What will I learn?

This research degree covers:

Commissioning and reliability of facilities
Energy management and carbon footprint analysis
Facility operation and maintenance
Facility planning and design
Facility support services management
FM economics and finance
Information and communication technologies for FM
Legal and environmental issues in FM
Outsourcing and contracts
Performance assessment and benchmarking
Strategic asset management
Workplace ecology and management

Building services primarily include air-conditioning and ventilation, electrical distribution and lighting, active fire protection, plumbing and drainage, vertical transportation, security, telecommunication, and building automation systems. Satisfactory performance of these systems is crucial to providing a safe, healthy, comfortable and productive environment for people and processes in buildings.

Building Services Engineering (BSE) is a multi-disciplinary profession which entails the application of art and science in design, installation, commissioning, operation and maintenance of services systems for buildings. Given the ever-rising needs and expectations of users, building services systems have become increasingly sophisticated, leading to the mounting demand for competent building services professionals.

Worldwide there have been growing recognitions that the performance of buildings and their services systems has significant impacts on the environment. The prevalent pursuit of green and sustainable buildings further highlights the vital role that building services professionals have to play in enhancing such aspects as energy conservation, indoor environmental quality, resources recycling, waste minimization and pollution control associated with the use of buildings.

Which department am I in?

Faculty of Construction and Environment

Study options

Full Time (3 Years)

Tuition fees

HK$84,200.00 (9,13,668) per year

Annual tuition fee: HK $42,100 (UGC-funded students); HK $84,200 (Non-UGC-funded students)

*Price shown is for indicative purposes, please

Start date

September 2025

Venue

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

ST305, 3/F, Ng Wing Hong Building,

Hung Hom,

Kowloon City, Hong Kong, Kowloon

Entry requirements

For international students

3-year full-time PhD programme

Normally hold an MPhil or equivalent (a research postgraduate degree with a dissertation as an award requirement) conferred by a recognised university.

4-year full-time PhD programme

Normally hold:

A Master鈥檚 degree; OR
A Bachelor鈥檚 degree with First Class Honours (or equivalent qualification), conferred by a recognised university.

PolyU may accept other equivalent qualifications. The decision is made on an individual basis.

English Language Requirements

The requirements for those who do not have a degree for which English was the language of instruction at a recognized university are:

An overall score of at least 6.5 in the International English Language Testing System (IELTS); OR

A Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) score of 80 or above for the Internet-based test or 550 or above for the paper-based test.

All English language test scores are considered valid for two years after the date of the test.

*There may be different IELTS requirements depending on your chosen course.