English Taught Program-Bachelor Program of Economics

What is the program about?

This special Bachelor Program in Economics is designed to train academic and business leaders of the future. It is a selective program open to both Chinese and international students with all instructions in English. Its curriculum is closely modeled after top economics programs in the U.S., and most instructors hold Ph.D.s from leading economics institutions in the West.

How long does the program last?

The program takes four years to complete, two semesters per year, and about 16 weeks per semester followed by final exams. There are two specialized fields available, i.e. economics and finance. However, regardless of the specialization, all students follow a common core curriculum in the first two years of study that builds a solid foundation in economic reasoning as well as essential skills in mathematics, statistics, and econometrics. From the third year on, more elective courses become available as students sharpen their knowledge in specialized fields in economics or finance. In the last one or two semesters, students engage in internship and supervised research leading to thesis. Upon completion of the program, graduates will be awarded B. A. in Economics, recognized by the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China.

Who is eligible to apply?

Applicants should have a High School Graduate Certificate/Pre-Graduation Letter or any proof of completion of high school education. This program has a higher requirement for mathematics, so applicants should have a sound and solid foundation in mathematics at high-school level. Please refer to the Appendix 1 for reference. Applicants should also have a good command of the English language (written as well as spoken), though we don’t require an IELTS or TOEFL test. Any proof of English proficiency will be good addition to application.

Program Structure

Coursework for Economics Specialization

Year 1:

Calculus I/II

Microeconomics

Principles of Accounting

Linear Algebra

Macroeconomics

Year 2：

Probability & Mathematical Statistics

Intermediate Microeconomics

Intermediate Macroeconomics

Econometrics I

Game Theory

Public Economics

Monetary and Banking

International Economics I

International Economics II

Critical Thinking and Writing

Elective course

Year 3/Year 4:

Econometrics II

Mathematical Economics

Financial Investment

Corporate Finance

Commercial Bank Management

Management of Financial Risk

Academic Paper 

Elective course

Year 4: 

Elective course

Internship & Thesis

Choose 5 courses from following list (Year 3/Year 4):

Ecological Ecomomics

Financial Economics

International Financial Management

Advanced Topics  Microeconomics

Advanced Topics  Macroeconomics

Research Method of Applied Economics

Industrial Economics

Development Economics

Institution Economics

Labor Economics

Experimental Economics

Financial Engineering

Fixed Income Securities

Chinese Economy

...... 

Sample Core Courses:

lCalculus I

This elementary course is designed for undergraduate students of school of economics. A course in single-variable calculus. This course covers limits, continuity, derivatives and their applications, definite and indefinite integrals, infinite sequences and series, and basic differential equations.

There are two main things we hope to accomplish:

1. Students will gain a fundamental understanding of single-variable calculus, beyond the level of rote calculation.

2. Students will learn how to apply calculus techniques to solve difficult problems.

lCalculus II

The student is assumed to be capable in the standard Calculus I topics of taking limits, continuity, taking derivatives of fairly complicated functions, using derivatives, calculating the definite integral for basic functions, integration by substitution and the standard applications of the definite integral. Students who are not fully prepared for this course should review the chain rule, the basic integral formulas and integration by substitution, trigonometric equations and polar coordinates.

lLinear Algebra

This course covers linear algebra and linear programming, emphasizing topics in economics which can be analyzed by linear models. A thorough grounding in linear algebra is highly desirable for economists. After successfully completing the course, students will have a good understanding of the linear algebra topics and their applications.

lMicroeconomics

Microeconomics is an undergraduate course that introduces you to the fundamentals of microeconomics. We start this course from basic ideas of economics such as tradeoffs, opportunity costs and comparative advantages. We then explore the structure of markets by studying supply and demand, market equilibrium, elasticity, and government policies and analyze the market welfare of consumers and producers. Next, we examine how individual firms choose their production levels to maximize profits and the impact of different market structures on firms' behavior. In the final part of the course, we study some of the more advanced topics such as externalities and public goods.

lProbability and Mathematical Statistics

This course provides an excellent preparation for undergraduate students who are preparing for graduate study in statistics or statistically based areas such as econometrics, psychometrics, or biostatistics. It lays the essential mathematical basis for graduate-level courses in statistics or statistically based courses and many graduate programs from a variety of disciplines require or strongly recommend it for prospective. This courses also imparts to the student the important idea that real phenomena can be modeled stochastically using random variables/vectors and their distributions. These modeling aspects, which can be imparted through computer simulations, real experiments, and the use of historical data, should make the course very useful to students in the physical, engineering, biological and social sciences.

lMacroeconomics

This course is to deliver students a useful introduction to macroeconomics. The course will present students the classic models for explaining the working of the economy as a whole. By the end of the course, the students should be able to describe a line of theories in macroeconomics, develop analytical techniques abstracted from several popular models to analyze macroeconomic phenomena, and discuss policy conclusions implied by them.

lEconomic History

This course introduces the comparative economic history of China and the West in the past millennium. The topics cover Malthusian trap, Voyages of Discovery, Columbian Exchange, Industrial Revolution, Needham Puzzle, and the long term effect of history, among others. The principal aim of the course is to cultivate the intellectual interests of students in studying history using economic tools.

lIntermediate Microeconomics

This course introduces the major topics of microeconomic analysis. Economics is the study of choice, i.e. decision making in a world of limited resources. The course intends to provide students with economic and analytical tools to understand:

lhow consumers make choices, both with certainty and uncertainty;

lhow firms take decisions, subject to technological constraints, and in relations to market structure and considering strategic interactions with other firms.

In addition, a major purpose of the course is to describe how markets are organized both with symmetric and asymmetric information. The goal of the course is to develop an understanding of the mathematical structure of microeconomics. Concepts will be presented using graphical and algebraic analysis. We will rely extensively on calculus, a major mathematical tool of modern economics. As part of their training in the course, students should develop a facility with the use of calculus in economics

lIntermediate Macroeconomics

The course introduces key concepts, theories and models in Macroeconomics. It is intended for undergraduates who have successfully completed Macroeconomics and who are now ready to systematically study widely-used macroeconomic models in greater analytical detail. The course objective is to deepen our understanding of fundamental macroeconomic problems and appropriate policies in economic growth and business cycles.

lEconometrics I

Building on the fundamental mechanics of statistics and probability, Econometrics I familiarizes students with the empirical application of statistical principles to problems of measurement in economics. The course focuses on the intuition and application of statistical reasoning, the gathering and manipulation of economic data, and the use of econometric software STATA. The core of this course comprises Random Variables, Expectation Theory, Probability Distributions, Hypothesis Testing and the Two-Variable and Multi-Variable Linear Regression Model.

lGame Theory

This course is an introduction to the theory of games, a set of tools used widely in economics to study situations in which decision-makers (consumers, firms, politicians, governments, etc.)  interact. The course introduces the basic theory, emphasizing the concepts. A variety of applications will be discussed, mostly in economics, but also in other disciplines.

lMonetary Economics

This is an introductory course in financial economics. It emphasizes the determination of asset prices, changes in the money supply, and economic responses towards risk.

lInternational Economics I

This course analyzes the causes and consequences of international trade. We will study why nations trade, what they trade, the role of firms in international trade, and who gains from trade. The first part of the semester will be devoted to acquire the skills to answer the questions above. Equipped with the tools of trade theory, we will then move on to analyze trade policy, the effects of trade on the labor market, and related topics like multinational production, and foreign direct investment.

lInternational Economics II

The course focuses on international finance, which is a basic course for students majored in economics. It is concerned with the monetary and macroeconomic relations between countries, and is constantly evolving subject that deals very much with real world issues such as balance of payments problems and policy, the causes of exchange-rate movements and the implications of macroeconomic linkages between economies. Through teaching, the aim is to let students grasp the basic theories and knowledge, by which they can explain various international phenomenon and understand various international finance policies, and build up a solid basis for their future job in economic or finance.

lLaw and Economics

This is a series of lectures to introduce the field of Law and Economics.
Law and economics is a sub-discipline of applied economics concerned with the study of the optimal institutional forms for the resolution of social problems. It is distinguished from other fields of comparative institutional analysis by its inclusion of the widest possible range of legal institutions (property, contract, hierarchy, firm, liability, standards, screening, policing). It is also distinguished by its peculiar mode of "empiricism": many of the field's theories are compared to existing laws and institutions in order to ascertain their predictive power. In sum, this course of lectures investigates the economic issues implied in the use of legal institutions (property rights, contracting, tort law, contract law, civil procedure, Crime).

lIndustrial Economics

Prerequisite: This course requires that you have completed intermediate microeconomics. Also, it assumes your knowledge of basic game theory, elementary calculus, and basic statistics.

This is a course intended for advanced undergraduate or master students interested in industrial organization. As such, it will be demanding.  

The main goal of this course is to provide students with a set of tools and knowledge that would enable them to critically read recent research papers and conduct their own original research in industrial organization.

lPublic Economics

Public economics studies the government and how its policies affect the economy. It considers how the choices of the government are made and how they can improve or hinder economic efficiency. Public economics also investigates the extent to which it is possible for the government to influence the distribution of income and wealth and whether this is desirable.

lFinancial Economics

Financial economics has been playing a more important role in the training of economic students than a decade ago.  This is due to the explosive development of derivative trading in capital markets.  Trillions of dollars of assets are traded daily in financial markets – derivatives like options, futures and more complicated CDOs (collateralized debt obligations), which serve the need of consumption and risk allocations.  In basic financial economics, we analyze problems of security pricing and portfolio selection which involve time and uncertainty.  It is essential for us to understand the classical methods to approach these problems.  This class will cover utility theory, Markowitz’ portfolio theory and Capital Asset Pricing Model in the first part, then binomial asset pricing model after that.  We will discuss the basic theory and classical results with an emphasis on their application to real world problems.

lFinancial Investments

This course will introduce you to major topics of the world of investments.  The study of investments is a field in which theory is rapidly transmitted to practice, as is often seen in finance industry.  Although there have been fast constant change in the investment industry due to newly designed securities, creation of trading strategies, and advances of theories coming out of academic community, some materials are so fundamental to the industry that they are not only intellectual properties of financial research but also of immense importance to sophisticated investors.  It is the goal of this course to help you become familiar with these theories.  The class will cover introduction to financial markets, portfolio theory, equilibrium in capital markets, market efficiency, and then we will focus on fixed-income securities and equity security analysis after that.

lCorporate Finance

This course studies financial markets and corporate finance, emphasizing the basic knowledge of corporate governance and management. The course touches on all areas of corporate finance, including the corporate financing and investment policy, valuation of real and financial assets, theory and quantitative tool for investment decisions and risk management, IPO and MA. The course aims to draw heavily on empirical research to help guide managerial decisions. We will put emphasis on practical implementation. Expect numerous numerical examples.

Highlights of the Program

As a top school in China, the undergraduate admission to Shandong University is very competitive, and more for economics majors. The best of them are then selected into this elite program. Moreover, the program is open to both Chinese and international students such that they can interact with each other on a regular basis for mutual benefits, in order to gain a deeper understanding of the Chinese and Western cultures, and build networks for future career success in a global economy.

Contact Information

International Admission Office                      Joy Han, Program Coordinator

Department of International Affairs               School of Economics

Email: admission@sdu.edu.cn                     Email: intleco@sdu.edu.cn

Website: http://en.sdu.edu.cn/                      Website: http:// soe.sdu.edu.cn