Our one-year Master Program in Public Administration (National Development) (MPA/ND) is an economics-centered multidisciplinary program that combines rigorous analytical work with an emphasis on policy and public leadership. It is designed for mid-career candidates with a record of academic distinction and exceptional professional accomplishment and promise. Candidates for this program are expected to have obtained an undergraduate degree or above in a relevant field and at least three years of substantial work experience, typically in government or the public sector. Through a structured program of courses, workshops, and field trips within one year, students before graduation from this program should have earned a total of 40 credits (including a course on Chinese language), which culminate in submitting an applied thesis written under the guidance of an academic advisor.

1) Program Requirement

All ISSCAD 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 master degree program offered at the Institute.

2) Curriculum

China Immersion Program

During the first semester, students are required to attend a China Immersion Program, which is composed of a series of lectures, covering various topics related to national development, such as political institutions and national governance, economic system reform and development planning, China’s opening up and globalization, peace-development-cooperation foreign policy, “One Belt, One Road” initiative, educational reform in China, etc.

Chinese Language Course

In accordance with Peking University’s regulation, all international students are required to take a one-semester Chinese language course which is worth 2 credits.

Field Study

Field study trips will be arranged for students to visit China’s special economic zones, industrial clusters, government agencies, and business corporations, to gain first-hand knowledge of how governments and markets operate under various changing conditions in the reform and opening-up process of China, and to learn about China’s success and lessons in economic development. All students are required to participate in the field study trips, which will take place in both fall and spring semesters.

3) Thesis

The thesis shall be written in English, and under the guidance of an advisor. The thesis shall make an attempt to tackle a major issue emerging from the development practices of the student’s home country. Students are expected to apply the theories, knowledge and analytical skills acquired from the program to examine the phenomena, analyze inherent principles, and eventually produce a quality paper with both academic value and practical implications. By the end of the first semester, each student shall choose a professor as his/her advisor, and determine the subject matter of the thesis. In the second semester, students are expected to complete their thesis and pass an oral defense.

4) Degree Conferment

A master degree of Public Administration will be conferred upon a candidate in the master’s program after his/her successful completion of the required credits and a thesis.