Core Major Courses

Public Management
ZHANG Qiang, ZHOU Ling
This course is to ground students in the fundamentals of public management, and enables them to respond effectively and efficiently to the complexity and uncertainty induced by the political, economic, social, technological, security-related and other changes in national and global environments. "Public Management" involves the development of public management; the core functions of organization, personnel, budgeting, decision making, and policy analysis and evaluation; analyzing regulatory administration as an illustration of the interplay of management, politics; the place of the "public" and the "public interest" in public management; as well as the prospects for building a new "administration culture." Besides lectures, most class meetings will include case discussions supplemented with theoretical materials, exercises, and group work. Visiting relevant departments will also be arranged.

Theories in Social Science
GAO Ying, WANG Xinsong, and XIAO Suowei
This course is an integrated introduction to three major disciplines in social sciences: economics, politics and sociology. Students will learn about key concepts, theories, and methods in these three disciplines through extensive readings, lectures and class discussions. The course is divided into three parts by discipline. However, overlapping topics will be selected for discussion from the perspective of each discipline. We will examine different approaches to the same topic – what are the differences and similarities in their assumptions, concerns and analytic frameworks? What are the strengths and weaknesses of each approach? The goal of this course is to help students build a solid theoretical and methodological foundation for future research and to prepare them to select the most appropriate conceptual and analytical tools for various projects.

Qualitative Research—Theories and Practice
WANG Xiying, BA Zhanlong
This course aims to introduce the basic theories and methods of qualitative research and its practice in social sciences. Students must learn its theoretical bases and ideas through practicing it themselves and to do some independent preliminary research employing this method. Students must also develop their ability to understand and evaluate social science research with greater precision.

Quantitative Research Design and Methodology

WANG Xiaohua

Quantitative Research Design and Methodology is a basic course of social science methodology. It provides an introduction to procedures used in, and the applications of, quantitative research methods, including raising a subject for research, searching for documents and writing document summaries, proposing hypotheses, research design (including variable selection, sampling, instrument selection and data collection), statistical analysis and writing reports. The objectives are to teach students the basics of experimental study, to master quantitative research methods and their applications in social sciences and how to deal with data from experiments, so they can combine the basic theories of research design and statistics with their practice.

Required Course for the Social Policy and Social Security Major

Theory and Practice in Social Security
LIU Fengqin, XU Yuebin
This course aims to introduce students to different perspectives on the study of social security, methods in social policy analysis, policy practice and research. The course is designed for students with a basic knowledge of social security. It is composed of two parts: the first part is a general introduction to social security, including conceptualization, institutions, practices and research; the second part is a discussion of social security reforms and issues across the world. Different topics will be selected for students to discuss in class.

Public Policy Analysis
ZHANG Huan, ZHANG Qiang
Public policy is one of the most important and common phenomenon in contemporary society. Almost all applied social science, especially public management, includes research on public policy. Abstract research of the common characteristics of public policy has generally been the theoretical foundation and basic tool for specific policy study. This course will mainly discuss the theoretical framework and analytic methods of public policy in the scientific, systematic study of public management. Case studies will be the main method used in this course to help students master the methods and skills of public policy analysis.

Welfare Economics
ZHANG Huan
Welfare economics is a very important branch of economic theory. It serves as a foundation for many applied branches of economics, such as public finance, cost-benefit analysis and the economics of government policy in many areas, including public policy analysis and social security and so on. Therefore, welfare economics is an indispensable course for graduate students of social policy and social security. The course mainly describes the basic theory of welfare economics, such as Pareto optimality, welfare criteria, consumer surplus and social choice.  Some applied analysis is also included. The course will focus on teaching the theory, but discussion and case studies will also be included in order to help students understand the theory and master the basic methods of applying welfare analysis in policy research.

Required Course for the Social Policy

Theory and Practice in Social Security
LIU Fengqin, XU Yuebin
This course aims to introduce students to different perspectives on the study of social security, methods in social policy analysis, policy practice and research. The course is designed for students with a basic knowledge of social security. It is composed of two parts: the first part is a general introduction to social security, including conceptualization, institutions, practices and research; the second part is a discussion of social security reforms and issues across the world. Different topics will be selected for students to discuss in class.

Public Policy Analysis
ZHANG Huan, ZHANG Qiang
Public policy is one of the most important and common phenomenon in contemporary society. Almost all applied social science, especially public management, includes research on public policy. Abstract research of the common characteristics of public policy has generally been the theoretical foundation and basic tool for specific policy study. This course will mainly discuss the theoretical framework and analytic methods of public policy in the scientific, systematic study of public management. Case studies will be the main method used in this course to help students master the methods and skills of public policy analysis.

Theories of Development (Required Courses for the Development Study Major)
BA Zhanlong
This course introduces students to various theories that attempt to explain what 'development' is, how it occurs (or why it does not occur), and to whose benefit. Despite the frequent use of the term 'development' in academic, policy and journalistic writings, there is little consensus on what social processes it actually entails - or even if some discernable process exists at all. To begin to understand these debates - and the political issues at stake - we survey several broad areas of development theory including modernization theory, dependency theory, feminist theories and theories of sustainable development. On completing the course it is hoped that students will have an inter-disciplinary perspective with which to analyse these theories based on social facts.

The Practice of Chinese Development and Analysis of National Conditions(Required Courses for the Development Study Major)
TIAN Ming
This course introduces students to using development theories to analyze the development history, ways and patterns of China. During this course, the students can achieve a deep understanding of China's tangible developmental successes and help students become more self-aware and skillful in their analysis of Chinese development problems. The course includes: 1) how changes within the sphere of the international development environment influence Chinese development; 2) what roles national development conditions play in the course of development of the population, natural resources and environment, institution and cultures, ; 3) development history, ways and patterns in China, with a comparative study of Western development methods and the experience of development in China. Discussions and assignments focus on applications of theoretical concepts from scholarly readings in economic and social theory to practical issues of public policy and policy-maker responsibility.

Development Economics (Required Courses for the Development Study Major)
HUANG Jianguo
Development Economics is a basic course to learn and study the issues involved in China's development. This course focuses on a combination of the basic theory and practice of Chinese development and a combination of comprehensiveness and practicality to improve students' theoretical level of understanding and ability to analyze problems. This course covers an introduction to the context of the theory of economic development, capital accumulation, human resources, technological progress, sustainable development, urbanization and new rural areas, foreign investment and economic globalization, and such matters. Teaching methods include theory- teaching combined with case analysis and classroom discussion designed to deepen students' understanding of economic development theory and China's development practices and their application and significance.

Case Studies of Development Study (Required Courses for the Development Study Major)
YU Xiaomin
As the largest developing country, China is encountering various development challenges during its market transition. Rooted in China's reality and in a multinational comparative perspective, the course introduces students to major research topics in the field of development studies. The course focuses on four themes: 1) the complexity and variability of development issues in terms of concepts, themes, agencies, scope, and degree; 2) the long-term sustainability of economic, social, environmental and cultural development; 3) balancing goals of efficiency, justice and democracy in the process of policy-making and implementation on development issues; 4) the real situation and theoretical model of China's development. The course is based on a combination of case studies, field work, and practitioner/expert talks to help students achieve a practice-oriented understanding of development issues and enhance effective analytical skills.

Required Course for the Social Medicine and Health Management Major

Epidemiology
LIANG Xiaoyun
Epidemiology is the study of the distribution and determinants of disease frequency in the human population. It is a basic course concerning methods of studying medicine. The course will combine the basic theories of epidemiology and practical skills of data analysis, which will improve students' ability to analyze problems. In addition to lectures, the students will need to complete a certain amount of readings, discuss these readings, and perform a variety of data analysis. After studying the material, the students will interpret and apply the principles of epidemiology to the particular needs of study design, be familiar with some specific epidemiological research areas such as disease surveillance and infectious epidemiology, and be proficient in epidemiologic data analysis with Stata. The course is designed for students with a basic knowledge of statistics.

Health Economics and Economic Evaluation
TIAN Donghua
With the progress of healthcare reform, health-related economic study has been used increasingly in policy analysis. Health-related economic evaluation has provided useful tools for quantitative analysis of the effectiveness of policies and projects. This course will introduce the basic concepts of health economics and their application. It will also introduce the concepts, design and analytic methods of economic evaluation. Thus, the course combines economic theories with hands-on experiences of data analysis. There are four objectives: 1) to understand basic concepts of health economics such as the demand for health service, supply, adverse selection, moral hazard, hospital behavior, DRG, Case-mix, etc; 2) to understand the concept and methodology of healthcare financing, as well as its function in improving service accessibility and medical fee control; 3) to learn to design cost-benefit analysis, cost-effectiveness analysis and cost-utility analysis; 4) to acquire basic methods of data analysis in economic evaluation.

Social Medicine and Public Health Management
SA Zhihong
This course is intended to serve as a general introduction to the field of social epidemiology. Starting from an interdisciplinary approach of sociology and epidemiology, we explore the concept of health equity and the macro and micro social determinants of health. Throughout the semester, we will try to locate population health outcomes within social, economic, cultural and institutional contexts, focus on residence, class, gender, and social relations underlying the epidemiological phenomena of interest, and critically evaluate these trends from a public policy perspective. The focus of the course is on China although the readings also involve other social settings in both developed and developing countries. Readings are designed to cover conceptual and methodological aspects of social epidemiology. Basic statistical knowledge is required.

Health Education and Health Promotion
Pierre MIÈGE
Health education helps to teach individuals and groups the knowledge and skills which will enable them to make decisions that promote the maintenance or restoration of health. The course will introduce the concept of population health, presenting the diversity of fields involved: occupational health, environmental health, physical health, mental health, etc. This class will use examples, mainly from HIV/AIDS prevention programs, in order to provide the students with concrete cases and to teach them how to mobilize different theoretical and conceptual frameworks. During the semester, the students will be asked to read assigned literature and to prepare critical assessments of some case studies.

Required Course for the Management of Non-Profit Organizations Major

Theory and Practice of Nonprofit Management
TAO Chuanjin
This course is designed to give students the expertise and skills needed for "Non-profit Organization Management". It consists of three parts: 1) non-profit organization management expertise; 2) project management and skill and expertise; 3) macro-operational mechanisms and relevant laws and regulations. The course will be conducted with lectures, discussion and participatory debate. The course is mainly designed for postgraduate candidates in non-profit organization management. However, it can also be an elective course for students from other departments. The course attempts to give students a basic understanding of non-profit organization operation and management, project management, etc.

Civil Society Theories
YU Xiaomin
Contemporary China is witnessing the rapid development of civil society, which plays important roles in various public affairs related to development and governance. Rooted in China's current state and from a transnational comparative perspective, this course introduces students to major research topics on civil society. The course is structured around three themes: 1) the development situation of civil society in China, with a comparison to developed countries in Europe and North America and other developing countries; 2) the dynamic interrelation and cooperation dynamic at work among agencies in the sectors of state, market and civil society; 3) the practices, roles, impacts and limitations of civil society organizations in the field of development and governance. The course is based on a combination of introduction to theory, case studies, field work, and practitioner/expert lectures to help students develop a set of conceptual frameworks and enhance their analytical skills effectively.

Program Planning and Evaluation
JIN Chenggang, ZHANG Xiulan, and QU Zhiyong
This course systematically introduces the design and evaluation of social development projects. This course introduces needs assessment methods, community diagnosis, effective design for intervention projects, and a logical framework method. For program evaluation, this course introduces methods of quasi-experimentation, methods of designing impact evaluation studies, evaluation models and data analysis. The course is intended to improve students' abilities in project design and quantitative assessment. Its principles and methods can be used for the design of social development projects and for carrying out impact analysis of social policies.

Elective

Case Study of Non-profit Organization Management

TAO Chanjin

After the establishment of the Ford Foundation, there have been increasing numbers of NGO workers coming to study at our center, whose experiences are of great value to college students. It will be meaningful for them to discuss their organization problems with students in class. This course will focus on one organization every week to perform a case study, share experience and review problem solving exercises.

Psychosocial Capacity- Building in Response to Disasters in an International Context
Joshua MILLER, WANG Xiying
This selective course will consider how workers can meet psychosocial needs and help individuals, families and communities to recover from disaster. The objectives of this course include: 1) to understand what is meant by psychosocial capacity-building in response to disaster; 2) to learn about different types of disasters and the differential impact of disasters on individuals, families and communities; 3) to explore the concept of the social ecology of disaster; 4) to be able to anticipate, identify and assess common psychological, emotional, and social stress reactions to disasters; 5) to explore the different ways that people grieve and mourn and the unique factors to consider when there is a disaster. Classes will utilize a variety of formats: lecture, large and small group discussions, exercises, simulations, videos and student presentations.

Family and Child Welfare

QIAO Dongping

Child welfare has become its own subject of academic study, and has become a specialized profession in practice. Dealing with the conceptions, policies and practice of child welfare, this course intends to introduce basic ideas, theories, developments, modes and policy orientations of child welfare. The course is also designed to explore the regulations, systems, services and management of family and child welfare in China, and to analyze problems in Chinese child welfare and protection of children's rights, so as to prepare students for further study and practice in this field

HIV/AIDS Prevention and Health Education

Pierre Miege

The course aims to introduce the students to sociological perspectives on public health through the examination of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The course will provide background in three areas: (1) knowledge of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, transmission modes, treatment, and care; (2) sociological analysis of social determinants of health, and the repercussions of the epidemic on public health; and (3) critical analysis of social theories and research no this epidemic.

Environmental Governance and Sustainable Development

HUANG Jianguo

As the national reform and opening up policy has come to a new stage and scientific outlook on development has become the guiding principle, economic development in China is now focused more on achieving harmony between man and nature, economic transformation, environmental governance and sustainable development. After this course, students are expected to understand basic concepts, theoretical systems and the frontiers of research of environmental governance and sustainable development, as well as to learn paradigms of analyzing sustainable development policy, and to think, analyze and solve problems in environmental governance and sustainable development from the perspective of public policy. Introducing the substance, roots, framework and policy thinking of environmental governance and sustainable development will be of great help to students in their future work, modes of thinking and thesis writing

Analysis on Contemporary Chinese Labor Policy

YU Xiaomin

This course will employ scientific analysis methods to analyze difficult problems of general interest in the development, policy makers, policy contents and results of labor policy since the national reform and opening up policy was launched. The objectives are to help students build up a knowledge framework of labor policy and to improve their ability to analyze, evaluate and use labor policy.

Foundation Management Practice

ZHANG Qiang, ZHANG Xiulan

Foundation management is an important part of social transformation and it will influence the development of civil society. Good management of foundations requires not only familiarity with theories on non-profit organizations but also profound understanding of social development and the discipline of foundation self-governance. This course has been newly created based on the theoretical course dealing with non-profit organization management.

Social Statistics
LIU Fengqin
Social statistics is the basic course for quantitative research in social science. The course is designed for all students from SSDPP. The course is application-oriented. One of the course objectives is to provide a basic understanding of social statistics. The other is to give students the ability to analyze real problems using statistical techniques. The course will encompass data collection (sampling, questionnaire design, and conceptual application), data description as well as data analysis, with relatively more emphasis on the latter (univariate, bivariate and multivariate techniques).