Curriculum

Minimum Credit Requirement


MPhil (18 Credits)

Required Courses
(12 Credits)
Elective Courses
(6 Credits)


PhD (21 Credits)

Required Courses
(12 Credits)
Elective Courses
(9 Credits)
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)
  • AMCC 5000 Creative Convergence: Foundations of Arts and Machine Creativity (3 credits) 
  • AMCC 5010 Research Methodology in Arts and Machine Creativity (3 credits) 
  • AMCC 6900 Independent Study in Arts and Machine Creativity (1-4 credits) 
  • AMCC 6100 Professional Practice and Research (Projects) (3 credits)
    OR 
    AMCC 6110 Professional Practice and Research (Internships) (3 credits) 


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


MPhil (6 credits) / PhD (9 credits)

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 proposed tracks (from A to E as listed below) are intended to provide guided paths, rather than impose strict boundaries, for students' learning journeys.

Machine Creativity
  • AMCC 5110 Programming for Art and Creativity (3 credits) 
  • AMCC 5120 Generative Art: Algorithms and Creativity (3 credits) 
  • AMCC 5140 AI for Visual Arts and Creativity (3 credits) 
  • AMCC 5150 Visual Computing for Visual Arts and Creativity (3 credits) 
  • AMCC 5160 AI-Driven Animation and Video Generation (3 credits) 
  • AMCC 5170 Interactive Visual Art with Generative Models (3 credits) 

Subject to the approval of the Program Director, a maximum of two postgraduate courses outside the above lists may be taken as electives to foster interdisciplinary inspiration and collaboration. 

Additional Course Requirements
COURSE CODE
GRADUATE TEACHING ASSISTANT TRAINING
CREDIT(S)
PDEV 6800
Introduction to Teaching and Learning in Higher Education
0
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.
COURSE CODE
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT COURSE REQUIREMENT
CREDIT(S)
PDEV 6770
Professional Development for Research Postgraduate Students
1
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.

Students are required to complete PDEV 6770. The 1 credit earned from PDEV 6770 cannot be counted toward the credit requirements.
AMCC 6090
Postgraduate Seminar
1
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.

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.
COURSE CODE
ENGLISH LANGUAGE REQUIREMENT
CREDIT(S)
LANG 5000
Foundation in Listening & Speaking for Postgraduate Students
1
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
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

1st Term (Fall Term)

 Course Type Credit(s)
  • AMCC 5000 Creative Convergence: Foundations of Arts and Machine Creativity
 Required 3
  • AMCC 5010 Research Methodology in Arts and Machine Creativity
 Required 3
  • LANG 5000 Foundation in Listening & Speaking for Postgraduate Students
 Required 0
  • LANG 5005 Communicating Research in English
 Required 0

2nd Term (Spring Term)

 Course Type Credit(s)
  • AMCC 6090 Postgraduate Seminar 
 Required 0
  • PDEV 6770 Professional Development for Research Postgraduate Students 
 Required 0
  • AMCC 6900 Independent Study in Arts and Machine Creativity 
 Required 1-4
  • Elective  1 
 Elective 3

3rd Term (Fall Term)

 Course Type Credit(s)
  • AMCC 6100 Professional Practice and Research (Projects)
    OR
    AMCC 6110 Professional Practice and Research (Internships)
 Required 3
  • PDEV 6800 Introduction to Teaching and Learning in Higher Education 
 Required 0

4th Term (Spring Term)

 Course Type Credit(s)
  • AMCC 6990 MPhil Thesis Research 
 Required 0
  • Elective 2
 Elective 3


 

Proposed Curriculum of PhD in Arts and Machine Creativity

1st Term (Fall Term)

 Course Type Credit(s)
  • AMCC 5000 Creative Convergence: Foundations of Arts and Machine Creativity
 Required 3
  • AMCC 5010 Research Methodology in Arts and Machine Creativity
 Required 3
  • LANG 5000 Foundation in Listening & Speaking for Postgraduate Students
 Required 0
  • LANG 5005 Communicating Research in English
 Required 0

2nd Term (Spring Term)

 Course Type Credit(s)
  • AMCC 6090 Postgraduate Seminar 
 Required 0
  • PDEV 6770 Professional Development for Research Postgraduate Students 
 Required 0
  • AMCC 6900 Independent Study in Arts and Machine Creativity 
 Required 1-4
  • Elective  1 
 Elective 3

3rd Term (Fall Term)

 Course Type Credit(s)
  • AMCC 6100 Professional Practice and Research (Projects)
    OR
    AMCC 6110 Professional Practice and Research (Internships)
 Required 3
  • PDEV 6800 Introduction to Teaching and Learning in Higher Education 
 Required 0

4th Term (Spring Term)

 Course Type Credit(s)
  • Elective 2
 Elective 3

5th Term (Fall Term)

 Course Type Credit(s)
  • Elective 3
 Elective 3

6th Term (Spring Term)

 Course Type Credit(s)
  • AMCC 7990 Doctoral Thesis Research 
 Required 0