Quality Manual Chapter 9 | HKU Teaching and Learning

9. Professional Doctorates

9.1 Introduction

9.1.1Currently there are four Faculties offering PD curricula as listed below:

Curricula	Offered by
Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)	Faculty of Business and Economics
Doctor of Education (EdD)	Faculty of Education
Doctor of Nursing (DNurs)	Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine
Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) in the field of Clinical Psychology	Faculty of Social Sciences
Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) in the field of Educational Psychology
Doctor of Public Administration (DPA)

9.1.2Each PD curriculum has its own set of PLOs, syllabuses and regulations.

9.1.3The educational aims and ILOs for PD curricula are at Appendix 9.1.

9.1.4The Graduate School provides central oversight of the academic standard of PDs, while the daily operation and management are the responsibility of the Faculties offering these curricula.

9.2 Quality assurance framework

9.2.1The academic standards for PDs are benchmarked against similar curricula offered by prestigious overseas universities. The Programme Director, BoE, FHDC and FTLQC all play a part in maintaining standards. External Examiners are appointed for each curriculum, with the aim of ensuring the curriculum is comparable to those offered in renowned universities. A copy of the Terms of Reference of the Boards of Examiners for Professional Doctorate Curricula is at Appendix 9.2.

9.2.2 New proposals for PDs should be considered by the FHDC (and other relevant committee(s), as necessary) prior to deliberation by the Faculty Board, the Dean of the Graduate School, AB Sub-group, AB and Senate (please refer to Chapter 3 for the Broad Guidelines for the Formulation of Proposals for New Academic Curricula and the relevant curriculum/course level templates).

9.3 Admissions

9.3.1Applicants for admission should have a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in a relevant field and some years of relevant work experience. A selection panel is formed at the Department or Faculty level to consider applications. The list of recommended candidates is then submitted to FHDC and the Faculty Board for consideration and approval.

9.4 Progress monitoring

9.4.1Departments and Faculties appoint supervisors based upon their qualifications and match with students’ research interests. A co-supervisor may also be appointed. The quality of supervision is monitored primarily through the biannual progress reports.

9.4.2Students can choose from a range of courses, similar to those offered to TPg or RPg students. Student progress is also monitored through the biannual progress reports, and by confirmation of candidature after completion of the required coursework and submission of an acceptable thesis proposal. The examination of the thesis is similar to that of PhD and MPhil, with an external and internal examiner. The examination of coursework is reviewed by an External Examiner at the end of the academic year.

9.4.3Students are expected to present their research to fellow students and teachers on a regular basis at research seminars organised by the Department or Faculty. Students are also encouraged to attend staff research seminars. Some students are provided with financial support to present their work at overseas conferences.

9.5 Student feedback

9.5.1Student feedback is collected through SFTL questionnaires for coursework and through the biannual progress reports for ongoing QA and QE. Exit surveys, student-teacher consultation meetings and surveys of student learning experiences are also conducted. The feedback is considered by FHDC or FTLQC. External Examiners also play an important role in the QA and QE processes.

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