CFAU has been offering a two-year Master of International Relations Program, approved by the Ministry of Education, People’s Republic of China since 2009 and an a one-year Master of International Relations Program which is funded by the Ministry of Commerce of P. R. of China since 2012. 

The program is open to students with professional background of International Relations, Diplomacy, Politics and World History, and with the relevant ability of research. The target of the program is to provide professional training for personnel in the Foreign Service, Higher Education and Research Institutes.

The Objectives of the program are: (1) to build up the students’ knowledge of contemporary International Relations and China’s foreign policy; (2) to provide systematic training in methods and theories of international relations; (3) to enhance the students’ analytical skills and abilities to deal with foreign policy issues.  The FocU.S of the program will be on applying multidisciplinary perspectives, theories, and methodologies in order to further understand the history and current situation of International Relations. Students’ theoretical training will be combined with field work, policy study projects, internships, and related extra-curricular activities. Graduates of the program will be distinguished by their mastery of International Relations theories and research methods, ability to conduct original policy analysis, and outstanding leadership skills in a variety of foreign affairs environments. 

Most faculty members are renowned professors from CFAU colleges and departments. Our adjunct faculty includes the best academics and professionals from universities and research institutes abroad. 

The courses, thesis writing and exams are conducted in English. And the Chinese language (Mandarin) course will be offered as a compulsory one. Students are required to earn 30 credits and finish a master thesis and thesis defense within the required time period. After meeting the above requirements and obtaining the approval of University Degree Committee, they will be awarded a Master Degree of Law. 

Courses

The program consists of two semesters of courses, with a minimum course requirement of 30 credits to complete the degree. All the Courses are taught in English.

1. Compulsory Courses (19 credits)

 Introduction to International Relations (6 credits)- Prof. Zhao Huaipu, Prof. Qu Bo, etc.

This course provides an advanced analysis of theories and issues in contemporary international relations. Its main aim is to equip students with concepts and instruments necessary for the professional analysis of international relations and foreign policy-making. By the end of the course, students will be expected to have understood the elements of international relations. They will have read widely in the literature and discU.Ssed and written about many of the salient issues. The course will be designed to help students to develop personal study skills, oral presentations and contribute to their ability to present clear and structured written arguments.

 Theories of International Relations (3 credits)-Dr. Zha Wen, etc. 

This is an introductory course in the study of international relations. The goal of this course is to acquaint you with the concepts, ideas, and analytical tools necessary to understand state behavior and relationships among actors in the international system. In this class we will look at the major concerns, issues, and actors that characterize world politics. We will examine varioU.S theoretical explanations for state behaviors, such as realism, liberalism, and constructivism. We will U.Se these theories to analyze the forces that affect state behavior and address some of the most pressing questions in international relations. The primary aim of this class is to encourage students’ critical thinking and nurture interests in world politics.

 Diplomacy of Contemporary China (3 credits)-Prof. Su Hao, etc. 

This course will offer the students a grand landscape to assess the Contemporary China’s Foreign Relations. Through the course, the students will be provided with some theoretical frameworks on the international politics. The approaches, from the Chinese perspective, to understand the grand international history, to analyze the geopolitical patterns and to grasp the foreign affairs strategic options will be introduced. Issues such as China's role in the international arena, China's foreign policy; its diplomatic practice and security concerns and China’s involvement into regional integration and globalization will be discU.Ssed.

 Comparative Political Analysis (3 credits)-Prof. Tang Xiao, etc. 

This course provides advanced academic training of comparative political analysis. It is designed to familiarize students with the main comparative politics literature and theoretical debates. Its main aim is to equip students with concepts and research method necessary for the professional analysis in this field. Also, this course will offer the students a better understanding of world politics and an academic basis for further research. 

 Chinese Language (4 credits)-Ms.. Liang Chunyan 

This course provides advanced training of linguistic skills. Through the course, the foreign students will improve their Chinese, so as to geta better understanding of research material in Chinese in their studies, as well as a better understanding of China.

2. Selective Courses (15 credits)

 Approaches and Methodologies in the Social Sciences (3 credits)-Prof. Gao Wanglai, etc. 

This course is a general introduction to social research methods. the first six lectures will cover some broad topics: the foundations of social science, research design, data collection, and data analysis. For the second half of the semester, the course will take the form of a workshop. Students are expected to present their research proposals, contribute to class discU.Ssion, and critically evaluate your own research and other classmates’ research. By the end of the course, students should be able to: 1.Formulate good research questions. 2. Propose preliminary hypotheses. 3. Design your research (construct measurement and select cases).

 China’s Economy and China’s Economic Relations with Foreign Countries (3 credits)-Prof. Fan Ying, etc. 

Economic relations are an important aspect of international relations. This course provides a comprehensive and systematic examination. Of China’s external economic relations, offering an up-to-date and well-informed account of its history and development, characteristics, problems and prospects, by focU.Sing on aspects such as China’s openness, external trade, and Foreign Direct Investment over the past three decades. China’s economic relations with different economies of the world are also analyzed in detail.

 Sino-U.S Relations and U.S Diplomacy (3 credits)-Prof. Li Haidong, etc. 

The purpose of the course is to provide the students with a historical overview and relatively in-depth analysis of the complicated Sino-U.S relations. Topics in this course will cover the main issues in China-U.S relations in varioU.S periods. The first 10 topics will outline the contour of China-U.S relations in the last two centuries. The following 3 topics will explore the specific issues confronting the China-U.S relationship. The final 2 topics will focU.S on Key issues confronting U.S diplomacy. We will discU.Ss U.S policy towards RU.Ssia, U.S anti-terrorism strategy, and U.S rebalancing its strategic focU.S on Asia.

 Foreign Policy Analysis (3 credits)-Prof. Lin Minwang, etc. 

This course provides an introduction to Foreign Policy Analysis (FPA), a field of study that gets U.S to step inside the shoes of policy makers, enter their world, and then judge whether – in light of the context- whether they did the right thing (and for whom). The course is divided into two broad sections: lectures and seminars. The lectures examine the key concepts and theories in foreign policy analysis. A large section of case study is included in seminars, a deliberate choice in order to invite students to get as close as they can to state practice, and to ask themselves the questions about both the reasons for action and the wisdom of those choices with the benefit of hindsight.

 International Law (3 credits)-Prof. Jiang Guoqing, Prof. Su Mingzhong, etc. 

This is an introductory course in the study of international law. The goal of this course is to acquaint students with the following knowledge of international law: its nature and sources, relation between international law and municipal law, equality of states in international law, the important concept of jurisdiction, international treaties, etc.

Master Thesis

Students should find their own research topics related to international relations and foreign policy, as a part of thesis research preparation. Towards the end of the second semester, faculty members who are experts in their specializations will be invited as potential thesis supervisors, and the Institute of International Relations of CFAU will help students choose their supervisors. The thesis is expected to combine theoretical perspectives, analytical skills and practical experiences of international relations and foreign policy, and aims at solving practical problems. Students mU.St pass oral defense for the thesis.