Sept 2025 Entry
3 years
Total: 52 credits, including:
51 credits of programme’s compulsory subjects
No tuition fee is required for the 1 credit of Academic Integrity and Ethics subject (University’s requirement)
What's New
Programme Aims
The Doctor of International Real Estate and Construction programme is designed for senior executives with more than 8 years of experience in the construction and real estate industry, who thus possess the core knowledge and basic competence needed to fulfil their duties. Many of them have already attained a significant knowledge base. We help these professionals to build new ideas, develop positive values and attitudes, and upscale their capabilities for self-fulfilment and career advancement. It aims to provide a genuinely innovative professional development experience to enrich executives' theoretical and technical knowledge, develop their management and leadership skills, and equip them with the right mindset to fulfil senior or top management roles in the modern construction and real estate finance market.
The programme aims relating to personal and professional achievement are as follows:
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to enrich participants’ theoretical and technical knowledge for top level advancement in the construction and real estate industry;
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to develop participants’ management and leadership skills; and
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to equip participants with applicable alternative perspectives to address competition in the modern construction and real estate market.
Characteristics
Students are provided with the most advanced knowledge of the operation of the construction and real estate markets, including strategic construction project management, the application of information and digital technologies in the construction and real estate industry, urban economics processes, urban and regional planning, price determination for land and real estate, environmental issues and other relevant professional issues. Due to the complex influence of public policy development and the global economic environment, this programme will support the students with comprehensive thinking and analysis methods.
Programme Structure
The programme comprises 52 credits. The normal duration of the programme is three years, comprising Semester 1, Semester 2 and Summer Term in each year. Students who have successfully completed the programme are awarded a Doctor of International Real Estate and Construction (DIREC) award by The Hong Kong Polytechnic University.
To be eligible for the DIREC award, students are required to complete 9 taught subjects (a total of 27 credits) and a Thesis (8 credits for Thesis I; 16 credits for Thesis II). Normally, students study 2 to 3 subjects in each semester. Students are also required to fulfil the University’s requirements on “Academic Integrity and Ethics” (1 credit but credit fee will not be charged) and “National Education” (non-credit bearing e-learning module) in the first year of their studies.
Core Areas of Study
The subjects are delivered in the following order, with some flexibility to cater for overseas professors and experts who may be invited to deliver the subjects, together with the regular academic staff from BRE:
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Advanced Research Methods for Real Estate and Construction
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Strategic Project Management
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Digital Technologies for Construction Projects
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Real Estate Finance and Appraisal
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Urban and Regional Planning
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Topical issues in Real Estate
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International Study Visit (Europe or North America)**
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International Study Visit (Asia Pacific)**
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Professional Workshop in Construction
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Doctoral Thesis I #
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Doctoral Thesis II
** For the two international study visit subjects, students are required to pay for their own travel/accommodation costs, etc.
# Doctoral Thesis I: Students are required to pass this subject (i.e. 8 credits) before starting Doctoral Thesis II. The subject is an essential component in the programme, which assists students in developing a proposal for Doctoral Thesis II.
Total: 52 credits, including:
51 credits of programme’s compulsory subjects
No tuition fee is required for the 1 credit of Academic Integrity and Ethics subject (University’s requirement)
Cr Dr Daniel W.M. Chan
Associate Professor in Construction Project Management
BEng(Hons), PhD(HKU), MAPM, MHKICM, MASCE, MHKIPM, MAIPM, MCABE, MAIB, Chartered Building Engineer (UK), Registered Construction Manager (HK)
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A Master's degree, preferably in a construction or real estate related area or relevant discipline, plus substantial industry experience (preferably at least 8 years) at middle to senior management level.
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Exceptionally, special admission to non-Master's degree holders may be offered to experienced senior industry executives, preferably possessing at least 12 years of industry experience in management positions. Those candidates will only be considered under special circumstances and on a case-by-case basis.
The entrance requirements for English Language are those set by the University. If you are not a native speaker of English, and your Bachelor's degree or equivalent qualification is awarded by institutions where the medium of instruction is not English, you are expected to fulfil the University’s minimum English Language requirement for admission purpose. Please refer to the "Admission Requirements" section for details.
For further information on academic matters and the curriculum, please contact :
Cr Dr Daniel Chan, Programme Leader (and for construction related Issues)
Tel: (852) 2766 4387
Email: daniel.w.m.chan@polyu.edu.hk
Dr Michael Sing, Deputy Programme Leader (and for real estate related issues)
Tel: (852) 2766 5797
Email: michael.sing@polyu.edu.hk
Ms Connie Yap (General Office)
Tel: (852) 3400 3819
Email: connie.yap@polyu.edu.hk
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Please click here to download.
HK$9,300 per credit for local and non-local students
(except for the 1-credit bearing Academic Integrity and Ethics subject for which credit fee will not be charged)
PolyU DIREC helps me enrich my up-to-date technical knowledge to tackle the competitive construction and real estate market. It also strengthens my leadership skills and mindset to become a leading top tier.
DIREC at PolyU is the first professional doctorate programme in real estate and construction that combines practical applications with theoretical concepts. The professors are always prepared to share their professional knowledge and valuable experience.
Academic transcripts (subject names and grades / marks) of Bachelor’s degree programme and Master’s degree programme.
Graduation certificates of Bachelor’s degree programme and Master’s degree programme.
Certificates indicating the overall test results of English Language (e.g. IELTS, etc) particularly for non-local applicants (if any).
Membership certificates or cards of professional institutions (e.g. MHKIA, MHKIE, MHKIS, MHKICM, MHKIPM, MCIOB, MRICS, MCABE, etc) (if any).
Job appointment letters or employer’s certified letters indicating current job positions.
Recent resume / CV with job references.
Personal statement (if any).
