Course List for 2024/25
Semester 2 (Spring 2025)
DATA8007
Foundations of Sequential Decision-Making
Course Instructor: Dr Wenjie HUANG
Schedule: Thursdays, 1:30 pm – 4:20 pm @ P603 Seminar Room, Graduate House
Foundation
DATA8003
Theoretical Foundation of Deep Learning
Course Instructor: Prof Yingyu LIANG, Prof Difan ZOU
Schedule: Fridays, 9:30 am – 12:20 pm @ P603 Seminar Room, Graduate House
Computation
DATA8004
Optimization for Statistical Learning
Course Instructor: Prof Man Chung YUE
Schedule: Thursdays, 9:30 am – 12:20 pm @ P603 Seminar Room, Graduate House
Computation
DATA8009
Advanced Deep Learning for Computer Vision
Course Instructor: Prof Xihui LIU
Schedule: Wednesdays, 1:30 pm – 4:20 pm @ P603 Seminar Room, Graduate House
Application
DATA8010
Embodied AI: Perception, Representation and Action
Course Instructor: Prof Yanchao YANG
Schedule: Tuesdays, 1:30 pm – 4:20 pm @ P603 Seminar Room, Graduate House
Application
Semester 1 (Fall 2024)
DATA8002
Statistical Inference and Machine Learning for Network Data
Course Instructor: Prof Alec KIRKLEY
Schedule: Wednesdays, 1:30 pm – 4:20 pm @ P603 Seminar Room, Graduate House
Foundation
DATA8014
Principles of Deep Representation Learning
Course Instructor: Prof Yi MA
Schedule: Tuesdays, 1:30 pm – 4:20 pm @ P603 Seminar Room, Graduate House
Foundation
DATA8008
Scalable Optimization Methods in Data Science
Course Instructor: Dr Yue XIE
Schedule: Tuesdays, 9:30 am – 12:20 pm @ P603 Seminar Room, Graduate House
Computation
DATA8005
Advanced Natural Language Processing
Course Instructor: Prof Tao YU
Schedule: Fridays, 1:30 pm – 4:20 pm @ P603 Seminar Room, Graduate House
Application
DATA8012
Course Instructor: Prof Qingpeng ZHANG
Schedule: Mondays, 1:30 pm – 4:20 pm @ P603 Seminar Room, Graduate House
Application
DATA8013
Course Instructor: Prof Boris BABIC
Schedule: Thursdays, 1:30 pm – 4:20 pm @ P603 Seminar Room, Graduate House
Application
Semester 2 (Spring 2025) – Tentative
| Course Code | Course Title | Course Instructor | Category |
|---|---|---|---|
| Semester 2 (Spring 2025) – Tentative | |||
| DATA8006 | Advanced Data Mining | Prof Chao HUANG | Foundation |
| DATA8007 | Foundations of Sequential Decision-Making | Dr Wenjie HUANG | Foundation |
| DATA8003 | Theoretical Foundation of Deep Learning | Prof Yingyu LIANG Prof Difan ZOU | Computation |
| DATA8004 | Optimization for Statistical Learning | Prof Man Chung YUE | Computation |
| DATA8009 | Advanced Deep Learning for Computer Vision | Prof Xihui LIU | Application |
| DATA8010 | Embodied AI: Perception, Representation and Action | Prof Yanchao YANG | Application |
| Course Code | Course Title | Category | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Semester 1 (Fall 2024) | |||
| DATA8002 | Statistical Inference and Machine Learning for Network Data | Foundation | |
| DATA8014 | Principles of Deep Representation Learning | Foundation | |
| DATA8004 | Optimization for Statistical Learning | Computation | |
| DATA8005 | Advanced Natural Language Processing | Application | |
| DATA8012 | AI in Medicine | Application | |
| DATA8013 | Ethical Issues in Big Data | Application | |
Time & Venue
| Course Code | Time | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| DATA8006 | 13:30 – 16:20 @ Jan 15 – Apr 22, 2024 (Mondays) | P603, IDS Seminar Room, Graduate House |
| DATA8007 | 13:30 – 16:20 @ Jan 18 – Apr 25, 2024 (Thursdays) | P603, IDS Seminar Room, Graduate House |
| DATA8008 | 09:30 – 12:20 @ Jan 16 – Apr 23, 2024 (Tuesdays) | P603, IDS Seminar Room, Graduate House |
| DATA8009 | 13:30 – 16:20 @ Jan 17 – Apr 24, 2024 (Wednesdays) | P603, IDS Seminar Room, Graduate House |
| DATA8010 | 13:30 – 16:20 @ Jan 16 – Apr 23, 2024 (Tuesdays) | P603, IDS Seminar Room, Graduate House |
Why IDS?
How to Apply
Step 1
Search for potential supervisor(s) from the list of our HKU IDS scholars.
Step 2
Discuss the proposed research areas with the potential HKU IDS scholar(s) if appropriate.
Step 3
Submit the application through the Online Application System for PhD and MPhil Admission on the Graduate School website.
For more details about the application procedures and documents required, please visit the Graduate School website. You can browse the FAQ page here or view the video below for the step-by-step procedures.
Note: Choose “Data Science”, as one of the “Interdisciplinary areas” in the proposed faculty of study, from the drop-down list under the Online Application system of Graduate School, and you will be referred to our HKU IDS scholars.
Qualifications
PhD:
- a Bachelor’s degree with honours and a taught Master’s degree (or equivalent qualification) from a recognized university; or
- a Bachelor’s degree with first class honours (or equivalent qualification) from a recognized university.
MPhil:
- a Bachelor’s degree with honours (or equivalent qualification) from a recognized university
Detailed admission requirements to research postgraduate studies, such as English language proficiency, can be found at the page below:
Faculty/School/Departmental courses are offered and arranged by individual Faculties. You may refer to the landing page of Graduate School below for the summary of the departmental courses you need to take during your studies.
Learn More About Departmental Course Requirements
For further details of coursework requirements and courses, students are advised to consult the homepages of the IDS scholars’ host/co-host departments.
Key Deadlines for Application
MPhil and PhD admissions, and applications for the HKU Presidential PhD Scholar Programme, are welcome all year round. Applications to the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme (HKPFS) are usually invited from September to early December.
In view of the limited admission quota, you are strongly encouraged to apply as early as possible during the Main Round. Applications will be considered in the clearing rounds only if there are vacancies after the Main Round.
| Year 2025/26 | Dates of application |
|---|---|
| Main Round | 1 September 2024 – 1 December 2024 (HKT 23:59, GMT+8) |
| 1st Clearing Round | 2 December 2024 – 30 April 2025 (HKT 23:59, GMT+8) |
| 2nd Clearing Round | 1 May 2025 – 31 August 2025 (HKT 23:59, GMT+8) |
| Course Code | Course Title | Category |
|---|---|---|
| DATA8001 | High-dimensional Data Analysis | Foundation |
| DATA8002 | Statistical Inference and Machine Learning for Network Data | Foundation |
| DATA8003 | Theoretical Foundation of Deep Learning | Computation |
| DATA8004 | Optimization for Statistical Learning | Computation |
| DATA8005 | Advanced Natural Language Processing | Application |
| DATA8006 | Advanced Data Mining | Foundation |
| DATA8007 | Foundations of Sequential Decision-Making | Foundation |
| DATA8008 | Scalable Optimization Methods in Data Science | Computation |
| DATA8009 | Advanced Deep Learning for Computer Vision | Application |
| DATA8010 | Embodied AI: Perception, Representation and Action | Application |
| DATA8012 | AI in Medicine | Application |
| DATA8013 | Ethical Issues in Big Data | Application |
| DATA8014 | Principles of Deep Representation Learning | Foundation |
Key deadlines for application
| Year 2023/24 | Dates of application |
|---|---|
| Main Round | September 1, 2022 – December 1, 2022 |
| Clearing Round 1 | December 2, 2022 – April 30, 2023 |
| Clearing Round 2 | May 1, 2023 – August 31, 2023 |
Our Postgraduate Programmes
The Musketeers Foundation Institute of Data Science is in collaboration with various different Departments and Faculties at the University to offer two postgraduate porgrammes by research, the Master of Philosophy (MPhil) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) programmes, to students who are devoted to exploring frontier research and applications in data science, and other cross-disciplinary areas, in Hong Kong, the Greater Bay Area, and globally.
The Institute aims to draw on strengths in varied disciplines, and to connect our expertise and a University-wide interest in establishing critical mass in key areas, and to explore frontier research and applications in data science, computing, mathematics, and statistics. One of our key missions is to nurture and support the next generation of data scientists who have a sense of social responsibility for the community they serve.
Why Choose IDS?
- Interdisciplinary research environment, with varied and advanced industrial support
- International scholars recruited under the HKU-100 Professoriate Data Science Cluster as mentors
- Comprehensive networks with top global research institutions as well as
- Strategically located in the Greater Bay Area
Curricula
| Programme | Coursework* required by Graduate School | Coursework* required by respective Host Department |
|---|---|---|
| MPhil | 2 compulsory components (6 modules in total) | Please browse the homepages below for more details: |
| 3-year PhD | 1 compulsory module | |
| 4-year PhD | 2 compulsory components (6 modules in total) |
Other requirements
Students are expected to participate in the Institute’s academic activities such as the HKU-IDS Scholar Seminar Series, public lectures, workshops, and sharing sessions by mentors. Attendance at tutorials and the Institute’s event organization may be required.
Special requirements by respective departments are listed as follows:
| Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering | To give at least one research seminar before submission of his/her thesis title |
| Department of Computer Science | To give a departmental pre-graduate seminar about his/her thesis work before thesis defense. |