The curriculum of the Master of Social Sciences in the field of Clinical Psychology is a two-year (i.e., 24-month) full-time programme.  The curriculum consists of a total of 162 credits.  Candidates are required to complete 21 compulsory courses, including 15 taught courses (6 credits each)  (a total of 90 credits),  5 practicum courses, Practicum I to V with a total of 60 credits, and a dissertation research course given 12 credits (PSYC8006 Dissertation).  Each credit-unit is roughly equivalent to 20 hours of student learning activities (including both contact hours and all other forms of student learning activities) for the taught courses and the dissertation, or 30 hours of work for practicum, under supervision of a clinical supervisor.  Whereas the first year of the programme shall focus on the theoretical foundations and basic skills training in Clinical Psychology, the second year shall extend to include the application of the theories and assessment and treatment models to special populations in various clinical settings.

The courses are as follows:

First year
PSYC7024 – Induction Programme
PSYC7029 – Practicum I
PSYC7030 – Practicum II
PSYC7002 – Assessment of personality and psychopathology
PSYC7003 – Individual psychotherapy I
PSYC7004 – Individual psychotherapy II
PSYC7005 – Psychopathology I
PSYC7006 – Psychopathology II
PSYC7018 – Cognitive assessment
PSYC7019 – Research methods and statistics I
PSYC7020 – Research methods and statistics II
PSYC7009 – Clinical seminar I

Second year
PSYC8011 – Practicum III
PSYC8012 – Practicum IV
PSYC8013 – Practicum V
PSYC8001 – Clinical seminar II
PSYC8003 – Family and group therapy
PSYC8004 – Clinical neuropsychology

First and/or Second year
PSYC8002 – Community and health psychology
PSYC8005 – Ethics and professional issues

Capstone Experience Course
PSYC8006 – Dissertation

The courses listed above may be offered in a different year of study.

Please click here for the regulation and syllabus of the Master of Social Sciences in the field of Clinical Psychology programme.

To be eligible for admission to the Master of Social Sciences in the field of Clinical Psychology Programme, a candidate shall satisfy both the University admission requirements and the programme specific requirements as listed below:

• shall comply with the General Regulations;
• shall hold a Bachelor’s degree with a major in Psychology of this University or a qualification of equivalent standard from this University or another comparable institution accepted for this purpose;
• shall have demonstrated empirical research experience in the form of a dissertation completed in the Bachelor’s degree programme or another equivalent programme in psychology, or first-authorship in published journal article;
• shall be eligible for the Graduate Membership of the Hong Kong Psychological Society;
• for a candidate who is seeking admission on the basis of a qualification from a university or comparable institution outside Hong Kong of which the language of teaching and/or examination is not English shall satisfy the following English language requirement applicable to higher degrees as prescribed under the General Regulation G2(b);
• shall preferably have relevant working experience; and
• shall satisfy the examiners in a qualifying examination if required.

Application for exemption from the above requirements shall be considered on a case by case basis.

The curriculum of the Master of Social Sciences in the field of Clinical Psychology is a two-year (i.e., 24-month) full-time programme. Candidates will spend a considerable amount of time during and between school terms in clinical practice.

The Master of Social Sciences in the field of Clinical Psychology Programme is offered on a government-funded basis. Tuition fee for the academic year 2025/26 cohort is:

Local students:       HK$44,500 per annum*

Non-local students: HK$198,000 per annum*

* Subject to approval.

For the details of composition fees for the taught postgraduate programmes, please visit http://www.aal.hku.hk/tpg/programme-fee-and-payment

Financial assistance is available for full-time postgraduate students. Enquiries should be made to the Student Financial Assistance Agency, 11/F & 12/F, Cheung Sha Wan Government Offices, 303 Cheung Sha Wan Road, Kowloon. (https://www.wfsfaa.gov.hk/sfo/en/index.htm).

The Master of Social Sciences in the field of Clinical Psychology Programme is offered every year.  The next class will commence in September 2025. 

Applications can be made online at https://portal.hku.hk/tpg-admissions (only online applications are accepted).   Programme information, regulations and syllabuses can also be obtained from this website. 

The closing date of the application is 12:00noon (GMT +8), 7 February, 2025. 

Please read through the materials in the below hyperlinks which are also available for viewing at the homepage of Taught Postgraduate Admissions of The University of Hong Kong:

• Additional Information
• Regulations & Syllabuses
• Supporting Documents

Each applicant is required to provide contact information of two referees (academic & professional) during the online application. The referees will then receive an email invitation to complete an online referee survey within 4 weeks, or before 14 February 2025, whichever is earlier.  Only referees with the provision of official university/company email/correspondence addresses are accepted. The University may approach referees and their affiliated university/company for verification.

Upon your submission of the online application, you will receive an email notification from the application system within 48 hours to upload the supporting document. Please upload all supporting documents within one month starting from the date you receive the email notification, or by 23:59 on 14 February 2025, whichever is earlier. A checklist of the required supporting documents is available at https://portal.hku.hk/tpg-admissions/programme-listing.

Please note that applicants are NOT REQUIRED to submit original/certified true copies of documents to the University during the application stage. Should applicants be given a conditional offer by the University, applicants will be notified to submit the stipulated documents. However, applicants should take into account the processing time required for the issuance of original/certified true copies of documents and start preparing them at their earliest convenience upon receipt of offer.

We use multiple criteria in the selection of candidates.  Among the criteria are: academic records, personal maturity and motivation, understanding of clinical psychology, clarity in the formulation of goals, and relevant work experience in the broad field of applied psychology.  Decisions are based on multiple sources of information, including transcripts, test scores, and the personal statement.

Our programme encourages applications from all qualified students and refrains from systematically excluding students on the basis of race, ethnic origin, sex, age, religion, sexual orientation, or physical ability. Although proficiency in Cantonese and written Chinese and relevant working experiences are not entry requirements, they are highly preferred.

Please first read the FAQ of the TPg admission website for further details.  For additional enquiries, please send an email to msscp@hku.hk and quote your full name in English and application number in the email. Applicants may contact the Department of Psychology at msscp@hku.hk if you do not receive your application results by 31 July 2025.

Clinical Psychologists enjoy a high level of professional prestige in Hong Kong. Most of our graduates are employed as clinical psychologists in hospitals, clinics, government departments and voluntary agencies. Significant professional growth of clinical psychology in Hong Kong is expected to continue in the foreseeable future. The typical activities of clinical psychologists include:

• Psychological assessment
• Psychotherapy and counselling (individual, family, and group)
• Health and competence promotion
• Scientific research
• Consulting in programme development and evaluation

Useful information about the field of clinical psychology in Hong Kong can be found here.

Graduates can also choose to pursue further study in higher degree programmes. The Department of Psychology offers two doctoral level degrees in clinical psychology, i.e. the Doctor of Psychology in the field of Clinical Psychology (PsyD) Programme and the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) with Specialization in Clinical Psychology Programme. The PsyD in Clinical Psychology programme, established in 2004, is a first-of-its-kind programme offered in Hong Kong. Its primary aim is to provide further specialized training for experienced clinicians who hold a MSocSc degree in Clinical Psychology or equivalent. Our PhD in Clinical Psychology is designed to train clinical scientists who are interested in an academic career.

MSocSc (CP) Advisory Panel

Adjunct Professors

Dr. Chan, Becky Mei Yin (Adjunct Associate Professor)

Dr. Chan, Chung Ming Anthony (Adjunct Associate Professor)

Dr. Cheung, Chuen Yih Amos (Adjunct Assistant Professor)

Dr. Chong, George Heung Chuen (Adjunct Associate Professor)

Dr. Hui, Shuk Han (Adjunct Associate Professor)

Dr. Kwok, Alice Wai Yee (Adjunct Associate Professor)

Dr. Lau, Edmond Kam Lun (Adjunct Associate Professor)

Dr. Ma, Ellen Yee Man (Adjunct Associate Professor)

Dr. Tsang, Lucia Yee Ha (Adjunct Associate Professor)

Dr. Wong, Chee Wing  (Adjunct Associate Professor)

1. If I do not have a Bachelor’s degree with a major in Psychology, can I apply for the Master of Social Sciences in the field of Clinical Psychology Programme?

No. This is a basic requirement. Applicants who do not have a Bachelor’s degree with a major in Psychology may consider taking a conversion programme to fulfill such requirement. There are many conversion programmes in Hong Kong for the people whose Bachelor’s degree is not in psychology. The completion of any of these conversion programmes is considered as an equivalent of a Bachelor’s degree with a major in psychology. In HKU, our conversion programme is Master of Social Science in the field of Psychology.

Applicants shall have had an empirical research dissertation completed in the Bachelor’s degree programme or another equivalent programme in psychology, or first-authorship in published journal article;

2. When and how can I apply for this programme, does the application open every year?

The Programme is offered in September every year.  Online applications can be submitted at https://admissions.hku.hk/tpg/ during the application period from November/December each year.  Classes commence in early September.

3. Do I need to take IELTS or TOFEL?

A candidate who is seeking admission on the basis of a qualification from a university or comparable institution outside Hong Kong of which the language of teaching and/or examination is not English shall satisfy the English language requirement applicable to higher degrees as prescribed under the General Regulation G2(b).

4. Is Cantonese a must prior to admission? How do I prove my Cantonese skills?

Being able to communicate in Cantonese and knowledge of written Chinese are preferred because students in this programme are expected to complete clinical placements in the local services in Hong Kong as part of their training and most of the clients in Hong Kong speak Cantonese. The language ability of the candidates will be tested during the selection interviews.

5. Will the Department provide feedback to individual applicants?

Due to the large number of applications received, unfortunately we are unable to provide individual application status updates or feedback to unsuccessful applicants.

The Admission Seminar for September 2025 entry will be held with the following details:

Please click HERE or scan the above QR code for registration.

(Registration deadline: 3 December 2024 12:00 noon)

Application procedure and admission-related enquiries:
Mr. Robin LEE (General Office)
Tel: (852) 3917 5866
Email: msscp@hku.hk

Programme and profession-related enquiries:
Prof. Shirley Xin LI
Admissions Coordinator
Email:   shirleyx@hku.hk

Answers to frequently asked questions about admissions into postgraduate programmes at The University of Hong Kong can be found here as well as the FAQ webpage of the MSocSc programme at the Department of Psychology. Please read through the materials in the above-mentioned webpages THOROUGHLY FIRST. Oftentimes, information requested can readily be found in these webpages.