Pre-doctoral Programme

The Pre-doctoral Programme is a full-time, non-degree Programme which offers an opportunity for high-potential individuals to gain valuable training and experience towards a career in academic research before applying to a PhD programme in business and related fields.

Participants of the Programme will be engaged as full-time research assistants under the mentorship of faculty member(s).  A highly competitive research assistantship will be offered.  During the Programme, he/she will participate in our research seminars/workshops and take up to two of our Research Postgraduate (RPg) courses offered per semester, for which exemptions may be granted should he/she be eventually admitted to our PhD programme, subject to the relevant regulations.

Programme Period

The duration of the Programme should normally be one year commencing on the first day of July and ending in June of the following year.  Exceptions could be granted upon demonstration of sound justification, subject to approval.

Eligibility

1. The candidate should hold a Bachelor’s degree at first class honours or equivalent qualification from a reputable university, or will obtain such qualification by June 30, 2026.
2. The candidate must obtain a legal right to take up full-time employment and reside in Hong Kong during the course of the Pre-doctoral Programme.

Application Requirements

Applicants are required to fill in an online application form and upload the following documents* in support of the application:

1. Up-to-date curriculum vitae
2. Academic transcript(s) and graduation certificate(s) of undergraduate and/or postgraduate studies
3. Official documents certifying your (interim) ranking in your Undergraduate & Postgraduate programme (if any)
4. Score report(s) of TOEFL or IELTS (only for applicants whose qualifications were obtained from university outside Hong Kong where the language of teaching and/or examination is not English)
5. Score report(s) of GMAT or GRE (optional but strongly recommended)
6. Personal statement in English describing research work experience and future research planning (500-1000 words)
7. One academic referee report (submitted directly from the referee)

*Please combine documents 1-6 into one PDF file before uploading, with your English name as the file name, e.g. "CHAN Tai Man.pdf"

Application Website    

https://phdform.hkubs.hku.hk/pred

Application Deadline

Applicants should submit their applications by November 16, 2025 (Sunday).  Due to the very limited quota, late applications may not be considered.  Offers are expected to be sent out to selected candidates within January 2026.  Applicants not notified may consider their applications unsuccessful.

Applicants who are simultaneously interested in our PhD Programme are also welcome to apply in the main round application for PhD admission, which is available through December 1, 2025.  Applicants may check the application details on the Graduate School’s website.

Contact Us

Website:         https://phd.hkubs.hku.hk
Email:             fbephd@hku.hk
Telephone:     (852) 3917 8369
Fax:                 (852) 2549 3735