MSc in Social Science - Public Management and Social Development

Courses and content

China and Europe are facing challenges of equal magnitude, although from opposite perspectives, in the task of securing quality of life for citizens, social mobility and cohesion, and economic competitiveness. In the broad areas of welfare policies and institutional development, very large changes are likely to happen in the course of just a few years.

The purpose of MSocSc in Public Management and Social Development is to educate people who can take part in meeting such challenges and changes, with a particular focus on how China and Europe might learn from each other.

In order to understand the background of the current challenges like social mobility or changes in demography, students will be introduced to the emergence and development of Chinese and European societies, cultures, institutions and practices. Seeing the differences and similarities between the two regions will allow you a nuanced approach to meet the challenges.

The solution lies in social innovation that can improve current welfare models. You will investigate the strengths and weaknesses of different models, and find out how they work. And through the use of empirical analyses you will learn how future solutions can be created in cooperation between public and private sectors.

The programme is taught in China with both Chinese and European students and teachers. This means that you will be learning both inside and outside the classroom, and the line between study and leisure time is blurred. The experience builds competencies that you could never get from reading a book.

The programme is broad, but leaves room for specialisation within different sectors, public or private. The internship will be a good chance to pursue personal interests.

More information

Public Management and Social Development is taught in Beijing as a collaboration between CBS and the Chinese university UCAS. You will therefore get a double degree from both a Danish and a Chinese University. The programme is offered by the Sino-Danish Center for Education and Research (SDC) in Beijing.

Find more information about the programme, content, structure and career and watch videos with students at SDC's webpage - Public Management and Social Development

The programme is one of eight programmes under the Sino-Danish Center for Education and Research (SDC). Find more infromation about SDC and the other programmes under Sino-Danish Center for Education and Research (SDC)

Structure

The programme is a two-year master’s programme that is divided into 4 semesters. The fall semester runs from September through December with exams in January; and the spring semester from February/March through June with exams in June/July.

First and second semester consist of compulsory courses, the third semester entails an internship or research project and the fourth semester finishes off the programme with the master thesis.

Additional options

It is a two-year programme with eight mandatory courses over the first two semesters. On the third semester there is an internship, where you get to use the acquired knowledge actively and gain valuable practical experience in a sector of interest. In the fourth semester you will write your master’s thesis to complete the programme.

The programme follows the Chinese calendar, which means that holidays differ from those in Europe. For example, there is no Christmas holiday, but a longer holiday in February in connection with the Chinese New Year.

Course overview

Find more information about the courses at SDC's webpage - Public Management and Social Development