LSE – PKU Double Degree in Public Administration and Government

About the MSc programme

Organised jointly by LSE and Peking University, this double MSc degree offers an outstanding opportunity for graduate students and young professionals. The first year is spent at the School of Government at Peking University, with a focus on public policy and administration in China and the Asia Pacific region. The second year is spent at LSE, studying public policy and administration. It offers the following benefits:

• Gaining an insight into public policy and administration through studying at the best universities in the social sciences in China and in Europe.
• While at LSE, courses in the Government Department.
• Combining an empirical and a theoretical approach to public policy and administration.
• Studying in small seminar groups of no more than 15 students. 
• Engaging at an advanced level with the latest academic research and undertaking your own research-based term work and dissertation.
• A good preparation for further research work or for a career in education, public administration or the private sector.

At Peking University, the students take core courses including Chinese Politics and Public Policy, Chinese Economic Development and Reform, Chinese Language Course or Introduction to China and can select other courses  from a list of optional courses. They complete the First Year programme by writing a dissertation on a topic relevant to their studies.

At LSE, students follow the programme of the MSc Public Policy and Administration including a range of compulsory and optional courses, as well as completing a research-based dissertation.

The programme provides an excellent preparation for careers in academia, business or consulting, government or international agencies, the media, politics and law.

Course assessment is by assessed coursework (in some courses) and by a final exam.

Year one: Peking

All courses are one semester long

Core Courses

• Chinese Politics and Public Policy
• Chinese Economic Development and Reform    
• Research Design and Practice
• Chinese Language course or Introduction to China 
• Public Politics course (PRC students MUST take this course)

Optional Courses

Two from:

• Government and Market
• Social Policy Transformation in China
• Chinese Law
• Introduction to China
• Outside option courses at PKU master's level

Dissertation

Students are required to submit a dissertation at PKU and to defend it.

The list of courses may be amended and not all courses may run in a particular year.

Year two: LSE

Course choice and acceptance into specific courses depends on the availability of courses in a given year, staffing resources, the number of seminars offered for a particular course and student demand.

Compulsory Courses

(* half unit)

• Approaches and Issues in Public Policy and Administration
• either Public Management Theory and Doctrine* or Comparative Public Policy Change*
• either Quantitative Analysis I: Description and Inference* or Quantitative Analysis II: The Generalised Linear Model*
• Dissertation of 10,000 words on a topic chosen in discussion with your supervisor

Options

A total of one full unit from the following:

Public Management

• Accountability, Organisations and Risk Management*
• Public Management of Development*
• Public Management: Theory and Doctrine*
• Public Management: a Strategic Approach*
• Citizens' Political Behaviour in Europe: Elections, Public Opinion and Identities*
• Public Budgeting and Financial Management
• Introduction to Regulation*
• Philosophy and Public Policy
• Social and Political Aspects of Regional and Urban Planning*

Comparative Public Policy and Administration

• Policy-Making in the European Union*
• European Models of Capitalism*
• Network Regulation*
• States and Markets* 
• Public Policy Responses to International Migration*
• Legislative Politics: US* †
• Politics of Economic Policy*
• Legislative Politics: European Parliament* †
• The Politics of Inequality and Redistribution*
• Media and Communication Regulation*
• Public Policy Responses to International Migration*  
• Behavioural Public Policy*
• The Politics of Policy Advice*   

Please note that not every course is necessarily available every year, and some may only be available with permission of the course tutor. Please refer to the Government Department's website for a more up to date index of available courses.

It may be possible, with the permission of the programme convener, to substitute a course from the options list with any other course taught in the Department or by other departments at LSE.

† may not be taken together