Peking University—University of Michigan Joint Institute
Credential Program in Chinese Studies and Social Theory
The PKU-UM’s Joint Institute’s Credential Program in Chinese Studies and Social Theory provides graduate-level instruction to students at both institutions seeking advanced training in the theories and methods of China studies. Administered jointly by Peking University and the Center for Chinese Studies at the University of Michigan, the program offers a broad, interdisciplinary approach to the study of China and its modern theoretical foundations. Students in the Credential Program take at least six two- and three-credit courses for a minimum of 16 credits, typically over a two-year period (including one or more summers) at Peking University. The six courses must include the following:
- At least three courses in the area of Chinese Studies, selected from a variety of offerings in the social science and humanistic disciplines
- At least three courses on Social Theory, which may or may not focus primarily on China
Each student must complete the six required courses with a “B” average or better. Certain courses can, with the permission of the Program Director, be used to fulfill either (but not both) of these requirements. On completion of all program requirements, students will receive a Credential in Chinese Studies and Social Theory from the PKU-UM Joint Institute. As the reading materials for many of the courses are in English, three years of Chinese college-level training in English (or the equivalent) is a prerequisite for admission into the program for non-native speakers. The further development of all students’ academic English reading and writing skills will be an important component of all courses.
The Chinese Studies courses provide opportunities for an in-depth and interdisciplinary study of China from a wide range of disciplinary perspectives including Art History, Economics, History, Law, Linguistics, Literature, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology, Religion, Sociology, and Women’s Studies. The Social Theory courses, while referring to Chinese examples, will be concerned primarily with providing the student with a set of powerful conceptual tools for the analysis of patterns and structures of social organization in any cultural context. These courses are intended to encourage students both to situate their studies of Chinese society in a broadly comparative perspective and to develop a working familiarity with some of the methods of analysis and critical paradigms that inform modern interpretations of culture and society in the American academe.
The Social Theory portion of the curriculum will consist of three courses, at least one of which will be offered each year:
- Foundations of Social Theory: A broad introductory survey covering a selection of writings by some of the most influential social theorists of the Western tradition and their critics, providing both an overview and critique of major strands of social theory and the extent they apply to China
- Topics in Social Theory: A more specialized course applying the tools and methods of social theory to particular issues, problems, or areas of study (eg globalization, feminism, religion, the environment, technology, philosophy, social psychology, media studies, etc) and the extent they apply to China
- Topics in Literary and Cultural Theory: An interdisciplinary course exploring the intersections of social theory with traditionally humanistic problems of interpretation, whether in philosophy, psychology, literature, history, anthropology, visual & material culture, or cultural studies and the extent they apply to China.