Program Overview

Introduction to the Doctoral Program in National Development

The Doctoral Program in National Development is a three-year program designed to prepare visionary leaders in national development. Candidates with a proven record of high academic and professional accomplishment are encouraged to apply. The minimal academic requirement for the program is a graduate degree in a relevant field at the master level or above.

Program Requirements

• The program consists of a structured course of study, workshops, and field trips, totaling 40 credits in the first year, including a course on Chinese language.
• Students develop a conceptual toolkit that draws on the social sciences but is adapted for applications in the real world.
• A defining feature of the program is that candidates are expected to come to study with a real-world problem, develop a thesis prospectus under the guidance of an academic advisor by the end of the first year, and then spend the next year gathering evidence from the real world and crafting effective solutions.
• The program culminates in the production of a doctoral dissertation with an oral defense by the end of the third year.

Program Structure

1. Program Requirement
   • All degree candidates have course load requirements to ensure the successful completion of their designated degree program by the date of graduation.
   • The following table shows the number of credits required for graduation in the Doctoral program:
     • Doctor | Credit
       ---|---
       Core Courses | 26 credits
       Elective Courses | >= 0 credits
       Chinese Language Course | 2 credits
       Field Study | 3 credits
       Dissertation |
       Total Credits Required | 38 credits
2. Curriculum
   • Core Courses
     • China Immersion Program | Required | 3 Credits
     • Public Policy – Microeconomic Analysis | Required | 3 Credits
     • Statistics in Social Science Research | Required | 3 Credits
     • The Role of State in Economic Development | Required | 3 Credits
     • The Political Economy of China’s Economic Growth | Required | 3 Credits
     • New Structural Economics and Policy Designs | Required | 3 Credits
     • Public Policy – Macroeconomic Analysis | Required | 3 Credits
     • Global Leadership | Required | 3 Credits
     • Research Design for a Social Science Research | Required | 2 Credits
   • Elective Courses
     • Politics of International Economic Relations | Elective | 3 Credits
     • International Economic Development | Elective | 3 Credits
     • Comparative Political Institutions | Elective | 3 Credits
     • Political Philosophy | Elective | 3 Credits
     • Development Financing: Theories, Practice and Institutional Design | Elective | 3 Credits
     • Seminars on Inclusiveness and Sustainable Development | Elective | 3 Credits
     • Applied Econometrics | Elective | 3 Credits
   • Chinese Language Course
     • Chinese Language | Required | 2 Credits
   • Social Practice
     • Field Study | Required | 3 Credits

Program Components

• China Immersion Program: A one-semester program composed of lectures covering various topics related to national development.
• Chinese Language Course: A one-semester course required for all international students, worth 2 credits.
• Field Study: Field study trips arranged for students to gain firsthand knowledge of how governments and markets operate in China.

Independent Research and Dissertation

• Independent Research: Students are encouraged to come to the program with practical problems to be solved in relation to political, economic, or social development of their home country.
• Dissertation: The doctoral dissertation shall be written in English, under the guidance of an advisor, demonstrating a deep understanding of the theories and knowledge of national development.

Degree Conferment

A Doctoral degree in Economics will be conferred on a candidate in the doctoral program after their successful completion of the required credits and a dissertation.