Research Postgraduate Programmes

Admission

Online Application

The entire application process must be completed independently by the applicant.


Disclaimer: The School of Graduate Studies of Lingnan University has NOT AUTHORISED any third-party for admissions/recruitment work of research postgraduate students.

 

  1. Access to Online Application 
    An applicant can access the University's Online Admission System via the Internet at https://apply.ln.edu.hk/.
     

  2. Language Used in Applications, Number of Applications and Late Applications
    An applicant should complete the online application in ENGLISH.

     

    An applicant is expected to submit one application indicating one programme choice. An applicant who wishes to apply for two programmes has to submit two applications. The maximum number of programmes an applicant can apply for is two. The programme choice(s) cannot be changed after submission. Application for more than two programmes or applications for the same programme may lead to disqualification of all the applications concerned and any fees paid will be forfeited. For PhD applicants submitting applications in both ways, i.e. via Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme (HKPFS) and Direct Admissions to the University, the total number of programmes each applicant can apply for is also limited to two.

     

    Applications submitted in the Clearing Rounds will be considered subject to availability of places after the September intake Main Round.
     

  3. Uploading of Documents

    An applicant should upload a detailed research proposal, one for each application to the Online Admission System.

     

    The applicant should substantiate the qualifications entered on the application forms by uploading the following documents to the Online Admission System:
     

    a) a full research proposal;
     

    b) a curriculum vitae;
     

    c) a copy of the graduation certificate(s) (and for degree(s) in Chinese Mainland, also degree certificate(s)) and transcript(s) with a complete record of courses attended and examination results of his/her undergraduate studies and above;


    [Note: The back side of the transcript(s) should also be provided if it contains information on the grading system. Documents which are not in English should be accompanied by a formally translated version in English.]

    d) a TOEFL/IELTS (or equivalent) test report (for an applicant whose degree is not from a tertiary institution where English is used as the medium of instruction (MOI) for all courses for the degree mentioned. For more details, please refer to Section 4 of Admission Criteria and Requirements);  

    e) a copy of Online Verification Report of Higher Education Degree Certificate (中國高等教育學位在線驗證報告) issued by the CHSI (學信網); and

    f) a copy of the relevant documents, e.g. reports of GMAT/TOEFL results and certificates of professional qualifications.

     

    HKPFS applicants are additionally required to submit the following supporting documents:
     

    a) a brief research plan (to describe the proposed research topic and plan) and past research experience;
     

    b) a vision statement;
     

    c) a statement of his/her own international experience; and
     

    d) a TOEFL/IELTS test report (for an applicant whose degree is from a non-English speaking tertiary institution. For more details, please refer to Section 5 of Admission Criteria and Requirements).

     

    If an applicant is selected for admission, he/she will be required to arrange for
     

    a) the relevant institution(s) to send directly to the University a copy of his/her official transcript(s) for the bachelor’s degree(s) and above qualification(s) he/she has obtained; and
     

    b) the relevant authority to send directly to the University a copy of his/her official TOEFL/GMAT/GRE score report, if applicable. [Institution codes – TOEFL: C456/ GMAT: 7113/ GRE: 9303]

     

    Furthermore, the successful applicant shall show the originals of the documents and identity documents (viz. HKID Card/Passport/Certificate of Identity) to the School of Graduate Studies for verification.

     

    Notes:

    It is NOT necessary for applicants to

    a) upload the copy of his/her identity/travel document(s) to the Online Admission System;

    b) send by post the documents to the School of Graduate Studies after uploading them to the Online Admission System except otherwise requested.

     

  4. Confidential Reference
    Two confidential references are required in support of an application (three confidential references are necessary in support of an application to PhD in Business programme. At least one should be an academic referee). Applicants should seek their referees’ consent to provide references before inputting their details on the online application form.  


    Once an application is successfully submitted, an automated invitation email will be sent to the nominated referees inviting them to complete an online referee's report within 14 days.
     

  5. Payment of Application Fee and Acknowledgement from the University 
    An application is valid and accepted only when the payment procedures are successfully completed, i.e. successful payment of the application fee by a Visa or MasterCard Credit Card; or a UnionPay online. Only one programme can be chosen for each online application with an application fee of HK$300 per programme. An applicant who wishes to apply for two programmes shall submit two applications and make two payments.

     

    Once the application is successfully submitted, the programme choice cannot be changed. The applicant can however update his/her personal details (if necessary), by informing the School of Graduate Studies via email ([email protected]) or by post to the following address: School of Graduate Studies, Room 03, UG/F, Lau Chung Him Building, Lingnan University, 8 Castle Peak Road, Tuen Mun, New Territories, Hong Kong, China.

     

    An applicant is responsible for selecting the correct application type, i.e. Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme (HKPFS) or Direct Admissions, in the Online Admission System, and ensuring that the information given in support of the application is accurate and complete. Transfer of a submitted application from one to the other type is NOT allowed (e.g. transferring the application submitted via Direct Admissions to HKPFS and vice versa, etc.), and the application fee paid is non-refundable and non-transferable.

     

    An acknowledgement email with the application number assigned and payment reference number will be sent to the applicant upon each online payment transaction. The applicant should quote the application number and his/her full name in all future correspondence with the University. The applicant should check with the School of Graduate Studies if he/she does not receive the acknowledgement email.

     

    An application once submitted cannot be withdrawn and all submitted documents will not be returned. An applicant should make sure that the application submitted is complete and in order. If an application received by the University is incomplete or not in order, the University has the authority to nullify the application.

     

  6. Priority of Applications
    If an applicant submits two applications to apply for two programmes, the programme chosen in the application submitted earlier will be regarded as the first choice and the one chosen in the application submitted later will be regarded as the second choice. The order of programme priority cannot be changed.
     

  7. Plagiarism Checking 
    Plagiarism is not tolerated with a view to upholding a highly professional and ethical standard amongst our research postgraduate students. The University will conduct plagiarism checking on the research proposal, research plan and vision statement that applicants submitted.
     

  8. No Dishonest and Bribery Practices

    a) Any false or misleading information and/or document(s) provided in the application or any dishonest conduct observed during the application process, e.g. plagiarism, employing surrogate examination-taker, etc., will result in disqualification of application for admission, revocation of admission offer or termination of studies at the University if admitted, and any fees paid will be forfeited.
     

    b) Falsification of documents or the use of falsified documents is a very serious offence and is absolutely not tolerated by the University. According to information about “The laws of Hong Kong”, forgery is a serious criminal offence that a convicted offender may be liable to imprisonment for a maximum of 14 years.
     

    c) Applicants or their family members and agents must not offer advantages to any staff or members of the University in relation to their admission applications or while having dealings of any kind with the University. These offers may constitute an offence under the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance (Cap.201) in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China (HKSAR). The University also prohibits its staff and members from soliciting or accepting such advantages.

     

    d) Applicants should strictly observe the anti-corruption and anti-bribery laws in the HKSAR. For more details, please access the following information/videos published by the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) of the HKSAR:
     

     

  9. An applicant should read the Notes to Applicants Regarding Personal Information Submitted to the University. For general information about the University, please refer to www.ln.edu.hk/rpg.