Social work doctoral education in Hong Kong: a post-colonial snapshot

Abstract

Hong Kong, as a former British colony, has maintained a doctoral education model based on the British apprentice model. This model has gone through some changes in the post-colonial period since 1997. This paper provides a snapshot of the historical context and current situation of doctoral education in social work. Programs are described with regard to their student admission, content, structure, format and organization. Challenges that are unique to the social and political context are identified, especially with regard to the recent reformulation of government policy regarding higher education. A more contextualized approach to social work doctoral education is proposed.