Study Plan

Doctor of Philosophy in Communication
Study Plan

I. Program Duration

The normal study period of Doctor of Philosophy in Communication program is 3 years. The maximum study period is 6 years. (The students admitted in or before academic year 2018/2019 should refer to the rules and regulations as stipulated in the intake academic year study plan.)

II. Study Mode

Lectures

III. Medium of Instruction

Chinese or English

IV. Academic Field

Communication and Media Studies

V. Course Structure

Table 1: Core courses (15 credits)

Table 2: Elective courses * (6 credits)

Select two elective courses from the following eight courses

*The University has the ultimate right to decide which course or whether the course will be opened for all elective subjects

Table 3: Dissertation (12 credits)

Table 4: Others (1 credit)

VI. Teaching Requirements

1. Student is required to complete five core courses from Table 1, two elective courses from Table 2, and academic activities (ten times of attendance) from Table 4 during the first 2 semesters to gain 22 credits.
2. Student can only submit his/her dissertation title for confirmation upon the completion of the aforementioned 22 credits under Table 1, 2 and 4. The minimum word count for the dissertation is 100,000. The overall process should follow the dissertation composition flow established by the faculty.
3. After finishing each course, the student will be assessed based on regulations established by the instructor and the Faculty.
4. Student who completes all the required courses must attend the qualification exam. He/she all needs to submit the dissertation title form on the day of the exam. Student who fails to pass the qualification exam in the first time is required to take the make-up exam within 3 months. If he/she fails in the make-up exam, his/her PhD study plan will be terminated.
5. The dissertation should pass the assessment and be defended successfully.
6. A PhD student in Communication may have two times to defend the dissertation proposal. The failure of a second Proposal Defense will result in the termination of the student's residence status in the PhD program.
7. Student is required to publish at least one first-level academic work, OR at least two second-level academic works. The works will be evaluated and approved by the Faculty of Humanities and Art at Macau University of Science and Technology. Please refer to A Guidance for Publication Assessment for the Doctoral Students of the Faculty of Humanities and Arts for details.

VII. Study Time

The duration for taking all courses is 12 months and no less than 12 months of dissertation composition, up to 24 months.

Classes will generally be scheduled from Monday to Sunday, daytime or at nights.

VIII. Graduation Requirements

Upon approval from the Senate of the University, a Doctoral Degree will be conferred on a student when he or she has:

1. completed and met the requirements prescribed in the study plan of his or her program within the specific study period, and achieved a cumulative GPA of 2.50 or above (excluding dissertation); and 
2. abided by the regulations of the University; and 
3. cleared all fees and charges and returned all University’s property and equipment borrowed.

Note: All curriculums and study plans are based on the newest announcement of the Boletim Oficial da Região Administrativa Especial de Macau.

※In case of any discrepancy, the Chinese version shall prevail.