PhD in Industrial Engineering and Decision Analytics

The Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) Program is designed for those interested in pursuing a career in advanced industrial research and development, or university research and teaching. This program emphasizes training in original thinking and independent research. Students can design their program of study to suit their interests and needs.

The program should cover a specialized area in industrial engineering and at least one minor area. It also aims at developing students’ skills in identifying issues related to a theoretical problem or a practical application, formulating an original research project that addresses some of the significant issues, and independently creating an effective solution to the problem. A candidate for a Ph.D. degree is expected to demonstrate mastery of knowledge in the chosen discipline and to synthesize and create new knowledge, making an original and substantial contribution to the discipline.

Research Foci

Decision Analytics

Predictive and prescriptive analytical tools, demand and supply analytics, revenue optimization, operations research and stochastic modeling, financial engineering and risk management, applications to consulting services, and the knowledge economy.

Engineering Management

Design and manufacturing, quality engineering and applied statistics, human factors and ergonomics, biomechanics, cognitive decision and functional brain studies, virtual reality, and industry 4.0.

Logistics and Supply Chain Management

Logistics management, supply chain, queueing, operations research and stochastic modeling, risk management, service operations management, logistics simulation.

Facilities

The Department is well equipped with modern and up-to-date laboratories for teaching and research purposes.

Relevant central facilities include The Design & Manufacturing Services Facility (DMSF), and High-performance Computing Clusters (HPC).

Admission requirements

To qualify for admission, applicants must meet all of the following requirements. Admission is selective and meeting these minimum requirements does not guarantee admission.

i. General Admission Requirements of the University

• Applicants seeking admission to a master's degree program should have obtained a bachelor’s degree from a recognized institution, or an approved equivalent qualification;
• Applicants seeking admission to a doctoral degree program should have obtained a bachelor’s degree with a proven record of outstanding performance from a recognized institution; or presented evidence of satisfactory work at the postgraduate level on a full-time basis for at least one year, or on a part-time basis for at least two years.

ii. English Language Admission Requirements

Applicants have to fulfill English Language requirements with one of the following proficiency attainments:

• TOEFL-iBT: 80*
• TOEFL-pBT: 550
• TOEFL-Revised paper-delivered test: 60 (total scores for Reading, Listening and Writing sections)
• IELTS (Academic Module): Overall score: 6.5 and All sub-score: 5.5

* refers to the total score in one single attempt

Applicants are not required to present TOEFL or IELTS score if:

• their first language is English, or
• they obtained the bachelor's degree (or equivalent) from an institution where the medium of instruction was English.

For more program information, please refer to pg.ust.hk/programs