The University of Macau (UM)’s doctoral, master’s and postgraduate certificate programmes are now open for applications for the 2025/2026 academic year. Applicants can apply directly through UM’s official website. The application deadline for doctoral programmes is 7 March 2025, while the application deadline for master’s and postgraduate certificate programmes is 14 March 2025.
In line with Macao’s policy objectives of accelerating the development of new quality productive forces and meeting the society’s needs for different kinds of talent, UM has launched several new postgraduate programmes in recent years. These cover fields such as fine arts, public health, business analytics, smart ocean technology, construction project management, and teaching English to speakers of other languages (TESOL). The university also offers various scholarships and schemes for postgraduate students, including the UM PhD Scholarship, UM PhD Teaching Research Assistant, and UM Scholarship for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Programmes, to support the development of high-calibre and well-rounded professionals for the community.
Furthermore, UM actively supports entrepreneurship and knowledge transfer to enhance the social impact of its research. The Hengqin University of Macau Advanced Research Institute (HUMRI), Zhuhai UM Science & Technology Research Institute (ZUMRI), and UMTEC Limited are among the key units that support the university’s industry-academia collaboration initiatives. As UM expands its educational footprint and strengthens its research and innovation efforts, the university is establishing a campus in the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, which is expected to be operational in August 2028. The campus in the Cooperation Zone will house disciplines that complement and support the main campus, with a focus on nurturing talent in fields such as medicine, microelectronics, creative design, financial technology, and new engineering. Through the interconnectivity and complementarity between Macao and Hengqin, UM actively recruits international high-end talent and faculty in various research fields from around the world to build a high-level platform for research and innovation.
UM is a comprehensive research-oriented public university of international standing with over 15,000 students. Its distinctive features include a multicultural campus, a system of whole-person education underpinned by faculties and residential colleges, and an international education setup. Eighty per cent of the university’s faculty members are from outside Macao, and the primary medium of instruction is English. UM’s global standing has improved significantly in recent years. The university is ranked 180th in the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings, 14th in the THE Young University Rankings, 36th in the THE Asia University Rankings, 1st among universities in the Association of Portuguese Speaking Universities (AULP), and 245th in the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings.
UM adopts a research policy that can be summarised as ‘highlighting characteristics, leveraging strengths, creating peaks, and strengthening cooperation’, focusing on supporting academic disciplines that reflect Macao’s characteristics, meet the needs of Macao and the country, and align with international trends. UM has established a ‘3+3+3+3’ strategic research layout, where the four 3s refer to three state key laboratories (State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Analog and Mixed-Signal VLSI, State Key Laboratory of Internet of Things for Smart City), three emerging research fields (precision medicine, advanced materials, regional oceanography), three interdisciplinary research fields (artificial intelligence and robotics, data science, cognitive and brain sciences), and three research platforms for the humanities and social sciences (Institute of Advanced Studies in Humanities and Social Sciences, Centre for Macau Studies, Asia-Pacific Academy of Economics and Management). The university encourages interdisciplinary collaboration, especially the integration of modern technology in the humanities and social sciences.
In addition, UM houses five key research institutes affiliated with the Ministry of Education, and has established five joint laboratories with the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The university has also obtained approval to set up 12 Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Joint Laboratories. Currently, UM operates more than 20 joint laboratories with various businesses, institutions, and universities, further expanding the scope and impact of its research.
UM has established strong strategic partnerships with leading academic institutions worldwide, including those in mainland China, Portuguese-speaking countries, and the English-speaking world. The university has launched joint programmes with world-renowned universities, including Imperial College London, University of Edinburgh, University of Bristol, University of Leeds, Queen’s University Belfast, Temple University, University of Lisbon, Tsinghua University, Fudan University, Zhejiang University, and South China University of Technology.
For more information on applications and programmes, please visit the UM Graduate School webpage at https://grs.um.edu.mo/index.php/prospective-students/. For enquiries, please contact the Graduate School by email at gradschool@um.edu.mo or by phone at +853 8822 4898.
