Professional
M
.A. in Economics
(Program instructions are mostly in Chinese)
The
School of Economics at Shandong University
offer
s
a professional master program leading to M.A. in economics. While the focus of academic M.A. program is on analytic rigor and original research, the professional M.A. program emphasizes practical trainings for aspiring business professionals. For example, while intermediate microeconomics, macroeconomics and econometrics are all required for academic M.A. students, they are electives for professional M.A. students (many still take them anyway). As such, the professional M.A. program equips students with critical skills and knowledge of real-world relevance, which enable them to go on to successful careers in government and the private sector.
This program takes three years to complete. The coursework is usually completed in the first 3 semesters, while the rest of time is devoted to internship and thesis writing. There are 6 specialized fields available (see below), all of
which
are highly relevant and in great demand in the business world.
Upon completion of coursework, g
raduate students
are strongly encouraged
to
attend weekly seminars by renown scholars and business leaders alike, and
undertake
practical
researches early on.
O
ur close
ties
with business and governmental organizations in Shandong Province and throughout China allows students to
have intimate knowledge of how the
Chin
ese economy works,
and formulate their research questions accordingly during the process.
1. Specialized Fields of Economics for the
Professional M
.
A
. Degree
The following
6
specialized fields are available for
professional M
.
A
. student
s
.
|
Specialized Field
|
Total Credits
|
Required Courses
|
Elective Courses
|
|
A
pplied
S
tatistics
|
39
|
27
|
12
|
|
Asset Appraisal
|
45
|
35
|
10
|
|
F
inance
|
45
|
29
|
16
|
|
I
nsurance
|
41
|
27
|
14
|
|
I
nternational
Business
|
46
|
33
|
13
|
|
Taxation
|
42
|
32
|
10
|
2. Requirements for the
Professional M
.
A
. Degree
(1) Course Requirement:
Total required credit hours vary by specialized fields, see above table.
(2) Interim Review:
The s
tudent must pass
an
interim review
either by the end of the third semester or in
the
beginning of the fourth
semester
i
n order to proceed to
thesis
writing. The interim review evaluates the student in the following
three
aspects, i.e. academic ability, coursework performance,
and
a
thesis
proposal.
(3)
Thesis
Requirement:
In
the third semester, students
must
present a written
thesis
proposal
for approval.
The
thesis
-
writing
process
is supervised by a principal advisor and an associate advisor in a related field.
The thesis
should be on a practical topic related to business or economics, and
is defen
ded
in the middle of the sixth semester of the program.
(
4
) Internship Requirement:
Students
should have worked as teaching assistants, research assistants, or interns in the society at large.
Note
: A more detailed description tailored to each specialized field is available in Chinese. Please ask the staff if you want more information.
