Master of Science in Blockchain Technology - FAQ

Questions related to credit transfer

1. Is credit transfer possible? What are the criteria for consideration?
Students may apply for credit transfer for your previous study at postgraduate level. The subjects to be transferred should attain a normal performance grade (i.e. a minimum of grade B is expected).

Credit transfer may be done with or without the grade being carried over; the former should normally be used when the credits were gained from PolyU. Credit transfer with the grade being carried over may be granted for subjects taken from outside the University, if deemed appropriate, and with due consideration to the academic equivalence of the subjects concerned and the comparability of the grading systems adopted by the University and the other approved institutions. Subject credit transfer is normally decided by the subject offering Department.

The validity period of subject credits earned is eight years from the year of attainment, i.e. the year in which the subject is completed, unless otherwise specified by the department responsible for the content of the subjects (e.g. if the credit was earned in 2018/19, then the validity period should count from 2019 for eight years). Credits earned from previous studies should remain valid at the time when the student applies for transfer of credits.

If the credits attained from previous study are from PolyU, the total credits transferred should not exceed 67% of the required credits for the award. If the credits gained are from other institutions, the total credits transferred should not exceed 50%. In cases where both types of credits are being transferred (i.e. from programmes offered by PolyU and from approved institutions outside the University), not more than 50% of the credit requirement for award may be transferred.

All credit transfers approved will take effect in the semester for which they are approved. A student who applies for transfer of credits for a particular semester will only be eligible for graduation at the end of that semester, even if the granting of credit transfer will immediately enable the student to satisfy the credit requirement for the award.

For credit transfer of retaken subjects, the grade attained in the last attempt should be taken in the case of credit transfer with grade being carried over. Students applying for credit transfer for a subject taken in other institutions are required to declare that the subject grade used for claiming credit transfer was attained in the last attempt of the subject in their previous studies. If a student fails in the last attempt of a retaken subject, no credit transfer should be granted, despite the fact that the student may have attained a pass grade for the subject in the earlier attempts.

Students should not be granted credit transfer for a subject which they have attempted and failed in their current study.

2. How do I apply?

Submit online application (AR41c) via eStudent, together with respective transcript and syllabus, via eStudent system. Students should apply for credit transfer upon your initial enrolment in the programme or before the end of the add/drop period of the first semester of your first year of study. Late applications may not be considered. Students whose tuition fees are charged by credits will be subject to a credit transfer fee.

Frequently asked questions for taking dissertation

Students are advised to refer to the key dates and procedures posted on the intranet.

1. If I want to take dissertation, when is the appropriate time?

Students should have completed not less than 15 credits of study in the registered programme with a GPA equivalent to or above the grade point value of C+. Full-time students who have completed 9 credits of study and fulfilled this GPA requirement may consider doing Dissertation from the second semester of their study.

2. What is the duration of doing dissertation?
This will normally be completed within a 2-semester period.

3. What are the procedures/ format for dissertation?
Students who would like to take dissertation should first register for the subject during the subject registration period, and approach a supervisor for topic formulation and dissertation supervision.

Students should submit the forms/ dissertation documents in a single PDF file to MSc Dissertation Portal https://dissertation.comp.polyu.edu.hk/ (COMP Account Login) on or before the specified submission deadlines outlined in the COMP5940 Guidelines posted on the Intranet of Department of Computing (COMP):

Form of Confirmation (with supervisor’s signature)
Dissertation Proposal Form (with supervisor’s signature)
Dissertation Progress Report Form (with supervisor’s signature)
Dissertation (before Presentation)
Final Dissertation with Certificate of Originality with a handwritten signature (after Presentation)
Final Dissertation Turnitin Report
Additional files including associated development work and system program (source code + documentation) if applicable.

Please adhere strictly to the template provided in the guidelines, including the cover page and Certificate of Originality. Non-compliance may result in the dissertation being returned for revisions.

Students will receive an on-screen notification and a system-generated email confirming the successful uploading of your documents.

For procedures, submission key dates and format of dissertation, please refer to the guidelines posted on the Intranet of Department of Computing (COMP). Students are required to enter their COMP’s login account and password in order to access the Intranet and MSc Dissertation Portal. If students have any questions about their COMP account or encounter any technical problem of document submission, they can send an email to our technical team via helpdesk@comp.polyu.edu.hk or by phone at (852) 2766 4363.

4. Submission of Final Dissertation

The MSc award is subject to the submission of the final version of the dissertation to MSc Dissertation Submission Portal within ONE month from the assessment date.

Students who are required by their supervisor to submit a mandatory revised dissertation after Presentation must ensure timely submission to the supervisor for endorsement before the Subject Assessment Review Panel (SARP) meeting. Failure to do so will result in the student's subject grade being marked as pending. The dissertation assessment will not be finalized and confirmed until the students satisfy the above requirement. Failure to do so may impact the completion of the award.

5. Should I find the dissertation supervisor myself or the department will allocate the supervisor to me?
Students should approach their potential supervisors for topics information and agreement to guide the students in preference for registering the dissertation regarding their area of interest. The dissertation topic can be freely discussed among students and academic staff. Students may select a research interest from the Research Interest List and approach the corresponding academic staff directly to formulate the topic. The Research Interest List is included in the dissertation guidelines for students’ reference,

6. Should I need to do presentation after the submission of dissertation?
Yes. A presentation session will be arranged for each student. Normally, the presentation panel will consist of the supervisor, co-examiner and panel chair. The presentation will be normally held after the submission of final draft of the dissertation at a specific deadline. The venue of the presentation will be subject to the availability of the supervisor, the student and the co-examiner. Students are required to fix this up with their supervisor after the submission of final draft of dissertation.

7. After I take the dissertation, what is the communication channel between my supervisor and me?
If students’ supervisors are PolyU staff, the main communication channel amongst them will be by email.

8. What things should I do for the presentation?
Students should consult their supervisors regarding the real presentation formats. They are normally required to prepare PowerPoint slides related to their dissertation and present it in front of the presentation panel. After doing presentation, the supervisor/ co-examiner/ panel chair will ask questions related to the presentation content and students need to answer their questions in return. In general, the presentation will last for about 1 hour.

Frequently asked questions for taking project

1. When I can take the subject COMP5933 Projects?
Students who have completed 15 credits of study are eligible to take the subject. The subject carries 6 credits.

2. What are the procedures for taking the subject?
The procedures are as follows:

Students will work in a group of up to 4 members.
Potential supervisors should be approached for topics information and agreement to guide the students in preference for registering this subject. The project topic can be freely discussed among students and academic staff. Students may refer to the Research Interest List (Kept under subject guideline in Intranet), and approach the corresponding academic staff directly to formulate the topic.
Afterwards, forms of confirmation should be submitted to General Office to confirm the topics and supervision arrangement (forms can be downloaded from the Intranet).
Students should follow the guidelines (refer to the subject syllabus) and key dates (posted on the Intranet) to complete the project and submit the appropriate reports.
In general, the project proposal is due within 4 weeks after semester starts. Final report is due by the end of semester and a presentation comprising an oral examination will be scheduled. In addition to the group report, each member within group should submit an individual report describing his/ her own work in the project. Each group member should also participate in the assessment process.
Supervisors can re-schedule the dates with students for early completion of their projects, if necessary.
Students are required to give a presentation on their project after submitting the project.
Members of the group should declare their role and contribution clearly in the project.

Frequently asked questions for taking independent study

1. When I can take the subject COMP5923 Independent Study?
Students who have completed 15 credits of study are eligible to take the subject. The subject carries 3 credits.

2. What are the procedures for taking the subject?
The procedures are as follows:

Potential supervisors should be approached for topics information and agreement to guide the students in preference for registering this subject. The topic can be freely discussed among students and academic staff. Students may select a research interest from the “Research Interest List” and approach the corresponding academic staff directly to formulate the topic. (Academic staff's Research Interest List is kept under subject guideline in Intranet).
Afterwards, forms of confirmation should be submitted to General Office for confirming the topics and the supervision arrangement (forms can be downloaded from the same website).
Students should follow the guidelines (refer to the subject syllabus) and key dates (posted on the Intranet) to complete the study and submit the appropriate reports accordingly.
Supervisors can re-schedule the dates with students for early completion of their reports, if necessary.