Division of Arts and Machine Creativity

Research Postgraduate Programs

Master of Philosophy (MPhil) / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Program Information
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Program Overview

The Master of Philosophy (MPhil) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) are designed for students focused on advanced research and scholarly exploration in the field of arts and machine creativity. The research programs offer opportunities for in-depth study and contribute to the advancement of knowledge in the discipline, pushing the boundaries of the integration of art and technology.

Program Features

Intended Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the program, graduates will be able to:

•	Integrate knowledge and skills from diverse disciplines related to arts and machine creativity, while emphasizing proficiency in quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods of research.
•	Develop a solid foundation of knowledge and understanding in relevant disciplines associated with arts and machine creativity, including appropriate concepts, methods, and materials.
•	Demonstrate a comprehensive understanding and proficiency in research skills.
•	Cultivate multi-dimensional perspectives and foster innovative problem-solving abilities to tackle both existing and emerging challenges.
•	Acquire a unique skill set that enables effective communication with individuals from different levels and disciplines within and across organizations.

Curriculum & Pathway

Minimum credit requirement
18 credits (MPhil)
21 credits (PhD)

Credit transfer: Subject to the approval of the PG Coordinator, MPhil / PhD students may be granted credit transfer on a case-by-case basis. The maximum number of credits transferrable is 6. The credits for the proposed transfer should be relevant to AMC course offerings.

Required courses
12 credits

List of Required Courses

Course Code

Course Title

Credit(s)

AMCC 5000

Creative Convergence: Foundations of Arts and Machine Creativity

AMCC 5010

Research Methodology in Arts and Machine Creativity

AMCC 6900

Independent Study in Arts and Machine Creativity

1-4

AMCC 6100

AMCC 6110

Professional Practice and Research (Projects)

Professional Practice and Research (Internships)

If research students come from an academic background with significant relevant prior knowledge, some of the required courses may be waived upon approval from the supervisor.

Elective courses
6 credits (MPhil)
9 credits (PhD)

Reflecting on the four focus areas of the Division, students have the option to select a specialization track aligned with their interests and background. These tracks (from a to e as listed below) are intended to provide guided paths, rather than impose strict boundaries, for students' learning journeys.

List of Elective Courses
Specialization Track	Course Code	Course Title	Credit(s)
a. Machine Creativity	AMCC 5110	Programming for Art and Creativity	3
a. Machine Creativity	AMCC 5120	Generative Art: Algorithms and Creativity	3
a. Machine Creativity	AMCC 5140	AI for Visual Arts and Creativity	3
a. Machine Creativity	AMCC 5150	Visual Computing for Visual Arts and Creativity	3
a. Machine Creativity	AMCC 5160	AI-Driven Animation and Video Generation	3
a. Machine Creativity	AMCC 5170	Interactive Visual Art with Generative Models	3
b. Machine-Assisted Art Practice	AMCC 5210	Practice and Techniques for Visual Creatives	3
b. Machine-Assisted Art Practice	AMCC 5220	Technology in Music and Sound Art	3
b. Machine-Assisted Art Practice	AMCC 5250	Filmmaking with AI Innovations	3
b. Machine-Assisted Art Practice	AMCC 5270	Art Education and Technology	3
c. Art Management	AMCC 5310	Art ID, Blockchain and NFTs for Digital Creations	3
c. Art Management	AMCC 5320	Management Strategies for Art and Technology Projects	3
c. Art Management	AMCC 5330	Art Administration and Art Business in the New Era	3
c. Art Management	AMCC 5340	Digital Art Provenance and Informatics	3
c. Art Management	AMCC 5350	Business Development for Art and Technology Projects	3
c. Art Management	AMCC 5360	Legal Issues in Art and Technology	3
c. Art Management	AMCC 5370	Models of New Cultural Space	3
d. Critical Studies	AMCC 5410	Art Theory: Past and Future	3
d. Critical Studies	AMCC 5430	History of Motion Picture Science	3
e.	AMCC 6950	Special Projects in Arts and Machine Creativity	1-4
Other^Note1	AMCC 6500	Special Topics in Arts and Machine Creativity	1-4

Note 1.
Students may take AMCC 6500 in the above areas to fulfill the elective requirement.

Subject to the approval of the PG Coordinator, a maximum of two postgraduate courses outside the above lists may be taken as Other Electives.

Additional course requirements

Graduate Teaching Assistant Training
PDEV 6800 Introduction to Teaching and Learning in Higher Education	0 Credit(s)
All full-time RPg students are required to complete PDEV 6800. The course is composed of a 10-hour training offered by the Center for Education Innovation (CEI), and session(s) of instructional delivery to be assigned by the respective departments. Upon satisfactory completion of the training conducted by CEI, MPhil students are required to give at least one 30-minute session of instructional delivery in front of a group of students for one term. PhD students are required to give at least one such session each in two different terms. The instructional delivery will be formally assessed.

Professional Development Course Requirement
PDEV 6770 Professional Development for Research Postgraduate Students	1 Credit(s)
Students are required to complete PDEV 6770. The 1 credit earned from PDEV 6770 cannot be counted toward the credit requirements. PhD students who are HKUST MPhil graduates and have completed PDEV 6770 or other professional development courses offered by the University before may be exempted from taking PDEV 6770, subject to prior approval of the Academy of Interdisciplinary Studies.
AMCC 6090 Postgraduate Seminar	1 Credit(s)
MPhil students must register and pass AMCC 6090 for one term before they graduate. PhD students must register and pass AMCC 6090 for two terms before they graduate. The 1 credit earned from AMCC 6090 cannot be counted toward the credit requirements. PhD students who are HKUST MPhil graduates and have taken and passed AMCC 6090 may be exempted from taking AMCC 6090, subject to prior approval of the Academy of Interdisciplinary Studies.

English Language Requirement
LANG 5000 Foundation in Listening & Speaking for Postgraduate Students	1 Credit(s)
Full-time RPg students are required to take an English Language Proficiency Assessment (ELPA) Speaking Test administered by the Center for Language Education before the start of their first term of study. Students whose ELPA Speaking Test score is below Level 4, or who failed to take the test in their first term of study, are required to take LANG 5000 until they pass the course by attaining at least Level 4 in the ELPA Speaking Test before graduation. The 1 credit earned from LANG 5000 cannot be counted toward the credit requirements.
LANG 5005 Communicating Research in English	1 Credit(s)
Students are required to complete LANG 5005 and advised to complete it in the first year of study. The 1 credit earned from LANG 5005 cannot be counted toward the program credit requirements. Students may be considered for exemption from this course, subject to the recommendation by Center for Language Education and approval of their department.

PhD qualifying examination
PhD students are required to submit a thesis proposal to the Qualifying Examination Committee who will examine the students’ general background knowledge and knowledge related to the topic of the research. Students must pass the qualifying examination no later than the fourth regular term of study for full-time students, or the sixth regular term of study for part-time students.

Thesis research

Master of Philosophy (MPhil)	Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
i. Registration in AMCC 6990 MPhil Thesis Research (0 Credit); and	i. Registration in AMCC 7990 Doctoral Thesis Research (0 Credit); and
ii. Presentation and oral defense of the MPhil thesis.	ii. Presentation and oral defense of the PhD thesis.

Proposed study pattern

Proposed Curriculum of MPhil in Arts and Machine Creativity

Term

Course

Category

Credit(s)

1st Term
Fall Term

AMCC 5000 Creative Convergence: Foundations of Arts and Machine Creativity

Required

AMCC 5010 Research Methodology in Arts and Machine Creativity

Required

LANG 5000 Foundation in Listening & Speaking for Postgraduate Students

Required

2nd Term
Spring Term

AMCC 6090 Postgraduate Seminar

Required

PDEV 6770 Professional Development for Research Postgraduate Students

Required

AMCC 6900 Independent Study in Arts and Machine Creativity

Required

1-4

Elective 1

Elective

3rd Term
Fall Term

AMCC 6100 Professional Practice and Research (Projects)

AMCC 6110 Professional Practice and Research (Internships)

Required

PDEV 6800 Introduction to Teaching and Learning in Higher Education

Required

4th Term
Spring Term

Elective 2

Elective

5th Term
Fall Term

Elective 3

Elective

6th Term
Spring Term

AMCC 7990 Doctoral Thesis Research

Required

Application & Admission Requirements

Application procedures and deadlines
All applicants should submit their application documents through https://pg.ust.hk/applynow* to Fok Ying Tung Graduate School of HKUST on or before June 1, 2025. Early applications are recommended as admission offers will be made on a rolling basis.
* Admission will be available from January 2, 2025.

Application deadlines for 2024/25 admission

For applicants from outside Hong Kong	1 June 2025
For applicants from Hong Kong	1 June 2025

Admission requirements
a. General admission requirements of the University

•	A Bachelor’s degree with second class honors or above from a recognized institution, or an approved equivalent qualification
•	English Language admission requirements set out by the University

(Please refer to the following website for details: https://fytgs.hkust.edu.hk/admissions/Admission-to-Hong-Kong-Campus/submitting-an-application/admission-requirements)

b. Additional information

Applicants are required to develop a research plan in the form of a written proposal. Prior to submitting the application, applicants are encouraged to form a research team comprising at least two faculty members with one of them designated as the prime supervisor, from different academic backgrounds within the Division of Arts and Machine Creativity. Such an arrangement serves the purpose of converging arts and machine creativity research. For example, an applicant intending to conduct research in AI music would benefit from receiving advisement from a secondary supervisor with a background in music performance. While it is not mandatory, applicants with a similar academic background who demonstrate efforts to form such a research team would stand out in the screening process.

Applicants are expected to review the research interests of prospective supervisors and PhD recruitment advertisements. They should also make initial contacts with potential supervisor(s) and identify prime and co-supervisors when applicable. Additionally, applicants are expected to demonstrate their capability and track record in the proposed research plan, whether it focuses on scientific, managerial, or critical studies aspects of arts and machine creativity. Relevant information regarding faculty members, ongoing research projects, and research student recruitment advertisements should be available on the division's website.

Hong Kong PhD Fellowship
Established in 2009 by the Hong Kong Research Grants Council (RGC), the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme aims at attracting the best and brightest students from around the world to pursue doctoral studies in Hong Kong. Eligible applicants are those seeking admission as new full-time PhD research candidates in Government-funded institutions in Hong Kong irrespective of their country of origin and ethnic background. Applicants should demonstrate outstanding academic performance, and good research ability and potential.

For further information on the Fellowship Scheme and its selection criteria, please visit Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme's website.

c. Application procedures

Applicants are required to follow the below application procedures:

1. Develop a research plan whether it focuses on scientific, managerial, or critical studies aspects of arts and machine creativity.
2. Browse the AMC’s Faculty Profiles to identify a list of potential supervisors whose research interest is similar to your research topic.
3. Contact and discuss your research proposal with the potential supervisors.
4. Select at least two faculty members from the list of potential supervisors to be your thesis supervisors throughout the MPhil / PhD journey.
5. Obtain their endorsement (i.e. the selected faculty members need to agree to be your supervisors) and keep the written confirmation (e.g. Email conversations).
6. Start the application via the Online Application System.
7. Attend the interview arranged by your selected supervisors.
8. Submit additional documents as requested.
9. Wait for the application result.

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