Master's Program

Course of Study:

Master of Laws in Political Theory

International Graduate Program in Politics

East China Normal University

- Revised 23 June 2017

Introduction

These are the requirements of the Course of Study for doctoral students enrolled through the International Graduate Program in Politics in the Department of Politics at East China Normal University. Matriculating students should study this document carefully.

1. 1. IGPP Master Thesis Guidelines

2. 2. IGPP Master Thesis Proposal Form

3. 3.  IGPP Master Pre-defense Form

4. 1. 4.  IGPP Student Assessment Guide 

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Topics of Study

The IGPP Master’s-degree program is aimed at aligning four factors: student interest; advisor expertise; program, department and university strengths; and an appropriate topic related to Chinese politics. Traditional disciplinary approaches common to politics and political science departments are welcomed; interdisciplinary approaches of the newer kind also not dismissed. Topics of study must be approved by the advisor and the IGPP Academic Review Committee (ARC). Students must submit a completed MA Course of Study Approval Form to the ARC before the end of the second semester. As a rule, department strengths correspond with the major areas of study for which the department has its reputation: political philosophy, political history, political theory and systems, political communication and public relations, political education and participation, international relations, and research methods. Advisor areas of expertise are listed below. But the department is a large one with evolving interests and a growing faculty: the list is not yet final.

Course of Study Approval Form

The Course of Study Approval Form for MA students establishes an approved course of study and addresses in specific terms the student’s thesis topic. It likewise serves as a proposed study plan for coursework and language study and publication requirements. Forms are available in the program office and require four signatures and a department seal. The student, the advisor, the Program Director (pending successful review of the IGPP’s Academic Review Committee) and the Department Chair are the four people who must sign this form.

IGPP Academic Review Committee (ARC)

The IGPP ARC is made up of at least three members: the Program Director, the Department Chair or his representative and the Vice President of the Department’s Academic Council. A minimum of three members required to make up the quorum, two more committee members may be assigned to the committee at the discretion of the Department’s Academic Council: these additional members serve either on a per meeting or a per need basis, sometimes both. The Program Director chairs the Academic Review Committee, the Program Associate acting as the administrative secretary.

Advisors

All faculty members in the department are available for consultation. The IGPP will work with students to find suitable advisors and other faculty members matching student needs. Professors directly involved in the International Graduate Program in Politics should be considered first. Here are the names of the professors now teaching in the program:

Program Length

The Master’s-degree program requires at least 2 years of study beyond the bachelor’s degree and faces a time limit of 5 years: you may take breaks between semesters, but must complete the program within five years of matriculation in order to be granted a degree.

Credits Required

Research-oriented master’s programs in China generally require three years and around 30 credits, not including credits for the thesis. Because many master’s programs offered in other countries as well as many international master’s programs in China can be completed in a year or two, we believe that compressing the course of study so that it can be completed in two years is necessary. However, we also insist on maintaining and in some cases exceeding the basic requirements for a typical Chinese master’s program. Following many international programs, we will require 36 credits.

In addition to completing an acceptable thesis of 50-85, double-spaced, A4 pages and passing at least HSK4 or four sequential Chinese language courses in residence at ECNU (prior to graduation), students must complete 36 credits of course work, exclusive of Chinese language studies.

* Electives: courses within this category can count towards the required 36.

^Directed Research and Praxes II are contract courses. Directed Research is overseen by a professor who agrees to work with a student for course credit (variable) on a one-on-one basis. See the IGPP Office for the Contract Form. Praxes II: Internship or Translation/Interpretation Work or Research Graduate Assistantship (optional) – (3) No set instructor, but will be overseen by the program’s Deputy Director. If this course is selected and approved, it can satisfy 3 credits of the thesis requirement provided the experience directly relates to the student’s thesis, OR also with prior approval, it can satisfy 3 credits of the 12 credits required under the curriculum category, “Policy/Politics.”

* cross-listed courses: On a semester-by-semester basis, IGPP will review and cross-list when appropriate courses offered by other programs at ECNU. These courses can be taken for credit and if approved, satisfy IGPP requirements. 6 credits maximum can be applied towards the required 36, including 3 as elective and 3 towards the Policy/Politics requirement.

Chinese Language Exam

For Chinese language course, 2 semesters of language learning are required by the State regulations. Aside from this, IGPP students are required to take 4 semesters of Chinese Language Course offered by school OR pass HSK 4 prior to the final dissertation defense, but are strongly encouraged to pass HSK 5 at least or HSK 6 if possible. In instances of IGPP approval, students can apply for not taking the Chinese language course with conditions of passing HSK 6 with a grade of at least 200 or above level. (credits from language course will not be counted toward the 36 credits requirement)

Thesis

Students are required to produce a master’s thesis. Only the basic procedures for doing this are outlined here. A separate document, called the“Thesis Guidelines for IGPP MA Students gives comprehensive guidance on procedures, formatting, length and all the other needlework involved.

An IGPP Master’s thesis is expected to be some 50-75 pages long, not including the bibliography. The language of analysis is English. The thesis must adhere to all professional academic standards and university guidelines. The thesis review procedure has three steps: 1) a formal review of thesis proposals in the third semester; 2) the advisor’s review (meeting in full ECNU’s new online review system and standards) and recommendation for final review; and 3) the final review at which the Academic Review Committee makes a final assessment. This assessment breaks into four grades: fail, pass with revisions, simple pass and pass with distinction. Students may have 3 of the 6 credits that go to make up the thesis requirement waived if they complete a Praxes II project judged relevant to the thesis by the Program Director.

Completing the Program

Students should plan to take at least three courses per term, supplementing these with language classes if they do not already command native fluency in Mandarin Chinese. The requirements for graduation include demonstrating fluency in both Chinese and English, completing all required coursework with at least a passing grade, completing all coursework with an average grade of at least 80%, and satisfying the requirements of the thesis.

Chinese grading practices emphasize rank over scores. In order to ensure that our program makes sense to foreign students and to make foreign programs we will implement a double grading system reflecting Chinese and ECNU’s standards on the hand,  and international practices on the other. The reason why it is necessary for the grading system to make sense to foreign programs is for the sake of enlarging the International Graduate Program in Politics into an international network of exchange of knowledge with direct links to foreign programs: joint degrees, coursework for foreign students that can be assigned credit at institutions in their home countries and so on.

Applying for Graduation

Upon completion of all requirements, students must apply for graduation by firstly submitting an Application for Graduation (available in the Program Office) to the IGPP ARC, who will upon favorable review, recommend graduation to the department and university.