项目介绍

2021年3月8日

By 2050, two out of every three people are likely to be living in cities or other urban centers, and most of the increase is expected to be highly-concentrated in a handful of countries, including China. Rapid urbanization and growth of cities call for high-quality public services and effective governance to make urban places more livable. The study of cities becomes an increasingly cross-disciplinary enterprise. The Master of Philosophy (MPhil) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Programs in Urban Governance and Design employ cross-disciplinary perspectives to analyze the data on cities from different sources (including population census, surveys, administrative and big data) to address critical issues in contemporary urban governance and design.

The MPhil Program aims to train students to conduct independent research in urban governance. An MPhil graduate is expected to acquire cross-disciplinary knowledge of cities and employ quantitative skills to integrate and analyze the data from different sources, to write research reports addressing various audience in academia, think tanks, government, or industry, and to contribute to urban governance and design in practice.

The PhD Program seeks to train students in original research with cross-disciplinary approach to urban governance and design, and to cultivate independent and innovative thinking for knowledge creation in the field. A PhD graduate is expected to demonstrate mastery of knowledge in the chosen area of research and to synthesize and create new knowledge making an original and substantial contribution to the cross-disciplinary studies of cities.

On successful completion of the PhD program, graduates will be able to:

1. Identify and synthesize current research on cities, especially those in the Chinese context, to demonstrate mastery of knowledge in the chosen area of research;
2. Compare and contrast state-of-the-art knowledge in urban science and relevant referenced disciplines (e.g., data science, demography, economics, geography, public administration, and sociology), and cultivate independent and innovative thinking for knowledge creation in the field;
3. Analyze, design, and execute research by utilizing proper research methodologies to make an original and substantial contribution to the cross-disciplinary studies of cities; and
4. Communicate the developed knowledge and research on cities through publications and teaching.

To qualify for admission, applicants must meet all of the following requirements. Admission is selective and meeting these minimum requirements does not guarantee admission.1. General Admission Requirements of the University

• Applicants seeking admission to a master’s degree program should have obtained a bachelor’s degree from a recognized institution, or an approved equivalent qualification;
• Applicants seeking admission to a doctoral degree program should have obtained a bachelor’s degree with a proven record of outstanding performance from a recognized institution; or presented evidence of satisfactory work at the postgraduate level on a full-time basis for at least one year, or on a part-time basis for at least two years.

2. English Language Admission Requirements

Applicants have to fulfill English Language requirements with one of the following proficiency attainments:

• TOEFL-iBT: 80*
• TOEFL-pBT: 550
• TOEFL-Revised paper-delivered test: 60 (total scores for Reading, Listening and Writing sections)
• IELTS (Academic Module): Overall score: 6.5 and All sub-score: 5.5

* refers to the total score in one single attempt

Applicants are not required to present TOEFL or IELTS score if

• their first language is English, or
• they obtained the bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) from an institution where the medium of instruction was English.