The course has been structured to meet the demand for more skilled professionals THE SCHOOL OF Graduate Studies at the City University of Hong Kong is admitting applicants for an Engineering Doctorate (EngD) in Building and Construction which the Faculty of Science and Engineering will run for the first time this year. The programme has been introduced in response to a healthy construction industry which, in the next few years, will need more skilled professionals than are currently available. Targeting senior and top-tier managers, the programme combines theory, practice and research. The taught component consists of 12 credit units of core courses and 12 units of elective courses. Required modules include project management, which will provide an in-depth and advanced understanding of the principles involved. Construction project partnerships with other countries (in particular the mainland) will be emphasised. The construction research paper module is designed to develop students' ability to collect data from sources, analyse the information and present it in a critical and precise manner. Other core courses include green building, architecture and people; two residential workshops; and an EngD seminar. There are 16 elective courses to choose from, with topics spanning cost planning and building services measurement; advanced fire and plumbing engineering; legal studies for the built environment; and intelligent building assessment. The thesis must be professionally related to the area in which the student works. Associate professor at the faculty Richard Yuen Kwok-kit said the doctorate tied in with industrial needs by providing a basic number of electives, and was highly technologically and managerially geared to building needs. The doctorate intends to produce students who will develop skills in practical research in the field of employment and can meet the demands and potentially influence the outcomes of fast-changing technology-based businesses. It will equip them with the knowledge and capabilities potential leaders in their fields of practice need. Run part-time, the doctorate can be completed in four to six years and tuition fees are $3,080 per credit. Additional fees apply for workshops and the thesis component.
