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Programme Structure and Curriculum
Experiential Learning Activities
Master of Arts in Global Society
Master of Public Administration
Master of Social Sciences in Contemporary China Studies
Programme Structure and Curriculum
Curriculum Structure
Units
Components
31
A. General Education
4
B. Social Sciences Common Core
36
C. Global and China Studies Core Courses
Of which:
9
Global Studies Theories
9
Research Skills
9
Researching China in the World and the World in China
3
Summer Sojourn I
6
Honours Project
24
D. Global and China Studies Elective Courses
33
E. Free Electives
128
Total
GCS Core CourseGCS Major Elective Course
36 units
Global and China Studies Core courses
9
i) Global Studies Theory
3
GCST 1005 Approaches in Global Studies
3
GCST 2005 China and the Contemporary Global Order
3
GCST 4005 Alternative Globalisation
9
ii) Research Skill
3
GSIS 2005 Statistics for Social Sciences1
3
Qualitative Social Science Methods
3
GCST 3007 Research Writing
9
iii) Researching China in the World and the World in China
3
GCST 2006 A Political Economy of Global China
3
GCST 2015 Cultural Heritage and Chinese Society
3
GCST 2016 Sustainable China: Environment and Development Issues
9
iv) Experiential Learning and Capstone3
3
GCST 2017 Summer Sojourn I
6
GCST 4898/4899 Honours Project
24 units
Global and China Studies Elective Courses1
3
(a) Experiential Learning and Capstone
3
GCST 2025 Global China Work Placement2
3
GCST 3006 Undergraduate Research Fellowship
3
GCST 3005 Summer Sojourn II2
3
(b) Foreign Relations and Politics
3
ECON 4005 China's Foreign Economic Relations and Trade
3
GCST 2007 China’s Foreign Relations in a Global Context: Key Concepts and Major Issues
3
GEOG 2017 Globalization of Economic Activities
3
HIST 2305 China and the West since 1500
3
HIST 3105 Contemporary China
3
HIST 3116 Foreign Relations of Modern China
3
HIST 3127 Historical Interactions of China and the World
3
HIST 3135 The Socialist and Communist Traditions
3
HIST 4106 Contemporary Chinese Political Thought
3
HIST 4107 History of Taiwan
3
SOCI 4066 Chinese Nationalism and Identity Politics
3
POLS 2015 Government and Politics of Hong Kong
3
POLS 3017 Government and Politics of China
3
POLS 3237 Social and Political Developments in Contemporary China
3
POLS 3245 China and the World
3
(c) Innovation, Economics and Development
3
ECON 2015 Hong Kong Economy
3
ECON 3006 Asia-Pacific Economies
3
ECON 3026 Chinese Economic Developments
3
ECON 3095 Urban and Regional Economic Development in China
3
ECON 3087 Understanding the Digital Economy
3
ECON 4027 Financial Markets and Corporate Governance in China
3
ECON 4007 Money and Finance in China
3
ECON 4017 Innovation and Entrepreneurial Economy: China and Global Development
3
GEOG 2025 Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta: A Survey
3
GEOG 4055 Rural and Agricultural Development in China
3
HIST 4127 Social and Economic Development of Modern China
3
SOCI 3045 China and Tourism
3
SOCI 3046 Chinese Capitalisms
3
SOCI 3047 Consumption in China
3
SOCI 4015 East Asia: Economic Miracles and Social Change
3
(d) Culture, Heritage and Communities
3
GEOG 4076 Urban Cultural Landscape
3
HIST 2105 Introduction to Modern Chinese History
3
HIST 3325 History of Chinese Food Culture in Global Perspective
3
HIST 4105 History of Chinese Women since 1912
3
SOCI 2016 Modern Chinese Society
3
SOCI 2037 Unity and Diversity: The Making of Chinese Culture and Society
3
SOCI 4006 Chinese Family and Kinship
3
SOCI 4046 Social Networks and Chinese Society
3
SOCI 4055 Gender in Contemporary China
3
SOCI 4057 China’s Social Classes under Economic Reform
3
(e) People, City/Environment and Resources
3
ECON 4026 Smart Cities: China and Global Development
3
GEOG 3006 Regional Geography of China
3
GEOG 3017 Global Environmental Issues & Sustainability
3
GEOG 4016 Sustainable Energy and Technological Innovation in China
3
GEOG 4047 Resource and Environmental Management in China
3
GEOG 4056 Selected Topics in the Geography of China (Human Geography)
3
GEOG 4057 Selected Topics in the Geography of China (Physical & Environmental Geography)
3
GEOG 4077 Urban Development and Planning in Hong Kong
3
GEOG 4085 Urban Development in China
3
HIST 3317 The Chinese Diaspora
3
HIST 4206 The Overseas Chinese in Southeast Asia
3
SOCI 3055 Population and Social Developments in China
3
SOCI 4065 Chinese Entrepreneurship and Overseas Chinese in the Global Context

Remarks:

  1. Some of the courses on this list are offered on a biannual basis, subject to the offering department’s decision. 

  2. Students taking either ONE of the following courses as GCS major elective

      GCST 2025 Global China Work Placement,

      GCST3005 Summer Sojourn II, or
      SOSC3005 Community & Civic Engagement
    will fulfil the requirement derived from experiential Learning in Action. Hence, students are required to take a total of 27 units of Global and China Studies Elective Courses.

Schedule of courses by semester (For 2025/26 admitted First-Year-First-Degree students)
First Year
Sem. 1 Sem. 2 Total
SOSC 1006 Invitation to Social Sciences 1 - 1
GCST 1005 Approaches to Global Studies - 3 3
GCST 2005 China and the Contemporary Global Order 3 - 3
GFHC Culture and Civilization 3 - 3
UCLC 1008 University English I 3 - 3
UCLC 1005 University Chinese 3 - 3
GFVM Values and the Meaning of Life - 3 3
GFAI AI Literacy - 2 2
GFHL Healthy Lifestyle - 2 2
GFQR Quantitative Reasoning - 3 3
University Life 0 0 0
Free Electives 3 3 6
16 16 32
Second Year
Sem. 1 Sem. 2 Total
UCHL1009 University English II 3 - 3
GCST 2006 A political economy of global China - 3 3
GCST 2015 Cultural heritage and Chinese society - 3 3
GCST 2016 Sustainable China: Environment and Development Issues 3 - 3
GCST 2017 Summer Sojourn I - 3 3
GSIS2005 Statistics for Social Sciences - 3 3
Global and China Studies Elective courses 3 3 6
Free Electives 6 3 9
15 18 33
Third Year
Sem. 1 Sem. 2 Total
Qualitative Social Science Methods - 3 3
GCST 3007 Research and Professional Writing - 3 3
Global and China Studies Elective Courses 3 6 9
GE GE - Interdisciplinary Thematic Courses - 6 6
Free Electives 12 - 12
15 18 33
Fouth Year
Sem. 1 Sem. 2 Total
GCST 4005 Alternative Globalisations - 3 3
GCST 4898/4899 Honours Project 3 3 6
Global and China Studies Elective Courses 6 6 12
GCAP GE - Capstone 3 - 3
Free Electives 3 3 6
15 15 30
Total
128

 Note *

Students taking either GCST 2025 Global China Work Placement, SOSC3005 Community & Civic Engagement or GCST3005 Summer Sojourn II will fulfil both the Programme requirement of Experiential Learning and Capstone and the requirements of ‘Community and Civic Engagement’ and/or ‘Global Outreach’  under “Social Sciences Common Core”. Students must fulfil the 3 units derived from Experiential Learning in Action by taking Global and China Elective Courses(s).

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