Core Curriculum
School of Economics at Shandong University (SDU-SE) offers 7 outstanding doctoral programs in Economics, Finance, Industrial Economics, International Trade, National Economics, Political Economy, and Public Finance. Our programs focus on producing high quality future generations of innovative researchers, policy makers and business leaders. After rigorous training in advanced economic theory and empirical tools, Ph.D. students are strongly encouraged to undertake original researches as early as possible. Ongoing seminars by distinguished scholars from around the world expose students to the latest issues and research frontiers on a regular basis, while they come up with new ideas and approaches of their own. The size of our programs means that there are rich opportunities for scholarly interactions and collaborations with the faculty and among Ph.D. students themselves. We also routinely invite leading oversea guest teachers to enrich our programs. Our close ties with School of Management and School of Mathmatics give excellent opportunities to students interested in interdisciplinary researches. In addition, our close cooperation with business and governmental organizations throughout China allows students to observe China’s dynamic economy first hand, and formulate their research questions accordingly during the process.

General Information

1)Duration of program: Minimum 3 years. The expected enrollment time is 3 to 6 years full time.
2)Requirements:
Credits: A Ph.D. candidate should complete at least 21 credit units of coursework, among which 15 come from core courses and 6 from elective courses. Candidacy Confirmation: Ph.D. candidates take the confirmation in the third academic semester. The confirmation is conducted by a five-member committee chaired by a doctoral program supervisor other than the principal advisor. The confirmation consists of 5 components: academic ability, coursework performance, a written dissertation proposal, health condition, and a comprehensive test that evaluates a candidate’s overall analytical ability. The confirmation could be conducted either by an interview or a mixture of an interview and a written test. A candidate can proceed to dissertation writing only after he or she passes the candidacy confirmation. Failure to pass the confirmation in due time may necessitate withdrawal from the program.
Dissertation and Publications: The dissertation should consist of original and independent work of no less than 80,000 words by the candidate under the direction of advisors. During the candidacy, a PhD candidate should publish as first author at least 2 papers closely related to his or her dissertation, and at least one of which should be published in a CSSCI journal.
Practice: Ph.D. candidates should practice as teaching assistants, research assistants, or as interns in the society at large.
Study Mode: A Ph.D. candidate is directed by an advisory team consisting of a principal advisor and 3-5 expert advisors in related fields. At least one advisor should come from a different school or university.