Programme Positioning

The Department of Digital and Intelligent Technology offers master’s and doctoral degree programmes, forming a complete progression from the cultivation of application-oriented professionals to research-oriented scholars. Both programmes are based in Macao, serve the GBA and connect with Portuguese-speaking countries and regions. Closely aligned with the national Digital China strategy and Macao’s “1+4” industrial development framework, they focus on core technologies including artificial intelligence, data science, the Internet of Things and intelligent equipment – while sharing three distinctive research areas: marine intelligent sensing and equipment, embodied intelligence, and multimodal smart health. Building on this foundation, the doctoral programme places additional emphasis on breakthroughs in frontier theory and stands as Macao’s first doctoral degree programme structured around a “Digital and Intelligent Technology Hub”.

Educational Objectives

Both programmes are guided by the core principle of “data as the foundation, intelligence as the driver” and systematically apply the technological framework of “perception–understanding–decision–action” throughout. Their educational emphases are distinct yet complementary: 

• The Master’s Programme develops high-quality, application-oriented innovators with a solid command of technology application, project research and development, and interdisciplinary collaboration, with a particular emphasis on practical and industrial translation.
• The Doctoral Programme buildsupon this technical foundation, guiding students toward original research and prepares advanced researchers with academic leadership, technological innovation capabilities and the capacity to support industry.

Both programmes uphold research integrity and technology ethics, placing a strong emphasis on data security and professional conduct.

Programme Features

The master’s and doctoral programmes share the Department’s laboratory system of “one foundation plus three specialisations”, as well as industry–academia–research platforms such as the Macao-China Innovation Institute of Science and Technology in the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin. Together, these resources provide an integrated support environment extending from applied technical training to frontier research.

The curricula are internationally oriented and highly interdisciplinary. At the master’s level, case-based teaching, laboratory practice and industry projects reinforce practical technical skills; at doctoral level, systematic academic research training emphasises theoretical innovation and cross-domain application. Outstanding master’s students may transition directly along this pathway to pursue the Department’s doctoral programme, ensuring continuity in talent development.

Curriculum

• The Master’s programme comprises required courses (Introduction to Digital and Intelligent Technology, Foundations of Digital and Intelligent Technology, and Applications of Digital and Intelligent Technology); six elective courses covering areas such as Data Analysis and Statistics, Computer Vision, Fundamentals of Large Language Models and Natural Language Processing, Intelligent Robotics, and Smart Health and Wellbeing Technologies; an academic capstone project; and a master’s thesis.
• The Doctoral Programme comprises foundational required courses (Frontiers of Digital and Intelligent Technology, Theories of Digital and Intelligent Technology, and Technologies of Digital and Intelligent Technology); a required specialist course(Marine Ubiquitous Sensing and IoT Technology or Multimodal Smart Health); elective courses such as Large-Model Technologies, Multimodal Machine Learning, and Intelligent Algorithms and Optimisation; an academic capstone project; and a doctoral dissertation.

The modular structures of the two programmes are aligned, enabling students to progress systematically from applied technical competence to original research capability.

Career and Further Development

• Master’s graduates will possess solid capabilities in technology application and project R&D. They arewell-positioned to pursue careers in industries related to artificial intelligence, data technology, the IoT, smart health and smart tourism, undertaking roles in technology development, systems engineering, and technical project management.
• Doctoral graduates will be equipped to conduct original,independent research. They are prepared to teach and conduct research at higher education institutions and research organisations, or take up senior technology R&D and technical management roles in industries such as marine intelligent equipment and smart health.

Together, the two programmes support the high-quality development of Macao’s “1+4” industries and the broader GBA digital economy, cultivating a complete regional talent pipeline spanning applied practice and academic innovation.