The University offers 25 MPhil and PhD Programmes in Arts, Business, Social Sciences and Science disciplines. In addition to admission to our PhD in Visual Studies programme, the University also has popular research-based 2-year MPhil in Visual Studies programme.

To offer more diversified learning opportunities, especially for interdisciplinary research studies, the University has been actively seeking collaborative opportunities with overseas universities. In the 2021-22 academic year, the University has launched the "Double PhD Degree Programme in Economics" with Wuhan University (WHU), China and the "PhD Programmes with Joint Supervision" with Shenzhen University (SZU), China in the research areas related to International Relations and Development Studies. More collaborative programmes are currently in the pipeline. Details can be referred to www.LN.edu.hk/sgs/docs/pgrad/coll_prog.php.

Visual Studies at Lingnan is a stand-alone department, focusing on two concentrations—art history and film art—and complementing with courses on interdisciplinary subjects, art practice and curating. The department offers including BA in Visual Studies, MA in Curating and Art History and MA in Creative and Media Industries. The programmes cover the history, theory and expression of visual art and material culture in China, East Asia and the West, and the development of museums and creative industries in the regions. For more information about our department, please visit www.LN.edu.hk/visual/.

Visual Studies at Lingnan is a stand-alone department focusing on the following core sub-disciplines: art history, film studies, and philosophical aesthetics.

Applicants may seek admission to the PhD programme in two ways as follows:

1. Apply for PhD Programmes via the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme (HKPFS)

Outstanding and brilliant applicants may seek admission via the HKPFS+ by 1 December 2021 (Hong Kong Time 12:00 noon). Fellowship awardees will be provided with a Fellowship with a monthly stipend of HK$26,900*, and waived the full tuition fee for his/her first year of study. Students who apply for and do not get the fellowship can still be considered for the regular PhD places at Lingnan.

(*rate for 2021-22, subject to annual review)


To apply for admission, please make an initial application on the Admission System of the RGC at www.rgc.edu.hk/hkphd during the period from 1 September to 1 December 2021 (Hong Kong Time 12:00 noon). Each applicant will be allocated a reference number. The applicant is then required to submit a full application directly to Lingnan’s electronic system at www.LN.edu.hk/admissions/applyonline/index-rpg.html on or before 2 December 2021 (Hong Kong Time 11:59 pm). Late applications will NOT be considered.

Applicants may also seek admission to the PhD programmes by applying to the University directly. Full-time students will normally be provided with Postgraduate Studentships. The Postgraduate Studentship for a PhD student will be HK$18,090/month*# before confirmation of candidature, which will be raised to raised to HK$18,440/month*# after confirmation of candidature. (*rate for 2021-22, subject to annual review)

The University invites applications^ from 

. Applicants may apply online via www.LN.edu.hk/admissions/applyonline/index-rpg.html. For details, please visit www.LN.edu.hk/sgs/docs/pgrad.

Not applicable to applications for collaborative programmes with WHU or SZU.

Partial studentship which is a fraction of the amount for a full studnetship may also be awarded.

Including applications for collaborative programmes with WHU or SZU, and applications for admission to MPhil programmes.

1.An applicant for admission to candidature for the degree of PhD should normally:
a. hold a master's degree awarded by a tertiary education institution recognized for this purpose by the University; or
b. hold a relevant bachelor's degree with first or second class honours or at an equivalent standard, and have registered in a programme of study for a master's degree at a recognised tertiary education institution for at least one year and have evidence of research achievement; or
c. have obtained an equivalent qualification of a) or b) above; or
d. have provided satisfactory evidence of academic and professional attainment.
Note: First-degree graduates with proven research qualification or experience might be admitted directly to PhD studies ONLY UNDER EXCEPTIONAL CIRCUMSTANCES. Normally a candidate without a master's degree would not be admitted to PhD studies and he/she should register as an MPhil student in the first instance.

2.In addition to the above, an applicant whose degree is not from a tertiary institution in Hong Kong or an English-speaking country should obtain a minimum score of 550 (paper-based test) or 79 (internet-based test) in the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), or a band score of 6.5 or above in the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), or an equivalent score in a recognised test, or an equivalent qualification to prove his/her language proficiency which will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Applicants are required to fulfil additional requirements, if any, set by the programmes to which they apply for admission

[Note: For IELTS and TOEFL qualifications for admission to 2020-21 intake and onwards, the University only accepts results that are within the validity period, viz. 2 years, from the time of submission of an admission application for the specific intake cohort.]

3.For admission to Lingnan PhD programmes via the HKPFS, the RGC stipulated that for an applicant from a non-English speaking university, unless he/she provides proof that English is the language of instruction for all courses for the entrance qualification(s) of his/her proposed PhD programme(s), he/she is required to attach score results of TOEFL or IELTS in the PhD application. This requirement (mandatory submission of TOEFL/IELTS score results) can be exempted for applicants whose proposed PhD studies are specifically in non-English medium, e.g. Chinese. However, the applicants still have to meet the language requirements of the University as stipulated in paragraph 2 above.

Programme Specific Admission Requirements

In lieu of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)/ International English Language Testing System (IELTS) scores, an applicant may obtain grade C or above in the Cambridge Test of Proficiency in English Language; or grade C or above in English Language in the Overseas General Certificate of Education (GCE).

An applicant may be required to demonstrate his/her ability in English and/or Chinese through means of an interview.

Admissions Option 2

Normal Duration: 3 or 4 years (Full-time)

Curriculum

Master

Design Studies

Visual Design

Lingnan University is the liberal arts university in Hong Kong and we have the longest established tradition among the local institutions of higher education. Our history can be dated back to 1888, when our forerunner, the Christian College in China, was founded in Guangzhou, and to 1967, when the institution, as Lingnan College, was re-established in Hong Kong. In 2015, Lingnan University was named as one of the “Top 10 Liberal Arts College in Asia” by Forbes.

PhD in Visual Studies

Introduction

Department of Visual Studies

Admissions

Curriculum

PhD in Visual Studies

About the School

Questions