1. Coursework Requirement
Applicable to students admitted in 2026-27 and thereafter
The “candidacy requirement” composes of four major parts, namely, coursework requirement, candidacy examination, thesis proposal (and oral defence) and stipulated Improving Postgraduate Learning (IPL) module requirements. Students must complete and fulfill the first three parts within the “maximum period for fulfilling candidacy requirements” and complete the stipulated IPL module(s) in their first year of study. Details of the requirement are listed below:
Pre-candidacy
| (a) | Lecture courses: | ||
| (i) Required courses: | |||
| LING6902, 6903, 6920, 6980 | 12 units | ||
| LING6940 (Register for at least 4 terms) | 4 units | ||
| (ii) Elective courses: | |||
| LING6904 or 6905 | 3 units | ||
| Nine units of courses to be chosen from the following: | |||
| LING6941, 6942, 6951, 6952, 6953, 6960, 6970, 6971,6981, 6982, 6983, 6984 | 9 units | ||
| (b) | Thesis research / monitoring courses: | ||
| LING8006 (6 units per term) | 24 units | ||
| (Part-time students are required to register for LING8003 carrying 3 units per term) | |||
| —————– | |||
Total: | 52 units |
Post-candidacy
| (a) | Lecture course: | ||
| (i) Required course: | |||
| LING6940 (Register for at least 1 term) | 1 unit | ||
| (b) | Thesis research / monitoring courses: | ||
| LING8012 (12 units per term) | |||
| (Part-time students are required to register for LING8006 carrying 6 units per term while continuing students are required to register for LING8003 carrying 3 units per term until submission of their graduation thesis.) |
2. Candidacy Examination
| (a) | Part One of the Candidacy Examination: | |||||||||||||||
A written comprehensive examination based on a general reading list approved by the Graduate Panel. The examination will normally take place at the end of the second semester for full-time students and the third semester for part-time students. Students are allowed no more than two attempts at passing the qualifying examinations or parts thereof. Any second attempt must come within six months of the first one. | ||||||||||||||||
| (b) | Part Two of the Candidacy Examination: | |||||||||||||||
Students are required to submit two papers, one consisting of a comprehensive review of literature in the student’s area of research, and the other a quality research paper on issues related to the student’s thesis. The second paper should be publishable or acceptable for presentation at an academic conference. These two papers must be submitted by the end of the fourth semester for full-time students with research Master’s degree, and the sixth semester for full-time students without research Master’s degree. The same research writing requirements must be fulfilled by the end of the fifth semester for part-time students with research Master’s degree, and the eighth semester for part-time students without research Master’s degree. | ||||||||||||||||
| (c) | Applicable to students admitted on 1 August 2010 and thereafter: | |||||||||||||||
| Students are required to pass the candidacy examination within the maximum period stipulated below: | ||||||||||||||||
|
3. Thesis Proposal and Oral Defence
Students are required to submit a research thesis proposal and pass an oral examination for fulfillment of candidacy requirement.
4. Other Requirements
| Students are required to complete the following Improving Postgraduate Learning (IPL) modules in their first year of study for partial fulfillment of candidacy requirements: | |
| (a) | Students are required to complete and pass an IPL module on “Basics of Research Data Management” in their first year of study, with effect from the 2022-23 intake. This is an online module and relevant information can be accessed from the website: https://www.cuhk.edu.hk/clear/prodev/ipl.html (under “Research Skills”). |
| (b) | Students are required to submit a Data Management Plan (DMP), with effect from the 2025-26 intake. The guide is available on Library’s website: https://libguides.lib.cuhk.edu.hk/rdm/mandate-support. |
| (c) | Students must fulfill the Term Assessment Requirement of the Graduate School. For details, please refer to Clause 13.0 “Unsatisfactory Performance and Discontinuation of Studies” of the General Regulations Governing Postgraduate Studies which can be accessed from the Graduate School Homepage: https://www.gs.cuhk.edu.hk. |
| (d) | A student must achieve a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.0 in order to fulfill the graduation requirement, unless special approval is granted by the Graduate Council. |
| (e) | Study of a third language, a language other than English and the student’s native language, is required for Ph.D. candidature. For students whose native language is not Chinese, a third language may be Chinese or some other language. Students must complete with satisfactory results either (i) 9 units of courses of a third language offered by the language Departments/Units at CUHK under the current curriculum, or (ii) 6 units of a third language offered by the language Departments/Units at CUHK under the current curriculum and LING3108 Language Survey in the Field. Students whose native language is English must also complete with satisfactory results 9 units of courses of a second language. Exemption may be considered on a case by case basis with approval by the Division Head. |
| (f) | The thesis, when completed, will be assessed by thesis committee and by at least one external examiner. Ph.D. candidates are required to defend their theses at a public oral defence. |
| (g) | Students are required to submit a research thesis and pass an oral examination for graduation. |
| In addition to completing the IPL modules stipulated for partial fulfillment of candidacy requirements, students are also required to complete the following IPL modules for graduation: | |
| (h) | Complete an IPL module on “Observing Intellectual Property and Copyright Law during Research”. This is an online module and relevant information can be accessed from the website: https://www.cuhk.edu.hk/clear/prodev/ipl.html. |
| (i) | Complete an online Research Ethics Training (RET) module on “Publication Ethics” offered by the Research Office (RO) and obtain a valid Publication Ethics Certificate for graduation. Relevant information can be accessed from the RET website at https://www.research-ethics.cuhk.edu.hk/web/. |
| (j) | The final DMP should have been shared to the CUHK community on DMPTool or the relevant platform that CUHK provides when submitting the final version of the thesis/portfolio to the Graduate School. The guide is available on Library’s website: https://libguides.lib.cuhk.edu.hk/rdm/mandate-support. |
| Code | Course Title | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| LING6902 | Phonological Theory | 3 |
| LING6903 | Syntactic Theory | 3 |
| LING6904 | Topics in Phonetics | 3 |
| LING6905 | Topics in Semantics | 3 |
| LING6920 | Topics in Language Acquisition | 3 |
| LING6940 | Linguistics Research Seminars | 1 |
| LING6941 | Proseminars in Linguistics I | 1 |
| LING6942 | Proseminars in Linguistics II | 1 |
| LING6951 | Topics in Bilingualism & Bilingual Acquisition | 3 |
| LING6952 | Topics in Sign Linguistics | 3 |
| LING6953 | Topics in Neurolinguistics & Psycholinguistics | 3 |
| LING6960 | Independent Study | 3 |
| LING6970 | Special Topics in Linguistics | 3 |
| LING6971 | Special Topics in Experimental Methods | 3 |
| LING6980 | Research Methodology | 3 |
| LING6981 | Technologies in Linguistic Research I | 1 |
| LING6982 | Topics in Statistics | 1 |
| LING6983 | Technologies in Linguistic Research II | 1 |
| LING6984 | Quantitative Methods in Language Research | 3 |
| LING8003 | Thesis Research | 3 |
| LING8006 | Thesis Research | 6 |
| LING8012 | Thesis Research | 12 |
LING6902 – Phonological Theory
This course aims to introduce the development of phonological theory over the past half century and to provide a critical survey of the current issues in phonological research. Topics include segmental alternation, syllable structure, tone, stress, and prosodic effect in word formation. Students will gain a solid understanding of the characteristics of different phonological frameworks over the course of the development of phonological theory, and will learn how to analyze a variety of language data within different phonological frameworks.
LING6903 – Syntactic Theory (Course Outline)
This course provides students with a concise and critical introduction to the central issues and perennial problems in syntactic theory, with special focus on the Government and Binding Theory and the Minimalist Program. Through exercises, class discussions, and presentations, students will gain a solid understanding of the concepts and principles which have been of central significance in the recent development of syntactic theory. Whenever relevant, data from Mandarin and other languages will be used to motivate and instantiate the analyses that pertain to the central issues in syntactic theory.
LING6904 – Topics in Phonetics
This course introduces major theories and research topics in phonetics. Issues in both speech production and perception will be introduced. Both segmental and suprasegmental aspects of speech sounds will be investigated. Emphasis will be placed on the acoustic nature of speech sounds. Phonetic interfaces with other sub-branches of linguistics will also be discussed. Students will gain a good understanding of the complex nature of speech communication.
LING6905 – Topics in Semantics
This course aims at exploring various semantic phenomena and examining the relation between meaning and structure in human languages. Emphasis will be given to current topics that are central to research in semantics. The discussion will also help students appreciate the relation between semantics and other sub-fields such as pragmatics, syntax and philosophy of language. The study of the related literature will help student develop the ability to carry out semantic analysis.
LING6920 – Topics in Language Acquisition (Course Outline)
This course focuses on current issues in language acquisition with a strong emphasis on the interface of theoretical analysis of linguistics phenomena and central research questions in studies of language acquisition. Selected topics from first language acquisition, bilingual acquisition, second language acquisition, and sign language acquisition will be covered. Data from different languages will be used for illustration. Empirical coverage that extends beyond one language is essential. Topics vary from year to year.
LING6940 – Linguistics Research Seminars
This course aims to engage students in the Department’s Linguistics Research Seminars and in-house research activities. These activities will deepen students’ knowledge of various fields of specialization, and help prepare them for their future academic and professional careers.
LING6941 – Proseminars in Linguistics I
This course aims to broaden students’ horizon in linguistic research by bringing in focused, teacher-led discussions on selected contemporary linguistics issues. The topics of discussion vary from course to course each term/year, depending on student interest and availability of expertise.
LING6942 – Proseminars in Linguistics II
This course aims to broaden students’ horizon in linguistic research by bringing in focused, teacher-led discussions on selected contemporary linguistics issues. The topics of discussion vary from course to course each term/year, depending on student interest and availability of expertise.
LING6951 – Topics in Bilingualism & Bilingual Acquisition
This course explores current topics in bilingualism and bilingual acquisition from both theoretical and methodological perspectives. Issues at the interface of bilingualism and language acquisition in bilingual and multilingual contexts will be addressed. The emphasis of the course will be on individual bilingualism: how do children acquire, process and represent two or more languages in early childhood? What is the relationship between language and cognitive development in bilingual children? Central questions in bilingual acquisition and methodological issues in investigating bilingual infants and children will be discussed. The development of bilingual and trilingual children in Hong Kong and overseas communities will be the focus of our discussion. Issues regarding how heritage speakers in North America and UK develop their heritage language and undergo language shift will also be discussed.
LING6952 – Topics in Sign Linguistics
Linguistic inquiry into sign language structure reveals universal principles of linguistic organization shared by sign languages and spoken languages, in phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics and pragmatics. Additionally, similar processes of language acquisition are observed when children acquire sign language in monolingual and bilingual contexts. Yet, differences in modality of communication, auditory versus visual, pose challenges to researchers in their attempts to account for the role of space and gesture in the organization of sign language grammar and language acquisition. This introductory course aims to address these issues.
LING6953 – Topics in Neurolinguistics & Psycholinguistics
This course introduces students to selected topics concerning neurobiology of language as well as language representation, processing and production. Major theoretical debates and contemporary issues that address different aspects of language will be discussed. The selected topics vary from term to term, but may include syntactic and phonological priming as evidence for language representation, computational modeling of language phenomena, neural correlates of first and second language acquisition, explanatory neurolinguistics, comparative studies of language processing, models of speech production, lexical tone processing, cross-modal studies of language processing, and the bilingual brain.
LING6960 – Independent Study
With permission of the instructor, a student may pursue an in-depth study of a topic related to his/her research in consultation with and under the supervision of the instructor. The topic and content of the course will be individually determined.
LING6970 – Special Topics in Linguistics
From time to time, a course focusing on a specific area of linguistics or applied linguistic research that is not covered in the regular linguistic programme may be offered. Students are allowed to take this course more than once (but not within the same term), and gain the units each time they pass the course. However, students cannot take the same topic twice.
LING6971 – Special Topics in Experimental Methods (Course Outline)
This course is a continuation of LING 6980 (Research Methodology). Selected experimental methods will be discussed in depth. Students will learn about the mechanics of the methods as well as how they can be used to address theoretical issues in linguistics. Topics may include EEG, fMRI, eye-tracking, advanced behavioral methods and data analytics and computational mathematics. Students will learn hands-on techniques and will complete a research project using the methods introduced.
LING6980 – Research Methodology
The course adopts an interactive, problem-based approach, with an aim to training students in conducting linguistics research on a topic of their interest. Focus will be on linguistic analysis and empirical methods in language research. Students may be required to conduct linguistic research through field trips.
LING6981 – Technologies in Linguistic Research I
This course is a continuation of LING 6980 (Research Methodology). Students will learn selected research techniques in contemporary research in linguistics. Topics may include EEG, fMRI, eye-tracking, advanced behavioral methods and data analytics and computational mathematics. Students will learn hands-on techniques and will complete a research project using the methods introduced.
Pre-requisite Course: LING6980
LING6982 – Topics in Statistics
Students will learn selected statistical techniques in contemporary research in linguistics. Topics may include multiple regression, discriminant analysis, and linear mixed-effects model.
Pre-requisite Course: LING6980
LING6983 – Technologies in Linguistic Research II
This course is a continuation of LING 6980 (Research Methodology). Students will learn selected techonologies in contemporary linguistic research. Topics may include EEG, fMRI, eye-tracking, advanced behavioral methods and data analytics and computational mathematics. Students will learn hands-on techniques and will complete a research project using the methods introduced.
Pre-requisite Course: LING6980
LING6984 – Quantitative Methods in Language Research (Course Outline)
This course presents an introduction to research designs and data analyses that are commonly used in nexperimental linguistic research. The course will emphasize on practical skills in data handling and analyses, in particularly using R. The course first introduces students to experimental designs as a prerequisite to statistics. Then it progresses from data distribution and descriptive statistics to gradually more complicated statistical techniques that are commonly used to analyze linguistic data (e.g., correlation, t-test, nonparametric tests, ANOVA, regression). With a focus on both conceptual understanding and practical skills in statistics, the course offers both lectures and also practical sessions where students have hands-on experience using R to analyze actual language data.
LING8003/ LING8006/ LING8012 – Thesis Research
Supervisors will meet with students on a regular basis to give advice on all matters related to the preparation of thesis proposals, the conducting of the research, and the writing of the thesis. Students will work toward a set of research targets upon consultation with their supervisors.