Sept 2025 Entry
1 year (Full-time)
2.5 years (Part-time)
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The Postgraduate Scheme in Rehabilitation Sciences comprises the following awards:
- MSc in Rehabilitation of People with Developmental Disabilities 發展障礙人士復康理學碩士學位
- MSc in Rehabilitation Sciences 康復科學理學碩士學位
- MSc in Manipulative Physiotherapy 手法物理治療理學碩士學位
- MSc in Occupational Therapy 職業治療學理學碩士學位
- MSc in Sports Physiotherapy 運動物理治療理學碩士學位
What's New
Programme Aims
This programme enriches students' knowledge and leadership through a variety of subjects, both theoretical and practical, which are relevant to the global needs of people with developmental disabilities. You will find this programme intellectually challenging and helpful to your career development. The programme also enhances the application of an inter-disciplinary team approach and evidence-based practice to develop attitudes and qualities appropriate for independent and partnership professional practice for people with developmental disabilities. On completion, you will be better equipped with advanced knowledge of practice in the field of developmental disabilities.
Characteristics
This award offers unique clinical specialisation in the field of developmental disabilities. These include:
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evidence-based practice in the management of people with developmental disabilities;
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an inter-disciplinary team approach; and
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applied research and practice in the field of developmental disabilities.
Please note this programme does not confer eligibility for registration with the Physiotherapist Board of Hong Kong or Occupational Therapists Board of Hong Kong.
Programme Structure
The programme is operated in both full-time and part-time mode. Normally, the full-time mode takes 1 year to complete, and the part-time mode takes 2.5 years.
Students must complete 2 Compulsory Subjects, Research Methods and Data Analysis, a Project Study, 5 Core Subjects and 2 Elective Subjects.
Core Areas of Study
Students have to choose at least 3 core subjects from the following.
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Psychosocial rehabilitation for people with developmental disabilities
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Sensory and motor intervention for people with developmental disabilities
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Recent advances in rehabilitation for people with developmental disabilities
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Advanced Study in Autism Spectrum Disorder
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Management of Executive Function Deficits for People with Developmental Disabilities
Students can then choose their remaining core subjects from the following:
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Vocational rehabilitation
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Theories and practice of counseling for rehabilitation and health professionals
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Case management of people with developmental disabilities
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Scheme Coordinator
Prof. Karen Liu
PDOT, BSc, MPhil, PhD, FOTARA, HKROT, OT Registered (AHPRA), OTR
Award Coordinator
Dr Will Chien
BSc (NTU), MEd (JCU), PhD (Monash)
(This programme admits students in alternate years and will not invite applications for admission in 2025/26)
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A Bachelor's degree in occupational therapy, physiotherapy, nursing, psychology, social work, speech therapy, education, or a related healthcare discipline from PolyU or a recognised institution or the equivalent, preferably with 1 year of post-qualification work experience with people with developmental disabilities;
OR -
A professional diploma in occupational therapy, physiotherapy, nursing, psychology, social work, speech therapy, education, or a related healthcare discipline from PolyU or a recognised institution or the equivalent, with 2 years of work experience and evidence of continuous education over the past 2 years.
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.
Individual cases will be considered on their own merit. Applicants may be required to attend interviews or tests to further demonstrate their language proficiency.
For academic matters, please contact:
Dr Will Chien
Tel: (852) 2766 6703
Email: will.chien@polyu.edu.hk
For general matters, please contact:
General Office
Tel: (852) 2766 6728
Email: rsmsc@polyu.edu.hk
3 for local students
6 for non-local students
Please click here to download.
HK$6,950 per credit for local and non-local students (Subject to review)
“You'll never know everything about anything, especially something you love.” - Julia Child
After working as an occupational therapist for 3 years, I have discovered my passion for working with children in my future career. However, the longer I work, the more I think that I lack the knowledge to fully support my clients. Thus, I looked for courses that would be able to fulfil my interest in learning. Fortunately, I found the MSc in Rehabilitation of People with Developmental Disabilities. Over the last 2 years of this course, I have met new people who share my passion, and further expanded my knowledge. I particularly enjoy learning about different evidence-based interventions and gaining knowledge from different experts. Their teaching definitely always bring me new insights every time. Studying for the MSc surely requires self-motivation, and because of that, you have wide-ranging opportunities for further investigation in the areas that you enjoy the most. Thanks to the enormous support from my supervisors and the plentiful resources at PolyU, I have had a wonderful experience studying this course.
Working in childcare services showed me that apart from providing care for children, professionals in this field are providing care for families and wider social institutions. Recognising the limitations of current work in this field, I was eager to advance my skills and knowledge to provide better care for children. This Master’s programme has fully met my expectations. It emphasises holistic care, covering both psychological factors and physical interventions, and teaches us about both traditional approaches and potential applications of advanced technology to better serve our clients.
During this programme, I have also met classmates with various backgrounds, professions, and work experiences. Despite these differences, they are all passionate about and dedicated to their work. Through group projects, presentations and sharing, I had gained valuable experiences of mutual learning. Advice from my lecturers, supervisors and classmates is not only insightful but always inspiring. I am truly thankful to all those responsible for giving me such a fruitful learning experience.
I have worked as an occupational therapist in Hong Kong for a few years. As part of an organisation that highly values the transdisciplinary approach to case management, I have come to realise that collaborating with professionals from other disciplines is of the utmost importance in helping clients with developmental disabilities and their families. This programme definitely broadens students’ perspectives in this respect, as our teachers and classmates all come from different professional backgrounds and we have many opportunities to collaborate with and learn from each other.
Despite the pandemic, my learning experience in 2020 was very enjoyable. I appreciate the university’s efforts to adapt its teaching modes and assessment methods to suit the current environment. Best of all, studying part-time enabled me to apply the knowledge I gained from the courses in my daily work, and to reflect more fruitfully on my everyday practice.
Our department provides students with the best learning experience, teaching resources and professional knowledge in the industry. The MSc in Rehabilitation of People with Development Disabilities not only gave me theoretical knowledge of the applications of cutting-edge technologies but also offered me the chance to put theory into practice during experimental courses, which was vital for me as a future child therapist. I’m grateful to my mentor Dr Cynthia Lai for her guidance and support. She always gently pointed out my shortcomings and helped me to find ways to address them. During this programme, I developed my expertise. Pursuing a Master’s degree can be a lonely and tiring process, and I gradually realised that I needed to adapt to my learning environment. In short, this year’s study equipped me to become a therapist with a solid foundation of knowledge. PolyU is a home away from home, where students receive the best education. I hope to contribute to our profession in the near future.
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