MA in Hong Kong History
The Master of Arts in the Field of Hong Kong History provides advanced training in the skills and methodologies of academic history. The programme examines the colonial and post-colonial history of Hong Kong as part of global history. It places developments in Hong Kong within broader regional, imperial, transnational and international contexts.
Students are taught by scholars working in Hong Kong history and related fields. Through core courses, specialist electives and a capstone experience, students develop competence in researching, interpreting and writing the history of Hong Kong.
The programme is designed for students who wish to:
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prepare for further study at PhD level;
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advance in the professional job market;
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develop stronger historical research and writing skills;
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explore Hong Kong’s past in greater depth;
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apply historical knowledge in professional or public settings; or
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pursue a sustained personal interest in Hong Kong history.
Students develop abilities in:
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critical reading;
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interpreting complex historical evidence;
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independent project development;
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research writing;
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oral presentation;
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communicating history to academic and public audiences; and
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understanding Hong Kong in regional and global context.
Whether students aim to become academic researchers, professional practitioners or informed members of the wider community, the programme provides an opportunity to study Hong Kong through advanced historical research.
LIFE AFTER THE MA
The MA programme has supported progression to further studies and professional development in areas such as:
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MPhil and PhD programmes (offers from The University of Hong Kong; The University of Edinburgh; Hong Kong Shue Yan University; University of Wisconsin-Madison; and Fujian Normal University, among others - most with scholarship)
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teaching in higher education (The University of Hong Kong);
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teaching in primary and secondary schools, and as expert tutors (various institutions in Hong Kong and the PRC);
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heritage and public history (Hong Kong Greeters);
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government and public administration (Hong Kong Police Force);
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social media (ByteDance; TikTok; etc.);
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journalism and publishing (South China Morning Post; Ta Kung Pao; Wenhui Daily; CCTV; etc.);
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media and communications (iPR Ogilvy; Tencent; The University of Hong Kong; etc.);
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research and policy work (The University of Hong Kong);
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business- and finance-related professions (KPMG); and
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other professions requiring strong analytical and communication skills.
Current Students
REQUIREMENTS
The MA curriculum consists of six taught courses and one capstone course.
Students complete a total of 66 credits:
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two required core courses at 9 credits each, for a total of 18 credits;
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four elective MA courses at 9 credits each, for a total of 36 credits; and
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one MA capstone course worth 12 credits.
All instruction is in English.
Assessment is entirely coursework-based and may include:
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seminar discussion;
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oral presentations;
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research essays;
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source analysis;
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project work; and
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different forms of shorter written assignments.
Not every elective is offered in every academic year.
Students enrolled full-time should note that completing six taught courses and a dissertation or public-history capstone within one academic year involves a workload broadly comparable to full-time employment.
The Department may introduce, revise, suspend or rotate electives according to staff availability and the academic year.
CAPSTONE EXPERIENCE
Students select one 12-credit capstone course. Capstone courses involve more student-led research, original thinking, intensive critical analysis, and rigorously thought-out presentation. For instance, the strongest dissertations are sometimes published with HKU Libraries while some have been published in academic journals (e.g. on dentists in Kowloon Walled City and on Hong Kong football). Other research projects have been displayed in public settings like the Fringe Club.
STUDY MODES
Full-Time Study
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Full-time students normally complete the programme within one academic year.
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The programme comprises two core courses, four elective courses, and one capstone, creating a substantial and intensive workload.
Part-Time Study
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Part-time students normally complete the programme over two academic years.
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The part-time mode allows students to distribute the required courses and capstone over a longer period while balancing professional and personal commitments.
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Students should consult the current programme regulations and timetable for the distribution of courses between years and semesters.
COURSE CATALOGUE
Course Code | Course Title | Credits | Description |
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HIST7008 | Doing Hong Kong History: Methods, Debates, and Sources | 9 | This course examines themes, problems, issues, methods, debates, and primary sources in Hong Kong history. Students develop advanced historical writing, independent research, dissertation proposal, and scholarly citation skills. |
HIST7009 | Health and Medicine in Hong Kong | 9 | This course explores health and medicine in Hong Kong from the First Opium War to the present, including epidemic disease, migration, ageing, colonial medicine, health services, and inequalities of race, gender, and class. |
HIST7010 | Histories of Childhood in Colonial Hong Kong | 9 | This course examines childhood, adolescence, and youth in colonial Hong Kong, linking the city to wider British imperial and colonial contexts and considering intersections with race, class, and gender. |
HIST7011 | Laws of Hong Kong in Global History | 9 | This course studies how global colonialism, revolution, communism, the Cold War, decolonization, and the rise of China shaped Hong Kong law and the rule of law. Prior legal knowledge is not required. |
HIST7012 | Hong Kong: Uncertain(city) | 9 | This course examines instability, anxiety, contingency, and panic in Hong Kong history through the city’s architecture and built environment, with intensive discussion, presentations, and an independent research project. |
HIST7014 | Gender and Sexuality in Hong Kong | 9 | Using gender as a category of historical analysis, this course examines marriage, family, work, education, sport, patriarchy, colonial rule, sexual norms, and reproductive experience in Hong Kong. |
HIST7015 | The History of Business in Hong Kong | 9 | This course covers the development of business in Hong Kong from 1841 to the present, including China trade, multinational firms, industrialization, entrepreneurship, and independent research in business history. |
HIST7017 | Education in Hong Kong History | 9 | This course explores the social, cultural, and political forces shaping education in colonial and post-colonial Hong Kong, including elites, philanthropy, mass education, meritocracy, language, and inequality. |
HIST7018 | Hong Kong in History | 9 | This course introduces key events, developments, and debates in Hong Kong history from the early 1800s to recent times from Chinese, British imperial, world-history, and local-identity perspectives. |
HIST7019 | Cinema and Hong Kong History | 9 | This course explores the relationship between Hong Kong history and cinema, including film’s treatment of war, colonialism, migration, identity, memory, politics, and social and economic change. |
HIST7020 | Religion in Hong Kong History | 9 | This course examines religion across Hong Kong history, including missionary schools, philanthropy, tourism, popular religion, and religion’s social, economic, cultural, and political roles. |
HIST7022 | Sports and Leisure in Hong Kong History | 9 | This course explores Hong Kong sports and leisure from the colonial period to the present, examining community, commercialization, politics, culture, and global and local influences. |
HIST7023 | Death and Dying in Hong Kong History | 9 | This course studies death and dying through urban space, medicine, spiritual beliefs, emotions, class, race, and religion, including burial, cremation, obituaries, correspondence, and cemetery fieldwork. |
HIST7024 | History of Hong Kong Literature | 9 | This course traces Hong Kong literature and writers from the mid-nineteenth century to the present, using literary works to study language, identity, migration, displacement, inequality, and emotion. |
HIST7998 | Capstone Experience: Public History Project | 12 | This communication-intensive capstone trains students to produce original Hong Kong history research for a public audience through a written report and an alternative public-history format. |
HIST7999 | Capstone Experience: MA Dissertation in Hong Kong History | 12 | Students produce a dissertation of no more than 10,000 words based on original research in Hong Kong history and demonstrate advanced historical methods, argumentation, and professional writing standards. |
Prospective Students
APPLICATION PROCESS
Applicants should:
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review the current programme information and entrance requirements;
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prepare the documents required by the University;
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submit an application through the Taught Postgraduate Admissions system by the specified deadline;
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provide proof of English-language proficiency where required; and
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respond to any requests for further documents or assessment.
FEES
Programme fees are determined by academic year. Tuition fees for the 2027–28 intake are to be confirmed. The published 2026–27 fees were HKD 249,600 for the one-year full-time programme and HKD 124,800 per year for the two-year part-time programme.