to an individual application account. Here are the AS contacts:

For Hong Kong local applicants:
E-mail: ar.tpg@polyu.edu.hk
Tel: (852) 2333 0600
Fax: (852) 2334 6671

For non-local applicants:
E-mail: asnlocal@polyu.edu.hk
Tel: (852) 2333 0600
Fax: (852) 2334 6671

Where can I find more information concerning application?

Please refer to the following URL:
https://www51.polyu.edu.hk/eprospectus/tpg
(Please pay attention to the “FAQs” tag and the webpage: “Applying to PolyU” → “Application Instructions” on the above website.)